Technology and innovation
Maintenance prevents fire
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I-Cat
It is essential to have a well-implemented maintenance regime in place to prevent fire incidents on mining vehicles . Poor maintenance and bad operator practice are some of the biggest contributors to fires in mining vehicles . “ In some cases , the bad installation of the fire suppression system was the cause of a fire , as the suppression hoses allegedly chafed against the fuel or hydraulic lines , causing them to rupture and spray fuel on hot engine surfaces ,” says Andro Gibhard , head of the fire division at environmental management company I-Cat .
One of the biggest underground fires in South Africa was caused by an operator running a vehicle with the emergency brake on . Parked next to other vehicles during a shift change , the brakes overheated , and the tyres caught fire . The fire spread quickly to other vehicles and the mine had to close the shaft .
A fire-suppression system is meaningless if there is no action plan in the event of an incident , or proper training of operators on how to respond if there is a fire . “ A major problem in the mining industry is that customers often install fire-suppression systems simply to be compliant , without proper understanding of the system itself or its specific requirements . Most procurement decisions about what to install are based on cost , which often means the cheapest system is installed , and not necessarily the correct system for that particular application ,” says Gibhard .
I-Cat recommends a proper risk assessment , especially given that the same mining vehicle might have a totally different risk assessment in two different environments . “ A major factor easily overlooked is that fire-suppression systems are generally not installed to protect the vehicles or equipment , but to save the lives of the operator and those around the vehicle . Therefore , it is important to conduct a formal risk assessment agreed upon by all stakeholders , including the client , consultant , and service provider ,” says Gibhard .
“ Providing unique technology patented around the world , we are currently at the leading edge of technology advances in the vehicle fire-suppression market internationally ,” Gibhard stresses . An example of this innovation is the I-Cat Fire Division ’ s TRT-VPS-FM system , an acronym for T-Rotor Technology – Vehicle Protection System – Foam Mist . T-Rotor Technology is the internationally patented lowpressure mist system powering the division ’ s extensive product range .
This includes protection for not only vehicle systems , but also for conveyor belts ( drive , take-up , and tail-end ), hydraulic power packs , transformers , and generators .
These are all stored-water pressure systems , which means that an external water connection is not needed for them to be operational .
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APRIL 2018 MINING MIRROR [ 39 ]