EFFECTIVE DATE: 02/08/2011 EXPIRATION DATE: 03/31/2013 

 (Reissue of P08-V-1) 

PROGRAM POLICY LETTER NO. P11-V-01 

FROM: KEVIN G. STRICKLIN 

 Administrator for 

 Coal Mine Safety and Health 

SUBJECT: Clarification on Repairs or Maintenance of Machinery, 

 30 C.F.R. § 75.1725(c) 

Scope

Coal mine operators, equipment manufacturers, miners and miners' representatives, 

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) enforcement personnel, and other 

interested parties should have this information. 

Purpose

This Program Policy Letter covers the MSHA policy concerning the requirements of 

Section 75.1725(c), Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), in order to prevent 

injuries while machinery repairs or maintenance are performed. This policy letter 

addresses the meaning of 30 C.F.R. § 75.1725(c), and identifies a number of methods for 

complying with the standard. 

Policy

Section 75.1725(c) provides that "[r]epairs or maintenance shall not be performed on 

machinery until the power is off and the machinery is blocked against motion, except 

where machinery motion is necessary to make adjustments." 

"Machinery" includes hydraulic jacks or cylinders, belt conveyors, longwall conveyors, 

and other machinery used in coal mines. "Repair" means to fix, mend, or restore to 

good working order. "Maintenance" means the labor of keeping machinery in good 

working order and includes clean-up, clearing jammed material or conducting 

examinations on or in close proximity to machinery. 
2 

Methods to comply with this standard to prevent inadvertent or unexpected motion 

include: 

1. Opening the circuit breaker for the affected machinery, provided no energized 

parts or conductors are exposed, and placing the run selector switch for startup 

of the machinery in the "off" position. On longwall machinery, this would 

include placing the lockout switch in the lockout position in the area where the 

repair or maintenance is being performed. (A qualified electrician would be 

required to de-energize a circuit breaker if there are exposed energized parts or 

conductors. See Item No. 8, 30 C.F.R. § 75.511, Program Policy Manual, Volume 

V.) 

2. Opening the circuit breaker at the power center that supplies power for the 

affected machinery (30 C.F.R. § 75.900) and disengaging the power cable coupler 

that supplies power to the machinery (30 C.F.R. § 75.903). 

3. Opening a manual visible disconnect switch, either within the circuit or onboard 

the machinery, (30 C.F.R. § 75.903) and securing the switch against reenergization. A control circuit start-stop switch does not constitute a manual 

disconnect. 

4. In cases such as steeply inclined belt conveyors and suspended loads, when 

removing the power alone will not ensure against unintentional or inadvertent 

movement, the machinery shall be physically blocked, in addition to removing 

the power by one of the three methods described above. Physical blocking may 

be achieved by the use of such devices as bars, chocks, or clamps. 

Other methods may be appropriate in particular situations to prevent unintentional or 

inadvertent movement. What method(s) is appropriate depends upon the 

circumstances and type of machinery. The critical determination is whether the 

method(s) used would effectively prevent motion. 

The types of maintenance work that can be performed on longwalls and continuous 

miners are lubrication, changing bits, changing water sprays and conducting respirable 

dust control parameter checks with the circuit breaker opened that opens all power 

conductors entering the machine. Taking air readings on continuous miners equipped 

with a scrubber to determine compliance and checking water pressure requires the 

continuous miner to be energized. Extra precautions shall be taken to prevent injuries 

such as moving the continuous miner to a crosscut with the cutter head against the inby 

coal rib and limiting the number of miners exposed when taking air reading on 

scrubbers and checking water pressure. 

In addition, it is important to emphasize that restoring power prematurely while repairs 

or maintenance are ongoing places a miner performing that work in harm's way. 
3 

Operators must prevent inattentive restarting and assure that repairs or maintenance 

have ceased before power is restored to the machinery. Preventive measures operators 

can take include locking and tagging out, clearance checks, or visible or audible alarms 

with built-in time delays before restart to warn the miner(s) performing the work so 

power will not be restored without the miner's knowledge. 

Background

Miners have suffered serious injuries and fatalities when performing maintenance and 

repairs on machinery that started up and moved unexpectedly. Adequate methods to 

assure the miners' safety must be used while conducting this work. 

Authority

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended, 30 U.S.C. § 801 et seq., 

and 30 C.F.R. § 75.1725(c). 

Internet Availability

This program policy letter may be viewed on the Internet by accessing MSHA's 

homepage at (www.msha.gov) then choosing "Rules & Regs" and "Compliance 

Assistance Information." 

Contact Person(s)

Coal Mine Safety and Health, Safety Division 

John Arrington, (202) 693-9549 

E-mail: arrington.john@dol.gov 

Coal Mine Safety and Health, Safety Division 

Stephen J. Gigliotti, (202) 693-9479 

E-mail: gigliotti.stephen@dol.gov 

Distribution

MSHA Program Policy Manual Holders 

Miners' Representatives 

Coal Mine Operators 

Manufacturers of Mine Equipment 

Special Interest Groups