Lighting, Ventilation and Dust

Control
Various operation and activities in tunneling work
cannot be effectively and satisfactorily carried out if
there is poor light in tunnel.
Good lighting at following locations are essential
• Drilling and Mucking zones
• Bottom of shafts
• Underground repair shops
• Where work is in progress.
• Pumping stations.
 Types of Tunnel Light
• Lanterns or Lamp burning oil
-Used in survey works.
• Coal gas lighting
-Coal is taken into a pipe and burnt.
• Acetylene gas lighting
-Use of acetylene gas
• Electrical lighting
-absence of smoke
-wires are easily removed and extended
-does not consume oxygen
 Spacing in lighting
• Whole tunnel should be uniformly lighted.
• More lights of small wattage must be
preferred than few lights of large wattage
• Lights are mounted directly on walls or they
are placed in recesses at suitable height.
Spacing of light depends upon..

Tunnel Dimension
Size of light source
Rock condition
 Ventilation
• It is the technique of providing fresh air inside
the tunnel
• It is required to
-furnish fresh air to the workers
-remove dust caused by drilling, blasting and
mucking operations
• During working , each worker should be
supplied with a minimum of
8.4cu.m(300cu.ft.) of fresh air pr minute
constantly in the working area.
 Method of Ventilation
• Natural ventilation
• Mechanical ventilation
 Natural Ventilation
• Due to difference of temperature inside and
outside the tunnels
• Shafts at a suitable interval along the
alignment of a tunnel during its construction
 Mechanical Ventilation
• It is achieved by blowing fresh air into a tunnel
or exhaust the dust and foul air from the
tunnel.
• Blowing
• Exhausting
• Combination
 Blowing
• Fresh air is blown by blower fans mounted in
one or more input shafts.
 Exhausting
• The foul air and dust are drawn into an
exhausting duct near the working face,
thereby creating a flow of fresh air into the
tunnel fro the entrance or portal.
 Blowing + Exhausting
• After blasting, exhausting is operated for 15-
30 minutes, to remove objectionable air, and
rest of the times fans are reversed for blowing
fresh air.
 Dust Control
• By drilling, blasting and loading hauling muck
operations, the dust accumulates in the air in
a tunnel.
• High percentage of silica causes a lung disease
known as ‘silicosis’
 Methods of Dust Control
• Wet Drilling
-water is used to wet and remove the cuttings
from the drilled holes.
• Vacuum Hood
-a hood is fitted around the drilled steel at the
rock face, which is connected to a suction
hose, which removes all the dust created y the
drill.
• Use of respirators
-certain types of respirators used by the
workmen offer protection against inhalation
of dust.
Thank You