Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 23, June 7, 2024
Section 56-4-2 - Preamble2.1. Purpose B The purpose of this rule series is to protect the health and safety of this state's coal miners by requiring minimum standards for the protective clothing and equipment worn by each underground miner. Coal mine operators are required to provide each underground miner with certain protective equipment and this rule details the requirements for such protective equipment. In implementing such mandate, it is recognized that different types of protective equipment may be developed to satisfy the minimum requirements for protective equipment for each mine, depending upon the number of employees of the particular mine, the location of the particular mine, the physical features of the particular mine, and technological advances.2.2. Escape is the primary procedure to be used by miners in the event of an emergency underground. Self-contained self-rescue devices (SCSRs) are intended to isolate miners from hazardous gases and provide breathable air while attempting to escape the mine during an emergency. In the event that escape-ways are impassable, emergency shelters/chambers provide a source of breathable air for miners unable to escape from the mine. Wireless emergency communication and tracking/locating devices are intended to assist in exchanging information between escaping miners, between said miners and those on the surface following an accident, and to assist in locating miners to aid their escape. In addition to the purposes stated above, the intended purpose of this rule is to establish a regulatory regime enabling the advancement of mine safety and health technologies and the proper implementation of these technologies in West Virginia's underground mines.