Mine Safety and Health Administration
Protecting Miners' Safety and Health Since 1978
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U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration Protecting Miners' Safety and Health Since 1978 |
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VOLUME II INTERPRETATION, APPLICATION AND GUIDELINES ON ENFORCEMENT OF 30 CFR PART 5 .... FEES FOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS 5.30 Fee Calculation Waiver of Application Fee for Testing, Evaluation and Approval of Mining Products Title 30, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 5 requires applicants to submit an application fee for each product approval action listed in the fee schedule which is subject to an hourly rate. That application fee is no longer required by MSHA. Waiver of the application fee eliminates any potential delay in the initiation of processing approval actions. The waiver of this application fee will not reduce the total cost to the applicants seeking product approval. The final invoice issued by MSHA will include all costs for time expended. Fee Estimate Provisions for Approval Applications The Approval and Certification Center offers several pre-authorization options that an applicant may consider when submitting applications under 30 CFR Parts 7, 15 through 29, 33, 35, and 36. Pre-authorization provides a mechanism for MSHA to begin evaluating or testing of the applicant's product prior to the fee estimate process. Examples of pre-authorization available to the applicant include:
Subpart A General Provisions 18.4 Electrical Equipment For Which Approval Will Be Issued Interconnection of MSHA Evaluated Mine-Wide Monitoring Systems and MSHA-Approved Equipment Section 18.4 of 30 CFR indicates that approval will be issued only for a complete electric machine. However, 30 CFR Section 18.20(b) indicates that all possible designs, circuits, arrange- ments, or combinations of components cannot be foreseen and that modifications to the requirements could be made to obtain the same degree of protection. Mine-Wide Monitoring System circuits connected to approved electric equipment in accordance with this policy are intrinsically safe. Therefore, the same degree of protection is provided for the approved machine with or without the interface to the MSHA-evaluated Mine-Wide Monitoring System. When an electric cable(s) from an MSHA-classified barrier in an MSHA-Evaluated Mine-Wide Monitoring System terminates in an explosion-proof enclosure on MSHA-approved equipment, the following conditions shall be met:
Control functions of the monitoring system shall be capable of being manually overridden at the machine. On approval applications incorporating MSHA-evaluated Mine-Wide Monitoring Systems, a one-line diagram shall show where the monitoring system cable is connected to the machine. The documentation shall include all pertinent electric cable information (size, type, number of conductors, electrical rating,outside diameter). Notes indicating where the requirements above are met shall also be included. 18.6 Applications Cable Splicing Requirements Specified in Caution Statement Paragraph 18.6(j) of Part 18, 30 CFR, requires an applicant(equipment manufacturer) to submit a caution statement specifying the conditions for maintaining permissibility of the equipment.A sample statement is provided in Figure 3, Appendix II of Part 18. Paragraph 5 of this statement entitled Cable Requirements, includes a provision permitting no more than five temporary splices in a portable cable. Part 75, 30 CFR, states that only one temporary splice may be made in any trailing cable. Such trailing cable may only be used for the next 24-hour period. Since this requirement is different from that referenced in the sample statement, all submitted sample caution statements specifying details on splicing are required to reflect this requirement, rather than the allowance for five splices. Subpart B .... Construction and Design Requirements 18.20 Quality of Material, Workmanship, and Design Paragraph 18.20(a) of Part 18, 30 CFR, requires equipment to be designed to facilitate inspection and maintenance. Paragraph 18.20(b) of 30 CFR Part 18 requires equipment to be safe for its intended use. Acceptance of Fiber Optic Cables and Cables Smaller than #14 AWG The Mine Safety and Health Administration Approval and Certification Center has established a program for the evaluation of fiber optic cables and will include electrical signaling cables smaller than #14 AWG. This program establishes a mechanism that manufacturers may use to obtain acceptance of the subject cables for mine use. The program affords MSHA an opportunity to evaluate the application of new technology as applied to the mining industry while providing manufacturers with a means to obtain MSHA evaluation of these products. A fee will be charged for the evaluation and testing of these products as prescribed under Part 5, 30 CFR. This fee will be determined on an hourly basis similar to the present cable program. The major difference in the new program is that the test procedure has been modified by eliminating the electrical current requirements, changing the ignition time, and changing the pass/fail criteria. Fiber Optic Cables Used on Approved Equipment Fiber optic cable that does not contain current-carrying conductors will be acceptable for use on approved equipment, provided it:
Any manufacturer's request to use a fiber optic cable in an application that does not specifically meet these requirements will be evaluated on the merit of the request. Longwall Motor and Shearer Cables This policy addresses specific longwall cables, namely, motor cables that supply power to all longwall motors, except those on-board the shearer, and shearer cables that supply power to longwall shearers. This policy takes into account that these cables have characteristics of both trailing and intra-machine cables as follows.
