[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 30, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 30CFR77]

[Page 671]
 
                       TITLE 30--MINERAL RESOURCES
 
  CHAPTER I--MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
 
PART 77_MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS, SURFACE COAL MINES AND SURFACE WORK 
AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart T_Slope and Shaft Sinking
 
Sec.  77.1910  Explosives and blasting; general.

    (a) Light and power circuits shall be disconnected or removed from 
the blasting area before charging and blasting.
    (b) All explosive materials, detonators, and any other related 
blasting material employed in the development of any slope or shaft 
shall be stored, transported, carried, charged, and fired in accordance 
with the provision of Subpart N, ``Explosives and Blasting,'' of this 
Part 77. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, all shots 
shall be fired from the surface.
    (c) Where tests for methane have been conducted and methane has not 
been found and only permissible blasting units are being employed, shots 
may be fired from an upper level of the slope or shaft.
    (d) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, all men 
shall be removed from the slope or shaft prior to blasting.
    (e) Blasting areas in slopes or shafts shall be covered with mats or 
other suitable material when the excavation is too shallow to retain 
blasted material.
    (f) Where it is impracticable to prepare primers in the blasting 
area, primers may be prepared on the surface and carried into the shaft 
in specially constructed, insulated, covered containers.
    (g) No other development operation shall be conducted in a shaft or 
at the face of a slope while drill holes are being charged and until 
after all shots have been fired.
    (h) The sides of the slope or shaft between the overhead platform 
and the bottom where men are working shall be examined after each blast 
and loose material removed.
    (i) Loose rock and other material shall be removed from timbers and 
platforms after each blast before men are lowered to the shaft bottom.