FIRE DOWN BELOW

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 5th Year

Issue

Issue No.

6

Date Released

Feb 1952

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1DOWN DIESELS
2. 2EMERGENCY LAB
3. 3BIRD IN HAND
4. 4FIRE DOWN BELOW

Story

Story No. within this Issue

4 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: fire hazards on conveyor belts and how to prevent them.
NCB Commentary - Fire underground is one of mining’s greatest hazards, spreading so rapidly that often it rages out of control.
After Cresswell, a working party was set up to take immediate action, and at the Stoke Orchard research laboratory of the Coal Board they started burning the midnight oil.
Nearly a third of conveyor fires in the last 10 years started because of overheated bottom rollers. Friction soon makes a roller hot. When it gets up to 300 degrees Centigrade any coal dust lying near will glow and soon burst into flame.
Another third of conveyor fires start because of slipping belts. The laboratory tests showed that quite soon the rubber melts and the cotton in the belt catches fire and set the rubber alight. What can be done about this? Fireproof the cotton: see how the left hand piece, fireproofed, chars but won’t burn. And there’s a substitute for rubber, too - the plastic PVC, that won’t go on burning out of a flame, but melts and actually fireproofs the cotton.
Among the other practical steps being taken is the invention of this new thermostatic control. In hot water here, it will twist enough to turn off a switch. Fitted to conveyor driving heads, it can turn off the set at any rise in temperature.
But all this research is long term work. Underground, fire prevention has always been a matter of careful maintenance and rigid inspection. In pits today, conveyors are being raised off the ground wherever possible, keeping them clear of coal dust and dropped oil.
Conveyors can be hung from the roof for the same purpose. Damaged belts are being reported right away, before the damage gets worse and causes a jam. Regular greasing, systematically carried out, is a must. So [illegible] the routine checking and maintenance of all the 1300 miles of conveyor systems, so that faults can be caught before they develop.
It’s by measures like these that we hope to banish sights like this from British pits.

Researcher Comments

BFI sources suggest that this story was filmed before the 14th December 1951. It was researched and directed by Tharp. Commentary recorded 8 January 1952.

Keywords

Fires; Science and technology; Mining; Safety devices

Locations

England; Gloucestershire

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.6 No.74 December 1952, p651.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Camera

Cyril Arapoff

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Support services

Grahame Tharp

Director

Grahame Tharp

Sponsor

National Coal Board