TITLE 30 - MINERAL RESOURCES

CHAPTER I - MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

SUBCHAPTER O - COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH

PART 75 - MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS - UNDERGROUND COAL MINES

subpart r - MISCELLANEOUS

75.1714 - 2 - Self - rescue devices; use and location requirements.

  (a) Self-rescue devices shall be used and located as prescribed in paragraphs (b) through (f) of this section.

  (b) Except as provided in paragraph (c), (d), (e), or (f) of this section, self-rescue devices shall be worn or carried at all times by each person when underground.

  (c) Where the wearing or carrying of the self-rescue device is hazardous to the person, it shall be placed in a readily accessible location no greater than 25 feet from such person.

  (d) Where a person works on or around equipment, the self-rescue device may be placed in a readily accessible location on such equipment.

  (e) A mine operator may apply to the District Manager under 75.1502 for permission to place the SCSR more than 25 feet away.

  (1) The District Manager shall consider the following factors in deciding whether to permit an operator to place a SCSR more than 25 feet from a miner: (i) Distance from affected sections to surface, (ii) Pitch of seam in affected sections, (iii) Height of coal seam in affected sections, (iv) Location of escapeways, (v) Proposed location of SCSRs, (vi) Type of work performed by affected miners, (vii) Degree of risk to which affected miners are exposed, (viii) Potential for breaking into oxygen deficient atmospheres, (ix) Type of risk to which affected miners are exposed, (x) Accident history of mine, and (xi) Other matters bearing upon the safety of miners.

  (2) Such application shall not be approved by the District Manager unless it provides that, while underground, all miners whose SCSR is more than 25 feet away shall have a FSR approved by MSHA and NIOSH under 42 CFR part 84 sufficient to enable each miner to get to a SCSR.

  (3) An operator may not obtain permission under paragraph (e) of this section to place SCSRs more than 25 feet away from miners on trips into and out of the mine.

  (f) If a SCSR is not carried out of the mine at the end of a miner's shift, the place of storage must be approved by the District Manager, a sign with the word SELF-RESCUER or SELF-RESCUERS shall be conspicuously posted at each storage place, and direction signs shall be posted leading to each storage place.

  (g) Where devices of not less than 10 minutes and 1 hour are made available in accordance with 75.17141(b), such devices shall be used and located as follows: (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the device of not less than 10 minutes shall be worn or carried at all times by each person when underground, and (2) The 1-hour canister shall be available at all times to all persons when underground in accordance with a plan submitted by the operator of the mine and approved by the District Manager. When the 1-hour canister is placed in a cache or caches, a sign with the word SELF-RESCUERS shall be conspicuously posted at each cache, and direction signs shall be posted leading to each cache.

[43 FR 54246, Nov. 21, 1978, as amended at 60 FR 30401, June 8, 1995; 69 FR 8108, Feb. 23, 2004]