West Virginia Code
Article 2. Underground Mines
§22A-2-58. Fire Protection

(a) Suitable fire protection shall be provided at surface installations of fans, shops, tipples and preparation plants, substations, hoist rooms and compressor stations.
(b) Fire drills and demonstration of various types of available firefighting equipment shall be held for employees at least every six months.
(c) The location of pipelines, location of valves and fire taps shall be shown on a map of the mine and kept available at the mine office at all times.
(d) Each coal mine shall be provided with suitable firefighting equipment adapted for the size and condition of the mine. Firefighting equipment required under this article shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Waterlines shall be capable of delivering fifty gallons of water at a nozzle pressure of fifty pounds per square inch.
(2) A portable water car shall be of at least one thousand gallons capacity, and shall have at least three hundred feet of fire hose with nozzles. A portable water car shall be capable of providing a flow through the hose of fifty gallons of water per minute at a nozzle pressure of fifty pounds per square inch.
(3) A portable chemical car shall carry enough chemicals to provide a fire extinguishing capacity equivalent to that of a portable water car.
(4) A portable foam-generating machine shall have facilities and equipment for supplying the machine with thirty gallons of water per minute at thirty pounds per square inch for a period of thirty-five minutes.
(5) A portable fire extinguisher shall be either a multipurpose dry chemical type, containing a nominal weight of five pounds of dry powder and enough expellant to apply the powder; or a foam-producing type containing at least two and one- half gallons of foam-producing liquid and enough expellant to supply the foam. Only fire extinguishers approved by the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. or Factor Mutual Laboratories, carrying appropriate labels as to type and purpose shall be used after July 1, 1971, and all new portable fire extinguishers acquired for use in a coal mine shall be of the multipurpose dry chemical type, having a 2A 10BC or higher rating.
(6) The fire hose shall be rubber-lined, mildew-proof and the cover shall be of flame-resistant qualities, meeting requirements for hose in Bureau of Mines Schedule 2G, except that the test flame shall be applied to the outer surface rather than to an open end. The bursting pressure shall be at least four times higher than the static water at the mine location; the maximum water pressure in the hose nozzle shall not exceed 100 p.s.i.g.
(e) Each working section of coal mines producing three hundred tons or more per shift shall be provided with two portable fire extinguishers and two hundred forty pounds of bagged rock dust or equivalent; waterlines shall extend to each section loading point and be equipped with enough fire hose to reach each working face unless the section loading point is provided with one of the following: (1) Two portable water cars; or (2) two portable chemical cars; or (3) one portable water car or one portable chemical car and either a portable foam-generating machine or a portable high-pressure rock-dusting machine, fitted with at least two hundred fifty feet of hose and supplied with at least sixty sacks of rock dust.
(f) In all coal mines, waterlines shall be installed parallel to the entire length of belt conveyors and shall be equipped with fire hose outlets with valves at three-hundred-foot intervals along each belt conveyor and at tailpieces. At least five hundred feet of fire hose with fittings suitable for connection with each belt conveyor waterline system shall be stored at strategic locations along the belt conveyor. Waterlines may be installed in entries adjacent to the conveyor entry belt as long as the outlets project into the belt conveyor entry. Each working section of coal mines producing less than three hundred tons of coal per shift shall be provided with two portable fire extinguishers, two hundred forty pounds of bagged rock dust and at least five hundred gallons of water and at least three pails of ten-quart capacity. In lieu of the five hundred gallon water supply, a waterline with sufficient hose to reach the working places, a portable water car of five hundred fifty gallons capacity, or a portable all-purpose dry powder chemical car of at least one hundred twenty-five pounds capacity may be provided.
(g) In mines producing three hundred tons of coal or more per shift, waterlines shall be installed parallel to all haulage tracks using mechanized equipment in the track or adjacent entry and shall extend to the loading point of each working section. Waterlines shall be equipped with outlet valves at intervals of not more than five hundred feet, and five hundred feet of fire hose with fittings suitable for connection with such waterlines shall be provided at strategic locations. Two portable water cars, readily available, may be used in lieu of waterlines prescribed under this subsection.
(h) In mines producing less than three hundred tons of coal per shift, there shall be provided at five-hundred-foot intervals in all main and secondary haulage roads: (1) A tank of water of at least fifty-five gallon capacity with at least three pails of not less than ten-quart capacity; or (2) not less than two hundred forty pounds of bagged rock dust.
(i) Each track or off-track locomotive, self-propelled man-trip car, or personnel carrier shall be equipped with one portable fire extinguisher.
(j) Two portable fire extinguishers shall be provided at each permanent electrical installation. One portable fire extinguisher and two hundred forty pounds of rock dust or equivalent shall be provided at each temporary electrical installation.
(k) Two portable fire extinguishers and two hundred forty pounds of rock dust or equivalent shall be provided at each permanent underground oil storage station. One portable fire extinguisher shall be provided at each working section where twenty-five gallons or more of oil are stored in addition to extinguishers required under subsection (e) of this section.
(l) One portable fire extinguisher or two hundred forty pounds of rock dust or equivalent and water shall be provided at locations where welding, cutting, or soldering with arc or flame is being done.
(m) At each wooden door through which power lines pass there shall be one portable fire extinguisher or two hundred forty pounds of rock dust or equivalent within twenty-five feet of the door on the intake air side.
(n) At each mine producing three hundred tons of coal or more per shift, there shall be readily available the following materials at locations not exceeding two miles from each working section:
(1) One thousand board feet of brattice boards.
(2) Two rolls of brattice cloth.
(3) Two handsaws.
(4) Twenty-five pounds of 8 dwt nails.
(5) Twenty-five pounds of 10 dwt nails.
(6) Twenty-five pounds of 16 dwt nails.
(7) Three claw hammers.
(8) Twenty-five bags of wood fiber plaster or ten bags of cement (or equivalent material for stoppings).
(9) Five tons of rock dust.
(o) At each mine producing less than three hundred tons of coal per shift, the above materials shall be available at the mine: Provided, That the emergency materials for one or more mines may be stored at a central warehouse or building supply company and such supply must be the equivalent of that required for all mines involved and within one hour's delivery time from each mine. This exception shall not apply where the active working sections are more than two miles from the surface.

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