Mining Laws of Ohio, 1921 Part 5

[=Measure and report of ventilation.=] He shall keep a careful watch over the ventilating apparatus and air-ways, and measure the ventilation at least once each week, at the inlet and outlet, and at or near the face of all entries; which measurement shall be noted on blanks furnished by the chief inspector of mines. On the first day of each month, he shall sign such blanks, properly filled with the actual measurements, and forward them to the chief inspector of mines. (Sec. 922, 923, 924, 952.)

[=Record of boys employed.=] He shall keep a record of the boys under sixteen years of age employed by him, or by any other person, giving the name, age, place of birth, name and residence of parents, and character of employment. He shall require written evidence from the parent or guardian of each said minors, that the requirements of the school laws of this state have been complied with. (Sec. 912, 944.) (See Child Labor Law, Sec. 13002.)

"The provisions of Section 912, 944 and 953 G.C. do not permit the employment of children under 16 years of age in, about or in connection with any mine. Such employment is governed by the provisions of Section 13002 G.C."

Opinion No. 885 office of the Attorney General, State of Ohio, December 21, 1917.

[=a.s.sistant mine-foreman.=] The duties of mine-foreman shall apply to a.s.sistant mine-foreman, when acting for the mine-foreman, or in discharging the duties thereof. (Sec. 952, 965; Penalty, Sec. 976.)

Sec. 954. [=Relating to over-seer.=] The over-seer shall visit the working place of each inexperienced person engaged at mining or loading, at such intervals as provided for in this act, and instruct them as to their work and safety and a.s.sist them in caring for their safety. He shall instruct such persons not to handle or use any explosives except in his presence, until they have been employed in a mine not less than three months, and not then until he is satisfied that such persons are fully competent to handle and use same with safety. When, in his judgment, such persons require more frequent supervision than provided for in this act, he shall visit their working places as frequently as in his judgment the circ.u.mstances require. The foregoing shall not prohibit the mine-foreman from fulfilling the duties of overseer, so long as all the provisions of this act are complied with. (Sec. 965; Penalty, Sec. 976.)

=RELATING TO THE STABLEMAN AND FIRE-BOSS.=

Sec. 955. [=Duties of stableman.=] The stable man shall see that the provisions of this act relating to stables are carried out, and shall forbid persons not required by duty, to enter the stable or loiter in or about same, whether the stable be inside of the mine or on the surface. (Sec. 945, 960.)

[=Duties of fire-boss.=] The fire-boss shall examine with a safety lamp each working place, whether same is in the actual course of working or not, the traveling ways and entrances to old workings in the mine every morning, not more than three hours prior to the appointed time for the employes to enter the mine. As evidence of such examination, he shall mark with chalk upon the face of the coal, or in some other conspicuous place, his initials and date of the month. If there is any standing gas discovered, he shall leave a danger signal across every entrance to such place.

[=Report on blackboard.=] He shall make a report on a blackboard provided on the outside of the mine for that purpose, and arrange so the men can conveniently inspect it, showing the condition of the mine as to the presence of fire-damp, and indicating the place, or places, where present, if any is present, before he permits any person to enter the mine. He shall examine parts of the mine not in the actual course of working and available, not less than once each three days.

[=Written report.=] The fire-boss shall make a written report, which shall be kept in the office, or some place at the mine where it can be seen by the mine inspector when called for. He shall see that every part of the mine is kept free from standing gas, and that all old workings are properly fenced off, as provided for in this act.

He shall return to the mine with the miners and remain there at least one hour, attending to the removal of any standing gas. He shall examine the mine on idle days and Sundays if any men are required to work in any part of it, and if more than three hours elapse between the day turn leaving and night turn starting, the places to be worked by night turn must be examined by him with a safety lamp, and reported safe before persons go to them. (Sec. 925, 959; Penalty, Sec. 976.)

=RELATING TO EMPLOYES GENERALLY.=

Sec. 956. [=Duties of miner. Examination of working place.=] Each miner shall examine his working place upon entering same, and shall not commence to mine or load until it is made safe. He shall be very careful to keep his working place in a safe condition at all times.

(Sec. 952.)

[=Shall cease work when place is dangerous.=] Should he at any time find his place becoming dangerous from any cause or condition, he shall at once cease work, and notify the mine-foreman, or a.s.sistant mine-foreman, of such danger, and, upon leaving such place, he shall place some plain warning at the entrance thereto, to warn others from entering into the danger, and shall not return until ordered to do so by the mine-foreman, or a.s.sistant mine-foreman. (Sec. 953.)

[=Shall prop roof, etc.=] Each miner, or other person employed in a mine, shall securely prop the roof of the working place therein under his control, and shall obey any order, or orders, given by the superintendent or mine-foreman relating to the width of working places, and to the security of the mine in the part thereof where he is at work, and for fifteen feet back from the face of his working place. Such miner, or other person, shall not be held to have violated the provisions of this clause if the owner, lessee or agent fails to supply the necessary props, caps, and timbers, as provided for in this act. (Sec. 933, 953.)

