(5.) A station or stations shall be appointed at the entrance to the Stations. mine, or to different parts of the mine, as the case may require and a workman shall not pass beyond any such station until the mine or part of the mine beyond the same has been inspected and stated to be safe.

in case of

(6.) If at any time it is found by the person for the time being Withdrawal in charge of the mine or any part thereof that by reason of noxious of workmen gases prevailing in such mine or such part thereof, or, of any cause danger, whatever, the mine or the said part is dangerous, every workman and inspecting and shall be withdrawn from the mine or such part thereof as is so found reporting dangerous, and a competent person who shall be appointed for the on cause. purpose shall inspect the mine or such part thereof as is so found dangerous, and if the danger arises from inflammable gas shall inspect the same with a locked safety lamp, and in every case shall make a true report of the condition of such mine or part thereof, and a workman shall not, except in so far as is necessary for inquiring into the cause of danger or for the removal thereof, or for exploration, be re-admitted into the mine, or such part thereof as was so found dangerous, until the same is stated by such report not to be dangerous. Every such report shall be recorded in a book which shall be kept at the mine for the purpose, and shall be signed by the person making the same.

(7.) In every working approaching any place where there is Safety lamps likely to be an accumulation of explosive gas, no lamp or light and lights. other than a locked safety lamp shall be allowed or used, and whenever safety lamps are required by the Act, or by the special rules made in pursuance of the Act to be used, a competent person who shall be appointed for the purpose shall examine every safety lamp immediately before it is taken into the workings for use, and ascertain it to be secure and securely locked, and in any part of a mine in which safety lamps are so required to be used, they shall not be used until they have been so examined and found secure and securely locked, and shall not without due authority be unlocked, and in the said part of a mine a person shall not, unless he is appointed for the purpose, have in his possession any key or contrivance for opening the lock of any such safety lamp, or any lucifer match or apparatus of any kind for striking a light.

(8.) Gunpowder or other explosive or inflammable substance shall Gunpowder only be used in the mine underground as follows:

(a.) It shall not be stored in the mine:

(b.) It shall not be taken into the mine, except in a case or canister containing not more than four pounds:

C 2

and blasting.

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The Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1872.

(c.) A workman shall not have in use at one time in any one place more than one of such cases or canisters :

(d.) In charging holes for blasting, an iron or steel pricker shall not be used, and a person shall not have in his possession in the mine underground any iron or steel pricker, and an iron or steel tamping rod or stemmer shall not be used for ramming either the wadding or the first part of the tamping or stemming on the powder:

(e.) A charge of powder which has missed fire shall not be unrammed:

(f.) It shall not be taken into or be in the possession of any person in any mine, except in cartridges, and shall not be used, except in accordance with the following regulations, during three months after any inflammable gas has been found in any such mine; namely,

(1.) A competent person who shall be appointed for the purpose shall, immediately before firing the shot, examine the place where it is to be used, and the places contiguous thereto, and shall not allow the shot to be fired unless he finds it safe to do so, and a shot shall not be fired except by or under the direction of a competent person who shall be appointed for the purpose:

(2.) If the said inflammable gas issued so freely that it showed a blue cap on the flame of the safety lamp, it shall only be used

(a.) Either in those cases of stone drifts, stone work, and sinking of shafts, in which the ventilation is so managed that the return air from the place where the powder is used passes into the main return air course without passing any place in actual course of working; or

(b.) When the persons ordinarily employed in the mine are out of the mine or out of the part of the mine where it is used:

(g.) Where a mine is divided into separate panels in such manner that each panel has an independent intake and return air-way from the main air course and the main return air course, the provisions of this rule with respect to gunpowder or other explosive inflammable substance shall apply to each such panel in like manner as if it were a separate mine.

(9.) Where a place is likely to contain a dangerous accumulation Water and of water the working approaching such place shall not exceed eight bore-holes. feet in width, and there shall be constantly kept at a sufficient distance, not being less than five yards, in advance, at least one bore-hole near the centre of the working, and sufficient flank boreholes on each side.

ways.

(10.) Every underground plane on which persons travel, which is Man-holes self-acting or worked by an engine, windlass, or gin, shall be pro- or enginevided (if exceeding thirty yards in length) with some proper means of signalling between the stopping places and the ends of the plane, and shall be provided in every case, at intervals of not more than twenty yards, with sufficient man-holes for places of refuge.

(11.) Every road on which persons travel underground where the Man-holes load is drawn by a horse or other animal shall be provided, at or places for refuge on intervals of not more than fifty yards, with sufficient man-holes, or horseways. with a space for a place of refuge, which space shall be of sufficient length, and of at least three feet in width, between the waggons running on the tramroad and the side of such road.

(12.) Every man-hole and space for a place of refuge shall be constantly kept clear, and no person shall place anything in a man-hole or such space so as to prevent access thereto.

Fencing of

(13.) The top of every shaft which for the time being is out of air shafts use, or used only as an air shaft, shall be securely fenced.

and shafts not in use.

