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1. DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this procedure is to establish a safe practice that is

consistently, efficiently, and effectively used to control and extinguish fires in
coal bunkers, coal silos, coal hoppers, and coal feeders. The terms bunker
and silo are used interchangeably in this document.

2. OBJECTIVE

Prevent or minimize damage to plant assets and provide a safe way to

address fires in coal bunkers/silos/hoppers/feeders.

3. SCOPE & DEFINITION

These procedures are applicable for most coal fired plants but are not site
specific. It is understood that equipment, access, design, and layout may vary
between plants and units. Personnel are to utilize the appropriate portions of
this guideline that apply to their particular situation.

At a minimum, personnel are required to utilize standard plant personal

protective equipment (PPE) when fighting fires. Standard plant PPE consists
of a hard hat, safety glasses, and approved primary work clothing, footwear,
and gloves.

Under no circumstances will personnel intentionally expose themselves to

breathing smoke or toxic fumes from a fire. Under no circumstances should
incipient fire trained personnel utilize any type of additional PPE with the
intention of performing beyond the incipient fire level. However, this is not
intended to discourage personnel from donning extra PPE to protect
themselves from unexpected hazards.

Fire fighting beyond the incipient level shall be dealt with by local fire
department and/or emergency response services. Such personnel shall be in
full bunker gear equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
and meet all training requirements.

Definition of Incipient Fire:

Interior and exterior fires shall be considered incipient stage when Incipient
Fire Brigade trained personnel function as follows:

A. They are able to safely fight the fire in normal work clothing.
B. They are not in a position requiring them to crawl or take evasive action to
avoid smoke and heat.

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C. They are not be in a position requiring them to wear thermal protective

clothing or self-contained breathing apparatus.
D. They are able to fight fire effectively with portable fire extinguishers or
hand lines flowing up to 125 gpm.

Exterior fires shall be considered appropriate for defensive action outside of

the hot and warm zones by Incipient Fire Brigade trained personnel when the
following occurs:

A. The personnel have been trained for that activity.

B. SCBA & thermal protective clothing are not required.
C. Personal evasive action is not required.
D. Personnel are able to perform defensive action effectively, using hand
lines flowing up to 300 gpm, water streams, or similar devices for the
manual application of specialized agents.

4. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

All Plant Employees

All adequately trained employees will utilize this document as a guideline to
extinguish fires in coal bunkers/silos/hoppers/feeders.

Any employee who suspects or identifies a fire shall immediately notify the
Operations Supervisor on duty via the plant’s established emergency
notification procedures.

Identification means include, but are not limited to: visual smoke, peeling
paint, flames, odor, temperature, use of a laser thermometer/heat gun, and
thermal imaging camera.

Operations Supervisor
The Operations Supervisor will immediately notify the Fire Brigade and the
Coal Handling Supervisor or Foreman, that a fire in a coal
bunker/silo/hopper/feeder has been detected. The Operations Supervisor,
Coal Handling personnel, their designs, or other competent individuals, will
assess the situation to determine the location and extent of the fire or
smoldering coal.

Fire Fighting Personnel

Plant Operations, Coal Handling, buildings and grounds, maintenance, and
Fire Brigade personnel, may be called on to assist in fighting a fire. Fire
fighting personnel will be directed by the designated Incident Commander. In
the absence of an adequate response from an Advanced Exterior & Interior
Fire Brigade, if a fire has progressed beyond the incipient stage, the local Fire
Department shall be called.

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5. INSTRUCTIONS & EXPLANATORY MATERIAL

When a fire is detected in a location or at a piece of equipment, all coal

moving activities in and out of the affected location or equipment must be
stopped. Dust collectors, belts, and other equipment that service the affected
location or equipment, or may create dust in the area, must be shut down.
This is to minimize the chance of a fire or explosion occurring during fire
suppression. Lock-out, tag-out (LOTO) procedures shall be followed as
required.

It is not appropriate to run burning coal out of silos, through feeders, or mills
due to the possibility of explosion.

Coal bunker, coal silo, and coal feeder fires shall be extinguished using a 3%
concentrate solution of F-500 fire suppressant. This concentration is
recommended to minimize the amount of water introduced into the coal
storage area.

Coal bunker fires above the feeder slide gate shall be extinguished from the
top of the bunker. Coal bunker fires below the feeder slide gate will be
extinguished from the inspection covers just under the slide gate.

At no time will any personnel enter a coal bunker or coal silo to fight a fire.

Non-essential personnel are a safety concern, and access to the area will be
limited.

Rapid reaction is required when temperatures are trending in the range of

160˚F to 180˚F .

Note: Coal with a temperature of 85˚F or less, and trending stable or

declining in temperature, is not typically going to self ignite.

Note: Coal that is 120˚F and above, and is trending either stable or
upward, needs immediate attention.

Once a fire is determined to be out, fire watching procedures (8 hours) for

coal handling areas must be followed.

6. PROCEDURE FOR PUTTING OUT A BUNKER / SILO FIRE

A. Investigate the report of a fire immediately. Once a fire is confirmed, stop

all coal moving activities per section 5.0.
B. Verify the coal feeder inlet gate is 100% closed. Close it if is if open.

