e. In States that require certification of miners, all miners shall secure such certificates in accordance with requirements. f. The certificates of competency, as hereinbefore stated, shall be made a matter of record on the surface of the mine, and this record shall be available for inspection by interested persons. SEC. 2. Reporting of accidents.—a. The management of a mine shall keep an accurate record of all accidents occurring at the mine that involve an injury to any employee (lost-time and no-lost-time accidents). A record of all accidents resulting in loss of time beyond the day of injury, together with the required employment and production data, shall be reported on form 6-1420 and 6-1420A of the United States Bureau of Mines at the end of each calendar month, except that an immediate report shall be made to the United States Bureau of Mines of any accident involving a fatality. The United States Bureau of Mines shall compile a record of fatal and nonfatal accidents on a basis of man-hours of exposure; an annual report on a calendar-year basis of such accidents shall be published and shall be furnished to the officers of the United Mine Workers of America and to the executives of the coal industry. SEC. 3. Reporting of hazards.—a. Any employee of a mine or any representative of the employees of a mine who discovers an unsafe condition in the mine shall immediately report such unsafe condition to his immediate supervisor and, if not corrected in a reasonable time, to the safety committee of the mine. SEC. 4. First aid and medical care.-a. Each mine shall have an adequate supply of first-aid equipment to be used in case of injury to employees, and such supplies shall be located on the surface, at the bottom of shafts and slopes, and at other strategic locations near the working faces. The first-aid supplies shall be encased in suitable sanitary receptacles designed to be reasonably dusttight and moistureproof and shall be available to all persons employed in the mine. In addition to the material in the cases, splints, blankets, and stretchers necessary for the treatment of 'injuries and for the transportation of injured persons shall be provided. b. When an injury occurs, a doctor shall be notified immediately, and the injured person shall be brought promptly to the surface. SEC. 5. Duties of Federal coal-mine inspectors.-a. Federal coal-mine inspectors shall make inspections of mines in accordance with the provisions contained in this code and shall report any and all violations of this code to the Coal Mines Administrator through the Director of the United States Bureau of Mines. They have authority also, as provided for in H. R. 2082, Public Law 49, 77th Congress, to make recommendations for improving health and safety conditions or practices not specifically covered by the Federal Mine Safety Code. b. In those special instances where a Federal coal-mine inspector finds that an imminent danger exists, he shall take immediate action, through the operating manager or his representative, to have all workmen withdrawn from the unsafe area until such danger is corrected. SEC. 6. Duty and responsibility of management.-a. It shall be the duty of the superintendent, mine foreman or mine manager and his assistants, fire bosses or mine examiners, and other officials to see that the provisions contained in this code are complied with. SEC. 7. Duty and responsibility of mine workers.-a. It shall be the duty of the mine workers to comply with this code and to cooperate with management in the enforcement of its provisions. Reasonable rules and regulations of the operators for the protection of mine workers and preservation of property that do not lower or impair the provisions of this code shall be complied with. ARTICLE XIII-STRIP-MINING CODE SECTION 1. Tipple and cleaning plant.-a. The provisions contained in this Federal Mine Safety Code, article I, section 1, shall apply. SEC. 2. Stairways, supply house, housekeeping, and yards.-a. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," issued March 1946 by the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, shall apply as follows: 1. Supply house (1.12 to and including 1.15). 2. Stairways, ladders, toeboards, and railings (1.16 to and including 1.21). 3. Housekeeping, illumination, and heating (1.22 and 1.23). 4. Yards and storage of material (2.05 and 2.06). SEC. 3. Fire prevention.-a. The provisions contained in this Federal Mine Safety Code, article II, section 1, shall apply. SEC. 4. Mining methods, conditions, and equipment.-a. Stripping and drilling overburden. 1. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," shall apply, except that standards 3.04 and 3.05 may be excluded. SEC. 5. Explosives, detonators, and blasting.-a. