Wyoming Administrative Code › Agency 053 - Workforce Services, Department of › Sub-Agency 0004 - Mining Inspector › Chapter 3 - UNDERGROUND METAL/NONMETAL MINES › Subpart A - General › Section 57.2 - Definitions

Current through July 13, 2024
The following definitions apply in this part, except in any
					 subpart preceded by a separate set of definitions:
Abandoned mine means all work has stopped on the mine
					 premises and an office with a responsible person in charge is no longer
					 maintained at the mine.
Abandoned workings means deserted mine areas in which
					 further work is not intended.
Active workings means areas at, in, or around a mine or
					 plant where men work or travel.
American Table of Distances means the current edition of
					 "The American Table of Distances for Storage of Explosives" published by the
					 Institute of Makers of Explosives.
Approved means tested and accepted for a specific purpose
					 by a nationally recognized agency.
Authorized person means a person approved or assigned by
					 mine management to perform a specific type of duty or duties or to be at a
					 specific location or locations in the mine.
Auxiliary fan means a fan used to deliver air to working
					 place off the main airstream; generally used with ventilation tubing.
Barricaded means obstructed to prevent the passage of
					 persons, vehicles, or flying materials.
Blasting agent means any substance classified as a blasting
					 agent by the Department of Transportation in
					 49 CFR
					 173.114(a) (44 FR 31182, May
					 31, 1979) which is incorporated by reference. This document is available for
					 inspection at each Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health Subdistrict Office
					 of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and may be obtained from the U.S.
					 Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Blasting area means the area near blasting operations in
					 which concussion or flying material can reasonably be expected to cause
					 injury.
Blasting cap means a detonator which is initiated by a
					 safety fuse.
Blasting circuit means the electrical circuit used to fire
					 one or more electric blasting caps.
Blasting switch means a switch used to connect a power
					 source to a blasting circuit.
Booster fan means a fan installed in the main airstream or
					 a split of the main airstream to increase airflow through a section or sections
					 of a mine.
'Booster means any unit of explosive or blasting agent used
					 for the purpose of perpetuating or intensifying an initial detonation.
Capped fuse means a length of safety fuse to which a
					 blasting cap has been attached.
Capped primer means a package or cartridge of explosives
					 which is specifically designed to transmit detonation to other explosives and
					 which contains a detonator.
Circuit breaker means a device designed to open and close a
					 circuit by nonautomatic means and to open the circuit automatically on a
					 predetermined overcurrent setting without injury to itself when properly
					 applied within its rating.
Combustible means capable of being ignited and consumed by
					 fire.
Company official means a member of the company supervisory
					 or technical staff.
Competent person means a person having abilities and
					 experience that fully qualify him to perform the duty to which he is
					 assigned.
Conductor means a material, usually in the form of a wire,
					 cable, or bus bar, capable of carrying an electric current.
Delay connector means a nonelectric short interval delay
					 device for use in delaying blasts which are initiated by detonating
					 cord.
Detonating cord means a flexible cord containing a solid
					 core of high explosives.
Detonator means any device containing a detonating charge
					 that is used to initiate an explosive and includes but is not limited to
					 blasting caps, electric blasting caps and nonelectric instantaneous or delay
					 blasting caps.
Distribution box means a portable apparatus with an
					 enclosure through which an electric circuit is carried to one or more cables
					 from a single incoming feed line; each cable circuit being connected through
					 individual overcurrent protective devices.
Electric blasting cap means a detonator designed for and
					 capable of being initiated by means of an electric current.
Electrical grounding means to connect with the ground to
					 make the earth part of the circuit.
Employee means a person who works for wages or salary in
					 the service of an employer.
Employer means a person or organization which hires one or
					 more persons to work for wages or salary.
Escapeway means a passageway by which persons may leave a
					 mine.
Explosive means any substance classified as an explosive by
					 the Department of Transportation in
					 49 CFR
					 173.53, 173.88 and 173.100 which are
					 incorporated by reference. Title 49 CFR is available for inspection at each
					 Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health Subdistrict Office of the Mine Safety
					 and Health Administration, and may be obtained from the U.S. Government
					 Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Face or bank means that part of any mine where excavating
					 is progressing or was last done.
Flammable means capable of being easily ignited and of
					 burning rapidly.
Flash point means the minimum temperature at which
					 sufficient vapor is released by a liquid or solid to form a flammable vapor-air
					 mixture at atmospheric pressure.
Highway means any public street, public alley or public
					 road.
High potential means more than 650 volts.
Hoist means a power driven windlass or drum used for
					 raising ore, rock, or other material from a mine, and for lowering or raising
					 persons and material.
Igniter cord means a fuse, cordlike in appearance, which
					 burns progressively along its length with an external flame at the zone of
					 burning, and is used for lighting a series of safety fuses in the desired
					 sequence.
Insulated means separated from other conducting surfaces by
					 a dielectric substance permanently offering a high resistance to the passage of
					 current and to disruptive discharge through the substance. When any substance
					 is said to be insulated, it is understood to be insulated in a manner suitable
					 for the conditions to which it is subjected. Otherwise, it is, within the
					 purpose of this definition, uninsulated. Insulating covering is one means for
					 making the conductor insulated.
