Virginia Law

Article 1. Mechanical Equipment.

A. The cutter chains of any mining machine shall be locked securely by mechanical means or an electrical interlock while such machine is parked or being trammed.

B. Drilling in rock shall be conducted wet or other means of dust control shall be used.

C. Each electric drill or other electrically operated rotating tool intended to be held in the hand shall have the electric switch constructed so as to break the circuit when the hand releases the switch or shall be equipped with a properly adjusted friction or safety clutch.

D. While equipment is in operation or is being trammed, no miner shall position himself or be placed in a pinch point between such equipment and the face or any rib of the mine or another piece of equipment in the mine.

E. Each piece of equipment that is raised for repairs or other work shall be securely blocked prior to any person positioning himself where the falling of such equipment could create a hazardous condition.

Code 1950, § 45-85.1; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, § 45.1-87; 1979, c. 315; 1994, c. 28, § 45.1-161.123; 1996, c. 774; 1999, c. 256; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.

A. The following items of shop and other equipment shall be guarded and maintained adequately:

1. Any gear, sprocket, pulley, fan blade or propeller, or friction device or coupling that has a protruding bolt or nut;

2. Shafting or any projecting shaft end that is within seven feet of the floor or platform level;

3. Any belt, chain, or rope drive that is within seven feet of the floor or platform;

4. Any fly wheel. A fly wheel extending more than seven feet above the floor shall be guarded to a height of at least seven feet;

5. Any circular or band saw or planer;

6. Any repair pit, including when the pit is not in use;

7. Any counterweight; and

8. Any mine fan, including the approach to any mine fan.

B. No machinery shall be repaired or serviced while the machinery is in motion; however, this prohibition shall not apply where a safe remote device is used.

C. Any guard or safety device that has been removed from any machine shall be replaced before the machine is put in operation.

D. Each mechanically operated grinding wheel shall be equipped with (i) safety washers and tool rests; (ii) substantial retaining hoods, the hood opening of which shall not expose more than a 90-degree sector of the wheel; and (iii) eyeshields, unless goggles are worn by the miners. Each retaining hood shall include either a device to control and collect excess rock, metal, or dust particles or a device providing equivalent protection to the miner operating such machinery.

E. The operator or his agent shall develop procedures for examining for potential hazards, completing proper maintenance, and properly operating each type of centrifugal pump. Such procedures shall, at a minimum, address the manufacturer's recommendations for start-up and shutdown of the pump, proper actions to be taken when a pump is suspected of overheating, the safe location of start and stop switches, and actions to be taken when a sign of structural metal fatigue, such as a crack in the frame, a damaged cover mounting bracket, or a missing bolt or other component is detected. Every miner who repairs, maintains, or operates any type of centrifugal pump shall be trained in these procedures.

Code 1950, § 45-85.3; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, § 45.1-88; 1978, c. 118; 1994, c. 28, § 45.1-161.124; 1999, c. 256; 2005, c. 3; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.

Every hydraulic hose used on equipment purchased after January 1, 1986, shall be clearly stamped or labeled by the hydraulic hose manufacturer to indicate the manufacturer's rated pressure in pounds per square inch (psi) Every hose purchased after January 1, 1989, shall have the rated pressure permanently affixed on the outer surface of the hose and repeated at least every two feet. Every hose purchased and installed on an automatic displacement hydraulic system shall either (i) have a four-to-one safety factor based on the ratio between minimum burst pressure and the setting of the hydraulic unloading system, such as a relief valve, or (ii) meet the minimum hose pressure requirements set by the hydraulic equipment manufacturer per the applicable hose standards for each type of equipment. No hydraulic hose shall be used in an application where the hydraulic unloading system is set higher than the hose's rated pressure.

1985, c. 612, § 45.1-88.1; 1988, c. 301; 1994, c. 28, § 45.1-161.125; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.