45.1-161.204 - Fire prevention in transportation of mining equipment.
§ 45.1-161.204. Fire prevention in transportation of mining equipment.
A. Prior to moving or transporting any unit of off-track mining equipment inareas of the active workings where energized trolley wires or trolley feederwires are present: (i) the unit of equipment shall be examined by a certifiedperson to ensure that accumulations of coal dust, float coal dust, loosecoal, oil, grease, and other combustible materials have been removed fromsuch unit of equipment; and (ii) a qualified person shall examine the trolleywires, trolley feeder wires, and the associated automatic circuitinterrupting devices to ensure that proper short circuit protection exists.
B. A record shall be kept of the examinations and shall be made available,upon request, to the Chief or his authorized representative.
C. Off-track mining equipment shall be moved or transported in areas of theactive workings where energized trolley wires or trolley feeder wires arepresent only under the direct supervision of a certified person who shall bephysically present at all times during moving or transporting such equipment.
D. The frames of off-track mining equipment being moved or transported shallbe covered on the top and on the trolley wire side with fire-resistantmaterial.
E. Electrical contact shall be maintained between the mine track and theframes of off-track mining equipment being moved in-track and trolleyentries, except that rubber-tired equipment need not be grounded to atransporting vehicle if no metal part of such rubber-tired equipment can comeinto contact with the transporting vehicle.
F. To avoid accidental contact with power lines, the equipment beingtransported or trammed shall be insulated or assemblage removed, ifnecessary, if the clearance to the power lines is six inches or less.
G. Sufficient prior notice shall be given the Department so that a mineinspector may travel the route of the move before the actual move is made, ifhe deems it necessary.
H. A minimum vertical clearance of twelve inches shall be maintained betweenthe farthest projection of the unit of equipment which is being moved and theenergized trolley wires or trolley feeder wires at all times during themovement or transportation of such equipment. If the height of the coal seamdoes not permit twelve inches of vertical clearance to be so maintained, thefollowing additional precautions shall be taken:
1. Electric power shall be supplied to the trolley wires or trolley feederwires only from outby the unit of equipment being moved or transported. Wheredirect current electric power is used and such electric power can be suppliedonly from inby the equipment being moved or transported, power may besupplied from inby such equipment if a miner with the means to cut off thepower, and in direct communication with persons actually engaged in themoving or transporting operation, is stationed outby the equipment beingmoved;
2. The settings of automatic circuit interrupting devices used to provideshort circuit protection for the trolley circuit shall be reduced to not morethan one-half of the maximum current that could flow if the equipment beingmoved or transported were to come into contact with the trolley wire ortrolley feeder wire;
3. At all times when the unit of equipment is being moved or transported, aminer shall be stationed at the first automatic circuit breaker outby theequipment being moved. Such miner shall be (i) in direct communication withpersons actually engaged in the moving or transporting operation and (ii)capable of communicating with the authorized person on the surface requiredto be on duty;
4. Where trolley phones are utilized to satisfy the requirements ofsubdivision 3 of this subsection, telephones or other equivalent two-waycommunication devices that can readily be connected with the minecommunication system shall be carried by the miner stationed at the firstautomatic circuit breaker outby the equipment being moved and by a mineractually engaged in the moving or transporting operation; and
5. No person shall be permitted to be inby the unit of equipment being movedor transported, or in the ventilating current of air that is passing oversuch equipment, except those persons directly engaged in moving suchequipment.
The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to units of miningequipment that are transported in mine cars, provided that no part of theequipment extends above or over the sides of the mine car.
(Code 1950, § 45-14.1; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, § 45.1-89; 1974, c. 323;1978, c. 118; 1984, c. 590; 1985, c. 500; 1994, c. 28.)