Means of access and egress, including winding of persons and material

• Pages: 20-44

5. Means of access and egress, including

winding of persons and material

5.1.

Provision of means of access and egress

5.1.1.

Except for the duration of shaft sinking or the

drivage of other means of access and egress from the mine,

together with the necessary development work, there should be,

at all times, two separate means of access to and egress from the

underground workings.

5.1.2. At each working level or inset for the means of

access and egress specified in paragraph 5.1.1 where persons are

expected to ride or be wound, there should be a way to the

alternative means which should follow a direct route and should

be travellable with reasonable convenience.

5.1.3.

As far as is reasonably practicable, two ways should

be provided from every working place, and each of these should

be connected to a separate and alternative means of egress to

the surface.

5.1.4. Where places in the workings of the mine do not

contain the two means of egress from each working place as

specified in paragraph 5.1.2, with each of them crossing a

common junction, the national laws or regulations should state

the maximum number of persons allowed in such places;

however, where a junction consists of an explosionproof

crossing, this should not be considered to be a common

junction.

5.1.5. In a case where the two separate and independent

means of egress are not situated in the same mine, each

manager should be responsible for that part of it situated in his

mine; any occurrence that may affect the safe use of such means

of egress should be immediately reported to the competent

authority and to the manager of the mine affected.

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Means of access and egress

5.1.6. Both the means of egress and the equipment used

therein for the transport of persons should be kept constantly in

safe condition to facilitate ease of travelling and a ready means

of egress.

5.1.7. All practicable precautions should be taken to

ensure that, where the only means of egress are winding shafts

or unwalkable outlets, the winding or haulage engines, as the

case may be, do not fail simultaneously; in particular, in the

case of electric winding or haulage engines, an alternative

electric power supply should be available.

5.1.8. (1) The operator of every mine where there are

man-winding shafts more than 50 metres deep should ensure

that there is at all times in force a scheme to provide and

maintain apparatus by which persons employed below ground

in the mine have means of egress in an emergency.

(2) The scheme should provide for -

(a) the constant availability of emergency winding apparatus;

or

(b) the use of gravity winding apparatus capable of withdrawing

the persons underground safely and efficiently;

(c) such emergency winding apparatus to be tested at specified

intervals if it is not in regular use.

5.1.9. All shafts and outlets should be thoroughly

examined by a competent person at intervals which should be

stated in national laws or regulations.

5.1.10. The surface entrance to every mine shaft and every

other entrance, whether above or below ground, should be

provided with an efficient enclosure so designed and

constructed as to prevent any person accidentally falling down

the shaft or coming into contact with a moving part of the

winding equipment provided in the shaft.

5.1.11.

All entrances to shafts should be -

(a) adequately illuminated throughout working hours;

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