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Occupational Health Hazards in the Sukari Gold Mine, Egypt

Research Authors
Ragab ElSayed Rabeiy
Mohammed Ragaiei ElTahlawi
Gamal Yehia Boghdady
Research Member
Research Year
2017
Research Journal
Journal of African Earth Sciences
Research Publisher
NULL
Research Vol
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.04.023
Research Rank
1
Research_Pages
NULL
Research Website
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1464343X1730167X
Research Abstract

Mining industry is generally classified as the most hazardous industrial sector. Mining activities usually emit
physical and chemical hazards in the workplaces and impose negative effects on the workers' health. Sukari
Gold Mine (SGM) is located in the south of Eastern Desert in Egypt and is considered as the largest and
modernized gold mine in the country. Occupational exposure and health risk assessment were evaluated in
SGM by measuring the hazardous substances in different workplaces of the project. Noise, Particulate Matters
(PM10), harmful gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Hydrogen
cyanide (HCN), and ammonia (NH3) were measured in workplaces and ambient environment. Maximum
noise levels were 112 dBA and 103.5 dBA in the two power generators. Values of PM10 in the most working
sites were less than the permissible levels (3 mg/m3) except in underground access, which recorded 4.9 mg/
m3. Measurements of chemical gases in the workplaces showed that most of the concentrations are less than
the permissible limits except hydrogen cyanide. HCN recorded high levels in Carbon In Leach Tanks with a
value of 10 ppm. Risk assessment of occupational health hazards of the SGM was applied in this study using
Hazard Index and a simple modified model. The two methods enhanced each other and gave same results
that two workplaces have High Risk, five cases have Moderate Risk and the rest places are Low Risk on the
workers' Health. The study concluded that the modern mining and extraction methods applied in SGM have
reduced the severity of occupational exposure to physical and chemical hazards in workplaces.