A special symposium will be held in Sudbury next week to examine how to manage the safety of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) used in underground mining.
The day-long event will look especially at managing fire safety for battery powered vehicles.
Workplace Safety North (WSN), the provincial agency dedicated to safety in mining and forestry, will host the symposium at the WSN headquarters building at 235 Cedar St., on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 9 a.m.
Although battery electric vehicles offering significant benefits compared to traditional diesel machines, BEV fires have much higher consequences in underground mines, said the WSN news release.
Ontario is quickly becoming a leader in the battery electric vehicle sector, with billions of dollars being invested by the Ontario government and global automakers, said the release.
This emerging technology, however, has brought forward a variety of new hazards that many in the industry do not fully understand.
This presentation will review BEV hazards, the legislation that applies to working on them, as well as gaps that have been identified in the industry.
This presentation will explore the challenges managing BEV fires, including manually extinguishing the fire, managing fire safety in battery charging bays, and key research gaps required to address these challenges, said WSN.
The symposium will examine the planning and implementation of a fleet of electric mining vehicles, looking at how to successfully integrate BEVs in any mining operation.
Other topics for the event will include BEV research and innovation, industry case studies, hazard management, training and risk assessments, and emergency response, said the release.
The event is targeted toward mining leaders, industrial, and manufacturing workers, managers, and employers operating electric vehicle equipment. The event will also be of interest to health and safety representatives, maintenance and equipment buying managers.