Insulation means a dielectric substance offering a high
					 resistance to the passage of current and to a disruptive discharge through the
					 substance.
Lay means the distance parallel to the axis of the rope in
					 which a strand makes one complete turn about the axis of the rope
Low potential means 650 volts or less.
Magazine means a facility for the storage of explosives,
					 blasting agents, or detonators.
Main fan means a fan that controls the entire airflow of
					 the mine, or the airflow of one of the major air circuits.
Major electrical installation means an assemblage of
					 stationary electrical equipment for the generation, transmission, distribution,
					 or conversion of electrical power.
Mantrip means a trip on which persons are transported to
					 and from a work area.
Mill includes any ore mill, sampling works, concentrator,
					 and any crushing, grinding, or screening plant used at, and in connection with,
					 an excavation or mine.
Mine opening means any opening or entrance from the surface
					 into a mine.
Misfire means the complete or partial failure of a blasting
					 charge to explode as planned.
Multipurpose dry-chemical fire extinguisher means a listed
					 or approved multipurpose dry-chemical fire extinguisher having a minimum rating
					 of 2-A:10-B:C, by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and containing a minimum of
					 4.5 pounds of dry-chemical agent.
Non-electric delay blasting cap means a detonator with an
					 integral delay element and capable of being initiated by miniaturized
					 detonating cord.
Overburden means material of any nature, consolidated or
					 unconsolidated, that overlies a deposit of useful materials or ores that are to
					 be mined.
Overload means that current which will cause an excessive
					 or dangerous temperature in the conductor or conductor insulation.
Permissible means a machine, material, apparatus, or device
					 which has been investigated, tested, and approved by the Bureau of Mines or the
					 Mine Safety and Health Administration, and is maintained in permissible
					 condition.
Potable water means water which shall meet the applicable
					 minimum health requirements for drinking water established by the State or
					 community in which the mine is located or by the Environmental Protection
					 Agency in 40 CFR part 141, pages 169-182 revised as of July 1, 1977. Where no
					 such requirements are applicable, the drinking water provided shall conform
					 with the Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards, 42 CFR part 72,
					 subpart J, pages 527-533, revised as of October 1, 1976. Publications to which
					 references are made in this definition are hereby made a part hereof. These
					 incorporated publications are available for inspection at each Metal and
					 Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health Subdistrict Office of the Mine Safety and
					 Health Administration.
Powder chest means a substantial, nonconductive portable
					 container equipped with a lid and used at blasting sites for explosives other
					 than blasting agents.
Primer means a unit, package, or cartridge of explosives
					 used to initiate other explosives or blasting agents, and which contains a
					 detonator.
Reverse-current protection means a method or device used on
					 direct-current circuits or equipment to prevent the flow of current in a
					 reverse direction.
Roll protection means a framework, safety canopy or similar
					 protection for the operator when equipment overturns.
Safety can means an approved container, of not over 5
					 gallons capacity, having a spring-closing lid and spout cover.
Safety fuse means a flexible cord containing an internal
					 burning medium by which fire is conveyed at a continuous and uniform rate for
					 the purpose of firing blasting caps or a black powder charge.
Safety switch means a sectionalizing switch that also
					 provides shunt protection in blasting circuits between the blasting switch and
					 the shot area.
Scaling means removal of insecure material from a face or
					 highwall.
Secondary safety connection means a second connection
					 between a conveyance and rope, intended to prevent the conveyance from running
					 away or falling in the event the primary connection fails.
Shaft means a vertical or inclined shaft, a slope, incline,
					 or winze.
Short circuit means an abnormal connection of relatively
					 low resistance, whether made accidentally or intentionally, between two points
					 of difference potential in a circuit.
Slurry (as applied to blasting). See "Water gel."
Stray current means that portion of a total electric
					 current that flows through paths other than the intended circuit.
State Mine Inspector means the State Mine Inspector of the
					 State of Wyoming or any Deputy State Mine Inspectors employed by the
					 Inspector.
Substantial construction means construction of such
					 strength, material, and workmanship that the object will withstand all
					 reasonable shock, wear, and usage to which it will be subjected.
Suitable means that which fits, and has the qualities or
					 qualifications to meet a given purpose, occasion, condition, function, or
					 circumstance.
Travelway means a passage, walk or way regularly used and
					 designated for persons to go from one place to another.
Water gel or Slurry (as applied to blasting) means an
					 explosive or blasting agent containing substantial portions of water.
Wet drilling means the continuous application of water
					 through the central hole of hollow drill steel to the bottom of the drill
					 hole.
Working level (WL) means any combination of the short-lived
					 radon daughters in one liter of air that will result in ultimate emission of
					 1.3X105 MeV (million electron volts) of potential alpha energy, and exposure to
					 these radon daughters over a period of time is expressed in terms of "working
					 level months" (WLM). Inhalation of air containing a radon daughter
					 concentration of 1 WL for 173 hours results in an exposure of 1 WLM."
Working place means any place in or about a mine where work
					 is being performed.
Procedures