Testing procedures for fire-resistant materials

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 75, No. 846, 1982

J.A. BOSSERT, Manager and Certification Officer, Canadian Explosive Atmospheres Laboratory,Mining Research Laboratories, CANMET, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, Ottawa

In 1957, the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys (now Energy, Mines and Resources Canada) issued their first certificate for a fire-resistant conveyor belt. The testing procedure used was a combination of those used in the U.S.A. and the U.K. Subsequently, certification was granted to fire-resistant electric cables (1974), fire-resistant mine duct material (1976) and fire-resistant hydraulic fluids (1978).Until recently, the testing procedures were copied from either the U.S. or the U.K. However, since the founding of the new Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Steering Committee for Electrical / Mechanical Mine Safety in 1981, these requirements have come under the close scrutiny of new CSA technical committees who will attempt to adopt or change the existing procedures to meet Canadian needs. This paper outlines the existing test requirements and attempts to predict how they will appear after "Canadianization " by the CSA committees.

Keywords: Fire protection, Testing, Certification, Safety, Standards, Underground mining, Conveyor belts, Hydraulic fluids, Cables.