WINDING AND SIGNALS
90. Approval of winding engines. Every winding engine, as installed, shall be approved by the inspector and where men are raised or lowered by such winding .engine. .s.u<;h notice of appro:v.al shall be pos.ted in. a conspicuous place adjacent to such winding engine.
91. Winding engine to be kept ready for use. When the usual method of egress from a mine is provided by means of a winding engine, such winding engine shall always be kept ready for use and the person in charge thereof shall remain in charge whilst any person is below in the mine, unless an alternative means of egress is available or the inspector in writing approves otherwise.
92. Guides in shafts. In every vertical shaft in which a winding engine is used to raise men, guides of an approved type shall be installed when required by the inspector.
93. Chairs at plats. When required by the inspector, chairs or bearers or some other suitable appliance approved by the inspector shall be installed at all plats where winding operations are carried on for tpe purpose of supporting the conveyance when the load is being removed therefrom or placed thereon.
94. Heights of winding openings. In all underlie shafts the winding openings through the plats shall be sufficiently high so that a man when sitting upright on the man truck has three inches clear space above his head at the 'plats, and in all parts of the underlie shafts hereafter constructed there shall be not less than four inches clear space between the sides of the man truck and shaft timbers.
95. Requirement before using rope. ( 1) Before any winding rope is placed in service in a mine the owner, authorised representative or manager shall deposit with the inspector a true copy of the maker's certificate giving full details of the construction of the rope, the class of steel used and the breaking strain of the rope: Provided that if the inspector is not satisfied with such certificate or if no such certificate is supplied then-
(a) Either the owner, authorised representative or manager shall obtain and produce a certificate of the result of a test at some recognised testing laboratory approved by the Chief Inspector, of the breaking strength of a piece cut from an end of the rope and of its full cross-section without any separation of strands, which certificate shall be considered
sufficient; or .
(b) The breaking strength as determined by the inspector from the test made by the machine at the inspector's office shall be taken to be the breaking strength of the rope.
The test made at the testing laboratory or at the inspector's office shall be a test of the breaking strength of the wires and shall include a torsional and bending test of the wires, and such tests shall be in accordance with standards approved by the Chief Inspector.
(2) Before a rope which has previously been in service can be used for any other winding purposes, a complete history of the rope and the details of its proposed use shall be submitted to the inspector and his approval obtained before the rope is so used.
Regulations rr. 96-100 61 96. Use of spliced ropes. No spliced rope shall be used for the haulage of men, unless with the written approval of the inspector.
97. Factor of safety of new rope. Except with the permission of the Chief Inspector every winding rope used for hoisting ore and materials shall have a breaking strain of not less than six times the maximum static stress in the rope due to the maximum working load which shall consist of the weight of the rope in the shaft, in addition to the weight of the skip, cage, or other conveyance with its connections to the rope and the contained load: Provided that when a winding rope is used for the hoisting of persons the maximum working load shall not exceed 85 percentage of the maximum load when the rope is in use for other purposes.
98. Rope treating and lubrication. Each hoisting rope shall be adequately treated or lubricated with a suitable rope compound at least once a month.
99. Periodical inspection of ropes and attachments, etc. The manager.
or some competent person or persons appointed by him in writing shall carefully examine-
( a) At least once every day the winding ropes and their attach- ments to the conveyances, the brakes, depth indicators, the conveyances and their safety catches, the head sheaves, and all and every external part of the winding arrangements upon the proper working of which safety depends.
(b) At least once a week the guides and the winding compart- ments generally, the signalling arrangements and the external parts of the winding engine.
(c) At least once a month the detaching hooks, safety catches, and attachments upon which safety depends, also the structure of the winding rope. For the purpose of winding rope examination, the inspector may require measurements of rope diameter to be taken at selected places or such other tests as he may direct.
(d) A report of every weekly or monthly examination required by this regulation shall be recorded and signed by every person making the examination.
