Mechanical Processing of Hard Coal as a Source of Noise Pollution. Case Study in Poland

Abstract

This article presents the results of noise tests, measurements and proposals of solutions that have an impact for reducing noise at one of the Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa S.A. mines. All units and workstations at the mechanical coal processing plant were tested. Coal enrichment, aimed at adjusting its quality parameters to the requirements of various customers, is considered as a stage of mineral resources management. The adaptation of the quality of commercial coal products to the needs of specific customers consists in removing useless components from the excavated material. The processes of coal processing are carried out on various machines, the power of which reaches several dozen kilowatts. The energy of these machines, in addition to the useful power, is converted into heat, friction and noise. From the energy point of view, noise is not important, but it is very harmful to employees. The issue of noise pollution, although very dangerous to employees’ health, is often underestimated. Due to the subjective perception of noise, it is not possible to determine the risk without proper research. The aim of this study was to determine where the noise standards are exceeded. The next step was to propose specific solutions to reduce the impacts of noise on health and work comfort.