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 36-12 - Rules And Regulations Governing Electrical Provisions For Underground Mining › Section 36-12-4 - General Provisions

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
Operators of coal mines in which electric­ity is used
				  as a means of power shall comply with the following provisions:
4.1. All surface transformers, unless of a
				construction which will eliminate shock haz­ards, or unless installed at
				least eight (8) feet above ground, shall be enclosed in a house or surrounded
				by a fence at least six (6) feet high. If the enclosure is of metal, it shall
				be ground­ed effectively. The gate or door to the enclo­sure
				shall be kept locked at all times, unless authorized persons are
				present.
4.2. Underground
				transformers shall be air cooled or cooled with noninflammable liquid or inert
				gas.
4.3. Underground stations
				containing circuit breakers filled with inflammable liquids shall be put on a
				separate split of air or venti­lated to the return air, and shall be of
				fire­proof construc­tion.
4.4. Transformers shall be provided with
				adequate overload protection.
4.5.
				"Danger -- High Voltage" signs shall be posted conspicu­ously on all
				transformer enclosures, high-potential switchboards and other high-potential
				installations.
4.6. Dry insulating
				platforms of rubber or other suitable nonconductive material shall be kept in
				place at each switchboard and at stationary machinery where shock hazards
				exist.
4.7. Capacitors used for
				power factor connection shall be noninflammable liquid filled. Suitable
				drain-off resistors or other means to protect workmen against electric shock
				following removal of power shall be provided.
4.8. All unattended underground loading
				points where electric driven hydraulic systems are used shall utilize a
				fireproof oil or emul­sion.
4.9. Before electrical changes are made to
				permissible equipment for use in a mine, they shall be approved by the Director
				of the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.
4.10. Reverse current protection shall be
				provided at storage battery charging stations to prevent the storage batteries
				from energizing the power circuits in the event of a power failure.
4.11. In all mines all junction or
				distri­bution boxes used for making multiple power connection inby the
				last open crosscut shall be permissible.
4.12. All hand-held electric drills, blower
				and exhaust fans, electric pumps, and such other low horsepower electric face
				equipment which are taken into or used inby the last open crosscut of any coal
				mine shall be permissible.
4.13.
				All electric face equipment which is taken into or used inby the last open
				cross­cut of any coal mine is permissible.
4.14. In mines operated in coal seams which
				are located at elevations above the water table, the phrase "coal seams above
				the water table" means coal seams in a mine which are located at the elevation
				above a river or the tributary of a river into which a local surface water
				system naturally drains.
4.15. The
				operator of each coal mine shall maintain in permissible condition all electric
				face equipment, which is taken into or used inby the last open crosscut of any
				mine.
4.16. Except where
				permissible power connection units are used, all power-connec­tion
				points outby the last open crosscut shall be in intake air.
4.17. All power circuits and electric
				equipment shall be deenergized before work is done on such circuits and
				equipment, except when necessary for trouble shooting or testing. When testing
				or troubleshooting an energized electrical circuit, gloves rated for the
				maxi­mum voltage of the circuit shall be worn at all times by the person
				performing the work.
4.18.
				Energized trolley wires may be repaired only by a person trained to perform
				electrical work and to maintain electrical equipment and the operator of a mine
				shall require that such persons wear approved and tested insulated shoes and
				wireman's gloves.
4.19. No
				electrical work shall be per­formed on low-, medium-, or high-voltage
				distribution circuits or equipment, except by a qualified person or by a person
				trained to perform electrical work and to maintain elec­trical equipment
				under the direct supervision of a qualified person. Disconnect­ing
				devices shall be locked out and suitably tagged by the persons who perform such
				work, except that in cases where locking out is not possible, such devices
				shall be opened and suitably tagged by such person who installed them, or, if
				such persons are unavailable, by persons authorized by the operator or his
				agent.
4.20. All electric equipment
				shall be examined weekly, tested monthly, and proper­ly maintained by a
				qualified person to assure safe operating conditions. When a potentially
				dangerous condition is found on electric equipment, such equipment shall be
				removed from service until such conditions are correct­ed. A record of
				such examinations shall be kept and made available to an authorized
				representative of the Director of the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and
				Training and to the miners in such mine.
4.21. All electric conductors shall be
				sufficient in size and have adequate current-carrying capacity and be of such
				construction that a rise in temperature resulting from nor­mal operation
				will not damage the insulating material.
4.22. All electrical connection or splices in
				conductors shall be mechanically and elec­trically efficient, and
				suitable connectors shall be used. All electrical connections or splices in
				insulated wire shall be reinsulated at least to the same degree of protection
				as the remainder of the wire.
