Basic Fire Safety

for the Mining Industry

Presented
By

Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Deep Mine Safety
Revised 8/00
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?
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
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.
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
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.

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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
 The Fire Triangle
Three things are needed for conditions to be right for a fire
to get started.

Now represents the “smoldering” mode of combustion.

 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
 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
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.
 Class A
Materials are:

Solids
• Wood
• Paper
• Plastic Rubber
• Coal

“A” stands for “ash”

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.
 How to extinguish a Class A fire
Limit material
Adding water burning
Class A fires Shovel away
only material
Add rock dust to
remaining fuel

Pit a lid on it,

Use a fire
Usually oily rags extinguisher
or paper in a
Usually Class
waste container
A, B & C fires
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
 Class B
Materials are:

Liquids
• Gasoline, Oil, Diesel fuel
• Greases, Hydraulic fluid
• Gases; i.e.
Acetylene, Propane
Natural Gas

“B” stands for “boil”

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 Combustible Liquids

Flash point under 100oF
•Gasoline(-42oF)
•Toluene(73oF
•Benzene(12oF)
•Cleaning fluids
Flash point over 100oF & under 164oF
•Diesel fuel(110oF)
•Kerosene(102oF)
•Home heating fuel(120oF)
•Hydraulic fluids
 How to extinguish a Class B fire

Remove excess
Not recommended liquid fuel or shut
Water can cause off bottled gas
the fire to spread cylinders

Put a lid on it Use a BC or ABC

fire extinguisher
No oxygen, no fire
Examples

• Reported fires since 1998

– 2 from gasoline engine
– 1 from hot oil around beltline
 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”

 How to extinguish a Class C fire

Not recommended Shut off the power

Water can conduct May still have A or
electricity B fire remaining

May not work

because of the high
Use a BC or ABC
temperature of the
fire extinguisher
electric arc
Examples

• Reported fires since 1998

– 5 from battery operated equipment
 Class D
materials include
Combustible Metals
• Magnesium
• Titanium
• Zirconium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Lithium
• Calcium
• Zinc

D stands for “ding”

 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- Shovel away all

materials that can be
The O2 and H2 in the ignite by the high heat
water will accelerate generated
the fire

Not recommended-

Attempt to isolate the Unsure if ABC

fire by covering with extinguisher will put out
sand or rock dust Unsure of dangerous
by-product from the
reaction of the
chemicals
 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
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
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
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.
 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.
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
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.
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