Leading fire suppression company I-CAT has successfully completed and passed all required tests to obtain a verified certification from the UK national standards body British Standards Institution (BSI) on its conveyor belt system.

“I-CAT, the original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the product, would be the first fire suppression manufacturer to obtain BSI verification on conveyor belt fire suppression systems globally,” says BSI product certification executive Ronel Liebenberg.

The certification process involved assessing various elements of the system, which collectively allow for the system to be graded according to the US National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 750 guideline, ensuring that the product falls within international safety and performance guidelines.

The system comprises three subsystems – a primary suppression system, a secondary suppression zone system and an optional smoke scrubbing system for underground operations.

Collectively, the system can suppress fires on primary risk areas such as head-, tail- and take-up and drive systems, secondary risk areas including belt and product suppression, and lastly containment of smoke for safe evacuation from fire hazards.

The conveyor belt suppression system offered by I-CAT ensures conveyor and corresponding equipment suppression, as well as reduced system downtime and clean-up after system discharge.

“Owing to the use of I-CAT’s developed Aqua Collision atomising technology, the system uses minimal water, thereby preventing water damage and flooding to equipment and surroundings,” says I-CAT director Anton van der Merwe.

He adds that the system is easy to install, being a standalone system, requiring no additional infrastructure such as water or electrical requirements, thereby increasing cost effectiveness for a client.

The system integrates flawlessly with third-party technologies such as supervisory control and data acquisition, fire alarm control panels or additional detection systems.

The cooling effect prevents reignition of a fire, which makes the conveyor belt suppression system safer and highly effective.

The suppression system is reportedly one of the leading misting technologies, extinguishing various classes of fires using water mist. The application of water mist leads to gradual cooling without causing thermal shock to the equipment.

Further, the system uses I-CAT’s Cleavos AFFF foaming agent applied to suppress class-B fires, which involve flammable and combustible liquids such as gasoline, alcohol, oil-based paints and lacquers.

The system employs I-CAT’s I-PROTECT heat-sensitive linear detection tubing, which offers a highly reliable detection and system activation methodology.

“The BSI verified certification is important to reassure our clients that I-CAT’s systems will mitigate any risks associated with conveyor belts,” says Van der Merwe.

Meanwhile, I-CAT is proud to be the first OEM globally to have its conveyor-related systems witnessed by the BSI group, Van der Merwe adds.

He explains that the installation of certified fire suppression systems is a necessary safety measure, primarily to mitigate loss of life but also to prevent property damage and production downtime.

Van der Merwe concludes that, as an OEM, I-CAT has successfully designed, developed, manufactured and supplied these systems for various clients locally and internationally.