4.23.
				Cables shall enter metal frames of motors, splice boxes, and electric
				compartment only through proper fittings. When insulated wire, other than
				cables pass through metal frames, the holes shall be substantially bushed with
				insulated bushings.
4.24. All power
				wire (except trailing cables on mobile equipment, specially designed cables
				conducting high-voltage power to underground rectifying equipment or
				trans­formers, or bare insulated ground and return wires) shall be
				supported on well-installed insulators and shall not contact combustible
				material, coal roof or ribs.
4.25.
				Power wires and cables, including but not limited to phone communications and
				control wires, except trolley wires, trolley feeder wires and bare signal
				wires, shall be insulated adequately and fully protected.
4.26. Automatic circuit-breaking devices or
				fuses of the correct type and capacity shall be installed so as to protect all
				electric equip­ment and circuits against short circuit and
				over­loads. Three-phase motors an all electric equipment shall be
				provided with overload protection that will deenergiz­ed all three
				phases in the event that any phase is overload­ed.
4.27. Incandescent lamps installed along
				haulageways and at other locations shall not contact combustible material, and
				if powered from trolley or direct current feeder circuits, need not be provided
				with separate short circuits or overload protection, if the lamp is not more
				than eight (8) feet in distance from such circuits.
4.28. In all main power circuits,
				discon­necting switches shall be installed underground within five
				hundred (500) feet of the bottoms of shafts and boreholes through which main
				power circuits enter the underground area of the mine and within five hundred
				(500) feet of all places where main power circuits enter the underground area
				of the mine.
4.29. All electric
				equipment shall be provided with switches or other controls that are safely
				designed, constructed and installed.
4.30. Each underground, exposed power
				conductor that leads underground shall be equipp­ed with suitable
				lightning arresters of approved type within one hundred (100) feet of the point
				where the circuit enters the mine. Lightning arresters shall be connected to a
				low-resistance grounding medium on the surface which shall be separate from
				neutral grounding medium on the surface which shall be separated from neutral
				ground by a distance of not less than twenty-five (25) feet.
4.31. Except for areas of a coal mine inby
				the last open crosscut, incandescent lamps may be used to illuminate
				underground areas. When incandescent lamps are used in a track entry or belt
				entry or near track entries to illuminate special areas other than structures,
				the lamps shall be installed in weatherproof sockets located in positions such
				that the lamps will not come in contact with any combustible material. Lamps
				used in all other places must be of substantial construction and be fitted with
				a glass enclo­sure.
4.32. An
				authorized representative may require in any mine that electric face
				equip­ment be provided with devices that will permit the equipment to be
				deenergized quickly in the event of an emergency.
4.33. An authorized representative of the
				Director shall require manually operated emer­gency stop switches,
				designed to deenergize the traction motor circuit when the contractors or
				controller fail to open, to be installed on all battery powered tractors, taken
				into or used inby the last open crosscut of any entry or room.
4.34. Trailing cables used in coal mines
				shall meet the requirements for flame-resistant cables.
4.35. Short circuit protection for trailing
				cables shall be provided by an automatic circuit breaker or other no less
				effective device approved by the Director of the Office of Miners' Health,
				Safety and Training of ade­quate current-interrupting capacity in each
				underground conductor. Disconnecting devic­es used to disconnect power
				from trailing cables shall be plainly marked and identified and such devices
				shall be equipped or designed in such a manner that it can be determined by
				visual observation that the power is discon­nected.
4.36. When two (2) or more trailing cables
				junction to the same distribution center, means shall be provided to assure
				against connecting a trailing cable to the wrong size circuit
				breaker.
4.37. One (1) temporary
				splice may be made in any trailing cable. Such trailing cable may only be used
				for the next twenty-four (24) hour period. No temporary splice shall be made in
				a trailing cable within twenty-five (25) feet of the machine, except cable reel
				equipment. Temporary splices in trailing cables shall be made in a workmanlike
				manner and shall be mechanically strong and well insulated. Trailing cables or
				hand cables which have exposed wires or which have splices that heat or spark
				under load shall not be used. As used in this section, the term "splice" means
				a mechanical joining of one (1) or more conductors that have been
				severed.
4.38. When (permanent)
				splices in trailing cables are made, they shall be:
a) Mechanically strong with adequate
				electrical conductivity and flexibility,
b) Effectively insulated and sealed so as
				exclude moisture, and c) Vulcanized or otherwise treated with suitable
				materials to provide flame-resis­tant qualities and good bonding to the
				outer jacket.