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C. Perform a heat survey of the fire area with Laser thermometer or Thermal
imaging camera to show fire location and intensity. Use of a laser
pyrometer or thermal imaging camera will greatly improve the ability to
quickly locate the seat of the fire and where the smoldering coal exists in a
large bunker or coal feeder body.
D. Map the coal bunker to record temperatures to determine the location and
intensity of the smoldering coal and to track the progress in extinguishing
the fire.
E. Once the location and area of the fire has been determined, a pre-job
briefing will be held with all involved personnel.
F. Conduct regular temperature monitoring until the fire is extinguished.
G. Surface fires:
1) Employees may wear additional PPE such as heavier approved
gloves, a nomex hood, a flash proof face shield, and a nomex jacket
when fighting fire in the bunker, hopper, or silo room or near areas
which contain heat & smoke.
2) Insure required LOTO is performed on all affected equipment. Any
belts that might create dust in the area must be shutdown.
3) Monitor the atmosphere in the bunker room for toxic gases using a
multi-gas monitor.
4) Set up all required equipment including a primary hose line, a backup
hose line, and an F-500 eduction system with extra concentrate. The
F-500 eductor can be no more than 150 feet from the nozzle. The
shortest distance possible should be maintained.
5) Wash down the immediate area above the bunker in the
tripper/cascade room and the interior of the bunker with a 1%
concentration of F-500, prior to attempting to extinguish the bunker fire,
to prevent a possible secondary coal dust explosion and fire. If bunkers
are connected, then the interior of the adjacent bunkers shall be
washed down as well. The F-500 solution will penetrate and
encapsulate the dust particles, preventing them from combustion.
6) Naturally ventilate the tripper or cascade room by opening overhead
hatches or doors that lead to the exterior of the plant. Natural
horizontal ventilation is preferred.
7) Wash down the interior of the bunker with a 1% concentration of F-500
prior to making a direct attack on the bunker fire. If available, activate
the bunker wash down or suppression system, to clean the sides of the
bunker and the I-beams. Doing so will also reduce the temperature and
improve the visibility in the interior of the bunker. If available, a cellar
nozzle should be used for the wash down mechanism.
8) CAUTION: Use a fog pattern (not a straight stream) to minimize dust
cloud formation and explosion potential.
9) Locate the hottest point of the fire. Apply a 3% F-500 solution once
every hour to the seat of the fire and perimeter hot spots.

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10) Use a fog pattern to apply the 3% F-500 solution, to facilitate an

immediate reduction in the explosive hazard created by coal dust. Wet
the fire area, and continue to wash down the sides of the bunker and
the beams.
11) Once the fire area has been thoroughly covered using a fog pattern,
the hose nozzle should be adjusted to a 30˚ fog stream, allowing
penetration to the seat of the fire.
12) The 30˚ fog stream should also be used to cool the interior steel work
of the bunker or hopper.
H. Deep Seated Fires:
1) Employees may wear additional PPE such as heavier approved
gloves, a nomex hood, a flash proof face shield, and a nomex jacket
when fighting fire in the bunker, hopper, or silo room, or near areas
which contain heat and smoke.
2) Ensure required LOTO is performed on all affected equipment. Any
belts that might create dust in the area must be shutdown, including
any equipment the piercing rod may come into contact with.
3) Monitor the atmosphere in the bunker room for toxic gases using a
multi-gas monitor.
4) Set up all required equipment including a primary hose line, a backup
hose line, an F-500 eduction system with extra foam, and a piercing
rod. The F-500 eductor can be no more than 150 feet from the
piercing rod. The shortest distance possible should be maintained.
5) Wash down the immediate area above the bunker in the
tripper/cascade room prior to attempting to extinguish the bunker fire to
prevent a possible secondary coal dust explosion and fire.
6) Naturally ventilate the tripper or cascade room by opening overhead
hatches or doors that lead to the exterior of the plant. Natural
horizontal ventilation is preferred.
7) Activate the bunker wash down or suppression system, if available, to
clean the sides of the bunker and the beams.
8) CAUTION: Use a fog pattern (not a straight stream) to minimize dust
explosion potential.
9) Use a fog patters to apply a 1% F-500 solution, which will allow an
immediate reduction in the explosive hazard created by coal dust. Wet
the fire area, wash down the sides of the bunker, and wash off the
beams.
10) Insert the piercing rod through an opening in the top of the bunker or
hopper near the hottest part of the fire area, as determined by use of a
laser thermometer or thermal imaging camera. The piercing rod may
have to be angled toward the fire, depending on the location of the
hottest part of the fire.
11) The application method is a “surround and cool” approach. The
piercing rod shall be used to encapsulate the surrounding coal and
rapidly cool the hot spot. Do not insert the piercing rod directly into the

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hot spot without cooling and encapsulating the surrounding coal. Doing
so may collapse the void created, dispersing a combustible dust cloud.
12) During the injection of F-500 into the hot spots, expect a large amount
of smoke and steam to be liberated through the top of the enclosure.
As the fire is extinguished, the smoke should gradually change to
mostly steam.
13) Continue to work the piercing rod into the hot spots until the fire is
extinguished. When it appears that neither smoke nor steam is being
liberated, halt injection and scan for temperature.
14) Radio communication between the person monitoring the temperature
and the piercing rod operators should be maintained to identify and
monitor the hot spots, and complete the extinguishment process.
15) Care should be taken to prevent the introduction of excessive amounts
of water to the bunker. Large water flows will result in coal sludge
accumulating in the bottom cone of the bunker and may block all coal
flow into the coal feeder.
16) Let F-500 penetrate for 30 minutes between applications.
17) Once the fire is extinguished, the bunker should be run empty.