If by such examination any defect is discovered by which safety may be endangered, the defect shall immediately be reported to the manager and remedied. No person shall be raised or lowered by means of such defective appliances until such defect is remedied.
100. Periodical testing of ropes. ( 1) Ropes used for winding shall be recapped at least once every six months or at shorter intervals if required by an inspector.
(2) At six-monthly intervals at least six feet shall be cut off the conveyance end of the rope, and sent to the inspector for a test on the machine at the inspector's office or to some recognised testing laboratory approved by the Chief Inspector, for a test which shall consist of tensile, torsional and bending tests in accordance with standards approved by the Chief Inspector.
c
( 3) At the end of the first year after a new rope has been installed sufficient rope must be cut from the lower end to enable a test to be made of a section of the rope which has repeatedly passed over the head frame: Provided that the inspector may exempt in writing any particular installation from this particular test as he may determine.
( 4) When required by the inspector, where there are more than two layers of rope wound on to any winding engine drum, the rope shall be cropped at the drum at yearly intervals and six feet of rope sent to the inspector for a test on the machine at the inspector's office or to a testing laboratory approved by the Chief Inspector for a test which shall consist of tensile, torsional and bending tests in accordance with standards approved by the Chief Inspector. On each occasion the rope shall be re-booked on the drum in a manner approved by the inspector.
( 5) When any prescribed test shows that the rope can no longer be safely used, such rope may be condemned by the inspector and shall be removed by the manager.
The result of every such test shall be recorded by the manager or some responsible person appointed by him.
101. History of rope in use. There shall be recorded in a suitable book kept for the purpose a history of all winding ropes used on ·a· mine which shall include-
Name of shaft in which rope is used.
Compartments in which rope is used.
Date on which rope was put on.
Dates of shortening.
Dates of recapping.
Dates of tests and results.
Date when rope taken off.
Dates of examination, cleaning and oiling of winding ropes and appliances required by the regulations.
102. Repairs to winding engine. On all occasions when repairs are being effected to the clutch or brakes of a winding engine while the ropes are attached to the drums, the conveyance shall be removed or firmly supported by means other than such ropes while the work is in progress.
103. Testing winding engines after repair or stoppage. After any stoppage for repairs which might affect the safe running of the engine and after any stoppage for any other purpose which shall exceed eight hours in duration, the winding engine shall not be used for raising or lowering persons until the conveyance has been run at least one complete trip up and down the working portion of the shaft.
I 04. Stop block to be provided. A stop block shall be provided and used at the head of inclined tramways to prevent runaways of full or empty trucks and where trucks arc to be operated by a rope no truck shall be olaccd or left on the rails in a position from which a runaway can occur unless such truck is properly attached to the rope and the ropt: is kept sutticicntly taut so as to prevent a runaway.
Regulations rr. 105-112 63 105. Open hooks not to be used. No open hook shall be used with a bucket in hoisting, but only such type of hook as is approved by the inspector.
106. Whims, whips and windlasses. Whims, whips and windlasses shall be provided with a swpper, pawl or other reliable holder and shall not be used to rais.e or lower persons.
107. Winding engine to be approved. Every winding engine shall be of sufficient capacity for safely conveying its maximum load to any level or part of the shaft.
108. Brakes, indicators, etc. Every winding engine used for hoisting or haulage shall be provided with-
( 1) An adequate brake fitted in such a manner to each winding drum that it can be applied by the winding engine driver without leaving his operating position, and the inspector may at any time order a test of the efficiency of such brake.
(2) Means for preventing the free drum from revolving when out of gear.
(J) A dial or indicator, approved by the inspector, to enable the winding engine driver to determine the position in the shaft of each conveyance and such indicator shall ring a bell in the engine room or otherwise warn the winding engine driver when the conveyance is within a distance of one hundred feet from the collar of the shaft:
Provided that a winding engine powered by steam, air or electricity shall, in addition, be provided with a pressure gauge or other suitable device in proper working order to indicate to the winding engine driver that power is available and in no case shall the steam, air or electricity be cut off unless and until it is safe to do so.
