Regulations for the Implementation of the Mine Safety Law of the People's Republic of China

Regulations for the Implementation of the Mine Safety Law of the People's Republic of China Regulations for the Implementation of the Mine Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (Approved by the State Council on October 11, 1996 and promulgated by Decree No.4 of the Ministry of Labour on October 30, 1996) Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the Mine Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Mining Safety Law ). Article 2 Terms used in the Mining Safety Law and in these Regulations have meanings as the following: "Mines" refers to the site where mining operations of mineral resources are performed within a mining area assigned with legal approval, and its auxiliary facilities. "Mining operations of mineral resources" refers to those operations related to exploration of mineral resources, construction of mines, production, close-down of pits and other operations, within the mining area assigned with legal approval. Article 3 The state shall adopt policies and measures to support education on mining safety, to encourage research and application of safety mining techniques, safety management, safety devices and apparatuses, and to promote progress in science and technology on safety mining operations. Article 4 People's governments at all levels, government departments or enterprises and institutions shall, in accordance with relevant state provisions, give awards to units and persons who fall into any of the following categories: (1) having been devoted and made remarkable contributions to his duty in safety management and safety monitoring; (2) having done meritorious service in preventing accidents or in rescuing operations in mines; (3) having made marked achievements in popularization of safety techniques and in improving safety devices used in mines; (4) having presented rationalization proposals on safety production in mines, bringing in remarkable results; or (5) having made inventions and achievements in scientific research which have shown marked effects in improving working condition in mines or in preventing accidents. Chapter II Safety Guarantees in the Construction of Mines Article 5 Geological exploration reports for designing mines shall include technical data as follows: (1) nature and scope of relatively large faults, zones of fracture, landslide and mud-rock flows; (2) nature, thickness, shape of water-bearing beds (including Karst caves) and water-resisting layers, hydraulic relation between the water-bearing beds, between surface waters and underground waters, phreatic water level, quality, quantity and flowing directions of underground waters, surface water system and its hydrophobic capacity relating to hydro-engineering, as well as records of local annual precipitation and the highest level of flood; (3) locations, excavating depth and water-logged situation of original small kilns and old kilns within the mining area under design; (4) situation about methane and carbondioxide accumulated, possibility of self-ignition of ores, and possibility of explosion caused by mine dust; (5) components, contents and variation of ores harmful to human health, data about natural radioactive background within the exploring area backdated for at least one year; (6) abnormality of ground temperature, heat-conducting rate of rock, gradient of ground temperature, source of hot-water, water-temperature, water-pressure, water-quantity within hot-water mining areas and extent of heat-hazards as demarcated; (7) source and quality of water for industrial and daily uses; (8) data about confining drilled holes; and (9) other data necessary for designing mines; Article 6 In preparing feasibility study reports and general design for construction of mines, it is necessary to access safety condition for mining operations. In primary design of construction projects, a chapter exclusive for safety is required. Requirements of this chapter shall be decided by the labor administrative department of the State Council. Article 7 According to article 8 of the Mining Safety Law , when construction units submit to the authorities in charge of mining enterprises design documents about safety devices used in mine construction projects, the same documents shall be submitted to the administrative department in charge of labor. Without the latter's conclusion after examination, the authorities in charge of mining enterprises may not give approval to the documents. When revisions must be made to the designs of safety devices used in the mine construction projects that have been approved, the original labor administrative department which involved in examining the designs shall be approached for opinions. Article 8 Operations for mine construction projects shall be conducted according to design documents already approved and its quality shall be guaranteed. Upon completion of the project, check and acceptance test shall be applied for according to relevant state provisions. The construction unit shall, 60 days before check and acceptance test begins, present a comprehensive report about construction of safety devices and about situation of the completed mine construction project, to