Dust suppression specialists Global Road Technology (GRT) and its Australian distribution partner TotalEnergies Marketing Australia, welcome the commencement this week of the Queensland government’s Code of Practice relating to eliminating or minimising exposure to crystalline silica dust.
Starting from Monday 1st May 2023, the Managing respirable crystalline silica dust exposure in construction and manufacturing of construction elements applies to an array of industries ranging from construction, the mining sector and manufacturing whose activities produce silica dust and to protect workers from exposure to this deadly material.
A key focus of the new Code of Practice will be on dust control methods that prevent silica dust from being generated or released into the air, including water suppression and on-tool dust extraction.
“Global Road Technology applauds the commencement this week of the new Code of Practice in Queensland as it aligns with our entire philosophy as a business to eliminate the spread of particulate pollution,” GRT CEO Troy Adams said.
“Following our recent partnership announcement with TotalEnergies Marketing Australia, which sees them supply a suite of GRT’s environmentally safe, sustainable and cutting-edge dust suppression products, this news is a further showcase of the growing awareness of the impacted companies around the dangers of particulate pollution and their need to work with partners to address this issue for the safety of their workers.
“We are actively working with TotalEnergies Marketing Australia to educate the resource sector in Queensland around ways to reduce particulate pollution and showcase how the relevant GRT products like our autonomous SMART Dosing Units (Sustainable, Mining, Autonomously, Reporting Technology) that use data and automation can suppress the spread of dust.”
GRT’s innovative product suite of dust suppression non-toxic chemical applications twinned with its engineered dosing and application techniques has seen it emerge as a national leader in the development of infrastructure and process solutions for the global markets, and sees it well-placed to capitalise on this growth.
Its range of innovative products and techniques is designed to reduce the dust pollution generated by onsite industrial activity like drilling and stop it from spreading across the site and into local communities.
Automation is a core focus of GRT’s product offering for the mining sector worldwide with its SMART Dosage Units (SDU) being one of its most in-demand products.
It recently received $100,000 in the Round 9 Ignite Ideas Funding through the Advance Queensland innovation initiative designed to support the state’s businesses undertaking commercialisation projects that will benefit the economy now and into the future.
These smart dosing units are also equipped with WiFi technology to allow for remote management and communication between units to ensure accurate dosage is distributed across the site, minimising wastage and maximising efficacy.
Evidence of GRT’s philosophy of providing ‘whole-of-site’ dust solutions is how it has designed eco-friendly polymer based products like GRT: Haul-Loc and GRT: Activate that dovetail into these autonomous systems to deliver effective dust control and provide critical data to our customers useful and actionable data.
These products are far more effective in stopping particulate pollution than water alone which is commonly used and ensure that this precious natural resource is not wasted.
This approach is driven by its offering solutions at the apex of the hierarchy of control meaning that its products and techniques are designed to mitigate dust at its source to ensure that only minimal amounts of particulates reach workers – to the point where protective clothing and masks can safely deal with the remaining trace particles.
Its Activate product range is designed to work in tandem to reduce the spread of particulate pollutants with GRT: 12X targeting the dust generated by exploration drilling and using the drills themselves to stop the fine dust caused by drilling by saturating it.
According to Total Energies Australia national mining manager Andrew Druwitt, the commencement of the Code of Practice represents a significant milestone for not just Queensland industry, but the country as a whole and the business is excited to be partnering with GRT.
“TotalEnergies Australia is seeking to build industry awareness around the dangers of dust pollution and provide businesses a turnkey solution to help the mining industry in particular to reduce particulate pollution,” he said.
“This Code of Practice showcases the growing awareness about the dangers of particulate pollution caused by elements like respirable crystalline silica dust to workers and communities. We are excited to be partnering with GRT to educate Australian industry about the best way to manage this problem, while protecting workers and communities across the country.”