109. Flanges on drums. There shall be on the drum of every wind- ing engine used for lowering or raising persons or materials such horns or flanges and also, if the drum is conical, such other appliances as may be necessary to prevent the rope from slipping.
110. Winding in single gear. (1) In the case of winding engines provided with and using two drums, men shall not, except in case of emergency, be raised or lowered in a conveyance connected with such engine while one of the drums is out of gear and loose on the shaft which operates it.
(2) Should men be so raised or lowered in any case of emergency at any mine, the manager must within 24 hours notify the inspector in writing and give full particulars of the circumstances which necessitated men being allowed to ride in the conveyance under such conditions.
111. Speed of winding. In raising or lowering men the speed shall not exceed 500 feet per minute or such greater speed as may be approved by the inspector when the conveyance is within 200 feet of the surface or bottom stopping place; the maximum speed in any· other portion of the shaft shall be as determined by the inspector.
112. Overwind catches. The owner, authorised representative or manager shall cause automatic or self-acting catches of a suitable kind to be fixed below the winding sheaves of every vertical shaft in which
64 Regulations
a cage is used, so as to prevent the fall of such cage down the shaft when detached from the rope by over winding, and shall cause proper platforms to be provided at such catches, and such catches shall be kept in proper working·order.
113. Overhead protection for men in shafts. Except when a shaft is being inspected or repaired all persons working or being lowered or raised therein shall be protected overhead from falls of material down such shaft by means of some suitable device, unless otherwise approved by the inspector.
114. Where cages or skips will be used. (1) Every shaft exceeding 200 feet in depth where a winding engine is used for lowering or raising men. shall be provided with a cage or skip to transport such men, pro- vided that the inspector may grant an exemption to this regulation in writing, subject to such conditions as he may determine.
(2) When buckets may be used. Nothing in this regulatio& shall prevent the use of buckets or skips during the sinking of shafts or winzes or for raising or lowering materials, mine products or debriso
115. Where cage not used. In every shaft in which cages are not used, the persons ascending or descending therein by the aid of machinery
!lhall be stayed to the rope or protected in such manner as the inspector may require.
116. Chains and coupJings. No chain shall be used for raising or lowering persons in any shaft, but short coupling chains may be attached to the cage, skip or tank. In such cases two single link chains of uniform size shall be used to each coupling and the two chai.ns shall each have a breaking strain not less than six times the weight of their combined loads. As and when required by the inspector such chains shall be suitably annealed.
117. Safeiy appliances for cages. (1) Every cage and, when required by the inspector, every other conveyance used in a shaft shall be fitted with safety catches to prevent such cage or other conveyance falling down the shaft in the event of rope failure or some other cause and shall also be fitted with a safety hook to provide for the release of the winding rope in the event of an overwind. Exemption may be granted by the inspector for inclined shafts and shafts equipped with steel guides under such conditions as he may determine.
(2) The specific design of such safety appliances shall be approved by an inspector.
( 3) All detaching and safety hooks and safety catches shall, at least once in e;very six months be taken to pieces, examined, cleaned and oiled by a competent person who shall record the result of such examination.
( 4) There shall not be less than ten feet of clearance between the detaching hooks and the point of detachment when the cages are at the brace or uppermost landing; provided that exemption from this sub- regulation may be granted by the inspector under such conditions as he may determine.
118. Testing safety cages. Safety cages shall be tested with maxi- mum load according to the requirements of the inspector and shall not be used until provided with all the appliances required by him and unless they are in good working order and condition. The manager, or other
Regulations rr.119-121 65 duly qualified persons appointed by him, shall test the cages at least once every month by testing from the drum. If required by the inspector the cage shall be tested by a "Free Fall" test in a manner that he may require. The results of all such tests shall be recorded.
