§871 Fire Protection

Summary

Every coal mine must have the right firefighting gear for its size and conditions. The Secretary sets the minimum rules for what kind and how much gear is needed, and prior official interpretations stay in effect until changed. After every blast, someone must check for fires. Underground oil and grease storage must be fireproof and kept in closed metal or other Secretary‑approved containers. underground rooms for transformers, batteries, compressors, pumps, shops and the like must be fireproof, and air used to ventilate electrical rooms must go straight to the return airway. The Secretary may require other underground structures to be fireproof. Welding, cutting, or soldering underground should be done in fireproof enclosures when possible. If not, a qualified person must supervise, search for fires during and after work, and continuously test for methane with Secretary‑approved methods immediately before and during the work. Such work is not allowed if the air has 1.0 volume percent or more methane. Rock dust or extinguishers must be on hand. Within one year after the operative date of this subchapter, unattended underground equipment must have fire suppression devices that meet Secretary specs, and fire‑resistant hydraulic fluids approved by the Secretary must be used as required. Main and secondary belt drives must have automatic deluge water sprays, foam generators, or other Secretary‑approved fire controls that supply enough water or foam. Underground belt conveyors must have slippage and sequence switches, and within sixty days after the operative date the Secretary must require automatic fire‑warning devices for belts and set a schedule to install fire suppression on belt haulageways. From the operative date forward, any conveyor belts bought for underground use must meet the Secretary’s flame‑resistance requirements.