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Mining Publication: Acoustic Assessment of Pneumatic and Electric Jackleg Drills used in the Mining Industry
Keywords: Exposure tracking Jack-leg drills Noise Sound power level
This page is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being maintained or updated.
Original creation date: April 2010
Authors: HE Camargo, JS Peterson, PG Kovalchik, LA Alcorn
Conference Paper - April 2010
Download PDF Document (0.43 MB)
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20036769
NOISE-CON 2010: Proceedings of the 2010 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering and 159th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Baltimore, Maryland, April 19-21, 2010. Burroughs CB; Maling G; eds., Indianapolis, IN: Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA, Paper No. NC 10-152, 2010; :1-11
Hearing loss is the most prevalent disease among miners. A study of U.S. western hardrock mines revealed that 96% of machine operators were overexposed to noise, with jackleg drill operators having the most rapid noise dose accumulation. Traditionally, jackleg drills have been driven by pneumatic power. However, there are currently available rotary hammer drills powered by electricity. This paper presents an acoustic assessment of pneumatic and electric jackleg drills that involved Noise Source Identification (NSID), penetration rate measurements, operator’s cumulative noise dose measurements, and the determination of sound power levels. NSID using beamforming array technology revealed two dominant noise sources for the electric drill, one located at the drill and one located at the drill steel-rock interaction place. In contrast, NSID for the pneumatic drill showed only one dominant noise source located at the drill. Penetration rate and noise dose measurements were combined to estimate the accumulated dose and time required to drill a reference depth hole. Sound power level measurements while drilling into granite yielded overall levels of 115.3 dB(A) and 123.4 dB(A) for the electric and pneumatic drills, respectively. The results show that from an occupational noise exposure perspective the acoustic performance of the electric drill, despite its slower penetration rates, overcomes the benefits of traditional pneumatic drills.
Image of publication Acoustic Assessment of Pneumatic and Electric Jackleg Drills used in the Mining IndustryConference Paper - April 2010
Download PDF Document (0.43 MB)
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20036769
NOISE-CON 2010: Proceedings of the 2010 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering and 159th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Baltimore, Maryland, April 19-21, 2010. Burroughs CB; Maling G; eds., Indianapolis, IN: Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the USA, Paper No. NC 10-152, 2010; :1-11
See Also
Analysis of a Mechanism Suspension to Reduce Noise from Horizontal Vibrating Screens
Assessing Noise and Dust: NIOSH and Vulcan Materials Co. Team Up to Test How Well Helmet-CAM Technology Measures Miner Exposure Levels
Determining Underground Roof Bolting Machine Operators Noise Exposure Using Laboratory Results
Limestone Mining: Is It Noisy or Not?
Noise Assessment of Stone/Aggregate Mines: Six Case Studies
A Noise Control for A Roof Bolting Machine: Collapsible Drill Steel Enclosure
Sound Power Level Study of a Roof Bolter
A Technique for Estimating the Sound Power Level Radiated by Pneumatic Rock Drills and the Evaluation of a CSIR Prototype Rock Drill with Engineering Noise Controls
Technology News 536 - NIOSH Develops New Software to Analyze and Reduce Noise Exposure
What Does a Hearing Loss Sound Like?
Page last reviewed: September 21, 2012
Page last updated: September 21, 2012
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program
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