MINE EXAMINER’S - IN.gov
MINE EXAMINER’SSTUDY GUIDE
QUALIFICATIONS– Must hold an Indiana Miners License– Applicant for Mine Foreman must be citizen of the United States.– Must have three years experience in underground coal mining.However: persons who have graduated and hold a degree inengineering or an associate degree in applied science degree incoal mining technology from an accredited school, college, oruniversity are required to have only two (2) years of practicalunderground mining experience to qualify for the examination.– Thorough knowledge of the coal mining laws in Indiana, and the mininglaws under Title 30 CFR, and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of1977 Amended by the MINER ACT 0f 2006.– Prove to the Mining Board by a written and oral examination, and bydemonstration that you are competent and qualified where applicable,that he has a thorough knowledge of:The practical aspects of coal mining pertaining especially toventilation and roof control;The nature and properties of poisonous, noxious, and explosivegases and methods for their detection and control;The requirements of the coal mining laws of this state.The responsibilities of a mine examiner.– A certificate of competency may not be issued to any person whosegrade is less than 75%.– Applicants for examination must pay the Bureau of Mines anexamination fee of 25.00.
PURPOSE– Each commercial mine shall be supervised by a properly certified mineforeman who shall see that the provisions of the coal-mining laws ofIndiana that pertain to his duties and to the health and safety of theemployees are complied with. When the mine workings are soextensive that the mine foreman is unable personally to carry out theduties required of him by law, the operator shall employ a sufficientnumbers of properly certified assistants who shall act under thedirection of the mine foreman. The mine foreman or his assistants shallnot permit any person to work in an unsafe place except for thepurpose of making it safe and such work shall be under the directionand instruction of a certified official.– The mine foreman shall provide such data and information regardingthe operation of the mine as may be required by the Director on blankswhich shall be furnished by the Director. He is responsible for thehealth and safety of all employees. He must see that adequate suppliesare on hand for the safe operation of the mine. He must read andcountersign all mine record books (promptly). He shall see that thereare properly certified mine examiners to insure proper pre-shift and onshift inspections. He must insure adequate and proper ventilation. Heis responsible to insure that all mining laws are complied with.WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE AN INSPECTION?Hard HatSafety GlassesSteel-toe ShoesSounding DevicesAnemometerPaperPen or PencilPermissible Methane &Oxygen DetectorTools for Adjusting BeltRollersTape MeasureWatch
MINING TERMSAct: The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.Abandoned Workings: Means excavations, either caved or sealed, thatare deserted and in which further mining is not intended, open workingswhich are not ventilated and inspected regularly, and from which allmaterial has been removed.Active workings: Any place in a coal mine where miners are normallyrequired to work or travel.Air course: An entry or a set of entries separated from other entries bystoppings, overcasts, other ventilation control devices, or by solid blocksof coal or rock so that any mixing of air currents between each is limited toleakage.Assistant Mine Foreman: Means a person employed to assist the mineforeman in the performance of his duties and to serve in his place, in theabsence of the mine foreman.Coal dust: Particles of coal that can pass a No. 20 sieve.Director: Means the director of the bureau of mines and mining of Indiana.Float coal dust: Coal dust consisting of particles of coal that can pass aNo. 200 sieve.Intake air: Air that has not yet ventilated the last working place on anysplit of any working section, or any worked-out area, whether pillared ornonpillared.Interested Persons: Means the director, safety personnel designated bythe operator, state and federal coal mine inspectors, and to the extentrequired by law, any other person.Loose coal: Coal fragments larger in size than coal dust.Page 4 of 59
Man or men: As used in this article includes woman and women. Themasculine gender includes the feminine, the feminine. The feminine, themasculine.Mine: means an underground commercial coal mine.Mine Examiner: Means a properly certified person designated by the mineforeman to examine the mine for gas and other dangers.Mine Inspector: Means the person appointed to assist in administeringthis article.Operator: Means an individual, firm, association, partnership orcorporation operating an underground coal mine or any part thereof.Overcast: Is an enclosed structure that permits one air current to crossover another. It allows an uninterrupted flow of air and eliminates theneed for doors.Person: Includes natural persons, corporations, partnerships, and anyother legal entity.Qualified person: As the context requires:Return air: Air that has ventilated the last working place on any split ofany working section or any worked-out area whether pillared ornonpillared. If air mixes with air that has ventilated the last working placeon any split of any working section or any worked-out area, whetherpillared or nonpillared, it is considered return air. For the purposes of§75.507-1, air that has been used to ventilate any working place in a coalproducing section or pillared area, or air that has been used to ventilateany working face if such air is directed away from the immediate return isreturn air. Notwithstanding the definition of intake air, for the purpose ofventilation of structures, areas or installations that are required by thissubpart D to be ventilated to return air courses, and for ventilation ofseals, other air courses may be designated as return air courses by theoperator only when the air in these air courses will not be used to ventilateworking places or other locations, structures, installations or areasrequired to be ventilated with intake air.Page 5 of 59