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," shall apply, except that in lieu of standards 4.06 and 4.11, article IV, section 1, paragraphs h and j of this Federal Mine Safety Code shall apply. SEC. 6. Haulage.—a. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," shall apply, except that standards 5.02, 5.09, 5.10, 5.13, 5.36, and 5.47b shall be excluded; and in lieu of standard 5.10, article VII, section 6k, of this Federal Mine Safety Code shall apply. SEC. 7. Electricity.-a. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," shall apply. SEC. 8. Additional safeguards for mechanical equipment.-a. Shop equipment. 1. The provisions contained in this Federal Mine Safety Code, article IX, section 2, shall apply. b. Stripping and loading equipment. 1. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," shall apply (standards 7.14 to and including 7.24). SEO. 9. Miscellaneous hazards.—a. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," shall apply as follows: 1. Lighting (standards 8.01 and 8.02). 2. Protective clothing (standards 8.03 to and including 8.09). SEC. 10. General safety conditions.-a. The provisions contained in Information Circular 7350, entitled "Inspection Standards for Strip Mines (Coal and Lignite)," shall apply as follows: 1. Safety rules and standards (standard 9.02). 2. Accidents.-The reporting of accidents shall be in accordance with provisions of the Federal Mine Safety Code, article XII, section 2. 3. First aid (standards 9.14 and 9.15). ARTICLE XIV-ENFORCEMENT; REVIEW AND REVISION SECTION 1. Enforcement.-a. The Coal Mines Administrator is the exclusive agency charged with the enforcement of this code and the correction of violations thereof. b. When noncompliance with this code is found by a Federal coal-mine inspector, it shall be reported promptly to the operating manager of the mine (or the resident official in charge of the mine) with recommendations for the elimination of such noncompliance. If such noncompliance is not promptly eliminated, it shall be reported by the inspector to the Director of the Bureau of Mines, who shall, after such review and investigation as he shall deem advisable, report it to the Coal Mines Administrator, with his recommendations and findings as to such noncompliance and appropriate means for the correction thereof. If the operating manager, acting as representative of the operating management, wishes to contest the charge of noncompliance, he shall promptly advise the Coal Mines Administrator of his position and contentions in writing. The Coal Mines Administrator shall, after such investigation and hearings as he shall consider necessary, take appropriate action to enforce compliance with the code. In special instances where a Federal coalmine inspector finds that imminent and serious danger to employees in the mine exists, he shall promptly advise the operating manager or his representative at the mine, as provided in article XII, section 5b, and report by telephone to the Director of the Bureau of Mines, who shall report the matter immediately to the Coal Mines Administrator. The Administrator or his representative shall take immediate action to cause all employees to be removed from the unsafe area until any imminent and serious danger is removed. Such action shall be subject to immediate review by the Coal Mines Administrator; and further proceedings with respect thereto, as provided above, shall be promptly had and concluded. SEC. 2. Review and revision.-a. From time to time the Director of the Bureau' of Mines may, upon request of the Coal Mines Administrator or United Mine Workers of America, review and revise the provisions of this code. Such review and revision may be with respect to its general application, its application to types, conditions, and methods of mining and mines, or its application in specific cases. Such review and revision shall be made whenever appropriate to carry out the intent and purposes of the agreement between the Secretary of the Interior, acting as Coal Mines Administrator, and the United Mine Workers of America, dated May 29, 1946, requiring a reasonable code of standards and rules pertaining to safety conditions and practices in mines. Pending review and revision, as herein provided, the Coal Mines Administrator may suspend or stay, for such periods as he deems reasonable, the provisions of this code as applied to any mine or mines when such suspension or stay is necessary, in his opinion, to carry out and comply with the purposes and provisions of Executive Order 9728 or in order to avoid irreparable damage or great injustice pending review and revision of specified provisions of the code. ARTICLE XV-COMPLIANCE WITH CODE SECTION 1. Compliance with code.