Sharing others’ accidents (fires) 12

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Analysis of the Frictional Fire Incident on the Belt Conveyor at Pinghu Coal Mine (I) Accident Course: Around 5:10 a.m. on November 1, 2000, approximately 200 meters downstream from the head end of the belt conveyor in the second shaft of the underground belt conveyor system at Pinghu Coal Mine, under the jurisdiction of Fengcheng Mining Bureau in Jiangxi Province, a fire broke out due to friction between the belts. This incident resulted in 14 deaths, 18 injuries, and direct economic losses of over 2 million yuan. (II) Causes of the accident: 1. High temperatures generated by belt friction ignited nearby flammable materials, which was the direct cause of the accident. 2. Lax management led to the presence of combustible materials such as residual coal and debris in certain areas of the second belt section of the belt shaft; employees violating labor discipline by leaving work early were the main causes of the accident. 3. The use of non-flame-retardant belts underground, inadequate fire-fighting facilities for these belts, the existence of hidden belt shafts across the three-level material storage areas, and the use of flammable materials for support in those crossing areas along with poor sealing – all these were important factors that contributed to the expansion of the accident. 4. The imperfect underground compressed air self-rescue system, along with the lack of self-rescuers, is another reason for the escalation of casualties in accidents. (III) Learn from the experience: This was an accident caused by friction on a belt conveyor; the following lessons should be drawn from it: 1. There was a failure in supervision, with serious violations of the Coal Mine Safety Regulations regarding the use of various flammable materials. 2. The mine self-rescue systems and personal self-rescue equipment are inadequately equipped. (IV) Preventive measures: 1. Strengthen education and strictly enforce regulations. 2. Remove combustible materials near the belt to eliminate the conditions that could cause it to catch fire. 3. Use non-flame-retardant belts underground. It’s most cost-effective to learn from others’ accidents as if they were one’s own*.