CMR ( REGULATION NO. 71) |

71. Outlets from a mine. –

1.    Except for the duration of shaft sinking or the drivage of other means of access and egress from the mine together with the necessary development work, no person shall be employed, or be permitted to enter or remain for the purpose of employment, in any working belowground, unless the working is provided with at least two shafts, inclines or other outlets to surface-

(a) with which every seam or section for the time being at work has a communication so as to afford separate means of ingress and egress to the persons employed therein;

(b) which do not have their surface openings in the same building; and

(c) which are under the sole control of the manager:

Provided that the Chief Inspector may, by an order in writing and subject to such conditions as he may specify therein, permit the employment belowground of persons even in a case where the two shafts, inclines or outlets are not under the control of the same manager.

2.    The Chief Inspector may, by an order in writing and subject to such conditions as he may specify therein, permit the employment belowground of restricted number of persons even in a case where places in the working of the mine do not contain two means of egress from each working place. 

3.    Suitable arrangements shall be made for persons to descend and ascend by each of such means of access and egress; and

a.     where shaft is more than 30 meters in depth, such arrangements shall be by mechanical means so installed and maintained as to be constantly available for use; and  

b.    where the incline is more than one kilometer in length (one way) or the travel by persons is arduous, a suitable man-riding system approved in writing by the Chief Inspector shall be provided for persons to access and egress from the workings of the mine:   

Provided that in case of any doubt as to whether any such arrangement referred to in clause (a) or clause (b) is suitable or not, it shall be referred to the Chief Inspector for decision. 

4.    Both the means of egress and the equipment used therein for the transport of persons shall be kept constantly in a safe condition to facilitate ease of traveling, including clearances for hand carried stretchers.

5.    Where in any shaft, ladders are used as a means of ingress or egress of persons employed in a mine, every such ladder shall –

(i)         be of strong construction;

(ii)        be securely fixed in the shaft at an inclination of not more than 80 degrees from the horizontal;

(iii)      be made continuous or without perceptible overlapping or break except at platforms which shall be provided at intervals of not more than nine meters;

(iv)       project at least one meter above the mouth of the shaft, and above every platform, except where strong hold-fasts or hand-rails are provided;

(v)        have rungs equally spaced and at a sufficient distance from the wall or any timber to ensure proper foothold; and

(vi)       be maintained in good repair.

6.    Such shafts, inclines or outlets shall not be less than 13.5 meters distant from one another at any point, and each shall be connected with the other by means of a walkable passage, not less than 1.8 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, through the workings belowground that are being served by such shafts, inclines or outlets.

7.    Whenever the connection between two outlets which are required to be maintained under sub-regulation (1) has been obstructed or found dangerous, only such persons as are necessary to clear the obstruction or to repair the dangerous part of the connection or to make a new second outlet, as the case may be, shall be employed belowground until such time as the connection has been re-established or a new second outlet has been provided.

8.    The foregoing provisions of this regulation with respect to shafts, inclines and outlets shall not apply -

a.     to any working for the purpose of making a connection between two or more shafts, inclines or outlets; and

b.    to any working for the sole purpose of searching for or proving minerals:

Provided that nothing in this sub-regulation shall be deemed to authorize the driving of roadways for the development of a seam before a second outlet has been made in accordance with the said provisions.

9.    In both the means of access and egress in the mine, an effective two-way communication facility with broadcasting system of telecommunication shall be provided to ensure that persons from belowground may be able to directly communicate to surface without any obstruction or loss of message and communication link.

10. The system of communication and telecommunication so provided under

sub-regulation (9) shall be of wired, wireless or any other type, as approved by the Chief Inspector.