Each part of your site has unique dust dynamics. In-pit areas may respond well to water. But static surfaces, like bunds and stockpiles, require longer-lasting suppression. And heavy-traffic haul roads benefit from stabilisation rather than repeated wetting.
Yet many sites still rely on one method, spraying plain water, as the primary dust control method, regardless of traffic volume, dust generation rate, or reapplication effort. It’s easy to default to water trucks. They appear to get the job done. But in reality, you’re spending time, fuel, labour and water, just to chase a problem around the site.
“Smarter dust control starts with zoning,” says Martin. Not every part of the site generates dust the same way. “In-pit at the active face, plain water with cannons works, sure. A well-timed wetting strategy can keep things under control.”
“But when it comes to your high-traffic haul roads, and areas like bunds, stockpiles, ROM edges, or rehab zones, these aren’t places you should be hitting with a water truck every few hours,” he says.
For those zones, you need a set-and-forget approach. Ideally you would use biological binders or soil stabilisation products that create a crust or binding layer that lasts for weeks or even months, depending on conditions.
“But it should be environmentally safe and re-minable at a later time,” explains Martin.
“When we see sites step back and treat dust control the way they treat any operational risk, by assessing cause, exposure, and impact, better decisions follow. The progressive ones are already doing this.”
You spend less, get better results, and free up your crews to focus on higher-value work.
