Are You ‘Sick’ Of The Dust?
August 19th, 2008Dust is becoming a major problem again.
The African summer is here and after the dry winter we’re anxious for the first summer rains to fall.
In the last month there have been numerous queries relating the health of workers relating caused by dust pollution from various sources such as dirt roads, and the very active improvement plans ahead of the World Cup Soccer tournament here in South Africa.
The question everyone is asking is “Who do I complain to and what are my rights?” The answer is firstly the organisation causing the dust and then Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism’s environmental inspectors on their toll free pollution hotline 0800 205 005.
The National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998, sec 28 states “Every person who causes, has caused or may cause significant pollution or degradation of the environment must take reasonable measures to prevent such pollution or degradation from occurring, continuing or recurring, or, in so far as such harm to the environment is authorised by law or cannot reasonably be avoided or stopped, to minimise and rectify such pollution or degradation of the environment.” Dust is specifically included in the definition of pollution.
Pollution means any change in the environment caused by:
(i) substances;
(ii) radioactive or other waves; or
(iii) noise, odours, dust or heat,
Dust is a cause of asthma, especially for the more vulnerable being children, pregnant woman and persons suffering heart or lung disease. Dust is also an irritant to the nose, eyes and throat. Therefore if there are high levels of dust being generated, this is in contravention of sec 28 of NEMA and needs to be controlled.
Controlling methods which are debatable due to the availability of water are firstly watering of roads and secondly dust suppressant products. If you have an abundance of water, then watering the roads in relation to the evaporation rate is acceptable if not then dust suppressant options can be researched.
The Air Pollution Prevention Act 45 of 1965 identified almost every major city in South Africa a dust control area, however due to the change over from APPA to Air Quality Act there seems to be little direct control over dust in urban and industrial areas.
The SANS 1929:2005 air quality standards gives acceptable dust limits. If an organisation would like to ascertain significant environmental dust levels, a dust fall out study should be undertaken by air quality specialists.
If an organisation believes that dust is causing health illnesses for their employees, this is quite significant dust pollution and should be controlled by the party responsible for the dust as per the acceptable limits below.
Target, Action & Alert Thresholds for Dust Deposition (SANS 1929:2005)
Implats, Corporate Sustainability Report, 2006. (Click for Larger Image)
Personal Protective Equipment should also be investigated.
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