PART 9. TUNNEL AND MINE SAFETY [7950. - 8004.]
Part 9 added by Stats. 1972, Ch. 1430.
§§ 7950–8004 · 52 sections
CHAPTER 1. Tunnels and Mines §§ 7950–7964.5 · 16 sections
- § 7950 This part shall be known and may be cited as “The Tom Carrell Memorial Tunnel and Mine Safety Act of 1972.”
- § 7951 As used in this part: (a) Tunnel shall include excavation, construction, alteration, repairing, renovating, or demolishing of any tunnel except tunnel work…
- § 7952 There shall be within the division a separate unit of safety engineers trained to inspect all tunnel construction and mine operations.
- § 7953 Sufficient manpower shall be maintained to provide for four annual inspections of underground mines, one inspection of surface mines or quarries annually, and…
- § 7954 To assist the unit of safety engineers in determining the safety of tunnel construction and mine operation, the division shall make available at least one…
- § 7955 The division and the owner of a mine, if he is not the operator of the mine, shall be notified before any initial mining operation or construction may be…
- § 7956 All personnel, including both employees working above ground and those in the tunnel or underground mine, shall be informed of the classification designated by…
- § 7957 An emergency rescue plan shall be developed by the employer for every tunnel or underground mine. Such plan, including a current map of the tunnel or…
- § 7958 A trained rescue crew of at least five men shall be provided at underground mines with more than 25 men or tunnels with 10 or more men underground at any one…
- § 7959 Rescue crews shall be familiar with all emergency equipment necessary to effect a rescue or search for missing employees in case of an accident or explosion.…
- § 7960 In any tunnel or underground mine classified as potentially gassy, tests for gas or vapors shall be made prior to start of work at each shift. If any…
- § 7961 The division shall investigate immediately any notification of a gas reading 10 percent of the lower explosive limit or higher by an employer in a tunnel or…
- § 7962 A safety representative qualified to recognize hazardous conditions and certified by the division shall be designated by the employer in any tunnel or…
- § 7963 All underground mines and tunnels with more than five men underground at one time shall have telephone or other communication systems to the surface in…
- § 7964 Whenever an access shaft is used as the normal means of entrance or exit to an underground mine or tunnel, it shall be constructed of fireproof material or…
- § 7964.5 Nothing contained in this part shall restrict the division in contracting with the Secretary of the Interior for an approved state plan for mines under P.L.…
CHAPTER 2. Gassy and Extrahazardous Tunnels §§ 7965–7985 · 21 sections
- § 7965 Any tunnel or underground mine classified by the division as gassy shall operate under special procedures adopted by the board, as well as rules, regulations,…
- § 7966 In any tunnel classified as gassy by the division, there shall be tests for gas or vapors taken prior to each shift and at least hourly during actual…
- § 7967 Whenever gas levels in excess of 10 percent of the lower explosive limit are encountered initially in a tunnel or underground mine classified as gassy, the…
- § 7968 In any gassy tunnel or underground mine, the division may order work halted until adequate testing can be completed to determine the level of hazard from gases…
- § 7969 In any gassy tunnel or underground mine the division shall review plans for electrical lighting and power for equipment. When it is necessary for safety, the…
- § 7970 In any tunnel or underground mine classified gassy, smoking shall be prohibited and the employer shall be responsible for collecting all personal sources of…
- § 7971 Whenever there is any ignition of gas or vapor in a tunnel or underground mine, all work shall cease, employees shall be removed, and reentry except for rescue…
- § 7972 If the level of gas in any tunnel or underground mine reaches 20 percent of its lower explosive limit at any time all men shall be removed, the division…
- § 7973 In any tunnel or underground mine classified as gassy, all employees shall be informed of any special orders made by the division following an inspection. Such…
- § 7974 In any tunnel classified as gassy by the division, ventilation shall include continuous exhausting of fumes and air, unless an alternative ventilation plan…
- § 7975 A “kill” button capable of cutting off all electrical equipment shall be maintained in any gassy tunnel or underground mine. The safety representative or his…
- § 7976 In any tunnel or underground mine classified as gassy, the division shall determine the number of fire extinguishers necessary and their locations.
- § 7977 Any tunnel or underground mine classified as extrahazardous by the division shall comply with the provisions for gassy tunnels in this chapter, as well as…
- § 7978 In any extrahazardous tunnel or underground mine smoking by employees or open flame shall be prohibited. Welding or cutting with arc or flame underground in…
- § 7979 In tunnels or underground mines classified extrahazardous, sufficient air shall be supplied to maintain an atmosphere of all of the following conditions: (a)…
- § 7980 All electrical equipment and machines, including diesel engines, used in tunnels or underground mines classified extrahazardous shall be permissible equipment.…
- § 7981 An escape chamber or alternate escape route shall be maintained within 5,000 feet of the tunnel face or areas being used to excavate material in an underground…
- § 7982 Records of air flow and air sample tests to assure compliance with required standards shall be maintained by the employer at the site of any tunnel or…
- § 7983 The main fan line used for ventilation in any tunnel or underground mine classified extrahazardous shall contain a cutoff switch capable of halting all…
- § 7984 In any tunnel or underground mine classified extrahazardous a device or devices which automatically and continuously test the atmosphere for gases or vapors…
- § 7985 All such testing device or devices shall be U.S. Bureau of Mines approved or acceptable to other authorities recognized by the division and shall automatically…
CHAPTER 3. Licensing and Penalties §§ 7990–8004 · 15 sections
- § 7990 In any tunnel or mine under jurisdiction of the division, the use of explosives shall be limited to persons licensed by the division.
- § 7991 (a) To obtain a license under Section 7990, and to renew that license, a person shall pass an oral and written examination given by the division. The division…
- § 7992 The board shall determine qualifications for persons seeking an “explosive blaster’s license” and rules and regulations for use of explosives in tunnels or…
- § 7993 Any person holding an “explosive blaster’s license” who is convicted of violating any safety order involving the use or handling of explosives shall have his…
- § 7994 Any person holding an “explosive blaster’s license” who is convicted of violating safety orders involving use or handling of explosives in which the violation…
- § 7995 Any person who has had his “explosive blaster’s license” revoked who is subsequently convicted of violations of a safety order involving the use or handling of…
- § 7996 All safety equipment required to provide safe employment in tunnels or underground mines shall be U.S. Bureau of Mines approved, or acceptable to other…
- § 7997 The board shall review and update general orders for tunnels and mines at least every two years. Representatives of the unit inspecting tunnels and mines shall…
- § 7998 The division shall also develop tests, available in English, Spanish, or other languages where a sufficient portion of employees exists to show need, to…
- § 7999 No person shall be qualified to operate as a gas tester, or serve as a safety representative in a tunnel or underground mine unless he holds a certificate…
- § 8000 Requirements established by the board shall preempt local government rules, regulations, and laws requiring certification or licensing as gas testers or safety…
- § 8001 The division shall charge a fee sufficient to cover the direct and indirect costs of the division to administer the examination and certification of gas…
- § 8002 All fees from applications shall be nonrefundable. Those fees shall be deposited into the Occupational Safety and Health Fund.
- § 8003 Violation of regulations, rules, orders, or special orders adopted by the board or division as a condition of certification shall be punishable by suspension…
- § 8004 The provisions of this part shall not apply to the normal operation, maintenance, or repair of any completed tunnels owned or operated by a utility as defined…