This document provides information on basic fire safety for the mining industry. It discusses the costs of fires, common causes of underground mining fires, fire prevention strategies, fire classifications, fire extinguisher use and inspection, and fire drills. Specifically, it notes that the leading causes of underground coal mine fires are electrical equipment, welding, and mobile equipment. It emphasizes the importance of training, maintenance, housekeeping, and proper storage of combustibles to prevent fires.
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Fire_Safety-Version_2.ppt
1. Basic Fire Safety
for the Mining Industry
Presented
By
Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Deep Mine Safety
Revised 8/00
2. Costs in Lives and property damage
• Fire kills more Americans than all natural
disasters combined
• Every year more than 5000 people die in fires and
over 25,000 are injured
• Estimated property loss of over 9 billion dollars.
• Example, at a surface stone crushing facility, a
fire in the motor and bearing area causing 4
production shifts to be lost would cost $93,000 in
lost time and production.
• What would your losses be?
3. Underground coal fires reported to MSHA-164
•Material burned (represents a combination of fire reported)
Wood Rubber hose/tires Coal/dust Electrical Belts/rollers Oil/grease Other
19 25 75 50 27 30 17
•Equipment Involved
• Welding/cutting 23 Battery vehicle/charger 8
•Air compressor 12 Electrical 14
•Trolley 15 Continuous miner 6
•Shuttle car/scoop 6 None 29
•Roof bolter 6 Not reported 1
•Cutting machine 4 Other 3
•Conveyors 33 Unknown 2
•Diesel equipment 2
Source: NIOSH IC-9426- Analysis of underground coal nine fire incidents in the
United States from 1978 thru 1992
4. History of Mining Fires in Pennsylvania
•Between 1980 and 1990, there have been 5 major
underground mine fires lasting more than 48 hours and
required mine rescue teams.
•Pennsylvania has gone ten years without a major mine
fire incident.
•However, from 1998 to present, there have been 15
“reportable” fires at underground operations, which
include the surface facilities.
•It is estimated that fire lasting 24 hours requiring mine
rescue teams would cost in excess of 1 million dollars.
•The time is now to be more vigilant in preventing a fire
in which could lead to death, injury or loss of income.
5. Fire prevention
• Through proper safety training
• Good maintenance of electrical and
mobile equipment
• Good housekeeping
• Proper storage and clean up of
combustible and flammable liquids
• Good communications between
management, labor, state and federal
agencies
• Basically “all fires” in the mining industry
can be avoided
6. Diesel fuel precautions
Flammable or combustible liquid spillage or leakage shall be removed in a
timely manner or controlled to prevent a fire hazard.
All diesel-powered machines are required to have at least one 10A:60B:C
portable fire extinguisher
Two portable fire extinguishers must be installed when a 5 gallon diesel fuel
safety can is carried on the vehicle
Good housekeeping
You can prevent a fire incident by using “common sense”.
HOUSEKEEPING
No person shall smoke or use an open flame where flammable or
combustible liquids, including greases, or flammable gases are--
(a) Used or transported in a manner that could create a fire hazard; or
(b) Stored or handled.
7. Waste or rags containing flammable or combustible liquids that could create a
fire hazard shall be placed in the following containers until disposed of
properly
A program for regular cleanup and removal of accumulations of coal and float
coal dusts, loose coal, and other combustibles shall be established and
maintained.
Coal dust, including float coal dust deposited on rock-dusted surfaces, loose
coal, and other combustible materials, shall be cleaned up and not be
permitted to accumulate in active workings, or on diesel- powered and electric
equipment therein.
Solid Combustible precautions
Gasoline precautions
Underground-Industrial Minerals
Gasoline should not be stored underground. Storage for this purpose means
quantity in excess of the amount that will used in a 24 hour period.
A fire extinguisher should be installed on any internal
8. Maintenance and Inspection of Electrical Equipment
Underground- Coal
All electric equipment shall be frequently examined, tested, and
properly maintained by a qualified person to assure safe operating
conditions
The examinations and tests required by shall be made at least
weekly.
Circuit breakers providing short circuit protection for trailing cables
shall be set so as not to exceed the maximum allowable
instantaneous settings
Circuit breakers and their auxiliary devices protecting underground
high-voltage circuits shall be tested and examined at least once
each month by a person qualified as provided in
Circuit breakers protecting low- and medium-voltage alternating
current circuits serving three-phase alternating current equipment
and their auxiliary devices shall be tested and examined at least
once each month by a person qualified
9. Surface -Coal
Electric equipment shall be frequently examined, tested, and
properly maintained by a qualified person to assure safe
operating conditions.
