Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Abandoned mine" means a mine in which all work has stopped on the mine premises and where an office with a responsible person in charge is no longer maintained at the mine.

"Abandoned workings" means deserted mine areas in which further work is not intended.

"Acceptable" means tested and found to be appropriate for a specific purpose by a nationally recognized agency.

"ACGIH" means the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.

"Angle of repose" means the maximum slope or angle at which material remains stable.

"Auxiliary fan" means a fan used to deliver air to a working place off the main airstream, generally used with ventilation tubing.

"Barricaded" means physically obstructed to hinder or prevent the passage of persons or vehicles.

"Blast area" means the area of the mine in which concussion or flying material can reasonably be expected to cause injury during detonation.

"Blast site" means the 50-foot perimeter around boreholes being loaded, or 30 feet if demarcated by a barricade, and the 180° free-face area for a distance of at least four times the average depth of the boreholes being loaded.

"Bridle" means a cable or chain used to support a work platform in a raised position with more than three connection points.

"Burden" means the distance in feet between rows of boreholes or between the open face and boreholes.

"Company official" means a member of the company supervisory or technical staff.

"Competent person" means a person having abilities and experience that fully qualify him to perform the duty to which he is assigned.

"Confined space" means an enclosed area that is large enough for an employee to enter fully and perform his assigned work but is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee and has a limited or restricted means of entry or exit. These spaces may include storage bins, hoppers, silos, tanks, vaults, and other similar areas.

"Department" means the Department of Energy.

"Director" means the Director of the Division of Mineral Mining.

"Distribution box" means an apparatus with an enclosure through which an electric circuit is carried to one or more cables from a single incoming feedline, each cable circuit being connected through individual overcurrent protective devices.

"Division" means the Division of Mineral Mining.

"Escapeway" means a passageway by which persons may leave if the ordinary exit is obstructed.

"Face" or "bank" means that part of any mine where excavating is progressing or was last done.

"Flash point" means the minimum temperature at which sufficient vapor is released to form a flammable vapor-air mixture.

"Free-face" means the face area of a quarry bench to be blasted.

"Flyrock" means any uncontrolled material generated by the effect of a blast that was hazardous to persons, or to property not owned or controlled by the operator.

"Heavy duty mobile equipment" means any equipment used for loading, hauling, or grading and not normally intended for highway use.

"Hoist" means a power-driven windlass or drum used for raising ore, rock, or other material from a mine, and for lowering or raising persons and material.

"Lay" means the distance parallel to the axis of the rope in which a strand makes one complete turn about the axis of the rope.

"Loaded" means containing explosives, blasting agents, or detonators.

"Main fan" means a fan that controls the entire airflow of the mine or the airflow of one of the major air circuits.

"Major electrical installation" means an assemblage of stationary electrical equipment for the generation, transmission, distribution, or conversion of electrical power.

"Mine opening" means any opening or entrance from the surface into a mine.

"Mine vehicle" means any vehicle on the mine site that is utilized by the mine operator or contractors performing excavation, maintenance, or construction at the mine.

"Misfire" means the partial or complete failure of a blast to detonate as planned.

"MSHA" means the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

"Occupational injury" means any injury to a miner which occurs at a mine for which medical treatment is administered, or which results in death or loss of consciousness, inability to perform all job duties on any day after an injury, temporary assignment to other duties, or transfer to another job as specified in the 30 CFR Part 50.2.

"Overburden" means material of any nature, consolidated or unconsolidated, that overlies a deposit of useful materials or ores that are to be mined.

"Potable" means fit for human consumption and, where required by the Code of Virginia, approved by the Virginia Department of Health.

"Powder chest" means a substantial, nonconductive portable container equipped with a lid and used at blasting sites for explosives other than blasting agents.

"Primer" means a cartridge or package of explosives which contains a detonator or detonating cord.

"Refuse" means mineral processing waste, tailings, silts, sediments, or slimes.

"Rollover protection" means a framework, safety canopy or similar protection for the operator when equipment overturns and which is acceptable for use on that particular type of equipment.

"Safety fuse" means a train of powder enclosed in cotton, jute yarn, and water-proofing compounds, which burns at a uniform rate, used for firing a cap containing the detonating compound which in turn sets off the explosive charge.

"Safety hazard" means any condition, function, or circumstance which may reasonably be expected to cause or assist an accident.

"Scaled distance (Ds)" means the actual distance (D) in feet divided by the square root of the maximum explosive weight (W) in pounds that is detonated per delay period for delay intervals of eight milliseconds or greater; or the total weight of explosive in pounds that is detonated within an interval less than eight milliseconds.

"Scaling" means removal of insecure material from a face or highwall.

"Shaft" means a vertical or inclined shaft, slope, incline, or winze.

"Stemming" means that inert material placed in a borehole after the explosive charge for the purpose of confining the explosion gases in the borehole or that inert material used to separate the explosive charges (decks) in decked holes.

"Substantial construction" means construction of such strength, material, and workmanship that the object will withstand all reasonable shock, wear, and usage to which it will be subjected.

"Suitable" means that which fits and has the qualities or qualifications to meet a given purpose, occasion, condition, function, or circumstance.

"Switch" means a device used to complete or disconnect an electrical circuit.

"Travelway" means a passage, walk or way regularly used and designated for persons to go from one place to another.

"Wet drilling" means the continuous application of water through the control hole of hollow drill steel to the bottom of the drill hole.