Basic Fire Safety for the Mining Industry

1
Basic Fire Safetyfor 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
Good housekeeping
You can prevent a fire incident by using common
sense. HOUSEKEEPINGNo 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.
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 10A60BC portable fire
extinguisher Two portable fire extinguishers must
be installed when a 5 gallon diesel fuel safety
can is carried on the vehicle
7
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
Solid Combustible precautions
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.
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
Maintenance and Inspection of Electrical Equipment
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.
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?
CoalUnderground 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
What happens if a fire occurs?

• 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

14
The Fire Triangle
New Stuff
Three things are needed for conditions to be
right for a fire to get started.
Now represents the smoldering mode of
combustion.
fuel
oxygen
heat
15
The Fire Tetrahedron
New Stuff
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, dont 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.

18
Class AMaterials are

• Solids
• Wood
• Paper
• Plastic Rubber
• Coal
• A stands for ash

19
How does a solid burn?
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.
20
How to extinguish a Class A fire
Limit material burning Shovel away material Add
rock dust to remaining fuel
Adding water Class A fires only
Pit a lid on it, Usually oily rags or paper in a
waste container
Use a fire extinguisher Usually Class A, B C
fires
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 BMaterials 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
Remove excess liquid fuel or shut off bottled gas
cylinders
Not recommended Water can cause the fire to spread
Use a BC or ABC fire extinguisher
Put a lid on it No oxygen, no fire
25
Examples

• Reported fires since 1998
• 2 from gasoline engine
• 1 from hot oil around beltline

26
Class CMaterials 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
How to extinguish a Class C fire
Not recommended Water can conduct electricity
Shut off the power May still have A or B fire
remaining
May not work because of the high temperature of
the electric arc
Use a BC or ABC fire extinguisher
28
Examples

• Reported fires since 1998
• 5 from battery operated equipment

29
Class Dmaterials include

• Combustible Metals
• Magnesium
• Titanium
• Zirconium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Lithium
• Calcium
• Zinc

D stands for ding
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
Shovel away all materials that can be ignite by
the high heat generated
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
Attempt to isolate the fire by covering with sand
or rock dust
31
Class K
New Stuff

• 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 5A will put out five square foot
surface area of Class A fire A 20BC 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. Aim low
• 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