A. An authorized person shall conduct a daily inspection of each main fan and of the machinery connected with such fan. The person making the examination shall record such examination in a book prescribed for this purpose or by other adequate means provided to permanently record the performance of the main fan and to give warning of an interruption to a fan. No such daily examination is required on any day in which no person goes underground, except that the examination shall be completed prior to any person entering the mine if no examination was made on the previous day.
B. Any place ventilated by means of a blower fan shall be examined for methane by a certified person before the fan is started at the beginning of the shift and after any interruption of fan operation that lasts for five minutes or more during the shift.
C. Each blower fan and its tubing shall be inspected at least twice during each working shift by a certified person.
Code 1950, §§ 45-60.1, 45-60.2; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, §§ 45.1-54, 45.1-55; 1978, c. 120; 1988, c. 597; 1993, c. 442; 1994, c. 28, § 45.1-161.211; 1999, c. 256; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 45.2 - Mines, Minerals, and Energy
Chapter 8 - Requirements Applicable to Underground Coal Mines; Electricity, Safety, Etc
§ 45.2-800. Face and other equipment
§ 45.2-801. Shop and other equipment
§ 45.2-803. Surface electrical installations
§ 45.2-804. Surface transformers
§ 45.2-805. Underground transformers
§ 45.2-806. Stations and substations
§ 45.2-808. Trolley wires and feeder wires
§ 45.2-810. Circuit breakers and switches
§ 45.2-811. Communication systems
§ 45.2-812. Electrical equipment
§ 45.2-814. Inspection of electrical equipment and wiring; checking and testing methane monitors
§ 45.2-815. Repairs to circuits and electric equipment
§ 45.2-816. Underground illumination
§ 45.2-817. Inspection of electric illumination equipment
§ 45.2-818. Firefighting equipment; fire prevention
§ 45.2-819. Duties in case of fire
§ 45.2-820. Emergency response plans; list of next of kin
§ 45.2-821. Reporting fires; response
§ 45.2-822. Fire prevention in transportation of mining equipment
§ 45.2-823. Storage and use of flammable fluids and materials
§ 45.2-824. Diesel-powered equipment
§ 45.2-825. Arcs, sparks, and flames
§ 45.2-826. Pre-shift examinations
§ 45.2-827. on-shift examinations
§ 45.2-828. Weekly examinations
§ 45.2-829. Examinations of fans
§ 45.2-830. Record of examinations
§ 45.2-831. Notice of hazardous conditions
§ 45.2-832. Notice of monitor tampering prohibition
§ 45.2-839. Actions for excessive methane
§ 45.2-841. Permanent stoppings
§ 45.2-842. Ventilation controls
§ 45.2-844. Ventilation with air from certain areas
§ 45.2-847. Examination of mine for explosive gas and other hazardous conditions
§ 45.2-848. Tampering with methane monitoring devices prohibited; penalty
§ 45.2-850. Intentionally bypassing a safety device; prohibition
§ 45.2-851. Control of coal dust
§ 45.2-853. Checking system; tracking system
§ 45.2-854. Protective clothing
§ 45.2-855. Noise levels and ear protection
§ 45.2-856. Smoking materials prohibited; penalty
§ 45.2-857. Allowing persons to work in a mine with smoker's articles; penalty
§ 45.2-859. Smoking in surface and other areas
§ 45.2-860. Portable illumination
§ 45.2-861. First aid equipment