-a. Whenever any equipment or supplies required by this code, including rock-dusting machines, flame safety lamps, and permissible electric equipment, are unobtainable, compliance with the requirements of this code with respect thereto is suspended to the extent that such items remain unobtainable until they are obtainable. Due allowance shall also be made for planning, institution of changed procedures, and installation of new equipment. b. Compliance with the requirements of this code shall be started promptly and prosecuted diligently until the provisions of the code have been fulfilled. R. R. SAYERS, Director, Bureau of Mines. Approved : J. A. KRUG, Secretary of the Interior. Mr. FORBES. The Federal Mine Safety Code is used as a basis for determining unsafe conditions and practices in bituminous coal and lignite mines in the United States. The Inspection Standards for Anthracite Mines are used as a basis for determining unsafe conditions and practices in anthracite mines in Pennsylvania. And I would like to have inserted a copy of the anthracite safety standards. Mr. KELLEY. That will be inserted in the record. (The document referred to is as follows:) SAFETY STANDARDS FOR ANTHRACITE MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 7449, FEBRUARY 1948 INTRODUCTION These safety standards for anthracite mines have been prepared for use as a guide for Federal inspectors. They are revision of Tentative Inspection Standards for Anthracite Mines, published as Bureau of Mines Information Circular 7282 issued in May 1944 and used as a guide in Federal inspections. No provision made in these safety standards should be construed or operate to nullify any existing State statutes; they are intended to supplement the State statutes in the interest of increased mine safety. Mines are inspected in accordance with the Federal Coal-Mine Inspection and Investigation Act of 1941, Public Law 49, Seventy-seventh Congress, H. R. 2082. Any unusual hazard noted by an inspector and not covered by these standards will be discussed in the inspection report, and suitable remedial procedure will be recommended. ARTICLE I. SURFACE STRUCTURES Section 1. Breaker and cleaning plant (a) Electric switches and controls in breakers and cleaning plants should be enclosed. (b) Where coal is dumped at or near air-intake openings, reasonable provisions should be made to prevent the dust from entering the mine. Section 2. Lamp house (a) Naphtha or other flammable liquids in lamp houses should be kept in approved containers or other suitable dispensers. (b) Flame safety lamps should be permissible and maintained in permissible condition. (c) Flame safety lamps should be properly cleaned, examined, and assembled by a qualified lamp attendant or other competent person before each period of use. Lamp assembly should again be checked by the person using it immediately before he enters the mine. (d) When not in service, methane indicators, flame safety lamps, and electric cap lamps should be in the custody of competent persons responsible for maintenance and testing. Section 3. Stairways, ladders, and platforms (a) Stairways, elevated platforms, or runways, and openings in floors should be equipped with handrails and with toeboards where necessary. (b) Ladders should be constructed substantially, anchored securely, wellmaintained, and the rungs spaced suitably and uniformly. Backguards should be provided where necessary. (c) Where repairs are being made to the plant, proper scaffolding and proper overhead protection should be provided wherever necessary. Section. 4. Houskeeping (a) Good housekeeping should be practiced in and around mine buildings and yards. Such practices include cleanliness, orderly storage of materials, and the removal of possible sources of injury, such as stumbling hazards, protruding nails, and broken glass. Section 5. Wash houses (a) Where wash houses are provided, they should be: 1. Provided with showers and an adequate supply of hot and cold water. 2. Kept clean and sanitary. 3. Well illuminated. 4. Provided with suitable cloths lockers or hangers. 5. Kept well heated; if necessary, heating equipment should be guarded against contact hazard. 6. Properly ventilated. 