Surface & Underground –Industrial Minerals
Circuits shall be protected against excessive overload by fuses
or circuit breakers of the correct type and capacity.
Maintenance and Inspection of Electrical Equipment
10. Fire Drills
Familiarize yourself on the fire alarm
system.
• Fire alarm procedures or systems shall be
established to promptly warn every person
who could be endangered by a fire.
• Fire alarm systems shall be maintained in
operable condition.
• Mine operators shall establish emergency
firefighting, evacuation, and rescue
procedures.
11. Escapeway drills- what is required?
Industrial Minerals-Surface
Mine operators shall establish emergency firefighting,
evacuation, and rescue procedures. These procedures shall
be coordinated in advance with available firefighting
organizations.
Industrial Minerals-Underground
At least once every six months, mine evacuation drills shall
be held to assess the ability of all persons underground to
reach the surface or other designated points of safety
within the time limits of the self-rescue devices that would
be used during an actual emergency
12. Escapeway drills- what is required?
Coal–Underground
At least once every 90 days, each miner, including miners
with working stations located between working sections and main
escapeways, shall participate in a practice escapeway drill.
At least once every 6 weeks and for each shift, at least two
miners on each coal producing working section who work on that
section, accompanied by the section supervisor, shall participate
in a practice escape drill and shall travel the primary or alternate
escapeway to the surface
Coal-Surface
Plans for escape and evacuation shall include the
designation and proper maintenance of adequate means for exit
from all areas where persons are required to work or travel
including buildings and equipment and in areas where persons
normally congregate during the work shift.
13. • Not all materials burn the same way.
• That is why all materials are grouped into the
Classification of Fire.
• This determines how you can extinguish the fire.
• Where are the fire extinguishers located and how
many
• Where are the fire hoses, fire valves, nozzles
• Is there enough pressure to extinguish the fire
• It is required that the Pennsylvania Bureau of
Deep Mine Safety be notified of any unplanned
fire requiring more than 5 minutes to extinguish
Remember
• To be forewarned is to be forearmed
What happens if a fire occurs?
14. The Fire Triangle
Now represents the “smoldering” mode of combustion.
Three things are needed for conditions to be right for
a fire to get started.
15. The Fire Tetrahedron
Represents the “flaming” mode of combustion
The chemical
chain reaction
has been added
to properly
represent a
“burning” fire.
If one of these
four items are
taken away, the
fire will
extinguish
16. What about the By-products of the Fire?
• Carbon Monoxide-Incomplete combustion-
poisonous
• Carbon Dioxide-Complete combustion-displaces
oxygen
• Diesel Particulate Matter-unburned diesel fuel-
carcinogen(cancer causing)
• Carcinogen products-products from the
chemicals to treat belts and cables to be flame
resistant, however will be releases at high
temperatures of a fire.
• Smoke-unburned materials-can contain all of the
above
17. Use ventilation to control by-products and heat
•Make sure that all persons inby fire area are notified
•Keep the ventilation at your back, don’t expose
yourself to the heat and the by-products of the fire
•If applicable, short circuit the air inby the fire into the
return , this prevents the inby areas from receiving the
by-products
•If you are inby and suspect or have been notified of a
fire outby, use your self rescuer device until you are in
known fresh air.
19. Takes place as wood, coal, conveyor belts or
any carbon based products decomposes from
the action of the heat
Remember, it is the vapors that burn, not the
solid.
How does a
solid burn?
20. How to extinguish a Class A fire
Adding water
Class A fires
only
Use a fire
extinguisher
Usually Class
A, B & C fires
Pit a lid on it,
Usually oily
rags or paper in
a waste
container
Limit material
burning
Shovel away
material
Add rock dust
to remaining
fuel
21. Examples
• Reported fires since 1998
– 3 fires due to use of stoves near
combustible materials
– Shaft fire set deliberately by outside
persons
– 5 belt fires
– 1 Coal float dust fire at tail roller
resulting in injury to employee
22. Class B
Materials are:
Liquids
• Gasoline, Oil, Diesel fuel
• Greases, Hydraulic fluid
• Gases; i.e.
