Section 690-316 - Electrical equipment(a) Voltage restriction.--Handheld tools shall be restricted to a maximum of 300 volts.(b) Grounding.--The frame of all off-track equipment shall be effectively grounded through a safety ground conductor in its trailing cable.(c) Handheld tools.--Electric drills and other electrically operated rotating tools intended to be hand held shall be equipped with an integrally mounted electric switch designed to break the circuit when the hand releases the switch.(d) Trailing cables.--(1) Trailing cables for equipment shall be safely and efficiently insulated and constructed with an outer sheath or jacket of flame-resistant material as approved by the department.(2) Cables for handheld tools shall be especially flexible, heavily insulated and effectively protected from damage.(3) The machine operator shall examine the exposed portion of the trailing cable for his machine at the beginning of each shift for abrasions and other defects. The remainder of the trailing cable shall be examined within the first hour upon the arrival of the producing shift in the working section. The machine operator shall also carefully observe the trailing cable while in use and shall immediately report any defect to the mine official in charge.(4) In the event of the trailing cable in service breaking down or becoming damaged in any way, or of it inflicting a shock upon any individual, it shall be put out of service at once. The faulty cable shall not be used again until it has been repaired and tested by a properly authorized individual.(5) The trailing cable shall be divided at the machine to which it is supplying power but only for such length as is necessary for making connection to the machine terminals. The trailing cable, with its outer covering complete, shall be securely clamped to the machine frame in a manner that will protect the cable from injury and prevent any mechanical strains on the single ends connected to the machine terminals.(6) No more than five temporary splices shall be made in any trailing cable. After the fifth splice is made, the cable shall be changed before the machine is operated on the following shift. Trailing cables on equipment without a cable reel shall have no temporary splices within 50 feet of the machine before the machine is operated on the following shift. Cable jacket repairs not involving conductors or conductor insulation are not considered temporary splices.(7) Trailing cables shall be hung or adequately protected to prevent them from being run over and damaged by mobile machinery.(8) Trailing cables on off-track equipment shall contain a safety ground conductor, which shall be solidly connected to the machine frame. Cables found to contain defective grounds shall be repaired before use or shall be replaced. The safety ground conductor shall have a cross-sectional area of at least 50% of that of a single power conductor unless used with ground trip protective systems employing ground fault current limiting devices, in which case a smaller safety ground may be used.(e) Motors.--In all mines electrical equipment in use inby the last open crosscut shall have all current-carrying parts completely enclosed in explosion-proof enclosures. This requirement shall not include trailing cable, except where terminated, and shall not include flexible cable as required between motors, controllers, terminal boxes and other auxiliaries. The enclosures shall not be opened except by an authorized individual and then only when the power is switched off. The power shall not be switched on while the enclosures are open. Only permissible equipment is permitted inby the last permanent stopping, except in rooms where open-type equipment may be used only in intake travelways. This exception does not include power distribution equipment.(f) Safeguarding.--The individual in charge of mobile electrical equipment shall not leave the equipment while it is working and shall, before leaving the work area, see that power is cut off the trailing cables.(g) Explosion-tested compartments.--All explosion-tested compartments and packing glands shall be maintained as approved by the department.(h) Detection of gas.--(1) In working places, an approved handheld gas detection device shall be provided for use with each machine when working. If methane gas is detected in an amount of 1% or greater, the individual in charge shall immediately stop the machine, cut off the current at the nearest switch and report the matter to a mine official.(2) When not in use, equipment shall be parked away from the face. No electrically operated permissible face equipment shall be taken inby the last open breakthrough until the machine operator assures that an inspection for gas has been made in the place where the machine is to be in operation. If methane gas is detected in an amount of 1% or greater by a gas detection device, the machine shall not be taken in. The place shall be dangered off until the gas has been removed or rendered harmless.(3) No electrically operated equipment shall be in use for a period longer than 20 minutes without a check for methane gas as required under this subsection. If methane gas is found at 1% or greater, the individual in charge shall immediately stop the machine, cut off the current at the nearest switch and report the matter to a mine official.(4) The individual finding gas shall at once report the fact to the mine foreman, assistant mine foreman or mine examiner, and the machine shall not again be started in that place until the mine examiner or an individual duly authorized by the mine foreman has examined it and pronounced it safe.(5) If any electric sparking or arc is produced outside a coal-cutting or other portable motor, or by the cables or rails, the machine shall be stopped, disconnected from the power supply and not be worked again until the defect is repaired, and the occurrence shall be reported to a mine official.(i) Methane monitors.--(1) Methane monitors shall be installed on all face-cutting machines and other mechanized equipment used to extract or load coal in a mine. The sensing device for methane monitors shall be installed at the return end of the longwall face. An additional sensing device shall also be installed on the longwall shearing machine, down wind and as close to the cutting head as is practicable. The sensing devices for methane on other types of machines shall be installed as close to the working face as is practicable. Methane monitors shall be maintained in permissible and proper operating conditions and shall be calibrated with a known air-methane mixture at least once every 31 days. To assure that methane monitors are properly maintained and calibrated, the operators shall do all of the following:(i) Use individuals properly trained in the maintenance, calibration and permissibility of methane monitors to calibrate and maintain the devices.(ii) Maintain a record of all calibration tests of methane monitors. Records shall be maintained in a secure book that is not susceptible to alteration or electronically in a computer system so as to be secure and not subject to alteration.(iii) Retain the record of calibration tests for one year from the date of the test. Records shall be retained at a surface location at the mine and made available to department representatives and representatives of the mine workers.(2) When the methane concentrations at any methane monitor reach 1%, the monitor shall give a warning signal. The warning signal of the methane monitor shall be visible to the mining machine operator who can de-energize electric equipment or shut down diesel equipment on which the monitor is mounted. A gas check shall be completed in accordance with this act if at any time the methane concentrations at any methane monitor reach 1.5%. This shall only apply if the methane monitor maintains a warning signal for methane concentrations of 1.5%.(3) The methane monitor shall automatically de-energize electric equipment or shut down diesel-powered equipment when the methane accumulation reaches 2% or the methane monitor is not operating properly.2008, July 7, P.L. 654, No. 55, §316, effective in 180 days [ 1/5/2009].