Fencing of

(14.) The top and all entrances between the top and bottom of every working or pumping shaft shall be properly fenced, but this entrances shall not be taken to forbid the temporary removal of the fence for the purpose of repairs or other operations, if proper precautions are used.

(15.) Where the natural strata are not safe, every working or Securing pumping shaft shall be securely cased, lined, or otherwise made secure.

of shafts.

sides.

(16.) The roof and sides of every travelling road and working Securing of place shall be made secure, and a person shall not, unless appointed roofs and for the purpose of exploring or repairing, travel or work in any such travelling road or working place which is not so made secure.

downcast

(17.) Where there is a downcast and furnace shaft, and both such Workers' shafts are provided with apparatus in use for raising and lowering option to use persons, every person employed in the mine shall, upon giving shaft. reasonable notice, have the option of using the downcast shaft.

(18.) In any mine which is usually entered by means of machinery, Attendance a competent person of such age as prescribed by the Act shall be of engine

* A male of not less than 18 years of age.

man to

lower and raise workers.

Signalling and guides.

Cover overhead.

Chains.

Slipping of rope on drum.

Break and indicator.

Fencing machinery.

Gauges and safety valve to boilers.

Barometer, &c.

22

The Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1872.

appointed for the purpose of working the machinery which is employed in lowering and raising persons therein, and shall attend for the said purpose during the whole time that any person is below ground in the mine.

(19.) Every working shaft used for the purpose of drawing minerals or for the lowering or raising of persons shall, if exceeding fifty yards in depth, and not exempted in writing by the inspector of the district, be provided with guides and some proper means of communicating distinct and definite signals from the bottom of the shaft and from every entrance for the time being in work between the surface and the bottom of the shaft to the surface, and from the surface to the bottom of the shaft and to every entrance for the time being in work between the surface and the bottom of the shaft.

(20.) A sufficient cover overhead shall be used when lowering or raising persons in every working shaft, except where it is worked by a windlass, or where the person is employed about the pump or some work of repair in the shaft, or where a written exemption is given by the inspector of the district.

(21.) A single linked chain shall not be used for lowering or raising persons in any working shaft or plane except for the short coupling chain attached to the cage or load.

(22.) There shall be on the drum of every machine used for lowering or raising persons such flanges or horns, and also if the drum is conical, such other appliances, as may be sufficient to prevent the rope from slipping.

(23.) There shall be attached to every machine worked by steam, water, or mechanical power, and used for lowering or raising persons, an adequate break, and also a proper indicator (in addition to any mark on the rope) which shows to the person who works the machine the position of the cage or load in the shaft.

(24.) Every fly-wheel and all exposed and dangerous parts of the machinery used in or about the mine shall be and be kept securely fenced.

(25.) Every steam boiler shall be provided with a proper steam gauge and water gauge, to show respectively the pressure of steam and the height of water in the boiler, and with a proper safety valve.

(26.) After dangerous gas has been found in any mine, a barometer and thermometer shall be placed above ground in a conspicuous position near the entrance to the mine.

mining ap

(27.) No person shall wilfully damage, or without proper authority Wilful remove or render useless, any fence, fencing, casing, lining, guide, damage to means of signalling, signal, cover, chain, flange, horn, break, paratus. indicator, steam gauge, water gauge, safety valve, or other appliance or thing provided in any mine in compliance with the Act.

of directions.

(28.) Every person shall observe such directions with respect to Observance working as may be given to him with a view to comply with the Act or the special rules.

mine.

(29.) A competent person or competent persons who shall be Daily inappointed for the purpose shall, once at least in every twenty-four spection of hours, examine the state of the external parts of the machinery, and the state of the head gear, working places, levels, planes, ropes, chains, and other works of the mine which are in actual use, and once at least in every week shall examine the state of the shafts by which persons ascend or descend, and the guides or conductors therein, and shall make a true report of the result of such examination, and such report shall be recorded in a book to be kept at the mine for the purpose, and shall be signed by the person who made the same.

of mine on

(30.) The persons employed in a mine may from time to time Inspection appoint two of their number to inspect the mine at their own cost, behalf of and the persons so appointed shall be allowed, once at least in every workmen. month, accompanied, if the owner, agent, or manager of the mine thinks fit, by himself or one or more officers of the mine, to go to every part of the mine, and to inspect the shafts, levels, planes, working places, return air-ways, ventilating apparatus, old workings, and machinery, and shall be afforded by the owner, agent, and manager, and all persons in the mine, every facility for the purpose of such inspection, and shall make a true report of the result of such inspection, and such report shall be recorded in a book to be kept at the mine for the purpose, and shall be signed by the persons who made the same.

(31.) The books mentioned in the General Rules, or a copy Books. thereof, shall be kept at the office at the mine, and any inspector under the Act, and any person employed in the mine, may, at all reasonable times, inspect and take copies of and extracts from any such books.