Rock dust: Pulverized limestone, dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite, shale,adobe, or other inert material, preferably light colored, 100 percent ofwhich will pass through a sieve having 20 meshes per linear inch and 70percent or more of which will pass through a sieve having 200 meshes perlinear inch; the particles of which when wetted and dried will not cohere toform a cake which will not be dispersed into separate particles by a lightblast of air; and which does not contain more than 5 percent combustiblematter or more than a total of 4 percent free and combined silica (SiO2),or, where the Secretary finds that such silica concentrations are notavailable, which does not contain more than 5 percent of free andcombined silica.Shot Firer: Means a properly certified person designated by the mineforeman to perform the function as required in this article in connectionwith breaking down coal or rock.Substation: An electrical installation containing generation or powerconversion equipment and associated electric equipment and parts, suchas switchboards, switches, wiring, fuses, circuit breakers, compensators,and transformers.Undercast: Is an enclosed structure that permits one air current to passunder another. They allow for uninterrupted flow of air and eliminates theneed for doors.Overcast and undercast shall be constructed tightly of incombustiblematerial; they shall be of ample area to pass the required quantity of airand shall be kept clear of obstructions.Worked-out area: An area where mining has been completed, whetherpillared or nonpillared, excluding developing entries, return air courses,and intake air courses.Working face: Any place in a coal mine in which work of extracting coalfrom its natural deposit in the earth is performed during the mining cycle.Working place: The area of a coal mine inby the last open crosscut.Working section: All areas of the coal mine from the loading point of thesection to and including the working faces.Page 6 of 59
EXAMINATIONSPreshift(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, a certifiedperson designated by the operator must make a preshift examinationwithin 3 hours preceding the beginning of any 8-hour interval duringwhich any person is scheduled to work or travel underground. Noperson other than certified examiners may enter or remain in anyunderground area unless a preshift examination has been completedfor the established 8-hour interval. The operator must establish 8-hourintervals of time subject to the required preshift examinations.– (2) Preshift examinations of areas where pumpers are scheduledto work or travel shall not be required prior to the pumperentering the areas if the pumper is a certified person and thepumper conducts an examination for hazardous conditions, testsfor methane and oxygen deficiency and determines if the air ismoving in its proper direction in the area where the pumper worksor travels. The examination of the area must be completed beforethe pumper performs any other work. A record of all hazardousconditions found by the pumper shall be made and retained inaccordance with §75.363.(b) The person conducting the preshift examination shall examine forhazardous conditions, test for methane and oxygen deficiency, anddetermine if the air is moving in its proper direction at the followinglocations:– (1) Roadways, travelways and track haulageways where personsare scheduled, prior to the beginning of the preshift examination,to work or travel during the oncoming shift.– (2) Belt conveyors that will be used to transport persons duringthe oncoming shift and the entries in which these belt conveyorsare located.– (3) Working sections and areas where mechanized miningequipment is being installed or removed, if anyone is scheduled towork on the section or in the area during the oncoming shift. Thescope of the examination shall include the working places,approaches to worked-out areas and ventilation controls on thesesections and in these areas, and the examination shall includetests of the roof, face and rib conditions on these sections and inthese areas.Page 7 of 59
– (4) Approaches to worked-out areas along intake air courses andat the entries used to carry air into worked-out areas if the intakeair passing the approaches is used to ventilate working sectionswhere anyone is scheduled to work during the oncoming shift. Theexamination of the approaches to the worked-out areas shall bemade in the intake air course immediately inby and outby eachentry used to carry air into the worked-out area. An examination ofthe entries used to carry air into the worked-out areas shall beconducted at a point immediately inby the intersection of eachentry with the intake air course.– (5) Seals along intake air courses where intake air passes by aseal to ventilate working sections where anyone is scheduled towork during the oncoming shift.– (6)(i) Entries and rooms developed after November 15, 1992, anddeveloped more than 2 crosscuts off an intake air course withoutpermanent ventilation controls where intake air passes through orby these entries or rooms to reach a working section whereanyone is scheduled to work during the oncoming shift; and,(ii) Entries and rooms developed after November 15, 1992,and driven more than 20 feet off an intake air course withouta crosscut and without permanent ventilation controls whereintake air passes through or by these entries or rooms toreach a working section where anyone is scheduled to workduring the oncoming shift.