West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 36 - Coal Mine Health And Safety › Title 36 - LEGISLATIVE EXEMPT RULE BOARD OF COAL MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY › Series 36-07 - Shortwall Mining › Section 38-7-6 - Methane Examination; Monitor: Face Area

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
6.1. The Director or his representative shall
				require an approved methane monitor to be installed on the continuous mining
				machine.
The methane monitor shall give warning automatically when
				  the concentration of methane reaches a maximum percentage of not more than 1.0
				  volume per centum of methane.
The operator of any mine which shortwall mining is performed
				  shall establish and adopt a definite maintenance program designed to keep such
				  methane monitors operative and a written description of such program shall be
				  available for inspection. At least once each month the methane monitors shall
				  be checked for operation accuracy with a known methane air mixture and shall be
				  calibrated as necessary. A records of calibration tests shall be kept in a book
				  on the surface.
If the methane monitor on a shortwall mining section
				  malfunctions, the operator shall have such monitor repaired within twelve (12)
				  hours. However, during the period of time the methane monitor is inoperative,
				  the electric equipment shall not be operated for a longer period than ten (10)
				  minutes without an examination for methane gas, the two (2) hour examinations
				  as required in section 7.2 of these rules and regulations shall be conducted on
				  one (1) hour intervals and air reading on the intake side of the shortwall face
				  shall be collected on one (1) hour intervals.
If for extraordinary reasons parts are unavailable to
				  correct the malfunction on the methane monitor, within twelve (12) hour, the
				  operator shall notify the Department of Energy who will evaluate the
				  circumstances.
If the circumstances prevail to prevent the methane monitor
				  from being repaired to operating condition, the Department of Energy may extend
				  the above twelve (12) hour time limit, providing the protection to the worker
				  is not reduced.
If a malfunction to the methane monitor occurs on a
				  shortwall working section, the supervisor on such shift shall indicate in his
				  on-shift examination report, in the fire boss report books, the date and time
				  such methane monitor malfunction.
6.2. It shall be the duty of the certified
				person designated by the mine foreman to supervise a shortwall section, to
				examine the shortwall face for hazards at least once every two (2) hour during
				each coal producing shift or more often if necessary for safety. Such
				examinations shall include test for methane gas and oxygen deficiency. Such
				methane and oxygen deficiency examination shall be made in at least one hundred
				(100) foot intervals, between the headgate and tailgate. The initials, date,
				and time shall be recorded at the test locations.
Should one percent or more of methane gas be detected, the
				  electrical equipment shall be immediately de-energized and the electrical power
				  circuit then disconnected from the power supply until the place is pronounced
				  safe by a certified person.