Acetylene, Propane
Natural Gas
“B” stands for “boil”
23. Special care when using flammable and combustible liquids
The “ flash point” is when at
the right temperature,
vapors are released that will ignite
Flammable Liquids
Flash point under 100oF
•Gasoline(-42oF)
•Toluene(73oF
•Benzene(12oF)
•Cleaning fluids
Combustible Liquids
Flash point over 100oF & under 164oF
•Diesel fuel(110oF)
•Kerosene(102oF)
•Home heating fuel(120oF)
•Hydraulic fluids
24. How to extinguish a Class B fire
Not
recommended
Water can cause
the fire to spread
Remove excess
liquid fuel or shut
off bottled gas
cylinders
Put a lid on it
No oxygen, no
fire
Use a BC or ABC
fire extinguisher
26. Class C
Materials are:
“Energized” Electrical
Equipment & Cables
Always treat “C” fires as though power is still on!
Once the power has been removed, you can probably treat
it like a Class A or B fire, but remember that cables &
equipment can hold electricity even after the power is off!
“C” stands for “current”
27. Not
recommended
Water can
conduct
electricity
May not work
because of the
high temperature
of the electric arc
Shut off the
power
May still have A
or B fire
remaining
Use a BC or ABC
fire extinguisher
How to extinguish a Class C fire
30. Class D materials are usually in alloy type metals
They are usually started by a Class A-B-C fire, and will
burn at extremely high temperatures
Not
recommended-
The O2 and H2 in
the water will
accelerate the fire
Not recommended-
Unsure if ABC
extinguisher will put
out
Unsure of dangerous
by-product from the
reaction of the
chemicals
Shovel away all
materials that can be
ignite by the high
heat generated
Attempt to isolate
the fire by covering
with sand or rock
dust
31. Class K
This covers the new synthetic oils &
greases that are the market & the new
ones being developed
New synthetic oils &
greases for industry
Problem… ABC type fire extinguishers may not work on
these fires, a special Class K extinguisher may be
needed!
Inquire about what new products that are available on
mine sites that would fall into this new category
32. Fire Extinguighers
Dry Chemical
•Ordinary Base “BC”
•Sodium Bicarbonate
•Potassium Bicarbonate
•Potassium Chloride
Do not use on “A” fires, will put out only
surface area, heated core may re-ignite
•Multipurpose “ABC”
•Monoammonium Phosphate
•Ammonium Phosphate
•Barium Sulfate
33. When are fire extinguishers to be examined?
Industrial Minerals-Surface
Fire extinguishers shall be inspected visually at least once a month
to determine that they are fully charged and operable.
At least once every twelve months, maintenance checks shall be
made of mechanical parts, the amount and condition of
extinguishing agent and expellant, and the condition of the hose,
nozzle, and vessel to determine that the fire extinguishers will
operate effectively.
Industrial Minerals-Underground
Fire extinguishers shall be inspected visually at least once a month
to determine that they are fully charged and operable.
At least once every twelve months, maintenance checks shall be
made of mechanical parts, the amount and condition of
extinguishing agent and expellant, and the condition of the hose,
nozzle, and vessel to determine that the fire extinguishers will
operate effectively
34. When are fire extinguishers to be examined?
Coal-Underground
All firefighting equipment shall be maintained in a usable and
operative condition. Chemical extinguishers shall be examined
every 6 months and the date of the examination shall be written on
a permanent tag attached to the extinguisher.
Coal-Surface
Fire extinguishers shall be examined at least once every 6 months
and the date of such examination shall be recorded on a
permanent tag attached to the extinguisher.
35. Classification of extinguishers
Type(s) of fire
it can put out
How much fire a
“lay person”
can put out
For example, a 5:A will put out five square foot surface area of Class A
fire
A 20:BC will put out a twenty square foot surface area of Class B or C
fire.
A properly trained person can extinguish 2 to 3 times the amount listed
on the rating.
36. When using a fire extinguisher, remember the the
phrase “P.A.S.S.”
•P. Pull the pin
•A. Aimlow
•S. Squeeze the trigger/handle
•S. Sweep side to side
It is important that you should attend an
actual “hands on” fire extinguisher class to
be proficient in their use
37. What should you do once the fire is extinguished?
• Check the area closely for any signs of
reignition
• Clean up all unburned and burned
materials
• Report the incident to the proper officials
• What caused the fire, and determine any
safety precautions to prevent future
incidents
• Be careful the fire fighter or persons
themselves did not expose themselves to
any noxious, toxic or carcinogen
products.
38. Some final thoughts
Training tips
Rule of thumb; we hear-we tend to forget
we see- we remember
we do- we understand
The key is interactive-hands on training on a continual
basis
If miners are kept in a classroom all day,
Remember, the mind can only absorb what the butt can
endure
Thank you and be careful