the authorities in charge of mining enterprises and the administrative department in charge of labor. Article 9 The authorities in charge of mining enterprises and the administrative department in charge of labor shall, within 30 days after receiving the comprehensive report submitted by the construction unit, carry out check on the safety devices installed in the mine construction project; if inconformity to safety rules set for mines, and technical standards of the trade, is found, check and acceptance procedure cannot be performed, and the project cannot be put in operation or use. Article 10 Mines shall be equipped with safety devices to ensure safety production and to prevent accidents and occupational hazards, and shall meet the following requirements: (1) Each underground mine shall have at least two separate walkable safety outlets leading directly to above the ground. There in each horizontal (middle) mining sector and each operating sector (panel) of a mine must be at least two walkable safety outlets leading to the outlets that extend directly to above the ground; (2) Each underground mine shall be equipped with separate ventilation system using mechanic ventilators to ensure that underground operating sites can have enough air current; but in small-scale non-methane mines, if air current necessary in the underground operating sites is ensured, free ventilation is acceptable; (3) Lanes in the mine shall meet the need for walking, transport, ventilation, and installation, maintenance and construction of safety devices and facilities; (4) Pillars in lanes and apical plates in excavating sites shall be managed to ensure safety in operating sites; (5) Sufficient number of ore-columns for safety insulation shall be retained between neighboring underground mines, between underground mines and opencast mines, between underground mines and old kilns. Sufficient number of ore-columns and rock columns shall be deployed in lanes to ensure safety above and under the shaft; (6) In opencast mines, the height of the steps, the width of the platform and the angle of the slope shall meet the need of safe operations and ensure stability of the slope. In sand-excavating pools, sufficient distance shall be kept between the boundary of the pool and buildings on the ground and facilities to ensure safety; (7) Water-preventing and water-draining systems shall be installed on the ground and in the shaft to prevent surface water from trickling into the shaft and into the opencast mines; (8) In slide mines, safety measures shall be taken to prevent and tackle jams; (9) In shafts where self-ignition of gases is possible, main transport lanes shall be deployed in rock layers or in ore layers where self-ignition is unlikely, and, effective measures for precaution, for instance, grouting up, to prevent self-ignition, are necessary; (10) Ground fire-fighting equipment used in mines shall conform to state provisions regarding fire-fighting. In each shaft, there shall be fire control and fire-extinguishing devices and apparatuses; (11) Electricity supply and distribution system on the ground and in the shaft shall conform to relevant state provisions; (12) Hoisting and transport facilities, devices and equipment in each mine shall meet the following requirements: (a) Wire ropes, linking devices, hoisting vessels and security chains shall be maintained with sufficient safety coefficient; (b) There between the hoisting vessels and walls of the shaft, and the beams in the stairwell, and between two hoisting vessels, adequate gaps shall be maintained; (c) The hoisting cable winch and the hoisting vessel shall be equipped with reliable protective devices; (d) Types of electric locomotive, electric wire and railroads shall be selected to meet requirements for safety; (e) Mechanisms for conveying personnel shall be equipped with reliable protective devices; and (f) hoisting and transport equipment shall be equipped with sensitive and reliable signal devices; (13) In each underground mine, there shall be a dust-preventing system and water supply system. In all operating sites on ground and underground where dust will be generated, comprehensive measures for preventing dust shall be taken; (14) In underground mines where explosions may be caused by gas and mine dust, explosion-proof electric appliances shall be used and measures shall be taken to prevent dust and to insulate explosions; (15) In underground mines where radioactive minerals are excavated, the following requirements shall be met: (a) Quantity and quality of the intaken air shall meet the need for reducing radon in shafts, besides,series ventilation and circulation of dirty air shall be avoided; (b) Main air-intaking channels shall be opened outside the ore lode. Air-intaking channels built through ore lodes or crevices in rock shall be protected from the release of radon with certain measures; (c) Retreating recovery method shall be adopted; and (d) Measures shall be taken to prevent sewage from flowing scatteringly in shafts and a close drainage system for sewage shall be built; (16) Depots in mines for storing explosive materials shall meet the requirements stipulated by state; (17) In sites for dumping earth and gangue, safety measures shall be ta......