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 36-15 - Ventilation by Use of Mechanically Operated Fans and Intentional Changes in the Ventilation System › Section 36-15-4 - Fans

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
4.1. The
				ventilation of mines, the systems for which extend for more than two hundred
				(200) feet underground and which are opened after the effective date of this
				article, shall be produced by a mechanically operated fan or mechanically
				operated fans. The fan or fans shall be kept in continuous operation, unless
				written permission to do otherwise be granted by the Director of the Office of
				Miners' Health, Safety and Training. In case of interruption to a ventilating
				fan or its machinery whereby the ventilation of the mine is interrupted,
				immediate action shall be taken by the mine operator or his management
				personnel, in all mines, to cut off the power and withdraw the men from the
				face regions or other areas of the mine affected. If ventilation is restored in
				fifteen (15) minutes, the face regions and other places in the affected areas
				where gas (methane) is likely to accumulate, shall be re-examined by a
				certified person; and if found free of explosive gas, power may be restored and
				work resumed. If ventilation is not restored in fifteen (15) minutes, all
				underground employees shall be removed from the mine, all power shall be cut
				off in a timely manner, and the underground employees shall not return until
				ventilation is restored for at least fifteen (15) minutes and the mine examined
				by certified persons, mine examiners or other persons holding a certificate to
				make preshift examination.
4.2. All
				main fans installed after the effective date of this article shall be located
				on the surface in fireproof housings offset not less than fifteen (15) feet
				from the nearest side of the mine opening, equipped with fireproof air ducts,
				provided with explosion doors or a weak wall and operated from an independent
				power circuit. In lieu of the requirements for the location of fans and
				pressure-relief facilities, a fan may be directly in front of, or over a mine
				opening:
Provided
, That such opening is not in direct line
				with possible forces coming out of the mine if an explosion occurs:
Provided, however
, That there is another opening having a
				weak-wall stopping or explosion doors that would be in direct line with forces
				coming out of the mine. All main fans shall be provided with pressure-recording
				gauges or water gauges. A daily inspection shall be made of all main fans and
				machinery connected therewith by a certified electrician, or a competent person
				and a record kept of the same in a book prescribed for this purpose or by
				adequate facilities provided to permanently record the performance of the main
				fans and to give warning of an interruption to a fan.
4.3. Auxiliary fans and tubing shall be
				permitted to be used in lieu of or in conjunction with line brattice to provide
				adequate ventilation to the working faces:
Provided
, That
				auxiliary fans be so located and operated to avoid recirculation of air at any
				time. Auxiliary fans shall be approved and maintained as permissible.
4.4. If the auxiliary fan is stopped or
				fails, the electrical equipment in the place shall be stopped and the power
				disconnected at the power source until ventilation in the working place is
				restored. During such stoppage, the ventilation shall be by means of the
				primary air current conducted into the place in a manner to prevent
				accumulation of methane.
4.5. In
				places where auxiliary fans and tubing are used, the ventilation between
				shifts, weekends and idle shifts shall be provided to face areas with line
				brattice or the equivalent to prevent accumulation of methane.
4.6. If the air passing through the auxiliary
				fan or tubing contains gas in excess of one percent, the current shall at once
				be switched off and the trailing cable shall forthwith be disconnected from the
				power supply until the place is pronounced safe.
4.7. The Director may require that when
				continuous mine equipment is being used, all face ventilating systems using
				auxiliary fans and tubing shall be provided with machine-mounted diffuser fans,
				and such fans shall be continuously operated during mining operations.
4.8. In the event of a fire or
				explosion in any coal mine, the ventilating fan or fans shall not intentionally
				be started, stopped, speed increased or decreased or the direction of air
				current changed without the approval of the general mine foreman, or in his
				absence one other certified mine foreman-fire boss employed at such mine, and
				designated by the mine foreman, who is completely familiar with the ventilating
				controls of the mine, and, if neither is immediately available, a
				representative of the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training. A duly
				authorized representative of the employees should be consulted if practical
				under the circumstances.