Mine Rescue Requirements

1. Mine Rescue Requirements 30 CFR Part 49 Mine Rescue Teams A.2.c

2. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, Section 115(e), requires that every operator of an underground mine assures the availability of mine rescue capability for purposes of emergency rescue and recovery

3. Availability of mine rescue teams • Every operator of an underground mine must: • Establish two mine rescue teams available when miners are underground • Enter into an agreement for mine rescue services • Each team must consist of at least 6 members • Potential team members must have at least 1 year of underground employment within the last 5 years • Transportation for team and equipment must be available in advance • Availability must be present before any mine is started or re-opened • Teams must be on-site or within 2 hours ground travel time from the station to the mine • Travel time requirement is only measured from the station to the mine, not from the home location or work site of the team members • The mine operator shall notify the District Manager, in writing, of the means of services, whether self-provided or contracted

4. Alternative Mine Rescue Capability for small and remote mines • “Small and remote” means the total underground employment of the operator’s mine and any surrounding mine within 2 hours ground travel is less than 36 • The mine operator must submit an application to the district manager which contains: • The number of miners employed on each shift • The distance from the 2 nearest rescue stations • Total employment of mines within 2 hours ground travel • The operator’s mine fire, ground and roof control history • The mine’s escape and evacuation plan • A statement to evaluate refuge chambers (initial and supplemental) • The number of miners willing to serve as team members • The operator’s alternative plan i.e.. • Teams farther than 2 hours travel • Teams that may be flown in

5. Alternative mine rescue capability for special mining conditions • Plan must be submitted to the district manager showing that all these special mining conditions exist: • Multiple adits or entries exist • Mined material is non-combustible and mine is non-gassy • Multiple openings are present to allow fire and rescue vehicles access to all areas where miners work • Roadways/openings are not lined with combustible material • No history of methane or other flammable or toxic gases • Gas/oil wells and drill holes plugged 100 feet above and below seam/ore body • Applications shall contain: • Explanation of special mining conditions • Number of miners employed underground/shift • Distance from two nearest mine rescue stations • The operator’s mine fire history • The established escape and evacuation plan • The operators alternative plan i.e.: • Local fire departments and/or ambulance services willing to respond

6. What constitutes a mine rescue station • Location of the station shall be designated by the operator • The station shall be a centralized storage location for equipment either at the mine site, at affiliated mines, or a separate structure • The station shall have a proper storage environment • MSHA has the right to inspect any designated mine rescue station

7. Equipment and maintenance requirements per station • 12 approved self-contained oxygen breathing apparatus’ with 2 hour capacity • Supplies of oxygen and chemicals to support each apparatus for six hours of use • One extra oxygen bottle for every six apparatus’ • A means to refill oxygen bottles (pump or cascade system) • 12 cap lamps and chargers • Two gas detectors for testing gases which may be encountered (CO, O2, and CH4 are acceptable unless the mine has a history of unusual gases • A communication system and lifeline (can be combination or separate) 1,000 feet in length • Spare parts for apparatus and communication system • Equipment must be tested every 30 days by a person trained, and a record must be maintained at the station for one year

8. Physical requirements for team members • Team members must receive a physical examination with 60 days of initial training and at least annually • The following examination shall be included: • Seizure disorder • Perforated eardrum • Hearing loss without a hearing aid greater than 40 decibels at 400, 1,000, and 2,000 Hz • Repeated blood pressure reading which exceeds 160 systolic, or 100 diastolic, or which is less than 105 systolic, or 60 diastolic • Vision less than 20/50 Snellen scale in one eye, and 20/70 in the other • Heart disease • Hernia • Absence of limb or hand • Any other condition which the physician determines makes the candidate unfit for mine rescue service • Records (MSHA Form 5000-3) shall be kept on file for one year

9. Training for teams • Each new team member shall receive 20 hours of training on the care, use, and maintenance of the apparatus being used • 40 hours of refresher training shall be provided each year at increments of 4 hours each month or 8 hours every two months and shall include: • Underground training at least each six months • Wearing apparatus two hours each two months • Use of auxiliary apparatus where applicable • Advanced mine rescue training and procedures (as prescribed by MSHA) • Training in ventilation and mine maps • If less than 40 hours of training is received, the team member will be ineligible unless receiving make-up time • Training must be done by MSHA qualified instructors: • One year underground experience in last 5 years • Completion of MSHA or State Approved Instructor’s course • or, designated by the District Manager based on qualifications • A record of training must be kept at the station for 1 year

10. Mine emergency notification • Each mine must have a mine rescue notification plan outlining team notification procedures • A copy of this plan must be posted at the mine and made available to miner’s representatives