119. Design of cages and skips. The design and construction of every cage or skip shall be approved by the inspector prior to use. The following are minimum requirements:-
( a) Every cage used for raising and lowering men shall have a clear height of 6 ft. 6 in. from the floor of the cage to the underside of the moving patts of the safety gearing, or if the gearing is outside the cage, between the floor and the cover of the cage.
(b) The cover of every cage or skip shall be securely hung on hinges and shall be fitted in a sloping position so as to be readily lifted upwards by persons within the cage unless otherwise approved by the inspector and when required by the inspector the cage shall be fitted with suitable band rails.
(c) In the case of multiple decked cages a portion of each intermediate floor shall be hinged so as to allow persons below to raise that portion so as to have access to the deck above, unless otherwise approved by the inspector.
(d) The sides shall be fitted with suitable covering to protect the persons in the cage.
(e) When men are to travel in a cage a dropbar shall be fitted to every cage entrance, or if required by the inspector a gate shall be fitted in place of such dropbar.
{/) In the case of cages used to hoist trucks, appliances approved by the ins~ctor shall be fitted to prevent movement of the truck when the cage is in motion.
120. Number permitted in cage. The number of persons allowed to ride at one time in a cage or other conveyance shall be fixed by the inspector and shall be kept posted up at the brace and each stopping place.
121. Signalling in shaft. (1) Every working shaft in which a cage or skip is used and every division of such shaft in which persons are raised or lowered shall be provided with some proper means of communicating distinct and definite signals-
( a) From the bottom station of the shaft and from every working entrance between the surface and the bottom station to the winding engine room; and
(b) Where required by the inspector from the winding engine room to the surface and to the bottom station of the shaft and to every working entrance between the surface and the bottom station of the shaft.
(2) When required by the inspector a line shall be provided in each working compartment of each shaft or winze to permit of signals being communicated to the engine driver from any portion of such shaft or winze. Such signal lines shall be so balanced as to be easily worked by band without the aid of a lever.
122. Code of signals.
used in every mine:- (1) The following code of signals shall be (a) Knocks or Rings
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 12
1 pause 1 pause 2 paus.e 3 pause 4 pause 5 2 pause 1 pause 2 pause 3 pause 4 pause 5 3 pause 1 pause 2 pause 3 pause 4 pause 5 4 pause 1 pause 2 pause 3 pause 4 pause 5
Shall signify
"Stop" when in motion.
"Hold-fast" when stationary.
Lower.
Hoist.
Men on.
Throw in or out of gear.
Cage at liberty-release signal.
Firing signal.
Accident (to be followed by the signal for the level).
No. 1 level.
No. 2 level.
No. 3 level.
No. 4 level.
No. 5 level.
No. 6 level.
No. 7 level.
No. 8 level.
No. 9 level.
No. 10 level.
No. 11 level.
No. 12 level.
No. 13 level.
No. 14 level.
No. 15 level.
No. 16 level.
No. 17 level.
No. 18 level.
No. 19 level.
No. 20 level.
For levels of greater depth than No. 20 level the code of signals shall be extended accordingly, e.g. 5 pause 1 shall indicate No. 21 level.
In each case when a level signal is made it shall signify to raise or lower as the case may be.
All signals from level to level shall be regarded as meaning that men are being raised or lowered.
(b) Firing Signals-When safety fuse is used for firing in the sinks of shafts or winzes and when winding from the bottom of the shaft directly to the top thereof by means of the main winding engine or when winding from the bottom of the shaft to a station underground therein or from the bottom of a winze by means of a winch or other auxiliary engine-
Knocks or Rings Shall signify
7 . . Firing warning.
3 . . Hoist, men on.
Upon recetvmg the signal 7 (firing warning), the engine driver of such main or auxiliary winding engine shall raise the bucket or cage by giving his engine not less than one full revolution and shall then lower