© TBS 2019                                                                                                                                First  edition  
 
       DRAFT  TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
MMDC 3(6486) P3 Coal  -  Handling, storage and transportation  – Code 
of practice  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARD
 
2 
© TBS 2019                                                                                                                                 First edition  
 0. Foreword  
 
0.1 This draft Tanzania Standard is being prepared by the Solid Minerals and Related Products Technical 
Committee (MMDC 3), under the supervision of  Mining and Minerals Standa rds Divisional Committee 
(MMDC)  
0.2 This draft standard aims at addressing the safety  and requirements related to fire hazards as a result 
of poor  handling of coal. Currently , there is no harmonized national code of practice  to address the coal 
handling , storage and transportation,  and it is this gap that prompted the need  to develop this draft standard  
 
1. Scope  
This draft Tanzania standard mainly covers handling of coal at the site and during transportation  
2. Normative references  
The following document is referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document . For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document 
(including any amendments) applies  
 TZS 1934 - 2 Solid mineral fuels - Vocabulary - Part 2: Terms relating to sampling, testing and ana lysis 
3. Terms and definition s 
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in TZS 1934 - 2- and the following apply  
3.1 Coal self-ignition /coal self -heating  
phenomenon of temperature rises  of coal stockpile without applying any external heat  
3.2 Coal spontaneous explosion  
occurs when the heat generated within a stockpile is greater than the heat dissipa ted to the external 
environment , process in which oxidation reaction takes place without the interference of an external heat 
source  
3.3 Coal stockpile  
 pile or storage location for bulk Coal materials, forming part of the bulk  coal material handling process  
3.4 Coal handling facility   
a facility where coal is handled such as coal transshipment terminals,  electric generating plants, boiler 
plants, or steam plants  
4. Coal handling  
 
4.1 Location  
 
4.1.1  Coal handling facility  at the mining site  (producer) shall be a minimum of 1000 metres away from 
residential area,  petrol station,  school, college, religious places, national parks, railway line, water  
3 
© TBS 2019                                                                                                                                 First edition  
 bodies e.g. river, lake, canal or a pond game reserves , surrounding agriculture land  as wel l as 
ecological sensitive areas   
 
4.1.2  Coal handling facility  for users, the facility should be well shaded and properly covered  
4.1.3  Coal handling facility should be secured /fence d to avoid easy access by unauthorized parties and 
animals  
 
 
4.2 Transportation trucks/ships  
 
4.2.1  The vehicles /vessel  shipping coal should be completely and effectively covered with fire resistant 
and water proof materials’  
4.2.2  The vehicles/vessels shipping coal should not exc eed 75% of the rated capacity  
4.2.3  Vessels shipping coal should at all times carry on board instruments f or measuring temperature, 
methane, oxygen and carbon monoxide gas concentrations, so that the atmosphere within t he 
cargo space can be monitored  
4.2.4  The instrument should be regularly serviced and calibrated so that it provide s the reliable data 
about the at mosphere within the cargo space  
4.2.5  Extra monitoring should be implemented when coal is loaded in holds adjacent to hot areas, such 
as heated fuel double bottom  tanks and en gine room bulkheads  
4.2.6  A no smoking policy should be fully implemented on the ship and hot w ork should not be allowed, 
particularly in the  vicinity of cargo compartments  
4.2.7  The transportation trucks should be properly labelled as transporting hazardous materials  
4.2.8  If the shipper has declared that the cargo is liable to self -heat, then the following additional 
precautions should be taken ; - 
4.2.8.1   Surface ventil ation should be kept to minimum  
4.2.8.2   Carbon monoxide concentration should be regularly measured and recorded  
4.2.8.3   If the hold temperature exceeds 55°C or the carbon monoxide concentration rises steadily, 
emergency assistance should be  sought  
 
4.3 Storage and Handling  
 
4.3.1  Coal piles  should not be higher than 5 metres and the smallest distance between two adjacent 
heaps should be 5 metres, so that in cas e of fire approach is available  
4.3.2  Coal stockpiles should be properly compacted to reduce the movement of air for easy oxid ation  
4.3.3  Wet and  dry coals should not be stacked together  
4.3.4  Weathered and fresh coals should not be stacked together, similarly, the washed coal should not 
be stacked  together with run -of-mine coal  
4.3.5  Proper water drainage should be maintained by contour ing the base of coal stockpiles  
4.3.6  Artificial wind barriers should be constructed to minimize the movement of air in the stockpile   
4 
© TBS 2019                                                                                                                                 First edition  
 4.3.7  Segregation of coal particles within a stockpile should be avoided. The segregation facilitates the 
movement of air  into and within the stockpile  
4.3.8  Coals of different ranks, particle sizes and propensities to spontaneous combustion  should not be 
stacked together  
4.3.9  Coals which are more prone to self heat should not be stockpiled in large quantities for an extended 
period of time  
4.3.10  The spontaneous combustio n of coal is not necessarily caused by mining activities and storage 
conditions, attention should also be paid to other external sources of heat such as. Potential ignition 
sources such as forest fires, lightning, and hydrocarbons should be e liminated from  coal stockpiles  
4.3.11  Steam lines and sewage lines should no t run under the coal stockpiles  
4.3.12   Coal handling facility should have considered  for all corrective steps for resolving the issue of air 
pollution  
4.4 General safety requirements  
The first line of defense in fighting coal fires is installing fire protection detectors  and fire suppression 
systems  
4.4.1  Coal handling facility should have effective fire detectors and adequate firefighting  measures to 
combat any f ire resulting from coal sour ces 
4.4.2  An onsite emergency plan shall be prepared and implemen ted by the  emergency response team   
4.4.3  Coal handling unit shall provide adequate firefighting  measure to av oid any fire or related hazard