100Safe escape and refuge

100 Safe escape and refuge

100 Safe escape and refuge

(1) The mine operator of an underground mine must provide adequate means of communicating with all affected persons when the emergency plan for the mine is implemented.

Example—

An alarm system.

Maximum penalty—

(a) for an individual—60 penalty units, or

(b) for a body corporate—300 penalty units.

(2) The mine operator of an underground mine must, as far as reasonably practicable, ensure the communication systems for the underground mine enables communication to be established—

(a) between persons underground in different parts of the mine, and

(b) between persons underground and persons at the surface in an emergency, and

(c) across strategic locations at the mine, being places critical for communicating with persons in an emergency, including refuge chambers, caches, refill stations, change-over stations and escape routes, and

(d) from places unaffected by hazards associated with an emergency to the places that are affected.

Maximum penalty—

(a) for an individual—60 penalty units, or

(b) for a body corporate—300 penalty units.

(3) The mine operator of an underground mine must ensure power operated communication equipment used as part of a communication system for the mine, including the power supplied to the equipment, incorporates a fail safe or back up power supply for the critical parts of the system.

Maximum penalty—

(a) for an individual—60 penalty units, or

(b) for a body corporate—300 penalty units.

(4) The mine operator of an underground coal mine must ensure power operated communication equipment used as part of a communication system and installed underground is suitable for use in a place where the concentration of methane in the general body of the air is greater than 2% by volume.

Maximum penalty—

(a) for an individual—60 penalty units, or

(b) for a body corporate—300 penalty units.