7. PROCEDURE FOR PUTTING OUT A FIRE BELOW THE COAL FEEDER

SLIDE GATE

A. Investigate the report of a fire in a coal feeder immediately. Once a fire is

confirmed, stop all coal moving activities as described in section 5.0.
B. Verify the coal feeder inlet gate is 100% closed. Close it if it is open.
C. Insure required LOTO is performed on all affected equipment.
D. Put the coal feeder disconnect in the “OFF” position. Do not restart the
coal feeder until the fire is extinguished.
E. Tag out the pulverizer breaker, control power and operational information
system (OIS), hot air gate air supply and OIS, and the feeder slide gate.
F. Perform a heat survey of the fire area with laser thermometer or thermal
imaging camera to show fire location and intensity. Use of a laser
pyrometer or thermal imaging camera will greatly improve the ability to
quickly locate the seat of the fire and where the smoldering coal exists in a
large bunker or coal feeder body.
G. Map the coal feeder body and inlet chute to record temperatures to
determine the locations and intensity of the smoldering coal and to track
the progress in extinguishing the fire.
H. Once the intensity and area of the fire has been determined, a pre-job
briefing will be held with all involved personnel.
I. Conduct regular temperature monitoring until the fire is extinguished.
1) Employees may wear additional PPE such as heavier approved
gloves, a nomex hood, a flash proof face shield, and a nomex jacket
when fighting fire in the bunker, hopper, or silo room or near areas
which contain heat and smoke.

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2) Insure required LOTO is performed on all affected equipment.

3) Monitor the atmosphere in the bunker room for toxic gases using a
multi-gas monitor.
4) Set up all required equipment including a primary hose line, a backup
hose line, and F-500 eduction system with extra concentrate, and a
piercing rod. The F-500 eductor can be no more than 150 feet form
the piercing rod. The shortest distance possible should be maintained.
5) Wash down the immediate area around the coal feeder if necessary to
prevent a possible secondary coal dust explosion and fire.
6) Naturally ventilate the area by opening overhead hatches or doors that
lead to the exterior of the plant. Natural horizontal ventilation is
preferred.
7) While standing on a step ladder, slowly remove an inspection cover
just under the feeder slide gate. Fall protection shall be utilized if
required by policy.
8) Begin application of the F-500 solution through a lance/rod inserted
into the inlet chute and towards the hottest parts of the inlet chute.
9) Continue to work the lance into the hot spots until the fire is
extinguished.
10) Open the feeder body outlet door.
11) Apply a spray pattern of 3% F-500 to the coal belt until the fire on the
belt is extinguished.
12) Slowly jog the coal belt while maintaining a 3% F-500 solution spray on
the coal.
13) Run the belt until the feeder is completely emptied.
14) Visually inspect the belt for damage, and the inlet pipe to the mill for
obstruction.
15) Wash the inside of the feeder body.
16) Wash the area around the feeder slide gate if necessary.
17) Vacuum out the coal mill.
18) Monitor the areas for 8 hours to make sure all signs of the fire are
gone.

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References:

Alstom Power Service, Inerting and Fire Fighting Procedures for Direct Fired
RB, RS and RPS Pulverizers, SIL 2003 03

Babcock & Wilcox, Pulverizing Inerting

Hazard Control Technologies

ƒ Silo Fire Fighting Training Course
ƒ Firefighting Piercing Rod Operations Manual

NFPA 600 Standard on Industrial Fire Brigades, 2005 Edition

OSHA Fire Protection Subpart L, Scope, Application, & Definitions, 29 CFR

1910.155

OSHA Fire Brigade Standard, 29 CFR 1910.156

PRB Coal Users Group, Fire Protection – Coal Bunker, Hopper, & Silo
Firefighting Guidelines

Westar Energy
ƒ Generation & Marketing Employee Safety Manual
ƒ Generation & Marketing Tagout Standard
ƒ Generation & Marketing Pre-Job Briefing Standard

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APPENDIX A
PREJOB BRIEFING CHECKLIST

This checklist is intended to aid supervisors in conducting and documenting

effective prejob briefings.

Work To Be Performed: Coal Bunker and Coal Feeder Fire Fighting

Prejob Briefing Considerations:

Yes No

• Have hazards associated with this job been identified

and discussed?

• Have the safe work practices that will be followed been

discussed?
• Has the process for clearing equipment, machines, or
circuits of hazardous energy (if applicable) been
discussed?

• Have the personal protective equipment requirements

been discussed?
• Have any special precautions or procedures been
discussed?

Supervisor’s Signature: Date:

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