Mines and Quarries Act 1954

Fire Precautions and Provisions as to Rescue E+W+S

[F1 70 Fire precautions in case of workings served by single intake airway. E+W+S

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, it shall not be lawful for more than one hundred persons to be employed below ground in a mine of coal in circumstances in which, if there were a fire in any length of intake airway through which the air supply to all of those persons passes, none of them would be able to withdraw from the mine without either passing through the fire or following a way out to the surface in which, or in any part of which, the air would or might become so contaminated by the products of combustion generated by the fire as to prejudice seriously the possibility of the withdrawal of persons through it in safety, unless—

(a) that length of intake airway and everything with which it is equipped are so constructed or treated, and so maintained and used, that that length of airway is, so far as can be reasonably foreseen, free from the risk that any fire that might break out therein would so develop as to prevent or endanger the withdrawal from the mine of those persons; or

(b) means are provided for securing that, in the event of a fire in that length of intake airway, those persons will be able to withdraw in safety.

In computing, for the purposes of this subsection, the number of persons employed in such circumstances as aforesaid, a person going to or from his working place at the beginning or end of his shift shall, unless it is otherwise prescribed (either generally or in relation to any particular circumstances), be left out of account.

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

(3) Regulations may provide for exempting from the provisions of subsection (1) of this section any prescribed class of mines of coal and an inspector may, by notice served on the manager of a particular mine of coal, exempt the mine or any part thereof from those provisions.

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2 ]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 70 repealed (1.4.1989, in part, and 1.4.1994, fully) by S.I. 1988/1729, reg. 12(1)(b)

F2 Ss. 69(1)(2), 70(2)(4), 71, 74(3) repealed by S.I. 1974/2013, Sch. 1 Pt. I

71 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3 E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F3 Ss. 69(1)(2), 70(2)(4), 71, 74(3) repealed by S.I. 1974/2013, Sch. 1 Pt. I

72 Fire-fighting and rescue operations. E+W+S

Regulations may require the making of such provision as may be prescribed for all or any of the following purposes, namely, the prevention, detection and combating of outbreaks of fire at, and spontaneous heating occurring in, mines and the securing of the efficient conduct (as well in an atmosphere dangerous to life as in an atmosphere not dangerous to life) of such operations for the rescue of persons as it may be necessary to conduct at mines in consequence of the occurrence thereat of outbreaks of fire, explosions or other accidents of whatsoever kind, and in particular, but without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section, regulations may make provision

(a) for the establishment and maintenance at mines of such organisations of persons as may be necessary for any of the purposes aforesaid and the provision and maintenance at mines of suitable and sufficient apparatus for any of those purposes, and, in particular, the provision at mines of adequate supplies of water for use in case of fire;

(b) for requiring owners of mines to provide and maintain stations (hereafter in this Act referred to as “central rescue stations”) for the purpose of providing facilities common to a number of mines for the conduct of such operations as aforesaid, and for the establishment and maintenance at such stations of such organisations of persons as may be necessary for the purpose of conducting such operations and the provision and maintenance thereat of suitable and sufficient apparatus for that purpose; and

(c) for securing the efficient training of the members of any organisation of persons maintained in pursuance of the regulations.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 72 repealed except so far as it assigns a meaning to “central rescue stations” by S.I. 1974/2013, Sch. 1 Pt. 1

F4 73 Means of escape from rooms in which there is special risk of fire, &c. E+W+S

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F4 S. 73 repealed (6.4.2015) by The Mines Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/3248), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 Pt. 1 (with reg. 1(3))