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ISSUE DATE: May 1, 2007 PROGRAM INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. P07-11 FROM: KEVIN STRICKLIN  Acting Administrator for Coal Mine Safety and Health SUBJECT: Examination of Electrical Underground Coal Mine Equipment Who needs this information? Operators of underground coal mines, miners' representatives, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) enforcement personnel, and other interested parties should have this information. What is the purpose of this bulletin? This Program Information Bulletin (PIB) informs the mining community of the application of 30 C.F.R. Part 75, Section 512, "Electric equipment; examination, testing and maintenance," to idle and out-of-service equipment. This bulletin is also intended to provide consistency in enforcing 30 C.F.R. § 75.512, § 75.800-3 and § 75.900-3. Information Out-of-service equipment is equipment that is not used because it needs maintenance or requires repair. Some equipment may be out of service due to scheduled vacation time at a mine or for any reason other than being idled, as indicated below. Such out-of-service equipment shall be de-energized. De-energization can be achieved in a number of ways: by locking and tagging out equipment, circuit breakers, cable couplers, or power center receptacles; by disconnecting the cable from the power center and rolling up the cable to the equipment; or by other methods dependent on the system. When equipment is out of service, it should be labeled with a tag to identify it as "out-of-service." Locking and tagging out equipment alone does not indicate that the equipment is out of service. Equipment may be locked and tagged out for the purpose of maintenance or repair such as for trouble shooting or testing and may not necessarily be out of service. Out-of-service equipment must also be listed as "out-of-service" in the electrical examination records, either in the weekly examination record or in the monthly examination record for circuit-breakers, whichever applies. Defective circuit breakers and receptacles cannot always be locked out. In these instances they can be de-energized by removing the conductors from the line or load side of the circuit breaker and/or removing the conductors supplying the receptacle, and suitably tagging the defective circuit breaker or receptacle to indicate how the circuit breaker or receptacle was removed from service. Before such equipment is returned to service, it must be examined, in accordance with 30 C.F.R. § 75.512, § 75.800-3, or § 75.900-3, if the equipment was out of service for a period of time exceeding the examination limits prescribed by these standards. Idle equipment is equipment that is not in use but is ready to be placed back in service at any time when the need arises. Such equipment should be maintained in a safe operating condition so that it can be used when needed. This equipment must be examined weekly, in accordance with 30 C.F.R. § 75.512-2, or monthly for circuit-breakers, in accordance with 30 C.F.R. § 75-800-3 or § 75.900-3. What is the background for this PIB? Questions have been raised regarding what constitutes out-of-service equipment, how enforcement personnel determine whether equipment is out of service, and how enforcement personnel apply the provisions of standards 30 C.F.R. § 75.512, § 75.800-3, and § 75.900-3 to such equipment. What is MSHA's authority for this PIB? The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended, 30 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.; 30 C.F.R. § 75.512, § 75.800-3, and § 75.900-3. Is this PIB on the Internet? This PIB may be viewed on the World Wide Web by accessing the MSHA home page (www.msha.gov ) then choosing "Compliance Info" and "Program Information Bulletins." Who is the MSHA contact person for this PIB? Coal Mine Safety and Health Salwa El-Bassioni, (202) 693-9525 E-mail: El-Bassioni.Salwa@dol.gov Who will receive this PIB? MSHA Program Policy Manual Holders Underground Coal Mine Operators Coal Special Interest Groups |
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