Explosion risk assessment for mining belt conveyors

As science and technology have developed, new types of equipment and installations with increased reliability and safety have emerged, with belt conveyors now available with many more components, highly sophisticated electrical controls and safety devices, as well as stronger and more durable belts. New technologies create new challenges in assessing explosion risks when installed in environments with potentially explosive atmospheres, such as in firedamp mines. The challenges are greater in the case of old installations that are being modernized to meet current explosion safety requirements. The paper presents a series of aspects regarding the assessment of the risk of explosions in mining belt conveyors, an assessment that employers must make, according to GD 1049/2006 (European Directive 92/104/EEC). The assessment must be based on compliance with the requirements of the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU and the applicable standards. For surface installations, there is the draft standard IEC TS 60079-46 used for risk assessment but which does not apply to mine equipment assemblies susceptible to firedamp (group I applications). For mining installations there is no specific evaluation method or guide, therefore evaluators must generate their own evaluation method based on the norms and standards in force such as SR EN 1127-2: 2014, SR EN 60079-0:2018+AC, SR EN ISO 80079-36:2016, SR EN ISO 80079-37:2016, SR EN ISO/IEC 80079-38: 2017 (SR EN 1710+A1:2008 /AC:2011).