Fires on mobile plant safety
Fires on mobile plant are dangerous for the operator when they:
- are subjected to adverse heat if trapped within the cabin
- are burned by flames
- inhale smoke and/or toxic products of combustion from the fire
- fall while exiting large mining vehicles that are on fire
- are scalded by hot fluids such as hydraulic oil from a failed hose
- injured by tyre explosion from pyrolysis.
Controls include the mobile plant being fitted with:
- maintenance and inspections systems
- temperature and pressure monitoring systems
- automatically and/or manually initiated fire suppression systems
- handheld fire extinguishers
- emergency escape systems
All fires on mobile plant are notifiable incidents to the Resources Regulator, and require the Mine to complete an ancillary form that identifies the type of fire, heat and fuel sources, extinguishing method, root cause, actions to prevent reoccurrence, etc.
Fires on surface coal stockpiles
Some mobile plant, such as dozers, work on active coal stockpiles where there is a risk of overturning and engulfment. Additional controls are identified in TRG 28 Stockpiles and Reclaim Tunnels (PDF, 2.64 MB), and may include:
- tilt switches to turn off the engine if it is on an adverse angle
- 40psi glass to prevent the windows from imploding if engulfed
- Self-rescuer breathing apparatus
- Emergency escape equipment
Fires in underground mines
Fires on mobile plant in underground mines can be particularly dangerous due to the enclosed spaces involved, large amounts of smoke and toxic gases, and difficulty in evacuating. Risks to workers from fires underground are higher than risks of fire on surface vehicles as more people are potentially exposed to the products of fire.
Fires in underground coal mines
A fire in an underground coal mine has the potential to escalate to a catastrophic event. The additional hazard of methane gas when ignited by a mobile plant fire may result in pressure pulse that liberates coal dust into the airway allowing the propagation of a fire into a coal dust explosion.
Controls include the use of fire protected and/or explosion protected diesel engine systems compliant to AS3584 parts 1 and 2 respectively. These diesel engine systems (DES) use:
- inlet and exhaust flame traps
- water jacketed/cooled exhaust manifolds, turbo chargers, etc
- wet exhaust scrubbers
- engine temperature and pressure monitoring
- engine design and item registration
- if fire protected, there are additional controls to prevent the mobile plant being used in a hazardous zone such as production panels or return airways