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I-CAT showcases fire suppression systems for mining

I-CAT showcases fire suppression systems for mining

9th July 2015

By: Creamer Media Reporter

  

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From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report. Environmental solutions company I-CAT hosted live fire demonstrations last month, showcasing several fire suppression technologies recently introduced to the industry. These demonstrations focused on the importance of adopting effective fire suppressant solutions that are specifically designed for special fire risks. Mia Breytenbach tells us more.

Mia Breytenbach:
I-CAT hosted the event at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Kloppersbos fire and explosion test, training, research and development facility, north of Pretoria.

At the event, fire forensic risk investigator Alexis Basson emphasised the risk of fire from flammable liquids and resulting explosions. He suggested preventative and reactive measures, which can be applied to reduce fire risks or mitigate fire damage.

Fire forensic risk investigator Alexis Basson:
“The risks are always there. The problem with fire is it threatens life, people can get injured, people can get burn wounds. Underground it is a massive risk, because underground you can’t escape and it also takes away the air you breathe. It’s probably one of the biggest risks underground. Then also fires happen very quickly, people underestimate it, they don’t estimate the speed.”

“The second biggest risk in mining is electrical fires, which cause a lot of damage.
Industry, my experience which I have, is probably more flammable liquids, spray booths, methane, hexane, those sort of things if you have a flammable gas that escapes. And if it is ignited you can have a big loss fairly rapidly. I would say probably flammable liquids, then maybe gas explosions in coal mines.”

“You have to go absolutely out of your way to prevent fires. So in hazardous environments make sure you comply with the law, make sure that your all electrical stuff is fireproof or flameproof, and so on.

Keep away combustible materials from ignition sources. Make sure that you have very good fire detection fire suppression, various solutions for various industries. But I think effective firefighting in mining would be foam and water mist.”

Mia Breytenbach:
Technologies showcased included the Firetrace self-activating fire detection and suppression systems that suppress fires in seconds, the T-Rotor Technology water and foam misting technology, and localised protection and vehicle protection systems.

I-CAT fire division manager Andro Gibhard lead the demonstrations in the red and safe zones. He explains the applications of ICAT T-Rotor-Technology water mist solutions.

I-CAT fire division manager Andro Gibhard:
“We demonstrated fixed systems that the guys use on conveyor systems, underground in the mines and also surface mining. A localised protection system that protects either the head or the take up or the tail of the conveyor

And we also demonstrated on transformers and then we demonstrated a technology called Firetrace, direct low pressure systems, it’s a direct incabinet fire detection and suppression system, which detects automatically and suppresses the fire with an agent called Novec1230.

And then we did some demonstrations outside with water mist extinguishers and our Roto-Fire-Pac that’s for fast response and roto teams on the mines, when there are hard to reach places they can actually takes this 12 litre backpack system and they have the capability and the same performance as a 500 liter firefighting unit.”

Mia Breytenbach:
I-CAT also demonstrated the vehicle fire suppression system, where the company started a fire inside an engine and then manually activated the suppression system to extinguish the fire and cooled down the machine.

Gibhard also explains the unique features of the water and foam mist solutions.

I-CAT fire division manager Andro Gibhard:
“Well firstly it’s environmental-friendly, so all of the systems operate with water as the agent and then we have an environmental friendly foam mixture that we add to it our own mixture called telesolve, and we added in 1% dosing. Normally they would add a foam mixture at 3% in the industry, so ours is a little bit better quality foam and its environmentalfriendly rated so to refiull the system is a lot cheaper than a powder or CO2 system that is currently out in the market.”

Shannon de Ryhove:
Other news making headlines this week: Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant lobbies business to embrace centralised wage bargaining; South Africa’s rejected mine water plan deprived 7 000 people of jobs; and mine mechanisation that’s linked to local equipment retains jobs.

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant continues to back the centralised wage bargaining model as the most suitable mechanism through which the country’s fractious labour relations contentions can be deliberated and solved.

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant

The rejection of a still-workable mine water and slimes dam plan at the stricken Grootvlei gold mine on Gauteng’s East Rand deprived 7 000 squatter camp dwellers of employment and set the mine on its downward trajectory.

Veteran researcher Dr RE (Robbie) Robinson

Resource development strategist Dr Paul Jourdan has called for the local manufacture of mechanised mining equipment to neutralise job losses during the switch to machines.

Resource development strategist Dr Paul Jourdan

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.

Edited by Shannon de Ryhove
Contributing Editor

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