Rules Adopted by the Coal Operators and Mine Superintendents of the Eastern District of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Coal Fields, at the Mine Inspector’s Office, Scranton, Pennsylvania, December 24, 1881
All persons employed in or about this colliery are hereby notified that the following rules and regulations have been adopted for the purpose of preventing injury to persons or property from negligence or carelessness of the employes.
The attention of each class of workmen is hereby called to the duties assigned them; they are also requested to do all in their power to avoid all unnecessary risk in following their daily avocations.
MINE BOSS
It shall be the duty of the mine boss to direct and generally supervise the whole working of the mine. He shall instruct the workmen in their several duties and vocations.
It shall be his special duty to keep the work in proper shape as it advances. He shall keep a careful watch over the ventilating apparatus, airways, traveling-ways, pumps and sumps, and shall see that the miners timber their places safe from the danger of loose coal, slate, or rock falling upon them. If he shall find a place in a dangerous condition, it shall be his duty to give orders to have it secured by taking down or propping up the loose material, with the least possible delay; or, if necessary, he shall stop the mining of coal at once, until it is secured. He shall also see that the signaling arrangements from bottom to top and top to bottom of the shaft or slope are kept in good condition. And he or his assistants shall examine carefully the workings generating explosive gas every morning before the miners enter the mine; and shall ascertain that the mine is free from danger before the workers are allowed to enter. He or his assistants shall go over the mine every evening and see that the doors along the air-passages are properly closed. It shall also be his duty to measure the ventilation at least once a week at the inlet and outlet; also, at or near the face of all gangways, and the measurements to be reported to the inspector once per month.
From Pennsylvania Mine Inspectors, Report, 1881, 227–233.
FIRE BOSS
It shall be the duty of the fire boss to examine carefully every morning every place in the mine where explosive gas is evolved, and see that it is in a fit state for men to work therein before they are allowed to enter the mine. If any of the working places are in an unsafe condition, he shall notify the parties who work therein by danger-signal or otherwise, and they shall be governed by his advice in the absence of the mine boss.
If explosive gas is found in any of the working places, he shall not allow the men to enter said place or places until he is present to expel or see that it is expelled safely. When a signal board is furnished, he shall mark opposite the number, name, or letter (by which the party is known who works in said place) a mark thus X, indicating danger. It will then be the duty of all persons working in said place to immediately ascertain the cause of danger, and no one will be allowed to enter such place until authorized by the mine boss or fire boss.
He shall also mark the date of the month with chalk upon some conspicuous place at the face of each place examined, every morning, and shall be located at some convenient place designated by the mine boss, where he may be seen after his examining tour by every person working in the mine, and there find out the condition of their working place. Any miner or laborer going into his working place where explosive gas is evolved without ascertaining in person the condition of the same, shall be stopped at once, and the same reported to the mine boss. It shall be his special duty to see that all stoppings, doors, brattices and airways are kept in proper condition, and he shall report any defect which he may find in them to the mine boss. He shall also see that all the safety lamps used in the mine are kept in good order; also, keep a careful watch over the ventilation.
DRIVER BOSS
The driver boss shall see that the drivers are at the stables in proper time in the morning, and ready to begin work at the appointed time. He must see that the mules are regularly fed and watered, and properly attended to, and must see that the mules are not driven up steep grades without frequently resting them. He shall see that the mules are not unnecessarily whipped or abused.
If the safety of persons or animals require a safety-block or latch to be thrown across the track, near the face of the working places, he shall see that one or the other be put on at once. He shall not allow door boys to leave their doors except by permission of himself or mine boss.
It shall be the duty of every miner employed in the mine to examine the roof or other overhanging material in his working place as soon as he shall enter the same in the morning, and if found unsafe he shall immediately take down or prop up the loose material, and see that it is in a safe condition for himself and laborers to work therein. No miner shall leave his place in an unsafe condition when his laborers are allowed to work after he has gone home. If the mine boss shall order bad roof to be taken down, or shall order props to be set under the same, it shall be the duty of the miner to attend to the same without unnecessary delay. It shall also be the duty of the miner to take proper care of his powder from the time it leaves the powder house until it reaches his working place in the mine, at which place it must be properly taken care of, and kept in a box, with cover to place over it, when the miner is not present. This box must be kept well back from the roads. When the miner is making a cartridge he shall keep his lamp at least four feet away from the nearest part of the box. Said lamp shall be placed upon that side of the box which the current of air would carry a spark from the lamp away from the box. He shall not be allowed to make a cartridge with a lamp upon his head, or his pipe in his mouth, nor shall he set his lamp upon his box. When charging a hole, if the cartridge sticks, he must take it out of the hole carefully, and either make the cartridge smaller or enlarge the hole, so that he may be able to push it easily into it. No ramming of cartridge with a drill will be allowed.
