Underground Mining Mobile Equipment

The operation of underground mining vehicles in many jurisdictions in Canada is guided by the CSA M424 series of standards. These standards outline requirements for vehicle design, construction, lighting, braking, explosion protection and exhaust emissions. First published in 1988 and 1990, the standards have been reaffirmed and revised over the years with the last minor revision occurring in 2016; however, the recent and rapid introduction of new types of vehicle powertrains has revealed a need for a more comprehensive review. The objective of the project is to take the content of the three existing published standards and realign it into one part addressing the general safety requirements for all underground mining equipment types addressed in the current series, with subsequent parts addressing the specific technical requirements for mining equipment power trains used in underground mines (e.g., diesel-powered, hydrogen fuel cell powered, battery electric powered). This will allow for additional parts on new equipment types to be added to the series in a logical framework without duplicating general safety requirements. The work will be completed by the existing committee members, with a new Technical Subcommittee formed to address the topic of hydrogen fuel cell powered machines for use in non-gassy underground mines (including battery electric vehicles for use in non-gassy underground mines). The anticipated impact of this project is to improve mining machinery safety for Canadian end-users by clearly identifying the general safety requirements, and to promote technical innovation by offering a new standard framework that allows for new parts on new mining vehicle equipment to be added easily and logically.