Report of Investigations 7053: Fire Hazard of Conveyor Belts

Details

• Personal Author:
  Mitchell, Donald W. ; Murphy, Edwin M. ; Polack, Samuel P. ; Smith, Allan F.
• Corporate Authors:
  United States. Bureau of Mines
• Description:
  The fire hazard of neoprene, polyvinyl chloride, and rubber conveyor belts was studied at the Federal Bureau of Mines Experimental Coal Mine. The effects of intensity of ignition source, velocity of the ventilating air, and type of belt were investigated at three levels in small-scale gallery experiments. Studies were made in the mine on the effects on ignition and flame propagation of belt-entry dimensions, belt widths, and belt configuration. Methods for extinguishing belt fires were also investigated under simulated mining conditions, and during these trials coal dust and grease were placed on the belt. The research showed that conveyor belts will burn. Neoprene, polyvinyl chloride, and rubber belts, with and without carcass, ignited and propagated flame. The highest rate of flame propagation was obtained on rubber belt. The fire hazard increased with increase in intensity of ignition source and air velocity. Flame propagated only when air was forced through the test zone; propagation was not obtained when forced ventilation was not used, as would exist in a neutral entry in a mine. Automatic water sprays and high-expansion foam effectively arrested flame propagation; direct application of water and bicarbonate dusts was ineffective. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Case Reports Fires Geology Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal-mining Fire-extinguishing-agents Fire-extinguishing-systems Fire-fighting Fire-prevention Fire-retardants Mine-disasters Mine-fires Mining-equipment Mining-industry Underground-mining Ventilation

  More +
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• Subseries:
  Report of Investigations
• ISSN:
  1066-5552 (print)
• Publisher:
  United States. Bureau of Mines
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Case Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• Rights:
  Public Domain
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HSRTC - Health and Safety Research and Testing Center
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  19 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20036650
• Citation:
  Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, RI 7053, 1967 Dec; :1-14
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1968
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, RI 7053
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bd88567d0868bdf6cd8520c81a9063ee443a2e089668ec3a8ef3b2e1cd7bbf83159c413c81b859540d8307d0015045f99dd5eea9d224a0a8229d85255748f1dd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/201675/cdc_201675_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.84 MB ]