COAL MINES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17126, 22 April 1921, Page 8

COAL MINES.

♦— \REGULATIONS GOVERNING WORKING CONDITIONS. (PBMS ASSOCUTIOK THJtGBAM.) WELLINGTON, April 21. Amended regulations under the Coal Mines Aot gazetted to-day, make provision for adequate ventilation of mines and for precautions against coal dust and spontaneous combustion of coal. The regulations provide that in every mine in which permitted explosives are required to be used, an adequate amount of ventilation Bhall be produced continuously, during the whole time the mine is being worked, notwithstanding any temporary cessation of work at night or on Sundays, or at any other time, and that at all other mines all mechanical ventilation appliances shall be startad and continuously run to their usual running capacity for not less than two hours before any' person enters the mine, and continued during the whole time any" person is in the mine. .

The procedure for testing dust in any part of a mine is laid down, and it is provided that if any dispute arises as to the test.which should be applied, it shall be determined by- the chief inspector, and that representative tests shall be made by the. management at intervals of not less than six months, and the results 'shall be posted at the mine"-mouth or pit head. No dust is to be used, for the purpose of complying with these regulations, of a kind which may be prohibited by the Minister of Mines on the ground that it would be injurious to the health of persons working in the mine. This part of the regulations is -not to come into force until September 30th, 1921, provided that if it is -shown that it has not been practicable by that date to obtain the necessary plant for carrying out theregulations, the inspector may, subject to such conditions as 9 he thinks fit, allow such -extension of time as shall appear to him to be reasonably required. • .. The precautionary regulations regarding spontaneous combustion apply to the part of a mine in which safety lamps are required, by section 40 of the Coal Mines Act as amended, to be used, and to any other mine where the Minister of Mines directs that they shall apply, in view of the conditjons existing in that mine. The regulations provide, inter alia, that on the appearance iri any part of a mine pf smoke' or other "sign indicating that a fire has broken out below ground, , every workman other than those'.necessarily enin dealing -:wfth ithe j shall be withdrawn from the ventilating districts affected. Before any workman is readmitted, the manager or underviewer, accompanied by a fireman and deputy, shall examine and make a full and accurate report of the condition of the mine., No workman shall be readmitted unless the manager or underviewer making the. examination reports the mine to be safe. While a fire is being dammed off, every." -work'man in the mine "except the men engaged in the work of damming 'of the fire shall be withdrawn from the mine, and shall not be readmitted after completion of the work until an examination has been made, and the mine reported safe. Such means as may be approved by the Minister of Mines for, the purpose shall be taken to render harmless coaldust in all accessible parts of a mine immediately' contiguous to the seat-of a fire.