EN 14973 Conveyor Belts Used in Underground Installations - Electrical and Flammability Safety Requirements

The European standard “EN 14973 Conveyor belts for underground installations - Electrical and flammability safety requirements” describes the electrical and flammability safety requirements for conveyor belts designed for use in underground installations, in flammable or non-flammable environments.

Conveyor belts covered by this standard and designed for use in flammable environments are intended for use in conveyor belt installations (machinery in mines). The belt is a component or part of equipment that can be integrated into a conveyor, which is Group I, Category M2 equipment as defined in EN 13463-1.

This standard does not apply to light conveyor belts as described in EN ISO 21183-1 and to conveyor belts manufactured by CEN prior to the publication date of this standard.

This standard addresses the important hazards detailed in Annex A.1.

To determine which class of conveyor belt should be used in underground installations, the operating company must conduct a fire hazard assessment. The result of this assessment should lead to a conveyor belt class according to this standard. Annex A of this standard and Annex A of EN 1710 are used as aids in preparing such a fire hazard assessment.

An example of an ignition hazard assessment for a conveyor belt designed for use in a potentially explosive atmosphere is given in Appendix B.

Conveyor belts designed for use in underground installations should not have an electrical surface resistance exceeding 300 MΩ when tested according to the EN ISO 284 standard.

EN 14973 is a European standard that addresses the safety aspects of conveyor belts designed specifically for underground applications, such as mines, tunnels, and other underground facilities. This standard focuses on preventing fire and explosion hazards in environments that may contain flammable gases (e.g., methane in coal mines), combustible dust, or other ignition risks. It specifies requirements for electrical safety (to prevent static sparks) and flammability/fire resistance (to limit ignition and fire spread).

This standard applies to conveyor belts used underground in flammable or non-flammable environments. Its primary purpose is to reduce ignition hazards arising from the following reasons:

• Electrostatic discharges
• Heating caused by friction (e.g., belt slippage on pulleys or idler wheels)
• Direct flame exposure
• The spread of fire along the belt

This standard emphasizes risk-based classification rather than a single, uniform approach.

The EN 14973 standard defines various classes depending on the risk level of the installation (determined by the user's hazard/risk assessment):

• Class A: General underground use with limited access and escape routes (basic requirements).
• Class B1: Potentially flammable atmosphere, no secondary safety devices (higher fire resistance required).
• Class B2: Potentially flammable atmosphere, but secondary safety devices are present (e.g., monitoring systems).
• Class C1: Potentially flammable atmosphere + flammable dust or conveyed material, no secondary safety devices (very strict fire spread limits).
• Class C2: Potentially flammable atmosphere + flammable dust/material + additional fire loads (fuel sources), together with secondary safety devices.

Classes increase in severity from A to C, with C1/C2 being the most challenging (common in high-risk coal mining).

The EN 14973 standard specifies particular test methods for different classes:

• Electrical resistance / antistatic properties: The straps must be sufficiently conductive to dissipate static charges (tested according to relevant ISO standards such as ISO 284). Prevents sparks in explosive environments.
• Friction heating (drum friction test): Simulates belt slippage, measures temperature rise and ignition risk. Stricter limits for higher classes (B1, C1) without backup safety systems.
• Flame resistance: Small-scale flame exposure tests to check whether the strap easily catches fire.
• Fire spread/flame resistance: Various scales are applied depending on the class:
• 2-meter propane burner test
• Double burner test
• Medium-scale or full-scale gallery tests (especially for Class C galleries)

It measures how far a fire spreads and how quickly it extinguishes itself.

• Marking: Belts must be permanently marked with information such as class, manufacturer, year, etc.

This standard annex provides guidance on hazard identification and risk assessment (Annex A).

This standard is often used in conjunction with EN 12882 (general purpose conveyor belts, including surface applications). It complements mining regulations (e.g., ATEX for explosive atmospheres). Many manufacturers certify their belts according to EN 14973 classifications.

In underground coal mining, tunnel excavations, or similar high-risk environments, conveyor belts that do not meet standards can lead to catastrophic fires. Major manufacturers produce specialized flame-retardant (typically solid woven PVC/PVG or rubber-coated) belts that are certified to these standards.

This standard has been harmonized with the relevant EU directives for mining equipment safety.

The EN 14973 standard is extremely important because conveyor belts in underground environments (particularly coal mines, tunnels, and other underground operations) pose one of the highest fire and explosion risks in mining. A single belt can act as a rapid fire carrier, spreading flames, heat, dense toxic smoke, and potentially igniting methane gas or coal dust over long distances in confined spaces with limited escape routes.

The reason this standard exists is that underground conveyor belt fires cause devastating accidents worldwide. The incidents highlight how ordinary belts can ignite from friction, electrical failures, or hot conveyed material, and then how the fire can spread explosively in methane-rich or dusty environments.

For many years, our organization, with its competent and experienced staff, has been understanding the needs of its clients, providing the advanced testing services they require, and assisting them in the establishment, implementation, and improvement of management systems. Within this framework, we also provide testing services in accordance with the EN 14973 standard.