Challenges of Using LEV in Developing Economies

Mike Slater

Diamond Environmental Ltd.

Chair of WHWB-UK

YEARS OFOCCUPATIONALHYGIENE

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Workplace Health Without Borders

There are 3 billion

workers in the world…

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Source:

World Health Organization (WHO)

There are 3 billion

workers in the world…

Nearly 2 billion of them work in unhealthy and unsafe conditions

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Source:

World Health Organization (WHO)

2.34

1.6

1.24

0.742

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

Occupational injuries

and disease

HIV/AIDS

Road traffic

Armed Conflict and

Violence

Millions of Deaths per Year Worldwide

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accidents

14%

diseases

86%

About 150,000 workers die from respiratory disease every year

Exposure to dust is a major cause of respiratory diseaseincluding in Europe – this photo was taken in the UKLocal exhaust ventilation (LEV) is a common solution to this type of problem

Unfortunately we don’t always get it rightEven in Europe LEV systems are poorly designed

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Silica = 1.9 mg/m3

Dust exposures can be a real problem in the developing worldControls are often non-existent

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Challenges of designing and implementing LEV systems in developing countries

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Lack of funding

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Lack of expertise

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Lack of resource

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Availability of supplies and equipment

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Maintenance difficulties

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Workplace Health Without Borders

Workplace Health Without

Borders (WHWB)

A non-profit international organization

Registered as a charity in Canada

Branches recently established in the USA and UK

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Workplace Health Without

Borders (WHWB)

Engages volunteers to address workplace health issues around the world

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A world where workers do not get sick

because of their work

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Vision

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Some WHWB Projects

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Brick plant project - addressing silica and other

hazards in brick plants in Nepal, Pakistan and

Tanzania

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Provided technical assistance on sampling for

silica in Pakistan brick plants

Agate Polishing in Gujarat

▪ Produces Semi Precious stones used for jewelry and

ornaments

These are agate “pebbles”

▪ Produces Semi Precious stones used for jewelry and

ornaments

After polishing

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Used to make jewellry

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Silica – Agate Jewelry

Industry

▪ Estimated 1 million exposed in this industry

▪ Prevalence of silicosis is 20-30% (workers)

and 11% in family members

▪ Elevated levels of accelerated silicosis,

Tuberculosis

Resp. Dust: 0.61 mg/m3

Quartz = 0.54 mg/m3

Resp. Dust: 0.61 mg/m3 Quartz = 0.54 mg/m3

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Silica = 1.9 mg/m3

Project Goal

• Use inexpensive, locally available

materials

• Low power demand

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Pilot systemIn the lab

Grinder

4” x 10” Hood

20 Litre Pail

with Lid, which

supports fan

200 CFM Fan

@ 3/8”WG

Exhaust

Exhaust duct terminates

ca 6” inside pail vertically

Dustrak (resp) <0.05

mg/m3

Dustrak (resp)>20 mg/m3

(exhaust)

Trial Intervention: Horizontal Wet Wheel39

Receptor / captor hood

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Simple wet system to capture some of extracted dust using waste drum

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Pre-hood With LEV

Respirable dust

(mg/m3)

0.8 <0.33

Quartz

(mg/m3)

0.53 0.09

Revised

Design

Horizontal wet wheel #2

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Horizontal wet wheel #2

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Pre-intervention: quartz 3.0 mg/m3

Post-intervention: quartz 0.05 mg/m3

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Vertical

grinder

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Before After

Resp. dust

(mg/m3)

1.7 0.64

Quartz

(mg/m3)

1.2 0.10

Dry horizontal grinder

Before After

Resp. dust (mg/m3) 1.9 0.4

Dry Ball Mill

Respirable Dust: 36 mg/m3 , Quartz = 17 mg/m3

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Dry Ball Mill 50

Respirable Dust: 0.51 mg/m3 , Quartz = <0.03 mg/m3

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Lack of funding

Lack of expertise

Lack of resource

Availability of supplies

Maintenance difficulties

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Thanks to Paul Bozek, University of Toronto

Learn more and get in touch!

Join WHWB: www.whwb.org

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Workplace Health Without Borders