[=Shall not waste props, etc.=] Each miner, or other person shall avoid waste of props, caps, timber, or other material. When he has props, caps, timber, or other material unsuited for his purpose, he shall not cover up or destroy same, but shall place it near the track where it can be readily seen. (Sec. 933, 953.)

[=Blasting when fire-damp is generating.=] He shall not fire a blast in any working place which is likely to generate sudden volumes of fire-damp, or where locked safety lamps are used, except with the consent of the mine-foreman, or other competent person designated by the mine-foreman for that purpose. (Sec. 962.)

[=Blasting when restricted to specific times.=] At a mine where the firing of shots is restricted to specific times, no miner shall fire a shot until the time appointed for him to do so, and then only in such rotation as designated. (Sec. 962.)

[=Examination after blasting.=] After each blast, he shall exercise great care in examining the roof and coal, and shall secure them safely before beginning to load coal. (Sec. 962.)

[=Shall post after undermining.=] After the coal is undermined, he shall, before shooting the coal, properly post the roof of his working place.

[=Must not go under draw-slate.=] When draw-slate is over the coal, he shall not go underneath the draw-slate until it is made safe from falling, by securely posting it, and he shall not remove the posts until the coal is removed and he is ready to take down the draw-slate.

[=Shall load fine coal.=] He shall not place in the gob or refuse pile, or cover up, any fine coal or coal dust, but shall load same into cars. (Sec. 944; Penalty, Sec. 976.)

Sec. 957. [=Duties of machine men.=] Machine runners and helpers shall use care while operating mining machines. They shall not operate a machine unless the s.h.i.+elds are in place, and shall warn persons not engaged in the operating of a machine of the danger in going near the machine while it is in operation, and shall not permit such persons to remain near the machine while it is in operation. They shall examine the roof of the working place and see that it is safe before starting to operate the machine. They shall not move the machine while the cutter chain is in motion. When connecting the power cable to the electric wires, they shall make the negative or grounded connections before connecting to the positive, and when disconnecting the power cable, shall disconnect from the positive line before disconnecting the negative or grounded. When positive feed wires extend into rooms, they shall connect such wires to the positive wire on the entry before connecting the power cable, and as soon as the power cable is disconnected shall disconnect such wire from the wire on the entry.

They shall use care that the cable does not make contact with metallic rails of the track, and shall avoid, where possible, leaving the cable in water. If they remove props which have been placed by the miner for the security of the roof, they shall reset such props as promptly as possible. (Sec. 941; Penalty, Sec. 976.)

Sec. 958. [=Duties of motormen and trip-riders.=] Motormen and trip-riders shall use care in handling the locomotive and cars, and shall see that the signal or marker, as provided for, is used as provided, and shall be governed by the speed provided for in this act in handling cars.

They shall not run the locomotive with the trolley ahead of the locomotive, except in cases where they cannot do otherwise, and then only at a speed of two miles per hour.

They shall warn persons forbidden to ride on the locomotive or cars, and shall not permit such persons to ride on locomotive or cars contrary to the provisions of this act.

[=Duties of trip-rider, rope haulage.=] The trip-rider in charge of rope haulage trips shall see that the signal light, as provided for in this act, is in place and in proper condition before starting trip.

[=Drivers.=] Drivers shall use care in handling cars, especially going down extreme grades, and at junction points.

[=Those in charge of trips of cars shall see that doors are closed.=] Motormen, trip-riders and drivers in charge of haulage trips pa.s.sing through doors used as a means of directing the ventilation, shall see that such doors are closed promptly after the trip pa.s.ses through. (Sec. 923, 943, 961; Penalty, Sec. 976.)

Sec. 959. [=Persons must not enter mine until fire-boss reports.=]

No person shall enter a mine generating fire-damp so as to be detected by a safety lamp, until the fire-boss makes a report outside the mine on a blackboard provided for that purpose, and arranged where the men can conveniently inspect it. No person shall go beyond a danger signal, until all standing gas discovered has been removed or diluted and rendered harmless by a current of air.

(Sec. 925, 955.)

[=Persons ordered to withdraw must not re-enter without permission.=] Any person being ordered by the mine-foreman to withdraw from the mine on account of the interruption of the ventilation shall not re-enter the mine until given permission to do so by the mine-foreman. (Sec. 952.)

[=Not more than ten persons on a cage.=] When more than ten persons get on a cage or elevator to be lowered into a mine, or to be hoisted out of a mine, the person in charge of the lowering and hoisting of such persons shall order a sufficient number to get off to reduce the number to ten persons, and the persons so ordered shall immediately comply. (Sec. 929.)