[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: 30CFR75.1321]



[Page 575-576]

 

                       TITLE 30--MINERAL RESOURCES

 

  CHAPTER I--MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

 

PART 75_MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS_UNDERGROUND COAL MINES--Table of 

Contents

 

                    Subpart N_Explosives and Blasting

 

Sec.  75.1321  Permits for firing more than 20 boreholes and for use 

of nonpermissible blasting units.



    (a) Applications for permits for firing more than 20 boreholes in a 

round and for the use of nonpermissible blasting units shall be 

submitted in writing to the District Manager for the district in which 

the mine is located and shall contain the following information:

    (1) The name and address of the mine;

    (2) The active workings in the mine affected by the permit and the 

approximate number of boreholes to be fired;

    (3) The period of time during which the permit will apply;

    (4) The nature of the development or construction for which they 

will be used, e.g., overcasts, undercasts, track grading, roof brushing 

or boom holes;

    (5) A plan, proposed by the operator designed to protect miners in 

the mine from the hazards of methane and other explosive gases during 

each multiple shot, e.g., changes in the mine ventilation system, 

provisions for auxiliary ventilation and any other safeguards necessary 

to minimize such hazards;

    (6) A statement of the specific hazards anticipated by the operator 

in blasting for overcasts, undercasts, track grading, brushing of roof, 

boom holes or other unusual blasting situations such as coalbeds of 

abnormal thickness; and

    (7) The method to be employed to avoid the dangers anticipated 

during development or construction which will ensure the protection of 

life and the prevention of injuries to the miners exposed to such 

underground blasting.

    (b) The District Manager may permit the firing of more than 20 

boreholes of permissible explosives in a round where he has determined 

that it is necessary to reduce the overall hazard to which miners are 

exposed during underground



[[Page 576]]



blasting. He may also permit the use of nonpermissible blasting units if 

he finds that a permissible blasting unit does not have adequate 

blasting capacity and that the use of such permissible units will create 

any of the following development or construction hazards:

    (1) Exposure to disturbed roof in an adjacent cavity while scaling 

and supporting the remaining roof prior to wiring a new series of 

boreholes;

    (2) Exposure to underburden boreholes where prior rounds have 

removed the burden adjacent to a remaining borehole;

    (3) Exposure to an unsupported roof while redrilling large 

fragmented roof rock following the loss of predrilled boreholes during 

earlier blasting operations; or

    (4) Any other hazard created by the use of permissible blasting 

units during underground development or construction.

    (c) Permits shall be issued on a mine-by-mine basis for periods of 

time to be specified by the District Manager.

    (d) Permits issued under this section shall specify and include as a 

condition of their use, any safeguards, in addition to those proposed by 

the operator, which the District Manager issuing such permit has 

determined will be required to ensure the welfare of the miners employed 

in the mine at the time of the blasting permitted.



[35 FR 17890, Nov. 20, 1970, as amended at 60 FR 33723, June 29, 1995]