Coal Mining Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/90-97)

87. Effective on October 1, 1993, where material cars of a trip are used on a gradient exceeding 4 per cent,

• (a) material cars that are adjacent in the trip shall be connected by

  • (i) in the case of a material car that is equipped with three continuous draw-bars, safety chains at the two side draw-bars, and

  • (ii) in the case of a material car that is equipped with a single draw-bar composite, safety chains at two attachments on the chassis of each adjacent mine car; and

• (b) at least one material car of the trip shall be equipped with brakes that are

  • (i) capable of stopping the trip in the event of a runaway,

  • (ii) manually operable,

  • (iii) automatically operable by a speed governor in the event of a 20 per cent overspeed, and

  • (iv) of a fail-safe design.

• 88. (1) No single-link chain, other than a coupling attached to a cage or mine car, shall be installed on any equipment that is used for transporting persons.

• (2) Subject to subsection 89(2), the couplings of a cage or mine car shall be used only in conjunction with safety chains or safety ropes that are of sufficient strength to hold the maximum load for which the cage or mine car is designed in the event that the coupling chain breaks.

• (3) Every draw-bar of a three-draw-bar man car and every coupling, pin, safety chain, rope clamp and other tackling equipment that is used on a cage or mine car shall be made of steel.

• (4) The steel referred to in subsection (3) shall be

  • (a) certified by its manufacturer not to require heat treatment to remove stresses that are due to cold working; or

  • (b) heat treated at least once every six months in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer.

• (5) The employer shall keep a record of the heat treatment referred to in paragraph (4)(b) at the coal mine in which the equipment that is heat treated is used.

• (6) No draw-bar, coupling, pin, safety chain, rope clamp or other tackling equipment shall be used on a cage or mine car unless

  • (a) its design has been tested by the manufacturer to withstand a proof load of 40 per cent of its breaking strength without any permanent set;

  • (b) a certificate of the test referred to in paragraph (a) has been provided to the employer by the manufacturer; and

  • (c) the equipment has been legibly and permanently marked to identify it with the manufacturer’s certificate.

• 89. (1) Couplings, pins and rope clamps shall be designed with a factor of safety of not less than six.

• (2) Safety chains and safety ropes shall be designed with a factor of safety of not less than two.

• (3) Draw-bars that are manufactured from steel that is certified by the manufacturer not to require heat treatment to remove stresses that are due to cold working shall be designed with a factor of safety of not less than six.

• (4) Draw-bars that are manufactured from steel that requires heat treatment every six months to remove stresses that are due to cold working and draw-bars that are made of rolled steel sections and plates shall be designed with a factor of safety of not less than 10.

• (5) Subsections (1) to (4) apply on and after October 1, 1993.