Cages; hoisting personnel; speed; safety gates
Sec. 2. (a) Cages used for hoisting men shall be of substantial
construction; with adequate steel bonnets; with enclosed sides; with
gates, safety chains, or bars across the ends of the cage when men are
being hoisted or lowered; and with sufficient handholds or chains for
all men on the cage to maintain their balance. A locking device to
prevent tilting of the cage shall be used on all self-dumping cages
when men are transported thereon.
(b) The floor of the cage shall be constructed so that it will be
adequate to carry the load and so that it will be impossible for a
workman's foot or body to enter any opening in the bottom of the
cage.
(c) The speed of the cage in shafts shall not exceed six hundred
(600) feet per minute when men are being hoisted or lowered. The
speed of the car in a slope shall not exceed four hundred (400) feet
per minute when men are being hoisted or lowered.
(d) Two (2) independent means of signaling shall be provided
between the top, bottom, and all intermediate landings of shafts and
slopes and the hoisting station. At least one (1) of these means of
signaling shall be audible to the hoisting engineer.
(e) Workmen shall wear safety belts while doing work in or over
shafts. When men are working in the shaft, a qualified attendant shall
be on duty at the cage station designated by the supervisor in charge.
(f) An attendant shall be on duty at the surface and all other cage
stations when men are being hoisted or lowered at the beginning and
end of each operating shift. Persons entering or leaving the mine at
other times shall be properly instructed in the use of the signal
system at the mine. Where automatic elevators are used, and the
elevator is in charge of a competent person, no other attendant shall
be required at the elevator station.
(g) All open entrances to shafts shall be equipped with safety
gates at the top and at each landing except at bottom landings. Such
gates shall be self-closing and shall be kept closed except when the
cage is at such landing. Gates shall not be required at the dumping
point of self-dumping cages or skips.
(h) Positive stopblocks or derails shall be placed near the top and
at intermediate landings of slopes and at the approaches to all shaft
landings.
(i) At the bottom of each hoisting shaft and at intermediate
landings, a "run-around" shall be provided for safe passage from one
side of the shaft to the other. This passageway shall be not less than
five (5) feet in height and three (3) feet in width.
(j) Ice shall not be permitted to accumulate excessively in any
shaft where men are hoisted or lowered.
(k) No person shall ride on a loaded cage.
(l) No person shall approach nearer than six (6) feet to any cage
landing when such cage is not at rest at such landing; or crowd onto
said cage in a rude or boisterous manner; or enter upon any such cage
when there are already upon the same, one (1) person for each three
(3) square feet of floor space of such cage: Provided, however, That
nothing herein contained shall affect any person in charge of the
operation of such cage, or the machinery moving or affecting same.
(Formerly: Acts 1955, c.168, s.62; Acts 1971, P.L.358, SEC.9.) As
amended by P.L.165-1997, SEC.9.
Last modified: May 27, 2006