Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996)

Regulations

Guideline for a Mandatory Code of Practice

Prevention of Fires at Mines

Part A : The Guideline

1. Foreword
Purchase cart Previous page Return to chapter overview Next page

 

1.1 Fire in a mine or excavation, such as a transportation could result in loss of life tunnel, is a serious fire hazard that and revenue for the enterprise concerned. Mines contain significant amounts of fuel sources such as flammable material, fuels, lubricants, timber, rubber, plastics, paint and packaging materials. Coupled with these are numerous ignition sources such as self-heating of coal, flame from oxy-acetylene cutting and welding equipment, sparks, electrical short-circuits, machinery hot surfaces and friction that can initiate a fire.

 

1.2 Basic fire theory suggests that fires occur when three constituents are present simultaneously: a fuel source, an ignition (heat) source and oxygen (air). At mines, oxygen will normally be present in the air as it is required to sustain human life and enable the operation of combustion engines. The identification of fire hazards should focus on the following key considerations:
1.2.1 The presence of fuel sources such as combustible materials, flammable substances, volatile chemicals, etc;
1.2.2 The presence of ignition or heat sources such as hot surfaces on equipment, electrical sparks, naked flames, explosives, exothermic chemical reactions, etc;
1.2.3 Chemical chain reaction in metallic fires known as class D fires.

 

1.3 The fire risk in any mine has to be managed properly. This is achieved by an assessment of the risks involved, monitoring of fire risk controls, good mine and ventilation system design, equipment and material selection, the preparation, implementation and enforcement of formal appropriate mine-specific standards.

 

1.4The South African mining industry has in the past experienced several underground fire incidents. Underground fires are particularly dangerous due to the confined nature of excavations, the quantity of smoke and noxious fumes produced in relation to the limited quantity of fresh air present and the restricted ability to escape quickly from the mine. Since 2004, the industry accounted for 19 fatalities; 149 fire related injuries and a total of 71 dangerous occurrences directly related to fires. Surface operations encountered conveyor belt, plant structure and trackless mobile machinery fires during the same period.

 

1.5 MHSA regulations pertinent to the prevention of underground fires include:
1.5.1 Regulation 5.1(1)(a) requires an employer to ensure that a competent person reports to the employer, at appropriate intervals determined in accordance with the mine's risk assessment, on the adequacy of measures in place to prevent, detect and combat the start and spread of mine fires.
1.5.2 Regulation 8.9(3) requires an employer to take reasonably practicable measures to prevent persons from being exposed to flames, fumes or smoke arising from a conveyor belt installation catching fire, including instituting measures to prevent, detect and combat such fires.
1.5.3 Regulation 9.1(2) requires an employer, where the risk assessment indicates a significant risk of a fire and/or explosion and/or toxic release, that could lead to an irrespirable atmosphere or an atmosphere immediately dangerous to life or health, to provide an early warning system or systems at all working places.
1.5.4 Regulation 16.1(1) requires an employer to ensure that a competent person reports to the employer, at appropriate intervals determined in accordance with the mine's risk assessment, on the adequacy of escape and rescue procedures at the mine relating to explosions, fires and flooding.

 

1.6 The MHSA regulations do not set out any other detail about the measures required to prevent, detect and combat the start and spread of mine fires. The main aim of this guideline is therefore to provide employers with a framework to assist in the preparation of a COP on the fire prevention measures at a mine in order to reduce significant risks associated with fires.