Environmental management company I-CAT is seeing an uptick in demand for its fire-protection systems as global mining houses increasingly recognise that effective firefighting technologies at their operations are a primary component of mining safety.

The Pretoria-based company’s T-Rotor Technology water and foam mist fire-suppression system for conveyor belts is proving particularly effective globally, as conveyer belts have high fire-risk elements such as the tail, head and tensioner pulleys, in confined underground mining conditions.

I-CAT fire division head Andro Gibhard notes that, while safety has always been a critical focus in the mining sector, the tight financial conditions in the industry, owing to low commodity prices and the unfavourable economic climate, have led many mining companies to forgo extensive risk-based fire-protection implementation in favour of merely complying with often outdated fire regulations.

As a result, technological advancement has lagged in fire safety, which is often seen as a grudge purchase that negatively affects a company’s bottom line. “There are, thus, still underground mines, especially in Africa, that have implemented little to no fire-protection measures, posing a major risk to the lives of the mineworkers . . .”

However, as major mining companies prepare to restart or revamp their operations, with signs of a positive turn in some commodity prices, the industry at large is realising that it cannot bear the financial, legal and ethical consequences of inadequate protection against fire hazards. This is especially true of mines in remote locations, which must institute a degree of self-sufficiency in their operations.

However, tests conducted in 2012 by I-CAT, together with a prominent South African coal mining company, have conclusively proven that the dry chemical powder extinguishers, generally accepted as sufficient for fire protection in many industries, are ineffective against rubber fires, as well as conveyor belt and tyre fires, which are all encountered in underground mining. The extinguishers further pose additional risks when activated in confined spaces underground, as the chemicals can be inhaled by bystanders or contaminate the ventilation system, eroding mechanical and electrical parts on machinery, causing long-term damage to equipment.

To counter these risks, I-CAT and the coal mining company embarked on another series of tests to determine the effectiveness of water and foam mist systems for fire protection on underground conveyor belts in coal mines. However, equipment manufactured in Europe and the US consistently failed to perform effectively, even in controlled test environments, proving that these widely used systems are ineffective solutions for Africa’s mining conditions.

I-CAT, therefore, set out to develop its own fire-protection technology and compiled a completely new fire-protection protocol using foam mist, which was tested against various real-life condition test scenarios that were identified in a risk assessment.

The resulting fire-protection systems use water as the main agent and nitrogen as a propellant, and can extinguish all types of fire. In addition, the systems use stored pressure, eliminating the need for an external water connection to operate the systems, and require minimal quantities of water to function, owing to their low-pressure nature.

Modifications to the original system continue to develop as the company encounters new applications and risk environments from different customers.

“Fire protection should be the first port of call for any mining operation, most importantly to preserve human life, but also to mitigate the financial and economic impact that a fire can have on production.”

Gibhard notes that market interest in I-CAT’s products has been further bolstered through its monthly fire-information sessions and live fire demonstrations on how the technology performs in real-fire scenarios at the SA Emergency Care Fire training facility in Modderfontein, Johannesburg.