When driving an entrance between two chambers it shall be the duty of the miner, before firing a shot, to give timely notice to the men in the chamber towards which he is driving, so that they may find a place of safety. They shall also guard the passages on either side of their place, at every shot, so that no person may come unaware upon it when about to fire. They also shall be careful not to go back too soon to a shot which seemed to have missed fire.
When a shot has been fired, they shall take great care to examine the roof and coal, and see that they are in a safe condition before they go to work under them.
They shall also see that their car is a safe distance before firing a shot. Before loading their car, they, or their laborers, shall see that no tools, powder, or other material is left in the car. They also shall see that the car is properly blocked and spragged before starting to load it, and after every shot they must see that the roof is left clear before the mule shall be allowed to draw the car to the end of the road near the face.
Where explosive gas is evolved they must learn the condition of their working place before entering the same. Where gas is strong and issuing out in great volumes, they shall see that no loose coal or culm is left at the face over night, and that no gas is left burning when they leave their place after the day’s work is done. Where blowers of gas are found issuing out of the bottom, no culm or gob shall be left in close proximity to it. They shall also guard against all kinds of accidents, which are liable to occur in a mine, and, as far as practicable, they shall keep their props and gob at least two feet from the road.
LABORER or HELPER
It shall be the duty of every mine helper or laborer to take proper care in running his car from the face to the gangway. He shall see that it is properly spragged, so that no runaway may occur, whereby persons or property may be injured; and he shall not run his car down to the gangway until called upon. When letting his car down to the gangway, he must not go before it to hold it back, but shall sprag the wheels sufficiently, and, if necessary, push it when it does not run with the proper number of sprags. It shall also be his duty to fill his road properly for the mule to travel in, and, as far as practicable, he shall keep the sides of his road sufficiently clear of culm or other material, so that a person or mule may pass a car with ease. Where head or stopping blocks are provided for cars to rest against, he shall see that they are properly placed upon the road, as he is going up, so that they may be in proper position when the car comes down. He shall also look into his car before loading it, and see that no tools, sprags, or other material excepting coal is left in it. He shall see that the car is properly secured before commencing to load it, by putting a sufficient number of sprags in the wheels, and, if necessary, he shall place a prop securely against the lower end of the car. He shall devote his time principally to cleaning, preparing, and loading his coal, but, when necessary, he shall help his miner to set props and do any other work which requires his aid.
HEADMAN and FOOTMAN
It shall be the duty of the headman and footman, at every shaft where men have to ascend or descend to be at their proper places when the mine shall be regularly at work, or at such times as the mine boss may designate, and they shall see that not more than ten men are allowed to ascend or descend at the same time on any carriage. If more than ten men shall get on at one time, it shall be their duty to call upon some of them to come off. If the person or persons so called shall refuse to do so, they shall report them to the mine boss, whose duty it shall be to punish them as they deserve. They shall not allow any person to step on the carriage after the signal has been given to the engineer to hoist or lower the carriage, not leave the carriage until it has rested upon the bottom or top.
It shall also be the duty of the headman or footman to pay strict attention to the signaling apparatus, and see that they are kept in good condition, so that they may, at all times, communicate with the engineer, and they must see that all of the signals are properly understood between them.
DRIVER
It shall be the duty of a driver to take proper care of his horse or mule, and see that it is properly fed and watered. He must not whip or abuse it unnecessarily, or allow any other person to do so. He shall drive it carefully, and when ascending steep grade allow it to rest frequently. When he leaves his mule or horse at any time, he must be careful to leave it in a place of safety, where it will be secure from runaway cars or other danger. When his mule or horse is drawing cars into place he must be careful not to drive any further than the track is laid, nor into a pile of coal at or near the face, or to leave the car at a place where he has no room to pass it. If the road is in a bad condition for want of filling, he shall report the same to the mine boss. When drawing cars upon a graded road, he shall be careful to sprag or block the cars sufficiently to prevent them from running upon himself or mule. If head or stopping blocks are used at certain points upon the gangway or main road, he shall see that they are properly placed upon the road when going up with the empty cars, so that they may be in a proper position to stop the cars before they go on to the steeper grade.
