Code of Virginia - Title 45.1 Mines And Mining - Chapter 14.4 Requirements Applicable To Surface Coal Mines
- 45.1-161.253 Scope of chapter
This chapter shall be applicable to the operation of any surface coal mine in the Commonwealth, and shall supplement the provisions of Chapter 14.2 (§ ...
- 45.1-161.254 Regulations governing conditions and practices at surface coal mines
A. The Chief shall have authority, after consultation with the Virginia Coal Mine Safety Board and in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Process ...
- 45.1-161.255 Standards for regulations
In promulgating the rules and regulations pursuant to § 45.1-161.254, the Chief shall consider: 1. Standards utilized and generally recognized by the surface coal mining ...
- 45.1-161.256 Safety examinations
A. On-shift examinations of the work area including pit, auger, thin seam and highwall operations shall be conducted by certified persons once every production shift ...
- 45.1-161.257 Records of examinations
A. Documentation of examinations and testing conducted pursuant to § 45.1-161.256 shall be recorded in a mine record book provided for that purpose. Documentation shall ...
- 45.1-161.258 Areas with safety or health hazards
Any hazardous condition shall be corrected promptly or the affected area shall be barricaded or posted with warning signs specifying the hazard and proper safety ...
- 45.1-161.259 Personal protection devices and practices
A. All persons at a surface coal mine shall wear the following protection in the specified conditions: 1. Hard hats in and around mines where ...
- 45.1-161.260 Housekeeping
A. Good housekeeping shall be practiced in and around buildings, shafts, slopes, yards and other areas of the mine. Such practices include cleanliness, orderly storage ...
- 45.1-161.261 Noxious fumes
Painting or operations creating noxious fumes shall be performed only in a well-ventilated atmosphere. (Code 1950, § 45-85.5; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, § ...
- 45.1-161.262 First aid equipment
Each surface coal mine shall have an adequate supply of first aid equipment as determined by the Chief. Such supplies shall be located at strategic ...
- 45.1-161.263 First aid training
A. Surface foremen shall have completed and passed a first aid course of study as prescribed by the Chief. The Chief is authorized to utilize ...
- 45.1-161.264 Attention to injured persons
A. Prompt medical attention shall be provided in the event of an injury, and adequate facilities shall be made available for transporting injured persons to ...
- 45.1-161.265 Fire-fighting equipment; duties in case of fire; fire precaution in transportation of mining equipm...
A. Each mine shall be provided with suitable fire-fighting equipment, adequate for the size of the mine and shall include at least three 20-pound dry ...
- 45.1-161.266 Duties in case of fire
A. Should a fire occur, the person discovering it and any person in the vicinity of the fire shall make a prompt effort to extinguish ...
- 45.1-161.267 Fire precautions
A. An examination for fire shall be made after every blasting operation. B. No person shall smoke or use an open flame within twenty-five feet ...
- 45.1-161.268 Haulage and mobile equipment; operating condition
A. All mobile equipment shall be maintained in a safe operating condition. B. Positive-acting stopblocks shall be used where necessary to protect persons from danger ...
- 45.1-161.269 Equipment operation
A. Equipment operating speeds, conditions and characteristics shall be prudent and consistent with conditions of roadway, grades, clearance, visibility, traffic, type and use of equipment. ...
- 45.1-161.270 Safety measures on equipment
A. Rubber tired or crawler mounted equipment shall have rollover protective structures to the extent required by 30 CFR 77.403a. B. Seat belts provided in ...
- 45.1-161.271 Transportation of personnel
No person shall be permitted to ride or be otherwise transported on or in: (i) dippers, shovels, buckets, forks and clamshells, (ii) the cargo space ...
- 45.1-161.272 Lighting
A. Lights shall be provided as needed, in or on surface structures. B. Roads, paths and walks outside of surface structures shall be kept free ...
- 45.1-161.273 Shop and other equipment
A. The following shall be guarded and maintained adequately: 1. Gears, sprockets, pulleys, fan blades or propellers, friction devices and couplings with protruding bolts or ...
- 45.1-161.274 Hydraulic hoses
All hydraulic hoses used on equipment purchased after January 1, 1986, shall be clearly stamped or labeled by the hydraulic hose manufacturer to indicate the ...
- 45.1-161.275 Stairways, platforms, runways and floor openings
A. Stairways, platforms, and runways shall be provided where men work or travel. B. Stairways, elevated platforms, floor openings and elevated runways shall be equipped ...
- 45.1-161.276 Loading and haulage work area requirements
A. Ramps and dumps shall be of solid construction, ample width, ample clearance and head room and shall be kept reasonably free of spillage. B. ...
- 45.1-161.277 Equipment operation
A. If truck spotters are used, they shall be well in the clear while trucks are backing into dumping position and dumping. Truck spotters shall ...
- 45.1-161.278 Control of dust and combustible material
A. Where mining operations raise an excessive amount of dust into the air, water or water with wetting agent added to it or other effective ...
- 45.1-161.279 Overhead high-potential power lines; surface transmission lines; electric wiring in surface buildin...
A. Overhead high-potential power lines shall be placed at least fifteen feet above the ground and twenty feet above driveways and haulage roads, shall be ...
- 45.1-161.280 Transformers
A. Unless surface transformers are isolated by elevation (eight feet or more above the ground), they shall be enclosed in a transformer house or surrounded ...
- 45.1-161.281 Grounding
A. All metallic sheaths, armors, and conduits enclosing power conductors shall be electrically continuous throughout and shall be grounded effectively. B. Metallic frames, casing, and ...
- 45.1-161.282 Circuit breakers and switches
A. Automatic circuit breaking devices or fuses of the correct type and capacity shall be installed so as to protect all electric equipment and power ...
- 45.1-161.283 Electrical trailing cables
A. Trailing cables shall be provided with suitable short-circuit protection and means of disconnecting power from the cable. B. Temporary splices in trailing cables shall ...
- 45.1-161.284 Surface storage of explosives and detonators
A. Separate surface magazines shall be provided for the storage of explosives and detonators. B. Surface magazines for storing and distributing explosives in amounts exceeding ...
- 45.1-161.285 Misfires
A. Misfires shall be reported promptly to the mine foreman and no other work shall be performed in the blasting area until the hazard has ...
- 45.1-161.286 Minimum blasting practices
A. When explosives are in use on the surface and an electrical storm approaches, all persons shall be removed from such blast area until the ...
- 45.1-161.287 Ground control
A. All surface coal mining operations shall establish and follow a ground control plan approved by the Chief to ensure the safety of workers and ...
- 45.1-161.288 Inspection of electric equipment and wiring; checking and testing methane monitors
A. Electric equipment and wiring that extend to underground areas shall be inspected by a certified person at least once a week and more often ...
- 45.1-161.289 Auger mining highwall inspections
A. The face of all highwalls, for a distance of twenty-five feet in both directions from an augering operation, shall be inspected by a mine ...
- 45.1-161.290 Auger hole penetration of underground mines; testing
A. A qualified person shall, using approved devices, test for methane and deficiency of oxygen when an auger hole penetrates a worked-out area of an ...
- 45.1-161.291 Auger hole safety precautions
A. No person shall enter an auger hole. B. Auger holes shall be blocked with highwall spoil or other suitable material before abandoned. C. Auger ...
- 45.1-161.292 Surface coal mining; distance from wells; requirements
A. Any mine operator who plans to remove coal or extend any workings in any mine closer than 500 feet to any gas or oil ...
Last modified: April 3, 2009