– (7) Areas where trolley wires or trolley feeder wires are to be orwill remain energized during the oncoming shift.– (8) High spots along intake air courses where methane is likely toaccumulate, if equipment will be operated in the area during theshift.– (9) Underground electrical installations referred to in §75.340(a),except those pumps listed in §75.340(b)(2) through (b)(6), andareas where compressors subject to §75.344 are installed if theelectrical installation or compressor is or will be energized duringthe shift.– (10) Other areas where work or travel during the oncoming shift isscheduled prior to the beginning of the preshift examination.(c) The person conducting the preshift examination shall determine thevolume of air entering each of the following areas if anyone isscheduled to work in the areas during the oncoming shift:– (1) In the last open crosscut of each set of entries or rooms oneach working section and areas where mechanized miningPage 8 of 59
equipment is being installed or removed. The last open crosscut isthe crosscut in the line of pillars containing the permanentstoppings that separate the intake air courses and the return aircourses.– (2) On each longwall or shortwall in the intake entry or entries atthe intake end of the longwall or shortwall face immediately outbythe face and the velocity of air at each end of the face at thelocations specified in the approved ventilation plan.– (3) At the intake end of any pillar line—(i) If a single split of air is used, in the intake entry furthestfrom the return air course, immediately outby the first opencrosscut outby the line of pillars being mined; or(ii) If a split system is used, in the intake entries of each splitimmediately inby the split point.(d) The person conducting the preshift examination shall check therefuge alternative for damage, the integrity of the tamper-evident sealand the mechanisms required to deploy the refuge alternative, and theready availability of compressed oxygen and air.(e) The district manager may require the certified person to examineother areas of the mine or examine for other hazards during the preshiftexamination.(f) Certification. At each working place examined, the person doing thepreshift examination shall certify by initials, date, and the time, that theexamination was made. In areas required to be examined outby aworking section, the certified person shall certify by initials, date, andthe time at enough locations to show that the entire area has beenexamined.(g) Recordkeeping. A record of the results of each preshiftexamination, including a record of hazardous conditions and theirlocations found by the examiner during each examination and of theresults and locations of air and methane measurements, shall be madeon the surface before any persons, other than certified personsconducting examinations required by this subpart, enter anyunderground area of the mine. The results of methane tests shall berecorded as the percentage of methane measured by the examiner.The record shall be made by the certified person who made theexamination or by a person designated by the operator. If the record ismade by someone other than the examiner, the examiner shall verifythe record by initials and date by or at the end of the shift for which theexamination was made. A record shall also be made by a certifiedPage 9 of 59
person of the action taken to correct hazardous conditions foundduring the preshift examination. All preshift and corrective actionrecords shall be countersigned by the mine foreman or equivalent mineofficial by the end of the mine foreman's or equivalent mine official'snext regularly scheduled working shift. The records required by thissection shall be made in a secure book that is not susceptible toalteration or electronically in a computer system so as to be secure andnot susceptible to alteration.(h) Retention period. Records shall be retained at a surface location atthe mine for at least 1 year and shall be made available for inspectionby authorized representatives of the Secretary and the representativeof miners.EXAMINATIONSWeekly– (b) Hazardous conditions. At least every 7 days, an examination forhazardous conditions at the following locations shall be made by acertified person designated by the operator:(5) In each escapeway so that the entire escapeway is traveled.(c) Measurements and tests. At least every 7 days, a certified personshall—(1) Determine the volume of air entering the main intakes and ineach intake split;(2) Determine the volume of air and test for methane in the lastopen crosscut in any pair or set of developing entries or rooms, inthe return of each split of air immediately before it enters the mainreturns, and where the air leaves the main returns; and(3) Test for methane in the return entry nearest each set of sealsimmediately after the air passes the seals.– (h) Recordkeeping. At the completion of any shift during which aportion of a weekly examination is conducted, a record of the results ofeach weekly examination, including a record of hazardous conditionsfound during each examination and their locations, the correctiveaction taken, and the results and location of air and methanemeasurements, shall be made. The results of methane tests shall berecorded as the percentage of methane measured by the examiner.The record shall be made by the person making the examination or aperson designated by the operator. If made by a person other than theexaminer, the examiner shall verify the record by the initials and datePage 10 of 59
