1258 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 92

down. The taker-off at the bottom of a steep incline or jig shall not be in front of the tub when it is in motion.

RULES DESIGNED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS FROM FIRE-DAMP.

39. The manager may at any time order that work in the mine, or in any particular portion thereof, shall be carried on with safety-lamps only, and in such cases stations will be fixed upon by the manager where the safety-lamps will be examined. From these stations no workman is to take a safety-lamp without it having been examined by the person appointed for that purpose.

40. The manager and overman shall have full power to direct the workman how to use their safety-lamps during the time of working, and it is particularly enjoined that every workman strictly attend to such directions.

41. Should any workman using a safety-lamp detect by the usual indications the appearance or presence of fire-damp, he is first to pull down the wick with the pricker, and then retreat to the lamp-station and give information to the manager, overman, or fireman.

42. Workmen are strictly prohibited from continuing to work in a place where such indications have been observed by them, and, should the flame continue in the interior of the lamp after the wick has been drawn down, the lamp must then be cautiously removed, and no attempt made to extinguish the flame by any other means.

43. Every miner, hewer, putter, or other person whatever in charge of a safety-lamp losing his light is to take it himself to the station where the lamps are examined to be re-lighted and examined before being again used.

44. It is expressly directed that any person witnessing any improper treatment of the safety-lamps by any one shall give immediate information to the manager in charge of the mine, so that a recurrence of such conduct may be prevented by the offending party being brought to justice.

45. Any person found smoking tobacco in any part of the said colliery where the safety-lamp is used, or found with a tobacco-pipe in his possession, shall be liable to be taken before a Magistrate.

46. Matches shall not be taken into any part of the mine where gas or fire-damp is known to exist, under any pretence whatever.

47. If at any time it is found that the mine or any part thereof, by reason of fire-damp, or any other cause whatever, is dangerous, the manager, overman, or foreman, whichever shall first be made aware of the same, shall immediately order all workmen to withdraw from the mine or such part thereof as is so found dangerous, and the manager, overman, or foreman shall, if the danger arises from fire-damp, inspect the same with a safety-lamp, and make a true report of the condition of such mine or part thereof, and workmen shall not, except so far as may be necessary for inquiring into the cause of danger or for the removal thereof or for examination, be readmitted into the mine or such part thereof as may be so found to be dangerous, until the same is reported not to be dangerous. Every such report shall be entered in the Mine Registry, and signed by the person making the same.

48. The workmen employed in the mine may, from time to time, appoint two of their number to inspect the mine, and the persons so appointed shall be allowed, once at least in every week, accompanied by the manager of the mine, or the overman or fireman of the mine, to go to every part of the mine and inspect the workings, both old and new, and the means for ventilation of the mine, and shall be afforded every facility for the purpose of such inspection. A true report of the result of such inspection shall be made in the Mine Registry, and shall be signed by the person who made the same.

49. Miners shall, in long-wall working, or at any time if ordered to do so by the manager, set sprags or holing-props as soon as there is room, and shall afterwards keep them set during holing. After taking out the sprags or holing-props, if the coal or other mineral will not fall with wedging, or from the effects of the shot, they shall not hole further until they have reset the sprags or holing-props. In long-wall working miners shall pack or chock the ends of the main gateway.

50. No officer in a place of trust shall depute another person to do his work without the sanction of his superior; and no person in a place of trust shall absent himself without having previously obtained the permission of his superior officer for his term of absence.

The following special rules shall be in force at every mine where men are raised and lowered in any shaft:—

Manager.

51. The manager must see that the signals for moving the cages are painted upon a board and placed in a conspicuous position.

Underground Workmen and Boys.

52. During the time of the mine-drawing every person in descending the shaft shall be under the directions of the banksman, and in ascending the shaft shall be under the direction of the onsetter, and no other person than the banksman and onsetter shall give any signal during such time. No person shall get on or off the cage after the signal to go on has been given, nor until it has settled on the props or reached the bottom. No person shall take with him down or up the shaft tools, rails, props, sprags, or other bulky materials, except for repairing the shafts. No person shall get on the cage after the number stated on the board at the pit top and bottom are on. Every workman and boy shall leave the cage immediately when ordered to do so by the banksman or onsetter.

Banksman and Onsetter.

53. The head banksman, subject to the manager’s or underviewer’s directions, shall have full control over the pit-top and over all persons employed under him. The onsetter, subject to the manager’s or underviewer’s directions, shall have full control over the pit-bottom and all persons employed there. No person under the age of eighteen years shall have charge of the pit top or bottom.

54. The head banksman or other appointed person shall be at the mine at the appointed time in the morning, and shall provide a sufficient number of lights on the bank; and before the engine is started, and from time to time during the day, he shall see that the pulleys, ropes, cages, chains, and landing doors or frames are in safe working condition; and he shall not allow any person to descend the shaft until he has put the loaded tubs into the cage, and the ropes and loaded cages have been run up and down the shaft, and the ropes, chains, cappings, and cages carefully examined by him. If any weakness or defect is found in anything belonging to the pit-top, or in the engine or machinery, he must not permit any person to descend or ascend until it is made secure. The banksman shall also attend to the proper signals. The head banksman shall not allow any boy under thirteen to work on the bank excepting under the exemptions provided by the Act, and in that case only with an order from the manager.

55. The banksman in charge of the pit-top shall not let a stranger go down the shaft without the authority of the manager. The banksman, when he is informed of danger in the shaft, shall not allow any person to go down unless for the purpose of repairing the shaft. He shall not allow any intoxicated person to descend. He shall himself give the signals, and let no other than appointed persons land the corves, or put them into the cages. He shall listen at the pit-top when any person is in the shaft, and instantly signal the engineman to stop the engine in case of alarm. He shall remain at the pit-top until all the men and boys are drawn out.

56. The banksman or onsetter shall not let a boy under sixteen years of age go down or up the shaft unless accompanied by a man, and shall not permit more than the number of persons stated on the board at the pit top and bottom to descend or ascend at one time. The banksman and onsetter shall not allow a person to go down or up against a loaded cage in the same shaft unless it is bratticed, and shall not allow any person to take with him rails, props, sprags, tools, tubs, or other bulky materials, or to get on or off the cage until it has settled upon the props or reached the pit-bottom. The banksman shall send all tools down the shaft in a tub or tram, and props, rails, brattice-boards, and other bulky materials shall be tied securely to the cage or rope by the banksman or onsetter when being sent down or up the shaft. If a rope is working in the shaft for underground planes, no person shall ride in the cage whilst this is running unless the rope be cased.

57. The head banksman shall see that the fencing is placed securely round the top of every shaft when it is not at work.

58. The onsetter shall be in the mine at the appointed time in the morning. He shall be at his station to give signals and perform his other duties under these rules, and he shall remain there to see the men and boys all safely into the cage and up the shaft at the close of the day.

59. The onsetter shall report to the underviewer any person that gives a signal or disobeys his directions. He shall remain at the bell-handle and give cautionary signals, if necessary, when any person ascends or descends the shaft; he shall only allow appointed persons to put tubs into or take them out of the cages; and he shall see that the coals or materials do not project over the cage.

60. The onsetter shall see that the water-sump is never uncovered when any person is ascending or descending the shaft.

61. The banksman shall keep the cages and pit-top clear.

62. The banksman and onsetter shall alone give the signals for moving the cages, which are as follows:—

When the cage is to be raised from the pit-bottom the bell is to be struck . . . Once.

When men are about to ascend . . . Three times.

Which the banksman shall answer before men get on to the cage . . . Once.

When men are about to descend the banksman shall signal . . . Three times.