MINE SAFETY
Vigilance and visibility
As operations become more digitally connected, the opportunities for site-wide safety surveillance and intervention are increasing, Dan Gleeson says
Pavian portable siren in action at a mine in Brazil. Telegrafia leverages in-house software, firmware and hardware to engineer warning systems that respect site-specific operational requirements while integrating with existing monitoring, control and emergency management infrastructure, it says
The impacts of mining equipment fires go well beyond the repair bill and the cost of the machine sitting idle on site. Any quantification of an incident needs to account for the operator that must get out of the affected machine fast, the shift that stops, the production circuit that backs up, the investigation that pulls key people away from the job, and the insurer who starts asking harder questions.
“ For most mines, that number is far larger than it first appears,” Jeannette Miller, President of Sales at AFEX Fire Suppression Systems, said.“ And yet, equipment fires are still too often treated as maintenance events rather than the operational and safety events they really are.”
Miller is urging mines to reassess fire risk, considering the machine as one part of a much bigger process.
“ Depending on severity, a single fire can require component replacement, electrical repairs, hydraulic system work, or a full rebuild,” she said.“ Even a fire that is quickly contained may take a unit out of service for days or weeks while inspections, parts, repairs and approvals are completed.”
For operations running around the clock, that downtime creates immediate pressure. When a critical machine goes down, it rarely affects only that machine. A haul truck out of service can reduce loading efficiency. A loader fire can disrupt material handling. A drill, dozer, or support machine fire can force crews to adjust planned work across the shift.
One large surface mining operation shared that an idled excavator costs their organisation approximately $ 100,000 / hr in lost production value.
“ That number changed the way the site looked at fire protection,” Miller told IM.“ The discussion was no longer only about the value of the machine or the cost of the system; it became a conversation about production continuity, operator safety, emergency response and how quickly a single incident could affect the broader operation.”
Another example Miller shared came from a global mining company that moved toward greater standardisation of fire suppression across multiple sites.
“ The objective was not only to install systems, but to create a more consistent approach to fire risk assessments, documentation, inspections, service expectations and training,” she said.
As part of that effort, AFEX and its local partners helped deliver training sessions across every shift to ensure operators, maintenance personnel and supervisors understood system operation, inspection requirements and emergency response procedures.
“ By reaching personnel across all shifts, the company strengthened workforce readiness and reinforced a consistent approach to fire protection across the fleet,” Miller explained.
AFEX has also seen cases where site visits and equipment reviews uncovered opportunities to reduce fire risk beyond the suppression system itself. These assessments may identify concerns such as debris accumulation, hydraulic leak exposure, hose routing, service access limitations, or operator familiarity with manual actuation points.
“ Addressing these issues can help reduce both the likelihood of a fire and its potential
International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2026 51