If any person abuses his mule or horse he must report the same to the mine boss, nor will they be allowed to delegate any other person to take out or return their mules to the barn, nor drive their mules to or from the barn faster than a walk.
COMPANY HANDS
All company hands must be at their proper places in the morning to begin work at the proper time, and must not leave until the breaker stops, or if working full day they are expected to work the ten hours, and they shall see that all instructions given them by the mine boss or foreman are strictly carried out.
DOOR BOY
It shall be the duty of a door boy to be at his post at all times when the mine is regularly at work.
He must not leave his door at the command of any person except the mine boss or other person to whom he may delegate such authority.
OUTSIDE FOREMAN
It shall be the duty of outside foreman to direct and generally supervise the outside business over which he is placed. He shall see that all machinery connected with the breaking and preparing of coal be properly fenced off as required by law, and he or his assistants shall see that all persons are free from the machinery before the signal is given for the engineer to start, and see that the boys are kept in their proper places, and not allowed to play about the machinery or cars.
HOISTING ENGINEER
It shall be the duty of an engineer to keep a careful watch over the machinery, pumps, steam boilers, etc. He shall see that the boilers are properly supplied with water, and that the steam pressure shall not exceed the limit to which the superintendent of machinery or other officer shall consider them perfectly safe to carry. When a fan is used for ventilation he shall keep it running at such speed as the mine boss or superintendent may direct. He shall not slacken its speed unless directed to do so by said officers. If any repairs are to be made to the fan or other parts of its machinery whereby it is required to be stopped, it shall be his duty to give the mine boss timely notice of the same, so that he may have everything left in proper order. He shall also work his engine slowly and with great care when persons are ascending or descending the shaft. He shall also see that the safety carriage is in good order before letting men down in the morning, and must examine the safety-catches, ropes, and cover, and other parts of the machinery daily, and shall run the safety carriage up and down before allowing men to descend in the shaft in the morning. He shall not allow persons to loaf in the engineroom, nor shall he engage in conversation when in the act of lowering or hoisting men or coal. He shall also keep a strict watch over the fireman, and see that he attends to his duties faithfully.
BREAKER ENGINEER
The breaker engineer shall pay strict attention to the signals from the breaker. He shall not start or move his engine until he is satisfied, either by metal tube or other signal, that all persons are free from the machinery. He shall see that no one is allowed to go around any of the machinery for the purpose of oiling or otherwise, except such persons as are authorized by the foreman.
SLATE BOSSES
The slate bosses shall keep the boys in their respective places, and not allow them to go around the machinery or cars. They shall use the greatest caution on all occasions when boys or men are cleaning out rollers or screens, and see that every person is clear of the machinery before giving the signal to the breaker engineer to start his engine.
PENALTIES
For the violation of the above rules and regulations, it shall be the duty of the mine boss or foreman to suspend, discharge, or otherwise punish any person who shall carelessly or willfully neglect to attend to the duties assigned to them.
When damage to property is carelessly or willfully done, the party so offending shall be subject to pay for the full amount of damage, and may be suspended or discharged for the same offense.
GENERAL RULE
All persons are hereby forbidden to enter any of the old workings without the consent of the mine boss or fire boss, or ride upon the cars on any slope or plane, or send out tools upon a car of coal unless they follow them out and take them off the car before ascending the shaft or slope. Any person who opens a door must see that it is properly closed before leaving it. No person shall be allowed to travel upon a slope or plane while the same is in motion. Persons ascending or descending a shaft will not be allowed to enter upon or leave the carriage while in motion, nor shall they be allowed to step on after the signal has been given to hoist or lower the carriage.
Any person knowing of the unsafe condition of any place or of damage done to the doors, brattices, or stoppings or obstructions in the air-passages, shall notify the mine boss or fire boss as soon as possible after said damage has been done.
Any person found guilty of carelessly or wickedly injuring animals or other property shall be held liable for the full amount of damage done to the same.
All persons must familiarize themselves with the above rules and any person violating any of said rules will be dealt with as the superintendent may direct.
I approve the above regulations.
[signed]
Patrick Blewitt,
Inspector of Mines, &c.