(1) In any part of a coal-seam of the first degree gassiness, –
(i) all cables shall be constructed, installed, protected, operated and maintained in such a manner as to prevent risk of open sparking;
(ii) all signalling, telecommunication, remote control and insulation tester circuits shall be so constructed, installed, protected, operated and maintained as to be intrinsically safe;
(iii) all apparatus including portable and transportable apparatus including lighting fittings used at any place which lies in-bye of the last ventilation connection shall be flame-proof:
Provided that electrically operated or battery operated portable or transportable apparatus such as shuttle car, men or material transporting equipment of increased safety type “e” shall be permitted at any place with suitable monitoring devices for detection of gases, if any;
140 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART III—SEC.4]
(iv) all electric lamps at any place which lie in-bye of the last ventilation connection and return airways shall be in flame proof enclosure and at other places these shall be in increased safety enclosure type „e‟.
(2) At any place which lies in any part of a coal-seam of second and third degree gassiness, –
(i) all signalling, telecommunication, remote control and insulation tester circuits shall be so constructed, installed, protected, operated and maintained as to be intrinsically safe;
(ii) all cables shall be constructed, installed, protected, operated and maintained in such a manner as to prevent risk of open sparking;
(iii) all apparatus, including portable and transportable apparatus used at any place within ninety metre of any working face or goaf in case of a second degree gassy mine and within two hundred seventy metre of any working face or goaf in case of third degree gassy mine or at any place which lies in-bye of the last ventilation connection or in any return airways shall be flame-proof; and
(iv) all electric lamps shall be enclosed in flame-proof enclosures.
(3) In any oil mine or oil-field, at any place within the zone-2 hazardous areas, –
(i) all signalling and telecommunication, remote control and insulation tester circuits shall be so constructed, installed, operated, protected and maintained as to be intrinsically safe;
(ii) all cables shall be so constructed, installed, operated and maintained as to prevent risk of open sparking;
(iii) all apparatus including portable and transportable apparatus shall have the enclosures conforming to the relevant standards; and
(iv) all electric lamps shall be enclosed in increased safety enclosure type „e‟.
(4) In oil mine or oil-fields at any place within the zone-1 hazardous areas, –
(i) all signalling and telecommunication, remote control and insulation tester circuits shall be so constructed, installed, operated, protected and maintained as to be intrinsically safe;
(ii) all cables shall be so constructed, installed, operated and maintained as to prevent risk of open sparking;
(iii) all apparatus including portable and transportable apparatus shall have enclosures conforming to the relevant standards; and
(iv) all electric lamps shall be enclosed in flame-proof enclosures.
(5) In any oil mine at any place within zone-0 hazardous area, no electrical equipment shall be used and where it is not practicable, intrinsically safe apparatus are only to be used which shall be conforming to relevant standards and such installation of apparatus shall conform to relevant standards and the details of installation, certified by the owner or agent or manager or installation manager shall be submitted to the Electrical Inspector of mines.
(6) In any coal-seam of degree second and degree third gassiness or the hazardous area the supply shall be discontinued,-
(i) immediately, if open sparking occurs;
(ii) during the period required for examination or adjustment of the apparatus, which shall necessitate the exposing of any part liable to open sparking;
(iii) the supply shall not be reconnected until the apparatus has been examined by the electrical supervisor or one of his duly appointed assistants and until the defect, if any, has been remedied or the necessary adjustment made; and
(iv) a flame safety lamp shall be provided and maintained in a state of continuous illumination near an apparatus, including portable or transportable apparatus, which remains energised and where the appearance of the flame of such safety lamps indicates the presence of inflammable gas, the supply to all apparatus in the vicinity shall be immediately disconnected and the incident reported forthwith to an official of the mine and such apparatus shall be interlocked with the controlling switch in such a manner as to disconnect power supply automatically in the event of percentage of inflammable gas exceeding one and one quarter in that particular district:
Provided that where apparatus for automatic detection of the percentage of inflammable gas or vapor are employed in addition to the flame safety lamps, such apparatus shall be approved by the inspector of mines and maintained in perfect order.
[भाग III—खण्ड 4] भारतकाराजपत्र:असाधारण 141
(7) In any part of a coal-seam of any degree of gassiness or in any hazardous area of an oil-fields, if the presence of inflammable gas in the general body of air is found at any time to exceed one and one quarter per cent, the supply of energy shall be immediately disconnected from all cables and apparatus in the area and the supply shall not be reconnected so long as the percentage of inflammable gas remains in excess of one and one quarter per cent.
(8) In oil-fields where concentration of inflammable gas exceeds twenty percent of its lower explosive limit a system should be in place to activate an audio alarm at appropriate location. On activation of such alarm immediate action shall be taken to make operations safe and to isolate the cause in order to ensure safety of men, equipment, environment. In case the lower explosive limit rises to forty percent, the supply of electricity shall be cut-off immediately from all cables and apparatus lying within thirty metre of the installation and all sources of ignition shall also be removed from the said area and normal work shall not be resumed unless the area is made gas-free:
Provided that such disconnection shall not apply to intrinsically safe environment monitoring scientific instruments.
(9) Any such disconnection or reconnection of the supply shall be noted in the log sheet in hard copy and electronic form which shall be maintained in the form set out in Schedule XI and shall be reported to the Electrical Inspector of mines.
(10) The provisions of this regulation shall apply to any metalliferrous mine which may be notified by the inspector of mines if inflammable gas occurs or if the inspector of mines is of the opinion that inflammable gas is likely to occur in such mine.
Explanation. – For the purposes of this regulation, –
(1) The expression „coal-seam of first degree gassiness‟, „coal-seam of second degree gassiness‟, „coalseam of third degree gassiness‟ and „flame-proof apparatus‟ shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Coal Mines Regulations, 2017.
(2) The following areas in oil mine or oil-fields shall be known as hazardous areas, namely: –
(i) an area of not less than ninety metre around an oil-well where a blow-out has occurred or is likely to occur, as may be designated by the Installation Manager or the senior most official present at the site;
(ii) an area within sixteen metre of an open discharge of petroleum bearing fluid from a well under production test;
(iii) an area within fifteen metre of:
(a) a producing well-head or any point of open discharge of the crude there from or other point where emission of hazardous atmosphere is normally likely to arise; or
(b) any wildcat or exploration well-head being drilled in an area where abnormal pressure conditions are known to exist;
(iv) any area within three metre of:
(a) any producing well-head where a closed system of production is employed such as to prevent the emission or accumulation in the area in normal circumstances of a hazardous atmosphere; or
(b) exploration or interspaced well-head being drilled in an area where the pressure conditions are normal and where the system of drilling employed includes adequate measures for the prevention in normal circumstances of emission or accumulation within the area of a hazardous atmosphere;
(3) “hazardous atmosphere” means “an atmosphere containing any inflammable gases or vapours in a concentration capable of ignition”.
(4) “Zone 0 hazardous area” means “an area in which hazardous atmosphere is continuously present”.
(5) “Zone 1 hazardous area” means “an area in which hazardous atmosphere is likely to occur under normal operating conditions”.
(6) “Zone 2 hazardous area” means “an area in which hazardous atmosphere is likely to occur under abnormal operating conditions”.