MSHA has determined that the length of cable between a starter/controller of an MSHA-approved pump assembly and the pump motor cable fits into the same category for splicing purposes as longwall motor and shearer cables. These pump motor cables can vary from less than 100 feet to more than 1,000 feet and, like trailing cables; they can be exposed to damage from contact with surfaces of the mine terrain and mining equipment. Disconnecting Devices Installed On-Board Mine Equipment Disconnecting devices installed on machines submitted for approval under 30 CFR Part 18 must meet Part 75 requirements in order to comply with the requirements of 30 CFR 18.4 and 18.20(b) so that the device is safe for its intended use. In addition, field modifications will be necessary if mine operators seek to install such devices on equipment with approvals that do not include these disconnecting devices. Load Locking Valves All hydraulic cylinders used to elevate cutting heads on conveyor booms of loading machines and continuous miners must have hydraulic load locking valves that meet the applicable MSHA criteria in order to be considered as approved under 30 CFR Part 18. Enclosures Housing Energy Storage Devices Therefore, to preclude a potential electrical shock hazard, energy storage devices (not including batteries) housed in explosion-proof enclosures are required to be provided with a means of being discharged before they are accessible to maintenance personnel. The maximum discharge time for such energy storage devices must be specified on the drawings on which they appear. The circuit design, a bleeding resistor, or a discharge switch are acceptable methods of satisfying this requirement. The circuit design or bleeding resistor is the preferred form of discharging the energy storage device. If discharge switches are used, a caution tag shall be on the enclosure cover warning that the discharge switch must be activated before the cover or cover mounting bolts are loosened. Potential Hazard on Machines Designed with Multiple Functions Machines that are designed to perform multiple functions from a single drive unit, simultaneously or individually, are required to be of a design that automatically disengages any engaging mechanism drive when the mechanism is shut down. Circuit Breakers Handle Position Manufacturers of equipment incorporating circuit breakers are required to provide a means that will make it easily discernible to ascertain the "on-off" position of vertically mounted circuit breakers. The "on-off" position shall be identified both externally, i.e., with the cover of the enclosure that houses the breaker in place, and internally, i.e., with the cover removed. Flame Resistant Conveyor Belting on Equipment The subject paragraph requires electrical equipment to be constructed of suitable materials. Section 18.65 of Part 18, 30 CFR, specifies the test procedures and criteria for the acceptance of conveyor belting as flame-resistant (fire-resistant). Therefore, conveyor belting used on equipment approved under Part 18, 30 CFR, shall be flame resistant (fire-resistant) in accordance with Section 18.65 Part 18, 30 CFR. Use of Metal Halide or Mercury Vapor Bulbs with Polycarbonate Lenses Polycarbonate has been accepted as a suitable material with physical characteristics equivalent to 1/2-inch thick tempered glass to be used for luminaire lenses (reference Paragraph 18.46(c) of Part 18, 30 CFR). However, the high levels of ultraviolet radiation and heat generation produced by a metal halide or mercury vapor bulb cause a degradation of the polycarbonate. The change in physical characteristics results in a weakened polycarbonate exhibiting cracking and crazing. Therefore, the use of metal halide bulbs or mercury vapor bulbs in explosion-proof enclosures with polycarbonate lenses is not acceptable. Electric Equipment Incorporating Methane Monitors When methane monitors are incorporated in designs of electric equipment, the following conditions shall be met.
Paragraph 18.20(f) of 30 CFR Part 18 requires that brakes be provided for each wheel-mounted machine, unless design of the driving mechanism will preclude movement of the machine when parked. Several fatal accidents have occurred involving electric face equipment when devices designed to trap hydraulic fluid in wheel cylinders were used as parking brakes. This design is deemed inadequate for use as a parking brake because the device might inadvertently cause the brake to release due to a number of factors such as fluid leakage, thermal contraction of brake fluid, or damage to hydraulic parts or brake lines. To correct this problem, MSHA will not approve equipment with parking brake systems that depend upon locking a column of fluid within the braking system to maintain contact between the friction material and the braking surface. Pursuant to 30 CFR 18.20(b) and (f), the parking brake, when applied, shall hold the mining equipment stationary up to its maximum rated gradeability, despite any contraction of the brake parts, exhaustion of any nonmechanical source of energy, or leakage of any kind. The majority of rubber-tired Part 18 equipment can comply with the policy. Approval and Certification Center engineers can provide technical assistance on the design of braking systems that need to be brought into compliance. Red Light Reflecting Material Paragraph 18.20(g) of 30 CFR Part 18 requires red light-reflecting material on both the front and rear of each mobile transportation unit that travels at a speed greater than 2.5 mph and recommends its use on each end of other mobile machines. Reflectors or reflecting tape is an acceptable means of satisfying this requirement. However, reflecting paint is not acceptable to satisfy this requirement. To be consistent with the requirements for Part 75.1719-4, 30 CFR, the reflecting material shall have a minimum area of 10 square inches. Separate Terminations for Ground and Ground-Check Conductors When a ground monitoring circuit employs a ground-check conductor to verify the continuity of the grounding conductor to the equipment frame(s), the ground-check and the equipment grounding conductors shall be separately terminated to the metallic frame(s) inside the enclosure(s) of the electrical equipment. |
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