| Show USE OF electricity IN COAL MINES thirty of the states in the union have coal mines and twenty eight have rel regulations ula prepared by commissions or have passed laws governing the oper operation alion of coal mines the codes may be grouped as follows twelve that are distinctly coal mining eight that are essentially coal mining but also apply to other mines five that refer partly to coal mines and four that are essentially senti ally metal mining but apply in whole or in part to coal mining pennsylvania has separate codes for the anthracite and bituminous fields it was the first state to have a coal mining law of any kind in 1869 by 1890 thirteen states had coal mining statutes before that year electricity was little used in mines and these early codes contain practically no provisions regulating its use since that date however the application of electricity has made such progress that now there is hardly a task or operation connected with coal mining that is not directly or indirectly concerned with electricity for example lighting drilling undercutting shot firing hauling hoisting signalling sign alling and pumping mo most st of the mining codes have been changed by amendment or complete revision and now twenty one states make some reference in their local mining codes to the use of electricity the rapidity with which elec equipment has entered into the many phases of mining has greatly exceeded the advance of regulations governing its use even the best electrical mining codes in force need modernizing and some states have even neglected to mention the use ol 01 0 electricity in their mining laws electrical equipment for mines ill in order to be safe and efficient must be properly designed carefully installed inspected at regular intervals by competent men and maintained in good working t condition in general the best way to obtain satisfactory electrical equipment for mine service and to insure its proper installation inspection and maintenance is for each coal mining state to make and enforce fundamental rules and regulations relating to the use of electricity and electrical equipment in and about coal mines the U S bureau of mines has issued technical paper mining laws on use of electricity in coal mines by C L ilsley electrical engineer of the bureau this report which presents the results of a study of the different state codes has a threefold purpose to sho show w by comparison the relative attention given by lawmaking law making bodies of the different states to the safe use of electricity in coal mines to list and explain the object of the more important regulations and to cite examples of regulations now in effect the laws or rules relating lating Te to electricity are in this report grouped under three main mail heads 1 rules relating to general safety in use of electricity underground 2 rules relating to underground electrical apparatus 3 rules relating to underground circuits |
