81Use of plant in hazardous zone—explosion-protection required

81 Use of plant in hazardous zone—explosion-protection required

81 Use of plant in hazardous zone—explosion-protection required

(1) The mine operator of an underground coal mine must ensure plant used in a hazardous zone—

(a) is explosion-protected, and

(b) if the plant is electrical plant, has an explosion-protection level suitable for use in a hazardous zone.

Maximum penalty—

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

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

(2) For subsection (1)(b), electrical plant has an explosion-protection level suitable for use in a hazardous zone at a coal mine if—

(a) it has a valid certificate of conformity or is Departmental approved plant, and

(b) it meets at least 1 of the following requirements—

(i) intrinsically safe category ‘Ex ia’, as defined in Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 60079.11:2011Explosive atmospheres—Part 11: Equipment protection by intrinsic safety ‘i’,

(ii) encapsulated level of protection ‘Ex ma’, as defined in Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 60079.18:2016Explosive atmospheres—Part 18: Equipment protection by encapsulation ‘m’,

(iii) special protection ‘Ex s’ (Zone 0), as defined in Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1826(Int):2006Electrical equipment for explosive gas atmospheres—Special protection—Type of protection ‘s’,

(iv) special protection ‘Ex sa’, as defined in Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 60079.33:2012Explosive atmospheres—Part 33: Equipment protection by special protection ‘s’,

(v) for gas detectors and monitors using catalytic sensors—level of protection ‘Ex da’, as defined in Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 60079.1:2015Explosive atmospheres—Part 1: Equipment protection by flameproof enclosures ‘d’,

(vi) for caplights, but only if the concentration of methane in the general body of the air in the hazardous zone is less than 2% by volume—conformity with—

(A) Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 60079.35.1:2011Explosive atmospheres—Part 35.1: Caplights for use in mines susceptible to firedamp—General requirements—Construction and testing in relation to the risk of explosion, or