South African mines have collected hundreds ofthousands of dust samples from underground workings andrecovery/process plants. Until 1992 dust samples were collectedthrough sampling with konimeters and, occasionally, withthermal precipitators for research purposes. This sampling wasfor control purposes to test the effectiveness of control measuresimplemented and for planning measures, but not to ascertain fullshift exposure for epidemiological studies. In 1992 a carefullyplanned gravimetric dust sampling strategy that ensures that atleast five percent of the workforce is sampled during each sixmonth dust sampling cycle was introduced Sampling resultsindicated considerable variation in diurnal dust concentrations,shift to shift variations and extreme variation in quartzconcentrations of individual dust samples. This paper outlinesthe results of research findings and proposals formulatedwhereby, using existing sampling equipment and infrastructure,dust sampling for control purposes and dust sampling forepidemiological studies can be implemented.
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