What is BS EN 1127-2 - Methods for explosion prevention and protection in mining about?
BS EN 1127-2 specifies methods for explosion prevention and protection in mining by outlining the basic concepts and methodology for the design and construction of equipment, protective systems and components.
BS EN 1127-2 applies to Group I equipment, protective systems, and components intended for use in underground parts of mines and those parts of their surface installations at risk from firedamp and/or combustible dust.
BS EN 1127-2 specifies methods for the identification and assessment of hazardous situations that may lead to explosions and describes the design and construction measures appropriate for the required safety. This is achieved by
- Risk assessment
- Risk reduction
The safety of equipment, protective systems, and components can be achieved by eliminating hazards and/or limiting the risk, i.e.
- By appropriate design (without using safeguarding)
- By safeguarding
- By information for use
- By any other preventive measures
Measures in accordance with a) (prevention) and b) (protection) against explosions are dealt with in Clause 6 of BS EN 1127-2; measures according to c) against explosions are dealt with in Clause 7 of this standard.
Measures in accordance with d) are not described in BS EN 1127-2 They are dealt with in EN ISO 12100:2010, Clause 6.
BS EN 1127-2 is applicable to any equipment, protective systems and components intended to be used in potentially explosive atmospheres. These atmospheres can arise from flammable materials processed, used or released by the equipment, protective systems and components or from materials in the vicinity of the equipment, protective systems and components and/or from the materials of construction of the equipment, protective systems and components.
As shot firing can release potentially explosive atmospheres, BS EN 1127-2 is also applicable to the equipment used for shot firing, apart from the explosives and detonators.
BS EN 1127-2 is applicable to equipment, protective systems and components at all stages of use.
Note 1: BS EN 1127-2 is not applicable to:
- Medical devices intended for use in a medical environment
- Equipment protective systems and components where the explosion hazard results exclusively from the presence of explosives or unstable chemical substances
- Equipment protective systems and components where the explosion can result from reaction of substances with oxidising agents other than atmospheric oxygen or by other hazardous reactions or conditions other than atmospheric conditions
- Equipment intended for use in domestic and non-commercial environments where explosive atmospheres may only rarely be created and solely as a result of the accidental leakage of fuel gas
- Personal protective equipment covered by Directive 89/686/EEC; the design and construction of systems containing desired, controlled combustion processes, unless they can act as ignition sources in potentially explosive atmospheres
- Mines where firedamp and/or combustible dust are not naturally present and surface installations such as coal preparation plants, power plants, coke oven plants etc. in which an explosive atmosphere can be present, but which are not part of a coal mine. These are covered by EN 1127-1:2011
Note 2: The preventive and protective measures described in BS EN 1127-2 will not provide the required level of protection unless the equipment, protective systems and components are operated in line with their intended use and are installed and maintained according to the relevant codes of practice or requirements.
Note 3: Detailed information on specific equipment, protective systems, and components is contained in the relevant individual standards. Safety-relevant data regarding flammable materials and explosive atmospheres are required for the design and construction of the explosion protection measures.
Who is BS EN 1127-2 - Methods for explosion prevention and protection in mining for?
BS EN 1127-2 on methods for explosion prevention and protection in mining is useful for:
- Mining industry
- Safety/ Risk reduction bodies
- Explosion prevention and protection teams
- Installation and maintenance teams of protective equipment
Why should you use BS EN 1127-2 - Methods for explosion prevention and protection in mining ?
Large parts of mines can be endangered at the same time by both firedamp and combustible dust and so it is inadvisable to subdivide the hazards into those which are caused by the gas atmosphere and those by the dust atmosphere. Therefore, measures for explosion prevention and protection shall cover both the hazards from firedamp and the hazards from combustible dust.
The necessity for the simultaneous presence of an explosive atmosphere and effective ignition source and the anticipated effects of an explosion as described in BS EN 1127-2 lead immediately to the three basic principles of explosion prevention and protection in the following order:
- Prevention:
1) avoid or reduce explosive atmospheres
2) avoid any possible effective ignition source
3) de-energize equipment containing an ignition source when there is an explosive concentration.
- Protection: limiting the effects of explosions to an acceptable degree. by constructional protective measures. In contrast to the measures described above, here the occurrence of a starting explosion is taken into account.
Thus, BS EN 1127-2 helps you in the elimination or minimization of risk by applying one or more of the above prevention or protection principles.
BS EN 1127-2 provides you guidance on design and construction of equipment, protective systems and components by avoidance of effective ignition sources.
Overall, BS EN 1127-2 helps you ensure safety by risk assessment and risk reduction in mines by the implementation of explosion prevention and protection methods.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 1127-2:2014 supersedes EN 1127-2:2002+A1:2008. BS EN 1127-2:2014 includes some changes with respect to EN 1127-2:2002+A1:2008. These include:
- Terms and definitions have been moved to EN 13237
- Risk assessment has been modified
- Terms “hazardous condition 1” and “hazardous condition 2” have been deleted
- Adaption to EN 1127–1:2011
