{"id":81591,"date":"2023-09-04T00:46:30","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T00:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalroadtechnology.com\/\/?p=81591"},"modified":"2023-09-04T00:46:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T00:46:30","slug":"the-snowy-hydro-2-0-effectively-managing-particulate-matter-on-modern-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalroadtechnology.com\/the-snowy-hydro-2-0-effectively-managing-particulate-matter-on-modern-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"The Snowy Hydro 2.0 \u2013 Effectively Managing Particulate Matter on Modern Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Back in the day, when any Aussie bloke worth his salt worked naked from the waist up with a smoke dangling from his lip, it\u2019s fair to say OH&S wasn\u2019t a huge priority. When work began in 1949, people considered the original Snowy Hydro scheme the most significant Australian infrastructure project of its kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Progress was measured at a ‘man per mile<\/strong>‘ \u2013\u00a0<\/span>If this reference is lost on you, be thankful.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was expected \u2013 and even planned \u2013 that one man would lose his life for every rocky mile dug beneath the Snowy Mountains. Fortunately<\/span>, it’s 2023, and we\u2019ve come a long way!<\/span><\/p>\n

And while the revamped Snowy Hydro project is in the news again \u2013 after blowing its budget again \u2013 the 2.0 version sets new standards for workers’ health and safety, managing risks including those posed by dust and particulate matter. <\/span>And thanks to the media coverage, Australia\u2019s mainstream is getting a look back in time at what work practices actually looked like in the \u2019good old days\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Around 100,00 people worked on the original Snowy Hydro program, and <\/span>121<\/b> lost their lives at work. <\/span>But we can\u2019t measure the lasting effects on people from inhaling unfiltered dust and particulate matter over the project\u2019s <\/span>25-year<\/b> duration. <\/span>That number is sure to be staggering.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A New Approach to Measuring and Controlling Particulate on the Snowy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Designers and construction contractors on the 2.0 works have collaborated closely with the EPA to ensure air quality criteria are in place, monitored and adhered to. <\/span>In contrast to the initial construction, workers on-site must now wear dust masks at all times to prevent inhalation of particulate matter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the current particulate exposure standards for the Snowy project:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Particulate Matter as PM2.5:<\/b> Maximum 24-hour average 25 g\/m3: Maximum annual average 8 g\/m3\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Particulate Matter as PM10<\/b>: Maximum 24-hour average 50 g\/m3: Maximum annual average 25 g\/m3\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Deposited Dust:<\/b> Maximum increase in deposited dust level 2g\/m2\/month: Maximum total deposited dust level 4g\/m2\/month<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Teams have installed sensitive receptors at various locations around the site and where people are likely to work or reside, potentially experiencing an air quality impact. Specifically, t<\/span>hese areas include dwellings, schools, hospitals and public recreation areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Receptors nearest the Project Site are in the west and southeast, as winds prevail from this direction and have the highest potential to move dust. Teams have also implemented control measures to manage the risk of dust generation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    These measures include:<\/strong><\/p>\n