Title 45.2, Mines, Minerals, and Energy

A. Two or more surface magazines shall be provided for the storage of explosives and the separate storage of detonators. B. Every surface magazine for storing and distributing explosives in an amount exceeding 150 pounds shall be: 1. Reasonably bullet-resistant and constructed of…

A. Any explosives or detonators carried anywhere underground by any miner shall be in individual containers. Such containers shall be constructed substantially of nonconductive material, maintained in good condition, and kept closed. B. Any explosives or detonators transported un…

A. If a supply of explosives or detonators for use in one or more sections is stored underground, it shall be kept in a section box or magazine of substantial construction with no metal exposed on the inside. Such box or magazine shall be located at least 25 feet from any roadway…

A. All explosives shall be of the permissible type except where addressed in the plan for shaft and slope development required by subsection B of § 45.2-704. B. All explosives shall be used as follows: 1. Explosives shall be fired only with electric detonators of proper strength;…

Each blasting cable shall be: 1. Well insulated and as long as necessary to allow the shot firer to move to a safe place around a corner; 2. Short-circuited at the battery end until it is ready to attach to the blasting unit; 3. Staggered as to length, or shall have its ends kept…

A. Where a misfire occurs with an electric detonator, a waiting period of at least 15 minutes is required before any miner is allowed to return to the shot area. After such failure, the blasting cable shall be disconnected from the source of power and the battery ends short-circu…

A. Every blasting area in a shaft or slope operation shall be covered with mats or materials when the excavations are too shallow to retain the blasted material. B. If explosives are in the shaft or slope when an electrical storm approaches, every miner shall be removed from the …

A. Except as provided in § 45.2-728, there shall be at least two travel ways, entries, or openings to the surface from each section of a mine worked. Each longwall panel shall be developed with at least three entries; however, if new technology becomes available pursuant to which…

A. In a drift or slope mine, openings shall be separated by at least 50 feet of natural strata, unless specifically approved in the roof control plan. All connections between openings not used for the coursing of air, travel, or haulage shall be closed with stoppings of fireproof…

Until the two travel ways are made as required by § 45.2-726, no more than 20 miners shall work underground in the mine at one time. No additional development shall be permitted until the connection is made to the second opening. In a mine in which final pillar removal operations…

Every mine opening that is used for entering and leaving the mine and every other required travel way shall be kept in good condition and shall at all times be maintained in a safe condition.

A. Direction signs shall be posted conspicuously at all points where a travel way to the mine opening, escapeway, or escapement shaft is intercepted by another travel way. The signs shall indicate the direction of the place of exit and any manway or escapeway. B. Continuous life …

The mine foreman shall examine every escapeway for hazardous conditions at least weekly. The mine foreman shall mark his initials and the date at each place examined, and if a hazardous condition is found, it shall be reported promptly. A record of such examinations and tests sha…

A. The operator of any mine that uses longwalls as a method of mining shall maintain an accessible travel route off the tailgate end of the longwall working face. The operator shall familiarize all miners working on the longwall section with the procedures to follow for escape fr…

A. Every shaft, and every partition therein, shall be as nearly fireproof as is practicable. B. Where there is danger of fire entering the mine, every opening shall have adequate protection against a surface fire or a hazardous volume of smoke entering the mine.

Every unused or abandoned surface opening shall be effectively closed or fenced against unauthorized entrance.

A. Every hoist used for handling miners shall be equipped with overspeed, overwind, and automatic stop controls. B. Every suspended work deck or platform shall (i) operate automatically, (ii) be equipped with guardrails capable of protecting miners and materials from accidental o…

A. The hoisting rope on any cage or trip shall be adequate in size to handle the load. A rope that is used to hoist or lower coal and other materials shall have a factor of safety of at least five to one. A rope that is used to hoist or lower miners shall have a factor of safety …

A. Any cage used for hoisting miners shall be of substantial construction and have (i) adequate steel bonnets, with enclosed sides; (ii) gates, safety chains, or bars across the ends of the cage when miners are being hoisted or lowered; and (iii) sufficient handholds or chains fo…

A. Every shaft shall be equipped with safety gates at the top and at each landing. Safety gates shall be kept closed except when the cage is being loaded or unloaded. B. At the bottom of each hoisting shaft and at each intermediate landing, a runaround shall be provided for safe …

A. Two independent means of signaling shall be provided between the top, bottom, and every intermediate landing of each shaft, slope, or surface incline and the hoisting station. At least one of these means of signaling shall be audible to the hoisting engineer or other person op…

A. Before hoisting or lowering any miner in a shaft, the hoisting engineer shall operate an empty cage up and down each shaft for at least one round trip, both at the beginning of each shift and after the hoist has been idle for one hour or more. B. Before hoisting or lowering an…

A. If miners are transported into or out of an underground area of a mine by a hoist or on a surface incline, a certified hoisting engineer shall be either on duty continuously or available within a reasonable time, as determined by the Chief, to provide immediate transportation …

A. The speed of the cage, car, or trip in a shaft or slope or on a surface incline shall not exceed 1,000 feet per minute when a miner is being hoisted or lowered. B. When moving the platform or work deck, every miner traveling thereon shall have a safety belt secured. C. No mine…

Every hoist, rope, cage, and other component of any piece of hoisting equipment shall be maintained in a safe operating condition, as directed by the Chief. A hoisting rope shall be replaced as soon as there is evidence of possible failure.

