### Mines (Safety) Regulations 《礦場(安全)規例》

35. Power to give directions, and duty to comply with them
(1) For the protection of ground and any surface objects which it is necessary to protect in the interests of personal safety or public traffic, and the removal of which may be inexpedient, the veins, beds or other mineral deposits shall be left intact not only vertically below them, but also for such a distance beyond as a mines officer may consider necessary. An appeal shall lie from the direction of the officer to the Superintendent of Mines.
(2) Permission for the entire or partial excavation of the ground beneath such surface objects may be obtained from the Superintendent of Mines to the extent and under such precautions and conditions as he may prescribe in each separate case.
(3) The driving of tunnels not exceeding 1.8 metres in width through the safety pillars for the purpose of connecting 2 separate mines or parts of a mine may be allowed with the written permission of the Superintendent of Mines and upon due observance of the safety precautions prescribed by him. (L.N. 87 of 1986)

36. Duty to fill in illegal excavations
All excavations made contrary to the provisions of regulations 34 and 35 shall be immediately filled up with loose rock debris or earth by the person or persons responsible for such excavations, failing which they shall be filled up by Government at the expense of the licensee or lessee of the mine.

37. Duty in respect of prospecting trenches and pits
(1) In digging prospecting trenches the ground shall be thrown out so as to form approximately equal ridges on each side, and in sinking prospecting pits the ground shall be thrown out so as to surround the pit and all necessary precautions shall be taken, either by filling up or fencing them, to prevent persons inadvertently falling into or entering such trenches or pits:
Provided that nothing in this regulation shall prevent the removal of excavated ground for sampling purpose.
(2) If in the opinion of the Superintendent of Mines disused prospecting or mining excavations are dangerous to life, or likely to endanger public traffic, he may order them to be filled in to the level of the surface or securely fenced in by the prospector, holder or lessee.
(3) Any person who contravenes the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) hereof shall be guilty of an offence, and Government shall in any event have the right to fill up or otherwise protect such trenches or other excavations at the expense of such person.

38. Duty to protect disused shafts and mining entrances, etc.
The mouth of every shaft or entrance to a mine which for the time being is out of use or used only as an air way, and the approach of every open working not being ordinary prospecting pits or trenches, and all elevated and exposed platforms and gangways shall be kept securely fenced or otherwise protected.

### Mines (Safety) Regulations 《礦場(安全)規例》

39. Responsibility for old excavations
Every holder of a prospecting licence, a mining licence or a mining lease over ground on which there are old prospecting or mining excavations either open to the surface or underground, shall be responsible for preventing access thereto or for rendering safe such excavations as are left accessible.

40. Prohibition against use of inflammable material, and duty in respect of naked lights
(1) No inflammable roofing material such as thatch or wood shall be used as roof covering on shelters erected over mouths of shafts or other deep workings.
(2) No inflammable debris or refuse shall be stored, dumped or allowed to accumulate underground in any mine.
(3) No naked lights shall be so placed that there is any risk of their igniting any wood, timber or other material underground in a mine.

41. Duty to provide satisfactory ladders and ways of exit
(1) The manager shall provide and maintain to the satisfaction of a mines officer such ladders or other ways as will furnish effectual means of exit or ascent of persons from any underground workings without the assistance of winding machinery.
(2) Where in any working served by only one shaft it appears to a mines officer that a second outlet has become necessary either for the safety of the workmen employed or for proper ventilation, the manager shall on being required to do so provide such second outlet.

42. Duty to provide ladders in single shaft
At every mine where any single shaft is allowed to form the only means of ingress and egress to the persons employed underground, such shaft shall be provided with a proper ladder way and a mines officer may order the provision of a proper ladder way in more than one shaft in any mine.

43. Duty to fence off underground entrance to abandoned workings
All underground entrances to shafts or other dangerous places which are temporarily or permanently abandoned shall be securely fenced across the whole width of the entrances so that no person can unintentionally enter them.

### Mines (Safety) Regulations 《礦場(安全)規例》

44. Ladders
Where ladders are used—
(a) no ladder shall incline outwards from its base from the face;
(b) ladders shall not be vertical without the written consent of a mines officer;
(c) in ladder ways exceeding 18 metres in depth and having an inclination of more than 70 degrees from the horizontal, platforms shall be provided at intervals of not more than 9 metres measured vertically; (L.N. 87 of 1986; E.R. 1 of 2021)
(d) no 2 consecutive manholes in such platforms shall be in a vertical line unless the ladders have sufficient inclination to cover the manholes;
(e) all ladders used in mines shall be strongly constructed and be securely fastened to the timbering or sides of the shaft and maintained in proper repair. Rungs must not be more than 230 millimetres apart and must be inserted or notched into the sides of the ladder as well as fastened by clinched nails or other adequate means; and (L.N. 87 of 1986)
(f) the ladders shall project at least 1 metre above the mouth of the shaft and every resting place therein, and strong handrails shall be fixed at such places. (L.N. 87 of 1986)

45. Prohibition against carrying tools, etc. in ladder way
No person shall carry or be permitted to carry any drill, tool or any loose material on a ladder way in a vertical or steeply inclined shaft or winze except, so far as may be necessary, in executing repairs or other work.

46. Duty to fence off entrances to shafts and winzes
The top of every vertical or steeply inclined shaft, winze, sump and shute or sliding hole and all entrances thereto below the top, shall be kept properly fenced off by means of a barrier or gate, but the temporary removal of the barrier or gate for the purpose of repairs or other operations is permissible if proper precautions to prevent danger to persons are taken.

47. Prohibition against loose material near unprotected edges
No excavated material, tools, wood or loose articles of any kind shall be allowed to lie near the unprotected edge of any excavation.

48. Necessity to provide guides for bucket, cage or skip
Vertical shafts exceeding 30 metres in depth shall be provided with guides for every bucket, cage or skip.
(L.N. 87 of 1986)

49. Provision for workmen passing from one compartment to another
At every shaft station where it is necessary for workmen to pass from one side of the shaft to another, provision shall be made for them to do so without entering or crossing a winding compartment. All passages shall be securely fenced.