Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 02, November 27, 2024
(1)
Quantity of Air to be Provided - The operator of every
mine shall provide and maintain in each mine a good and sufficient amount of
ventilation and shall cause air to circulate through any place where men are
working. Employees shall not be permitted to work in any place where the air is
found to contain less than 19% oxygen more than 1% carbon dioxide, more than
1-1/2% methane, a harmful amount of poisonous gas or harmful concentrations of
dust. Sufficient fresh air shall also be conveyed to the working place to keep
the temperature and humidity of such working place healthful.
(2)
Air Samples and
Analysis - Once each month or as often as the Department deems
necessary, air samples shall be collected by the Department at the face of each
heading and at the face of the deepest closed stope in each heading. Such
samples shall be analyzed for oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and
methane content. Analyses of samples shall be recorded and a report filed in
office of the Department on forms provided by the Department.
(a) Principal fan or principal fans installed
on the surface after these rules become effective shall have air ducts so
installed that the ventilating current can be quickly reversed in direction.
All surface fans, casings and air ducts connecting with the mine openings and
also the fan houses and other buildings in close proximity shall be made of
non-combustible material throughout.
(3)
Ventilating Fans
- All booster fan installations underground, shall comply with the following
provisions:
1. The fan must be constructed of
non-combustible material and equipped with bearings which leak no
oil.
2. The installation must be
absolutely fireproof.
3. The
stooping between fan intake and fan discharge must be built fireproof and
equipped with a large door which swings in the direction of the air
current.
4. The fan must be
installed in such a manner as to prevent re-circulation of more than 10% of the
air.
(a) No surface fan house shall be
erected within fifty (50') feet of any flammable structure or flammable
material.
(b) The intake, of any
fan, including auxiliary blowers, shall be adequately guarded.
(c) All auxiliary blower fan installations
underground, shall comply with the following provisions:
1. The installation shall be on the air
intake.
2. The volume of the intake
air, passing the blower fan, and shall be at least 1-1/2 times the volume of
air circulated by the blower fan.
3. If more than one blower fan is located on
one heading, then the volume of intake shall be at least 1-1/2 times the total
volume of air circulated by all blower fans on that split.
4. All auxiliary blower fans installed
underground and operated by electric motors, shall be constructed of
non-combustible material and the combustible material in the immediate vicinity
shall be fireproofed.
(d) Doors used for deflecting and conducting
the ventilation shall be so hung and affixed that they will be self-closing by
gravity or by proper mechanism. No person shall prop a door or use any other
means to hold a door open that will prevent it from being self-closing.
Author: Marcus Davis, Workers' Compensation
Examiner.
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §
25-2-13(2).