A. The roadbed, rails, joints, switches, frogs, and other elements of the track of each haulage road shall be constructed, installed, and maintained in a manner that ensures the safe operation of the haulage road. In determining its safety, consideration shall be given to the spe…

A. Every track switch shall be provided with a properly installed throw and properly installed latches and bridle bars. B. Every track switch, other than a switch in a room or entry development, shall be equipped with properly installed guardrails. C. Every switch throw and stand…

A. Every track haulage road in an entry, room, or crosscut shall have a continuous clearance on one side of at least two feet from the farthest projection of moving traffic. The clearance shall be kept free of any obstruction to a height permitted by the height of the coal seam. …

Suitable facilities for crossing a conveyor belt shall be provided where it is necessary for miners to cross such conveyor belt regularly.

A. Every haulage road shall have shelter holes at intervals not to exceed the interval permitted by the roof control plan for crosscuts. Except at a point where more than six feet of side clearance, measured from the rail, is maintained, or at a room switch, a shelter hole shall …

Upon the approach of moving traffic, any miner not engaged in haulage operations shall take refuge in a shelter hole or other place of safety.

Once per week, or more often if necessary, the mine foreman or a certified person shall inspect electrical and diesel transportation equipment to ensure its safe operating condition. Such equipment located on the surface shall be inspected once per month, or more often if necessa…

Every locomotive, mine car, shuttle car, supply car, conveyor, piece of self-propelled mobile equipment, and other piece of equipment shall be maintained in a safe operating condition.

A. Every piece of self-propelled mobile transportation or haulage equipment for use underground shall be equipped with safe seating facilities for the person operating the equipment unless it is equipped for remote control operation. Where seating facilities are provided on a pie…

Pushing any car on a main haulage road is prohibited except (i) where it is necessary to push a car from a sidetrack that is located near the working section to the producing entry or room; (ii) where it is necessary to clear a switch or sidetrack; and (iii) on the approach to a …

A. Any equipment, material, or supplies being transported shall be loaded in a manner that protects the operator and other personnel from sliding equipment, material, or supplies. B. Any equipment, material, or supplies that are not necessary for the operation of a piece of self-…

A. A standing car on any track, unless it is held effectively by brakes, shall be properly blocked to prevent movement. B. Positive-acting stopblocks or derails shall be used when necessary to protect miners from the hazard of runaway rail equipment. Derails shall be located wher…

A. No person other than the motorman and the trip rider shall ride on a locomotive unless authorized by the mine foreman. B. No person shall ride on a loaded car or between cars of any trip. C. No person shall get on or off a moving locomotive or a car that is being moved by a lo…

Back-poling shall be prohibited except (i) at a place where the trolley pole cannot be reversed or (ii) when going up an extremely steep grade. In such circumstances, back-poling shall occur only at very slow speed.

A. Every operator of self-propelled mobile haulage equipment shall face in the direction of travel except when the equipment is being loaded and is under the boom of the loading equipment. B. Every track haulage car that requires coupling and uncoupling shall be equipped with aut…

Where a dispatcher is employed to control trips at a mine, traffic under his jurisdiction shall be moved only at his direction. The dispatcher shall be stationed on the surface at the mine.

The operator or his agent shall maintain a mantrip or other equipment suitable for providing reasonable access within a reasonable time to any area of the mine where miners are working and where transportation is ordinarily provided. The suitability of the equipment and the reaso…

A. Each mantrip that is operated by means of a locomotive shall be pulled and operated at a safe speed that is consistent with the condition of the road and the type of equipment used and shall be so controlled that it can be stopped within the limits of the operator's visibility…

A. Any area used regularly for loading or unloading mantrips shall be kept clear and free of obstructions and have ample clearance for moving equipment. Each miner shall remain in such area until the mantrip is ready to load. B. Trolley and power wires shall be guarded effectivel…

A. If a conveyor belt is used for transporting miners, such belt shall be free of loose materials and shall maintain a minimum clearance of at least 18 inches between the belt and the overhead roof or crossbars, projecting equipment, cap pieces, overhead cables, wiring, and other…

A. Good housekeeping shall be practiced in and around every building, shaft, slope, yard, or other area of a mine. Such practice includes cleanliness, orderly storage of materials, and the removal of possible sources of injury, such as stumbling hazards, protruding nails, broken …