S.I. No. 330/1975:

TYNAGH MINE (WINDING) REGULATIONS, 1975.

TYNAGH MINE (WINDING) REGULATIONS, 1975.

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 Tynagh Mine, County Galway, hereby make the following special regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Tynagh Mine (Winding) Regulations, 1975.

2. These Regulations apply to the Tynagh Mine at Tynagh in the County of Galway (in these Regulations referred to as "the mine") and shall come into operation on the 1st day of February, 1976.

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 predtermined 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 that 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 ) a conveyance (forming part of the apparatus) is stationary at any landing or entrance to the shaft, and

( b ) (i) unloading or loading of the conveyance is being carried on, or

(ii) any door or gate of the conveyance is not fully closed.

(3) The machinery of the apparatus shall be capable of being set in motion only be means of--

( a ) 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, or

( b ) a manually operated push button at any landing or entrance to the shaft in such position as to enable the person operating the button to observe the loading or unloading of a conveyance at that landing or entrance.

(4) There shall be provided, in such position as to be readily available to a person operating a switch or push button provided in accordance with this regulation, an effective device for preventing the machinery from being set in motion and to stop it when in motion.

(5) A person shall not operate the switch provided in accordance with paragraph (3) (a) of this regulation other than the person in charge of the apparatus and no person, other than a competent person appointed for the purpose by the manager, shall operate the push button provided in accordance with paragraph (3) (b) of this regulation.

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 31st day of December, 1975.

MICHAEL O'LEARY,

Minister for Labour.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

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