by or at the end of the shift for which the examination was made. Therecord shall be countersigned by the mine foreman or equivalent mineofficial by the end of the mine foreman's or equivalent mine official'snext regularly scheduled working shift. The records required by thissection shall be made in a secure book that is not susceptible toalteration or electronically in a computer system so as to be secure andnot susceptible to alteration.EXAMINATIONSOn-shift– (d)(1) A qualified person shall make tests for methane–– (i) At the start of each shift at each working place beforeelectrically operated equipment is energized; and– (ii) Immediately before equipment is energized, taken into, oroperated in a working place; and– (iii) At 20-minute intervals, or more often if required in theapproved ventilation plan at specific locations, during theoperation of equipment in the working place.SMOKING PROHIBITIONNo person shall smoke, carry smoking materials, matches, or lightersunderground, or smoke in or around oil houses, explosives magazines,or other surface areas where such practice may cause a fire orexplosion. The operator shall institute a program, approved by theSecretary, to insure that any person entering the underground area ofthe mine does not carry smoking materials, matches, or lighters.MINE EMERGENCY– Mine emergency evacuation training and drills.Each operator of an underground coal mine shall conduct mineemergency evacuation training and drills and require all miners toparticipate.(a) Schedule of training and drills. Each miner shall participate ina mine emergency evacuation training and drill once eachquarter. Quarters shall be based on a calendar year (Jan-Mar,Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec).Page 11 of 59
ESCAPEWAYS(a) Except in situations addressed in §75.381, §75.385and §75.386, atleast two separate and distinct travelable passageways shall bedesignated as escapeways and shall meet the requirements of thissection.(b) (1) Escapeways shall be provided from each working section, andeach area where mechanized mining equipment is being installed orremoved, continuous to the surface escape drift opening or continuousto the escape shaft or slope facilities to the surface.– (2) During equipment installation, these escapeways shall begin atthe projected location for the section loading point. Duringequipment removal, they shall begin at the location of the lastloading point.(c) The two separate and distinct escapeways required by this sectionshall not end at a common shaft, slope, or drift opening, except thatmultiple compartment shafts or slopes separated by walls constructedof noncombustible material may be used as separate and distinctpassageways.(d) Each escapewa
Mine Examiner: Means a properly certified person designated by the mine foreman to examine the mine for gas and other dangers. Mine Inspector: Means the person appointed to assist in administering this article. Operator: Means an individual, firm, association, partnership or corporation operating an underground coal mine or any part thereof.
Mine Examiner: Means a properly certified person designated by the mine foreman to examine the mine for gas and other dangers. Mine Inspector: Means the person appointed to assist in administering this article. Operator: Means an individual, firm, association, partnership or corporation operating an underground coal mine or any part thereof.
Regulations require all underground mines to have fully-trained and equipped professional mine rescue teams available in the event of a mine emergency. MSHA’s Mine Rescue Instruction Guide (IG) series is intended to help your mine to meet mine rescue team training requirements under 30 CFR Part 49. The materials in
Underground coal mine rescue team members must be trained according to the . Mine foreman 3. Mine clerk 4. Chief electrician 5. Chief mechanic or mechanical foreman 6. Outside foreman . State and Federal officials will arrive at the mine site to advise and observe. Federal officials can take charge of an operation if they deem it necessary .
rescue, mine emergency preparedness, and firefighting. The Mine Emergency Building is adjacent to the Mine Simulation Laboratory. It houses mine emergency vehicles and a mine rescue station for MSHA’s Mine Emergency Units. The Gymnasium is available for wellness training and leisure time
Find it on the MSHA website www.msha.gov. In the middle of the page, and under Mine Data Sources and Calculators , click on the first bullet Mine Data Retrieval System To use the tool, users will first need the Mine ID number. If you do not know the Mine ID, use the Mine Data Retrieval System.
received. When a document examiner is ready for a new case, the examiner will take the next case in priority. Whenever an examiner begins work on a case, the supervisor will be informed. If an examiner is already at work on a case when a higher priority case is submitted, the lower priority case will be repackaged and put away until the higher
4 hours training before I can act as a mine foreman in WV. (I have mine foreman certificates in both states.) A: §22A-7-7 (b) In order to receive continuing education credit pursuant to this section, a mine foreman-fire boss shall satisfactorily complete a mine foreman-fire boss continuing education course approved by the board and
Academic writing is iterative and incremental. That is, it is written and rewritten numerous times in a number of stages. Pre-writing: approaches for getting the ideas down The first step in writing new material is to get your ideas down without attempting to impose any order on them. This process is often called ‘free-writing’. In “timed writing” (Goldberg 1986) or “free writing .
