Home  >  Codes and Standards  >  Complete List of Codes and Standards  >  NFPA 120: Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines

NFPA 120, Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines

2023 NFPA 120 Standard - Current Edition
In purchasing digital access through a PDF or subscription service, you are purchasing a single-user license to access content only by the named account holder. Certain restrictions apply.

NFPA Members save an additional 10%.

Item #: NFPA_120
Price: $0.00
Edition:
Digital Access with NFPA LiNK® Plans starting at $9.99/month
Formats Available:










Quantity:
  • Description

    Help protect lives and property by complying with the most current requirements for fire prevention and control in coal mines.

    NFPA® 120, Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines, offers comprehensive information on protecting underground bituminous and surface coal mining, processing, conveyance and storage, loadout locations, and related surface buildings and facilities. The 2023 edition is revised to include the latest industry knowledge and best practices for helping to safeguard these operations.

    Notable changes include:

    • New ventilation requirements added in Chapter 4 to reduce combustible gas concentrations in mines
    • Several new requirements for conveyors introduced in Chapter 9 for fire detection in reclaim tunnels, the location of monitoring equipment, and cleaning conveyor systems to mitigate combustible dust buildup, as well as egress and secondary escape requirements in below-grade, reclaim conveyor areas
    • Revisions throughout the document to the terms flammable and combustible liquid to align with the ignitible (flammable and combustible) liquid terminology updated in NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
  • Table of Contents (2023 Current Edition)

    NFPA® 120 Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines, 2023 Edition

    Chapter 1 Administration
    1.1 Scope.
    1.2 Purpose.
    1.3 Application.
    1.4 Retroactivity.
    1.5 Equivalency.
    Chapter 2 Referenced Publications
    2.1 General.
    2.2 NFPA Publications.
    2.3 Other Publications.
    2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections.
    Chapter 3 Definitions
    3.1 General.
    3.2 NFPA Official Definitions.
    3.3 General Definitions.
    Chapter 4 Underground Mining Operations
    4.1 General.
    4.2 Fire Prevention.
    4.3 Fire Protection.
    4.4 Ventilation.
    Chapter 5 Surface Mining Operations
    5.1 General.
    5.2 Fire Prevention.
    5.3 Fire Protection.
    Chapter 6 Coal Processing
    6.1 General.
    6.2 Fire and Explosion Prevention.
    6.3 Preparation Plants and Crusher Buildings.
    6.4 Dryers.
    6.5 Conveyors.
    6.6 Mobile Equipment.
    6.7 Spiral Concentrators.
    Chapter 7 Storage and Use of Compressed Gases and Ignitible (Flammable and Combustible) Liquids
    7.1 Compressed Gas Storage and Usage — Cutting and Welding.
    7.2 Liquid Propane Storage and Use.
    7.3 Ignitible (Flammable and Combustible) Liquid Storage Tanks on the Surface.
    7.4 Ignitible (Flammable and Combustible) Liquid Storage on Surface Equipment and in Buildings.
    7.5 Flammable Liquids Stored and Used Underground.
    7.6 Combustible Liquids Stored and Used Underground.
    Chapter 8 Mine Surface Buildings
    8.1 Construction.
    8.2 Fire Prevention.
    8.3 Life Safety.
    8.4 Ignitible (Flammable and Combustible) Liquids.
    8.5 Compressed Gas Storage and Usage.
    8.6 Fire Detection and Protection.
    8.7 Water Supplies.
    Chapter 9 Coal Conveyance and Storage
    9.1 Conveyors — General.
    9.2 Overland Conveyors.
    9.3 Below-Grade Reclaim Conveyors.
    9.4 Underground Conveyors.
    9.5 Coal Storage — General.
    Chapter 10 Truck, Rail, and Barge Loadouts
    10.1 Construction.
    10.2 Fire Prevention.
    10.3 Life Safety.
    10.4 Fire Detection and Protection.
    10.5 Manual Firefighting.
    Chapter 11 Emergency Response, Manual Firefighting, and Training
    11.1 Emergency Procedures.
    11.2 Underground Operations.
    11.3 Surface Operations.
    Annex A Explanatory Material
    Annex B Informational References
  • Prior Editions

    2020 Edition

    Be prepared for the unique challenges of mitigating fire dangers in coal mining and related operations by complying with the latest standard.

    Incidents at coal mines have accounted for some of the deadliest fires in US history. There are inherent risks to these types of work environments that necessitate specialized requirements to help reduce hazards and maximize safety. NFPA® 120, Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines, 2020 edition, offers the most current industry knowledge and practices for helping to safeguard these operations.

    The standard applies to better protecting underground bituminous and surface coal mining, processing, conveyance, and storage, loadout locations, and related surface buildings and facilities from fire and explosion. NFPA 120 also provides safety criteria for combustible and flammable liquids and the storage and use of compressed gasses.

    The 2020 edition delivers the support you need to help protect lives and property and reduce loss from coal mine fires.

    NFPA 120 is your go-to resource for everything from general fire prevention and protection to manual fire fighting training, including emergency response procedures and operations. Annexes offer explanatory materials and informational references.

    The revised edition features a variety of changes that can impact your work. New fire safety material is added to Chapter 6 relating to the use of spiral concentrators in coal processing facilities. Additional direction has also been provided regarding best practices during welding and cutting operations within the vicinity of spiral concentrators, including associated Annex A material for further guidance.

    Help ensure you are up-to-date with cutting-edge criteria for elevating fire safety in coal mining operations.

    NFPA 120, Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines, is a vital resource for everyone, from facility and risk managers to engineers, installers, and enforcers. Keep your knowledge on the current by placing an order for your copy of the 2020 edition.


    2015 Edition

    Provide fire and explosion protection in coal mines with NFPA 120's updated provisions on sprinkler systems.

    NFPA 120, Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Coal Mines provides requirements to safeguard lives and property from fire and explosion in underground bituminous coal mines, coal preparation plants that prepare coal for shipment, surface buildings and facilities associated with coal mining and preparation, and surface coal and lignite mines.

    Changes in the 2015 edition includes revisions concerning sprinkler systems and fire suppression equipment:

    • Completely reorganized, the sprinkler system requirements in NFPA 120 are revised for clarity, making this essential method of fire protection easier to understand, apply, and enforce.

    Coal mines have unique fire protection issues, and NFPA 120 gives engineers, installers, and enforcers vital support.

    Maximize safety for people and property by applying the industry's latest criteria as presented in the 2015 NFPA 120. (Print, 49 pp., 2015) 

    Interested in other editions of NFPA 120? Use the drop down menu above to select the edition year you need.

  • NFPA PDF Products

    If you purchased a PDF, licensed PDFs can be accessed immediately. Instructions can be found in your order confirmation.

    Effective with the annual 2020 code cycle, NFPA® will no longer offer access to the PDF format as a choice for new editions of codes and standards, handbooks, or other reference titles. Existing PDFs will remain in-market and will still be accessible in our National Fire Codes® Subscription Service (NFCSS™). For more information about the different format options available to access essential code and standard content you need, click here.

  • Historical Editions

    Previous editions of NFPA® documents are available for sale. Please see applicable NFPA codes and standards product pages to confirm which editions are available for purchase. If you have any questions, contact NFPA Customer Support at 1-800-344-3555 or nfpa.org/customerservice.