A. Before hoisting or lowering miners in a shaft, the hoisting engineer shall operate empty cages up and down each shaft at least one round trip at the beginning of each shift and after the hoist has been idle for one hour or more.

B. Before hoisting or lowering miners in slope and surface incline hoisting, the hoisting engineer shall operate empty cages at least one round trip at the beginning of each shift and after the hoist has been idle for one hour or more.

C. The hoisting engineer, at the time the inspections required by subsections A and B are performed, shall (i) inspect all cable or rope fastenings at all cages, buckets, or slope cars; (ii) inspect hammer locks and pins, thimbles, and clamps; (iii) inspect safety chains on buckets, cage or slope cars; (iv) inspect the braking system for malfunctions; (v) clean all excess oil and extraneous materials from the hoist housing construction; (vi) inspect the overwind, overtravel, and lilly switch or control from stopping at the collar and within 100 feet of the work deck; and (vii) check communications between the top house, work deck and work deck tugger house.

D. Hoisting rope on all cages or trips shall be inspected at the beginning of each shift by the hoisting engineer.

E. A test of safety catches on cages shall be made at least once each month. A written record shall be kept of such tests, and such record shall be available for inspection by interested persons.

F. Hoisting equipment including the headgear, cages, ropes, connections, links and chains, shaft guides, shaft walls, and other facilities shall be inspected daily by an authorized person designated by the operator. Such person shall also inspect all bull wheels and lighting systems on the head frame. Such person shall report immediately to the operator, or his agent, any defects found, and any such defect shall be corrected promptly. The person making such examination shall make a daily permanent record of such inspection, which shall be available for inspection by interested persons. If a hoist is used only during a weekly examination of an escapeway, then the inspection required by this subsection shall only be required to be completed weekly before the examination occurs.

G. Subsections A, B, C, and D shall not apply to automatically operated elevators.

Code 1950, § 45-68.4; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, §§ 45.1-68, 45.1-69; 1972, c. 784; 1978, c. 729; 1994, c. 28; 1999, c. 256.