SIMTARS, a testing and research station, is testing flameproof enclosures which store electrical equipment.
There is a constant risk of fires and explosions in underground coal mines. If flammable gases manage to enter the enclosure, an electrical spark could be the catalyst for catastrophe.
Flameproof enclosures can be as small as a 100mm electrical junction box, or as long as four to five metres housing high-powered electrical equipment.
They are being tested to international safety standards, allowing them to withstand an internal explosion without bursting, cracking or opening up any of the joints to an unsafe level.