SAFETY
Safety first
Paul Moore looks at new options across a range of safety equipment applicable in mining , from fire safety options to gas monitoring through to worker harnesses
Fire safety is one of the key areas in keeping operators out of harms way , especially when dealing with mining machinery . However , it can be argued that the competitive nature of the free market places great pressure on the fire industry to deliver systems which minimally comply with , rather than exceed , the regulations . Too often fire protection is seen as a cost - not a vital investment for business continuity .
Coltraco Ltd , the global supplier of monitoring solutions for fire suppression systems – both portable products and fixed monitoring , told IM : “ In the event of downtime or shutdown to fire , there could be catastrophic effects to high value assets , such as critical mining infrastructure . The risk far exceeds the risk of choosing minimal compliance , instead of advanced realtime monitoring systems . The cost or damage to reputational integrity as a result of this downtime far exceeds the cost of integrating a real-time monitoring system .”
In terms of fire extinguishing systems there exist two broad categories : sprinkler systems and liquefied gaseous systems such a clean agents , FM-200 ® , Novec™1230 and CO 2 . The former can suffer leakage but the latter can cause greater damage given its physical pressures . “ Regulations require that the extinguishing agent stored in cylinders must be checked annually . The traditional method requires turning off the system , dismantling , and weighing each cylinder . Thorough testing can take hours and several qualified , trained personnel .”
Problems include low labour rate servicing crews being unskilled , unreliable and untrained ; disreputable companies randomly checking a few cylinders and placing “ tested stickers ” on the rest of the untested ones ; or many CO 2 cylinders installed left empty or partially-filled .
Coltraco argues : “ These issues risk the integrity of mining operations , because in the event of fire , there may be insufficient agent to extinguish it . For such safety critical operations , these systems should be permanently monitored . Yet they remain unsupervised and unmonitored 364 days a year until their annual certification check . Safety is becoming recognised as an area which must no longer be overlooked . The industry is beginning to opt for more regular inspections and even continuous 365 day monitoring . The ability to monitor autonomously , with remote diagnostics and remote relay which can provide an alarm to the Fire Safety Officer or Facilities Manager , provides confidence in the integrity of the system . Minimising the risk of fire in the long run can improve business continuity , save downtime and also the potential costly pay-out which fire damage entails .”
A copper mining project in Zambia opted for Coltraco ’ s Portalevel ® ultrasonic technology , which makes servicing quicker and requires just one person to identify the liquid level of agent inside the cylinders . There is no need to turn off or dismantle the system . By testing in situ , the integrity of the system is maintained and there is no increased risk to people or facility by shutting down the system for the duration of maintenance checks .
The Coltraco Safesite™ technology suite
Kirkland Lake Gold was the overall IMRC Mine Rescue competition winner this year
includes Portalevel ® MAX ; a “ world leading handheld ultrasonic liquid level indicator for testing most common extinguishing agents ”; the Portasteele™ Calculator tablet-based app converting the liquid level into agent weight / mass with ease , simplicity and ability to record and download the results ; and the Permalevel ® Multiplex for 24 / 7 , 365 autonomous , continuous monitoring of fire suppression systems , with remote relay , remote diagnostics and alarm capability to alert in case of agent leak / discharge .
The company concludes : “ We are committed to Safety First : going above and beyond regulatory compliance , whilst minimising time and cost . Science and R & D are at our core . As the world changes , so must our industry integrate technology , to provide a bulwark against minimal , even flagrant , disregard of standards , by creating standards which all can understand and apply .”
Tyco Fire Protection Products and one of its leading global brands , ANSUL ® , showcased the ANSUL Experience at MINExpo 2016 . The ANSUL Experience aims to immerse attendees in the simulation of real-life scenarios , showcasing how a fire protection system works in mining from detection to actuation to suppression , and featured the new ANSUL CHECKFIRE AXP Vehicle Detection and Actuation System with Quad IR Optical Sensors .
Booth visitors were able to step inside specific hazard areas , such as an engine room and electrical cabinet , typically found in a mobile mining equipment unit . Tyco Fire Protection Products representatives took attendees through a tour of the hazard areas and a fire event showing how ANSUL fire detection , actuation and suppression systems work together to help protect mobile equipment . Attendees also gained hands-on knowledge of what happens during a fault condition by interacting with the new ANSUL AXP Detection and Actuation system ’ s control module , similar to what mobile equipment operators experience in a cab .
Raj Arora , Vice President and General Manager , Fire Detection and Special Hazard Products , Tyco Fire Protection Products , stated : “ We know the mining industry works in extreme environments and some of the toughest terrains , which is why we constantly strive to enhance our products and engineer new technologies , such as the new ANSUL CHECKFIRE AXP and Quad IR Optical Sensors , to help keep people and equipment safe and protected .”
The new ANSUL CHECKFIRE AXP is
International Mining | OCTOBER 2016