Health and safety for workers is a major consideration for the mining industry. Although the first concerns that come to mind might include harm from falling rocks or explosions, there are additional factors that can have a detrimental impact on miners’ well-being.
Hard water is one of those factors. By applying water conditioning technology, mining companies can avoid several situations that might be harming their workers. For instance, wastewater or materials transported through pipes often contain ores, descalants, acid mine drainage and other elements that miners need to avoid coming into contact with. Some of these substances may be dangerous, having consequences such as irritation, burns or cancer.
When poor-quality water causes pipes and other pieces of the infrastructure to corrode or block, workers must replace or repair the infrastructure more frequently than otherwise necessary. This increases workers’ potential exposure to hazards, such as acids, heavy metals, chlorides, fluorides, hydroxides, sulphates/sulphites and radionuclides.
For instance, chlorine is usually the go-to solution when mining-wastewater and truck-washes take on heavy odours. Although chlorine does help to remove the unpleasant smell, this chemical is very unsafe for workers. Treating water with Hydrosmart reduces the level of chlorine needed, thus lessening miners’ contact with this substance.
As an added benefit, the treatment increases efficiency and productivity of the business in the sense that the mining company avoids downtime for pipe maintenance. Companies also reduce their expenditure on pipe and on equipment replacement.
Hydrosmart is a unique technology that works by introducing resonance frequencies into the water. This changes the way minerals and other elements interact with the water, helping the minerals to dissolve better. In this way, it reduces and removes build up, and prevents precipitation of minerals that cause corrosion on metal surfaces.
These changes happen without introducing any chemicals or consumables. No electrical wiring contacts the water and the current draw is very low, less than a standard light bulb, which means the technology doesn’t add any hazards as it mitigates others. Given the multiple benefits, Hydrosmart is an excellent way to boost health and safety on mining sites.