S.I. No. 14/1977 - Tara Mine (Winding) Regulations, 1977.

S.I. No. 14 of 1977.

TARA MINE (WINDING) REGULATIONS, 1977.

I, MICHAEL O'LEARY, Minister for Labour, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 48 and 127 of the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965 (No. 7 of 1965), and the Labour (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1966 ( S.I. No. 164 of 1966 ), after due compliance with the provisions of the Second Schedule to that Act relating to the procedure for making special regulations, for the purpose of preventing accidents at Tara Mine, County Meath, hereby make the following special regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Tara Mine (Winding) Regulations, 1977.

2. These Regulations apply to the Tara Mine at Navan in the County of Meath (in these Regulations referred to as "the mine") and shall come into operation on the 1st day of February, 1977.

3. In these Regulations—

" the Act" means the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965 (No. 7 of 1965);

"automatic" means the operation of a winding engine (hoist) between predetermined levels in a shaft of the mine without intervention by the winding engineman (hoistman);

"manager" means a person appointed under section 13 of the Act.

4. A mechanically operated winding apparatus shall not, while being operated automatically, be used for the carriage of persons through a shaft of the mine.

5. Where a shaft of the mine is provided with a mechanically operated winding apparatus the operation of which may be rendered automatic, the following provisions shall apply in relation to the contrivance for so rendering it, namely:

( a ) it shall be situated in the winding engine (hoist) room,

( b ) it shall be incapable of taking effect unless a conveyance is at the highest or lowest landing to which a conveyance is raised or lowered by such winding apparatus,

( c ) it shall, on any occasion when it is functioning, prevent from operating any means (apart from the contrivance) for setting in motion the machinery of such winding apparatus, and

( d ) it shall not be applied by any person other than the person authorised in writing by the manager of the mine to be in charge of such winding apparatus.

6. The manager of the mine shall take all practicable steps to ensure that there are in force arrangements for the effective supervision of the operation of any mechanically operated winding apparatus at any time when it is being operated automatically.

7. Where, in the course of the automatic operation of any mechanically operated winding apparatus, a conveyance is stationary, otherwise than at any landing or entrance to a shaft of the mine, the apparatus shall be operated only by or under the supervision of the person in charge of the apparatus and in such manner as will raise or lower the conveyance to or from the highest or lowest landing or entrance in the shaft at a speed not exceeding two metres per second.

8. (1) Where the operation of any mechanically operated winding apparatus with which a shaft of the mine is provided is rendered automatic, the manager of the mine shall ensure that the following provisions of this regulation are complied with.

(2) There shall be provided an effective automatic device constructed so as to prevent the machinery of the apparatus being set in motion on any occasion when a conveyance (forming part of the apparatus) is stationary at any landing or entrance to the shaft and unloading or loading of the conveyance is being carried on.

(3) The machinery of the apparatus shall be capable of being set in motion only by means of a manually operated switch provided in the winding engine (hoist) room in such a position as to enable the person operating the switch to observe the operation of the apparatus.

(4) A person, other than the person in charge of the apparatus, shall not operate the switch provided in accordance with paragraph (3) of this regulation.

(5) There shall be provided in every shaft of the mine, in such numbers and in such locations as determined by the manager, devices for preventing the machinery from being set in motion and to stop it when in motion, and the said devices when provided shall be easily recognisable and easily operable.

(6) (a) At any place in a shaft of the mine where unloading or loading of a conveyance is being carried on, there shall be provided, at precise locations determined by the manager, suitable means for the purpose of detecting whether or not the door of a conveyance is fully closed on the completion of the unloading or loading operation.

(b) The means referred to in the foregoing sub-paragraph of this paragraph shall, when activated, immediately cut off the power supply to the winding engine (hoist) and effectively apply the brakes of the winding engine (hoist).

9. Section 44 (1) of the Act (which relates to the charge of winding apparatus when persons are not carried) and the Fifth Schedule to the Mines (General) Regulations, 1975 ( S.I. No. 331 of 1975 ) shall not apply to mechanically operated winding apparatus at the mine where, and for so long as, the apparatus is operated automatically.

GIVEN under my Official Seal this 25th day of January, 1977.

MICHAEL O'LEARY,

Minister for Labour.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These regulations are for the protection of the safety, health and welfare of persons employed at Tara Mine, Co. Meath, and prescribe measures to be taken with regard to the use of automatic winding equipment at the mine.