Proper Covering of Dusty Material on Dump Trucks

This was about new ideas in covering the dusty materials on Dump Trucks.

Environmental Concern

Everyday, hundreds of dump trucks carry all kinds of dusty material from construction sites to public filling barging points. Improper covering of dusty material would result in substantial fugitive dust emissions during road transportation. Consequently, the air quality of Hong Kong, in particular, the total suspended particulate, would be greatly affected.

The dusty materials on the dump truck was not covered properly

The dusty materials on the dump truck without cover

Measures Adopted

Partnering and Dust Cover - An intensive inspection / education exercise was conducted to remind the contractors to cover the back load of construction materials entirely before leaving a construction site. Alternative methods to cover dusty material on the dump truck were also explored. This leaded to the launching of a programme to construct and test out an automatic mechanical covering system by the Civil Engineering Department (CED) to cover the dusty materials effectively.

The dusty materials on the dump truck was entirely covered by manual method

Mechanical cover in open position for loading

Mechanical cover being closed (by step electric motor)

Observations & Achievements

Following the intensive inspection / education exercise, it was noted that there was great improvement in the proper covering of dusty material on dump trucks as well as the number old defective covering sheets replaced by new ones. A new mechanical device to cover the dusty material on the dump truck was also tried out and found to be effective, safe and easy to operate.