7. Provided with at least two exits. (b) Sanitary toilet facilities or latrines should be provided in or near each wash house. (c) Persons using wash houses and toilets or latrines should aid in keeping them in a clean and sanitary condition. ARTICLE II. MISCELLANEOUS SURFACE CONDITIONS Section 1. Surface fire prevention (a) Oil, grease, and similar flammable materials should be stored in closed containers separate from other materials to minimize fire hazards to nearby buildings and the mine. If oil or grease is stored in a building, the building or room in which it is stored should be of fire-resistive material and should be well ventilated. (b) Tight metal receptacles should be provided for oily waste. (c) Smoking in or about surface structures should be restricted to places where it will not create a fire or explosion hazard. (d) Unless structures within 100 feet of mine openings are of fireproof or fireresistive construction, fire doors should be erected at or near the portals or at other effective points in the mine openings to prevent smoke or fire from outside sources endangering men underground. These doors should be tested at least monthly to assure effective operation. (e) A fire extinguisher or a container of clean dry sand or rock dust should be readily available, and combustible surroundings should be wetted before and after electric or acetylene welding or cutting. ARTICLE III. TIMBERING Section 1. Timbering system (a) Methods of systematic timbering suitable to the roof conditions encountered in the separate veins should be adopted at each colliery or mine. These should be considered the minimum requirements, irrespective of the firmness of the roof. Additional timbering should be provided where necessary. (b) Timbering methods should be complied with by workmen and officials. Section 2. Timber supply and timbering (a) Adequate supplies of good-quality and ample-size timbering materials should be provided convenient to places of use. (b) Permanent timbers or props should be stood as soon as the required space is available in working places. Where the nature of the roof or ribs requires their use, temporary props, forepoles, or lagging should be used until permanent props or timbers can be placed. (c) Loose coal or rock in places where men are required to work or travel should be taken down or supported as soon as detected. (d) Timbers or props knocked out by blasting or otherwise dislodged should be replaced promptly. However, when necessary, temporary props should be stood until permanent timbers or props are replaced. (e) Broken and decayed timbers should be replaced promptly. (f) Only good-quality and ample-size timbering materials should be used. Section 3. Testing of roof, ribs, and face (a) Officials should examine roof, ribs, and face in working places visited, and the conditions of the roof, sides, and timbering along haulageways and travelways should be inspected. Officials should see that dangerous conditions are corrected promptly. (b) Face workers and other employees exposed to hazards from falls of roof or coal should examine their places and test roof and ribs thoroughly before beginning work and at frequent intervals during the shift. Dangerous conditions should be corrected before other work is begun. (c) Workmen and officials should use the sound-and-vibration method when testing roof, ribs, and face. (d) Before loose roof is taken down, the adjacent roof should be examined carefully and tested properly. (e) Suitable roof-testing bars should be provided for testing the roof, face, and sides. Conveyors and machines should be stopped while tests are being made. (f) Where there is danger of coal or rock falling or rolling on a person, it should be taken down or spragged securely. Section 4. Removal of timber (a) The roof should be examined carefully and tested properly before a safety prop or timber (timber set) is removed; and, where necessary, an additional safety prop or timber (timber set) should be placed. Section 5. Other safety practices (a) When loose roof, ribs, or face material is being pried down, a bar of suitable length should be employed and used in a proper manner. (b) In slopes and in the main haulageways timber legs or props should be hitched into the ribs or walls. Where this is not practicable, substantial guardrails should be placed on, or spacers placed between, the props or legs of timber sets. (c) Suitable cap pieces should be used atop props where the inclination of the vein will permit their use; the end of a prop or timber leg should be hitched into the bottom. (d) Where needed in pillar work, break-line props, cogs, or cribs should be erected at the loose ends of pillars and pillar stumps. ARTICLE IV. EXPLOSIVES AND BLASTING Section 1. Surface magazines (a) Separate surface magazines should be provided for the storage of explosives and detonators. (b) A surface magazine for storing high explosives in amounts exceeding 125 pounds should be: 1. Reasonably bulletproof and constructed of incombustible material or covered with fire-resistive material. If a magazine is so located that it is possible to fire bullets directly through the roof into the explosives, the roof should be made bullet-resistive by material of construction, or by a ceiling that forms a tray containing not less than a 4-inch thickness of sand, or by other methods. |