Pavón I., Recuero M.

Exposure to noise at work is one of the hazards with greater presence in the mining industry. In the surface mining industry, different methods from mineral extraction, transport and processing are used. In general, all of these processes produce high levels of noise. From various measurements of noise made with sound analyzers in different points within the strip mines, noise maps of three strip mine and treatment plants have been made: two gravel pits and one limestone quarry. These maps can serve as a tool to delimit zones with different sound levels, as well as to define the regulations that must be taken in each case. The paper presents the obtained results, the different solutions to adopt and also show the convenience, validity and limitations that this type of maps present for the management of the labour risks in mining operations.