At each mine at which the only means of egress is by vertical shaft, the operator shall provide adequate fire protection to secure the safety of such shaft, and, when but one shaft is the only available means of egress, shall keep in attendance a competent person when persons are inside of such mine.

Each underground coal mine shall be provided with suitable firefighting equipment adapted for the size and conditions of the mine. The chief of the division of mineral resources management shall adopt and may amend or rescind rules establishing minimum requirements for the type, quality, and quantity of such equipment. The rules shall include the following minimum firefighting equipment at each underground coal mine, regardless of its size or condition, except where indicated: waterlines shall be capable of delivering fifty gallons of water a minute at a nozzle pressure of fifty pounds per square inch. A portable water car shall be of at least one thousand gallon capacity and shall have at least three hundred feet of fire hose with nozzles. A portable water car shall be capable of providing a flow through the hose of fifty gallons of water per minute at a nozzle pressure of fifty pounds per square inch. A portable chemical car shall carry enough chemicals to provide a fire extinguishing capacity equivalent to that of a portable water car. A portable foam-generating machine or device shall have facilities and equipment for supplying the machine with thirty gallons of water per minute at thirty pounds per square inch for a period of thirty-five minutes. A portable fire extinguisher shall be either a multipurpose dry chemical type containing a nominal weight of five pounds of dry powder and enough expellant to apply the powder or a foam-producing type containing at least two and one-half gallons of foam-producing liquids and enough expellant to supply the foam. Only fire extinguishers approved by the underwriters laboratories, incorporated, or factory mutual research corporation, carrying appropriate labels as to type and purpose, shall be used. After January 1, 1977, all new portable fire extinguishers acquired for use in a coal mine shall have a 2A 10 BC or higher rating.

Fire hose shall be lined with a material having flame resistant qualities meeting requirements for hose in Bureau of Mines' Schedule 2G. The cover shall be polyester, or other material with flame-spread qualities and mildew resistance equal or superior to polyester. The bursting pressure shall be at least four times the water pressure at the valve to the hose inlet with the valve closed; the maximum water pressure in the hose nozzle shall not exceed one hundred pounds per square inch, gauge. However, fire hose installed for use in underground coal mines prior to December 30, 1970, shall be mildew-proof and have a bursting pressure at least four times the water pressure at the valve to the hose inlet with the valve closed, and the maximum water pressure in the hose nozzle with water flowing shall not exceed one hundred pounds per square inch, gauge.

Each working section of an underground coal mine producing three hundred tons or more per shift shall be provided with two portable fire extinguishers and two hundred forty pounds of rock dust in bags or other suitable containers; waterlines shall extend to each section loading point and be equipped with enough fire hose to reach each working face unless the section loading point is provided with two portable water cars, or two portable chemical cars, or one portable water or chemical car and either a portable foam-generating machine or a portable high-pressure rock-dusting machine fitted with at least two hundred fifty feet of hose and supplied with at least sixty sacks of rock dust.

Each working section of an underground coal mine producing less than three hundred tons of coal per shift shall be provided with two portable fire extinguishers, one hundred forty pounds of rock dust in bags or other suitable containers, and at least five hundred gallons of water and at least three pails of ten quart capacity. In lieu of the five hundred gallon water supply a waterline of sufficient hose to reach the working places, a portable water car of at least five hundred gallon capacity, or a portable, all-purpose dry powder chemical car of at least one hundred twenty-five pounds capacity may be provided.

In all underground coal mines, waterlines shall be installed parallel to the entire length of belt conveyors and shall be equipped with fire hose outlets with valves at three hundred foot intervals along each belt conveyor and at tailpieces. At least five hundred feet of fire hose with fittings suitable for connection with each belt conveyor waterline system shall be stored at strategic locations along the belt conveyor. Waterlines may be installed in entries adjacent to the conveyor entry belt as long as the outlets project into the belt conveyor entry.

In underground coal mines producing three hundred tons of coal or more per shift, waterlines shall be installed parallel to all haulage tracks using mechanized equipment in the track or adjacent entry and shall extend to the loading point of each working section. Waterlines shall be equipped with outlet valves at intervals of not more than five hundred feet, and five hundred feet of fire hose with fittings suitable for connection with such waterlines shall be provided at strategic locations. Two portable water cars, readily available may be used in lieu of waterlines prescribed under this paragraph.

In underground coal mines producing less than three hundred tons of coal per shift, a tank of water of at least fifty-five gallon capacity with at least three pails of not less than ten-quart capacity, or not less than two hundred forty pounds of bagged rock dust shall be provided at five hundred foot intervals along all main and secondary haulage roads.

Each track or offtrack locomotive, self-propelled mantrip car, or personnel carrier shall be equipped with one portable fire extinguisher.

Two portable fire extinguishers or one extinguisher having at least ten pounds of dry powder or five gallons of foam-producing liquids shall be provided at each permanent electrical installation. One portable fire extinguisher and two hundred forty pounds of rock dust shall be provided at each temporary electrical installation.

One portable fire extinguisher or two hundred forty pounds of rock dust shall be provided at locations where welding, cutting, or soldering with arc or flame is being done.

At each wooden door through which power lines pass there shall be one portable fire extinguisher or two hundred forty pounds of rock dust within twenty-five feet of the door on the intake air side.

At each underground coal mine producing three hundred tons of coal or more per shift there shall be readily available the following materials at locations not exceeding two miles from each working section: one thousand board feet of brattice boards, two rolls of brattice cloth, two hand saws, twenty-five pounds of eightpenny nails, twenty-five pounds of tenpenny nails, twenty-five pounds of sixteenpenny nails, three claw hammers, twenty-five bags of wood fiber plaster or ten bags of cement or equivalent material for stoppings, and five tons of rock dust. These materials shall be available at each mine producing less than three hundred tons of coal per shift, except that if the active working sections are located at a distance of two miles or less from the surface, the emergency materials for one or more mines may be stored at a central warehouse or building supply company, and such supply shall be the equivalent of that required for all mines involved and within one hour's delivery time from each mine.

All firefighting equipment shall be maintained in a usable and operative condition. Chemical extinguishers shall be examined every six months and the date of the examination shall be written on a permanent tag attached to the extinguisher.

The operator shall give each miner a self-rescue device that is adequate to protect the miner for one hour or longer and is approved by the chief. Such self-rescue devices shall be worn or carried on the person of each miner. However, where the wearing or carrying of self-rescue devices is hazardous to a miner, such devices shall be located at a distance no greater than twenty-five feet from the miner. Where a miner works on or around mobile equipment, self-rescue devices, if not carried by the miner, shall be placed in a readily accessible location on such equipment.

No operator of a mine shall refuse or neglect to comply with this section.

Effective Date: 06-14-2000.