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Part 22 Underground Workings
General Requirements
22.2 Application
(1) This Part applies to any underground working which is not a mine within the meaning of the Mines Act, or the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia, and which a worker will be required or permitted to enter.
(2) Generally, this Part does not apply to horizontal underground workings that are less than 5 m (16 ft) in length or to permanent facilities in their final structural condition as certified by a professional engineer.
22.3 Work methods
In any underground working, work methods and operations must be in accordance with
(a) standard engineering practices for the type of work being performed,
(b) the requirements of this Part, and all other applicable requirements of this Regulation, and
(c) any additional requirements prescribed by the Board.
22.4 New or unusual situations
(1) If an employer proposes to use methods or equipment which are new or not in accordance with standard practices for underground workings, the employer must, before starting work, submit details of the proposed methods and equipment to the Board for review and acceptance.
(2) A description of the means to ensure the health and safety of workers by engineering or other methods must be part of the submission.
22.5 Preconstruction meeting
(1) Before commencing an underground working, the owner, or if the owner engages another person to be the prime contractor, then that person, must meet with designated officers to review the requirements of this Regulation and other information pertinent to the underground working.
(2) If more than one prime contractor is employed on the project, the owner must attend the pre-construction meeting.
22.6 Notice of project
(1) No later than 30 days before commencing an underground project, written notification of the project must be given to the Board by the owner or another person engaged by the owner to be the prime contractor, except that if there is more than one prime contractor employed on the project the notice must be given by the owner.
(2) The notification must include
(a) the name of the project,
(b) the address or location of the project referenced to the nearest town and public highway,
(c) the name and address of the owner and of any other person engaged to be the prime contractor, and of the bonding company, if appropriate,
(d) the name of the person in charge of the project,
(e) a brief description of the project including
(i) the type of underground working,
(ii) the mining method,
(iii) the type, number of units, and engine horsepower (watts) of the mining equipment,
(iv) the starting date and approximate duration of the project,
(v) the approximate peak labour force, and
(vi) the proposed hours of work,
(f) the details of proposed temporary or permanent ground support, including the proposed timing of such support, and whether the owner or another person engaged to be the prime contractor will be responsible for its design and installation,
(g) the plans, drawings and fan specifications for the ventilation systems that will be used during construction, and
(h) a report produced by a professional engineer or professional geoscientist that provides
(i) a description of the geological hazards associated with the work,
(ii) drawings showing profiles, transverse sections and plans for the proposed underground workings, including the potential for encountering gassy ground, explosive dusts, rock falls, running ground or rock bursts, and
(iii) a detailed statement from the owner or another person engaged to be the prime contractor as to how geological hazards will be dealt with.
(3) Any hazards discovered during the work which were not included in the report required by subsection (2)(h) must be reported immediately to the Board.
[Amended by B.C. Reg. 253/2001, effective January 28, 2002.]
[Amended by B.C. Reg. 258/2008, effective January 1, 2009.]
22.7 Underground record
(1) The employer must ensure that a daily log titled "The Underground Record" is provided and that appropriate information is recorded in it.
(2) Required entries in the Underground Record include
(a) daily atmospheric tests with the date, time and location, concentrations of contaminants, and any unusual finding and action taken,
(b) communication system examinations and any action taken,
(c) ground control examinations and any action taken,
(d) any incident required to be reported by Part 3 of the Workers Compensation Act or by this Regulation, and
(e) records of
(i) rescue proficiency drills,
(ii) maintenance of self-contained breathing apparatus,
(iii) ventilation test results, and
(iv) calibration and maintenance of testing equipment.
(3) Each record must be clear as to who made the entry, and signed by the worker making the entry as a true record of the conditions found.
(4) The Underground Record must be read and countersigned by the corresponding supervisor on the oncoming shift, and any unusual or hazardous conditions must be discussed with the workers coming on shift before they are permitted to work in the areas indicated in the record.
(5) The employer must ensure that the Underground Record is
(a) kept at the jobsite for the duration of the project,
(b) available for inspection by an officer, and
(c) retained for 5 years after completion of the project.
22.8 Hours of work
(1) The employer must not permit the employment of a worker in an underground working for a period longer than 8 hours in any 24 hours.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply when
(a) there are emergencies where life or property is in danger, or
(b) urgent work is essential to the continuation of the ordinary operation of an underground working, provided it is only on an infrequent basis, or to accommodate shift changes within a 24 hour period, provided there is an 8 hour rest period between shifts.
(3) Work performed pursuant to the exceptions in subsection (2) must not exceed 16 hours in any 24 hour period.
(4) If it is impractical to restrict routine underground work to a maximum of 8 hours, the employer must submit written procedures to the Board, as part of the notice of project, and must obtain prior written permission from the Board to work longer hours.
22.9 Additional first aid
In addition to the requirements of sections 3.14 to 3.21, if an underground working has progressed more than 300 m (1,000 ft) underground, a first aid attendant must be available in proximity to the main underground work area.
[Amended by B.C. Reg. 348/2003, effective March 30, 2004.]
22.10 Retroreflective devices
Underground workers must wear retroreflective devices on their clothing and hard hats.
22.11 Self-rescuers
(1) For non-gassy workings, a minimum of an approved self-rescuer of the air purifying type must be carried by the worker.
(2) For gassy workings, a minimum of a self-contained (air supply) self-rescuer capable of delivering 30 minutes of air must be immediately accessible to each worker underground.
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