When fire risk is changing rapidly, is compliance enough?
Fire protection systems are an integral part of mining operations, and companies around the globe implement specialised solutions to meet compliance. Clear escape routes, emergency exits, ventilation and regular fire drills are just some of the ways companies support their comprehensive safety plans.
A recent whitepaper was released called “Is compliance really enough? Managing your fire risks at mining and industrial facilities”. Written by Australian fire safety and engineering company Omnii, the whitepaper explores the evolution of fire safety blueprints, how they align with today’s mining reality and whether a mining company’s duty of care is met by following minimum fire safety compliance procedures.
Modern fire hazards
Modern fire hazards are everywhere. From conveyor belts and pulleys to fuel storage and refilling points, each moving part of a mining operation comes with a certain amount of risk.
For example, in Australia, the world’s leading lithium producer, lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) are a relatively ‘new’ fire risk. BESS can cause explosive fires and toxic gas release, largely due to thermal runaway, a self-heating chain reaction resulting from damage.
Because today’s fire hazards have infiltrated most aspects of mining operations, complying to a fixed standard without examining the specifics of the site could be a fatal mistake.
“Holistic fire risk management shifts the focus from ‘are we compliant?’ to ‘can we keep operating after a fire?’,” says Omnii national fire protection services lead Aaron Harris. “In many mining operations the governing risk is not health and safety but loss of production, asset damage and prolonged shutdowns – those risks are rarely addressed by compliance alone.”
Housekeeping habits, conveyor operations, equipment used, and fuel storage and lube oil systems are some of the variables that could guide personalised, more effective approach.
Is compliance enough?
In addition to the hazards themselves, the whitepaper found other aspects of the mining industry that can impact decisions made about fire safety. It can be useful to consider exactly who a fire safety event impacts. Many stakeholders also have reasons for wanting to know how fire risks are handled.
“Real fire risk management comes from proactively understanding the interaction between people, assets and operations, rather than reacting after a fire has already occurred and operations have been disrupted,” says Harris.
Aside from miners themselves, parties impacted by the consequences of a fire include other employees, visitors, customers, suppliers, contractors, asset owners and operators, insurers, shareholders, governmental bodies, media and the public. All of these parties have an interest in how fire risks are managed.
There are many motivators that drive a mine site’s perception of risk in addition to health and safety. Ires cause loss of production, asset destruction, environmental consequences, reputational ruin and legal and regulatory difficulties.
As such, Omnii’s whitepaper concludes that compliance “should be seen as the minimum standard, rather than the end goal” as it “does not meet the duty of care owed to stakeholders”. Early intervention is stressed as critical to prevent the critical shutdowns that impact so many parties.
Taking a holistic approach to the mine site’s fire safety measures could help to capture a mine site’s ecosystem better than standard compliance.
For more information, visit: https://omnii.com.au
