Fully mechanized caving face (FMCF) serves as an important part of underground mining system in coal mines. The respirable dust of high concentration produced at FMCF seriously pollutes the underground working environment, and is hazardous to the physical and mental health of miners. In addition, the movement and flow of respirable dust are complicated in the underground environment and add difficulty to dust prevention. In the present work, the diffusion behavior of respirable dust at 5303 FMCF Tangkou Coal Mine of the Zibo Mining Group is studied by combining CFD simulation and field measurement. The results show that the respirable dust generated by back drum rushes into sidewalk space. Influenced by turbulence, the respirable dust from coal caving moves quickly into the sidewalk and pollutes this area. On the basis of the results and on-site condition, a comprehensive system for respirable dust control at FMCF has been proposed. With the application of the comprehensive system, the mean settlement rate of respirable dust reaches 91.06% in the main operation area for field technicians. The result demonstrates high efficiency of dustproof effect. (C) 2016 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.