Belt conveyor fires: understanding and managing a leading cause of loss for mining operations

Conveyor systems are essential to mining operations, but they also represent one of the most frequent and severe sources of fire loss across the sector. Even when transporting non-combustible materials, conveyor belts themselves provide a significant fuel load, and ignition can occur from everyday operational failures such as friction, misalignment, or hot work.

Once a fire starts, it can spread rapidly along the belt, particularly in enclosed, elevated, or inaccessible areas turning a localised incident into major property damage and prolonged business interruption.

Managing these risks requires more than routine maintenance. It demands a clear understanding of how conveyor design, belt selection, detection systems, and operational practices interact under real conditions.

Our latest Risk Engineering Services publication, Belt Conveyor: Fire Safety & Risk Engineering Guide, shows how Swiss Re Corporate Solutions supports clients and brokers in identifying critical vulnerabilities and transforming conveyor fire exposures into risks that are reduced and mitigated.

• Frictional heating and mechanical failure
• Fire propagation along conveyor belts
• Gaps in detection, suppression and shutdown
• High-risk conveyor configurations
• Operational controls and housekeeping