✨ Mine Safety Regulations




1879.]

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

1287

  1. Where a place is likely to contain a dangerous
    accumulation of water the underviewer, acting under
    the manager's instructions, shall see that the working
    approaching such place does not exceed eight feet in
    width, and that there is constantly kept at a suffi-
    cient distance, not being less than five yards in
    advance, at least one bore-hole near the centre of the
    working, and sufficient flank bore-holes on each
    side.

  2. The underviewer or his deputy shall see that
    the air-ways and air-crossings are kept properly
    opened, and shall travel through the air-ways at
    least once a week; and shall see that the regulators,
    tight-stoppings, doors, sheets, brattices, and danger-
    signals are immediately put where required. He
    shall see that the ventilating furnaces and other
    ventilating apparatus are properly attended to.
    The underviewer or his deputy must remain under-
    ground until the day's work is finished, and see that
    the doors and sheets are closed, and all the men and
    boys are out of the mine.

  3. The underviewer shall see that all the provi-
    sions contained in this Act as to the employment of
    boys and male young persons are strictly enforced.

  4. The underviewer, acting under the direction
    of the manager, shall see that all places not in
    actual use are properly fenced across the whole
    width, so as to prevent persons inadvertently enter-
    ing the same.

  5. The underviewer shall see that all the provi-
    sions contained in the Act and in these special rules
    relating to the use of gunpowder and other ex-
    plosive substances used in the mine are strictly
    enforced.

  6. The underviewer or his deputy shall see that
    proper man-holes and signals which are made or
    provided are kept in good order, according to the
    provisions of the Act.

  7. The underviewer shall see that the timber is
    properly distributed, that there is sufficient, and that
    it is used when necessary for security.

  8. The underviewer shall withdraw men from
    working-places which are in any way unsafe, and
    shall report the same.

Colliers.

  1. Every collier shall, under the direction of the
    underviewer or his deputy, set a sufficient quantity
    of props and bars for safely supporting the roof and
    sides in his working-place. The timber shall be
    properly set, and be removed and renewed as often
    as is necessary.

  2. No collier shall use or allow to be used any
    gunpowder, except in conformity with the general
    rules for its use.

  3. In addition to the examination by the under-
    viewer, or other officer, each work-person must ex-
    amine his working-place before commencing work,
    and from time to time during his shift, and withdraw
    his men in case of danger.

  4. Any person discovering any stoppage or de-
    rangement of the ventilation, injury to air-crossings,
    door, stoppings, brattices, or air-pipes, or observing
    any obstruction in an air-course, a weakness in the
    roof, or deficiency of timber, weight on the stalls, or
    accumulation of gas or water, shall immediately give
    notice to the men and boys in that part of the mine,
    and to the underviewer or his deputy.

  5. Any person passing through a door must in-
    stantly close it; and no person shall injure a door or
    leave it open, break down or interfere with a stop-
    ping or a brattice, obstruct or damage an air-course,
    air-crossing, or air-pipe, or remove a caution-board
    or danger-signal, or do anything to interfere with the
    proper working of the mine, without an order from
    the underviewer or his deputy.

  6. No person shall leave any light or any gun-
    powder in any part of the mine when leaving his
    work.

  7. Shots must be rammed with soft material not
    likely to strike fire.

  8. No person shall fire shots without authority
    from the underviewer.

  9. When a shot has missed fire it shall not be
    unrammed, but shall be reported to the underviewer
    or his deputy, and the place shall not be approached
    without the permission of the underviewer or his
    deputy.

  10. The furnaceman shall constantly keep clean
    brisk fires; ashes shall not be allowed to accumulate
    upon or under the bars, but when cold they must be
    removed.

The following special rules shall be in force in
any mine in which explosive gas has been found:β€”

  1. The manager shall appoint a competent person
    or persons, who shall examine every safety-lamp,
    immediately before it is taken into the workings for
    use, and ascertain it to be secure and securely locked;
    and, in any part of a mine in which the safety-lamps
    are so required to be used, they shall not be used
    until they have been so examined and found secure,
    and securely locked, and shall not without due
    authority be unlocked; and in the said part of the
    mine a person shall not, unless he is appointed for
    the purpose, have in his possession any key or con-
    trivance for opening the lock of any such safety-
    lamp, or any lucifer match or apparatus of any kind
    for striking a light. He shall not allow any unlocked
    lamp to be in any part of the mine excepting in a
    lamp-cabin, or other station properly appointed for
    lighting lamps. He must also see that no safety-
    lamp gauze is used with less than twenty-eight
    parallel wires to the inch, or less than 784 apertures
    to the square inch, and that a sufficient number of
    safety-lamps are provided with shields, and locks and
    rings in the end of the gauze.

  2. The manager shall appoint a station or stations
    at the entrance of the mine, or at different parts of
    the mine, as the case may require; and no person
    shall pass beyond any such station until the mine, or
    part of the mine beyond the same, has been duly in-
    spected and stated to be safe.

  3. No person shall pass the appointed station or
    enter his working-place in a morning until it has
    been examined by the underviewer or his deputy,
    and duly indicated to be safe; and no person shall
    go into any other part of the mine than where he
    works, except by the order of the underviewer or his
    deputy, or under the circumstances mentioned in the
    next rule.

  4. The underviewer or his deputy shall, with a
    safety-lamp, once in every twenty-four hours if one
    shift is employed, and once in every twelve hours if
    two shifts are employed during any twenty-four
    hours, examine every travelling road and working-
    place before the workmen and boys descend,
    and shall leave a mark or signal at each working-
    place showing the date of his examination; and
    if he find the roads and works well ventilated,
    and in other respects safe, he shall give the
    signal to the banksman for the men and boys to
    descend; but if danger from gas or from any other
    cause be apprehended in any place, he shall im-
    mediately fix a danger-signal in all the entrances to
    such place. He must pay particular attention to the
    edges of the goaves and the gate end lips. He shall
    make a true report of the condition thereof, which
    shall be recorded without delay in a book to be kept at
    the mine for the purpose, and he shall sign the same.

  5. If at any time it is found by the underviewer,



Next Page →



Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa PDF NZ Gazette 1879, No 97





✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🌾 Special Rules for Prince Alfred and St. Andrews Coal Mines, Oamaru (continued from previous page)

🌾 Primary Industries & Resources
8 September 1879
Coal Mines, Special Rules, Underviewer duties, Collier duties, Ventilation, Explosives, Safety Lamps, Mine safety