                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

 INSPECTIONS OF HOISTING EQUIPMENT (§ 45.2-740)

A. Before hoisting or lowering any miner in a shaft, the hoisting engineer shall
operate an empty cage up and down each shaft for at least one round trip, both
at the beginning of each shift and after the hoist has been idle for one hour or
more.

B. Before hoisting or lowering any miner by slope or surface incline hoisting,
the hoisting engineer shall operate an empty cage for at least one round trip,
both at the beginning of each shift and after the hoist has been idle for one
hour or more.

C. The hoisting engineer, at the time the inspections required by subsection A
or B are performed, shall (i) inspect all cable or rope fastenings on every
cage, bucket, or slope car; (ii) inspect hammer locks and pins, thimbles, and
clamps; (iii) inspect safety chains on every cage, bucket, or slope car; (iv)
inspect each braking system for malfunctions; (v) clean all excess oil and
extraneous materials from the hoist housing construction; (vi) inspect the
overwind, overtravel, and lilly switch or control from stopping at the collar
and within 100 feet of the work deck; and (vii) check communications between the
top house, work deck, and work deck tugger house.

D. The hoisting engineer shall inspect the hoisting rope on every cage or trip
at the beginning of each shift.

E. A test of safety catches on every cage shall be made by an authorized person
designated by the operator at least once each month. A written record shall be
kept of such tests, and such record shall be available for inspection by
interested persons.

F. An authorized person designated by the operator shall inspect daily the
hoisting equipment, including the headgear, cages, ropes, connections, links and
chains, shaft guides, shaft walls, and other facilities. Such person shall also
inspect every bull wheel and lighting system on the head frame. Such person
shall report immediately to the operator or his agent any defect found, and all
such defects shall be corrected promptly. The person making such examination
shall make a daily permanent record of such inspection, which shall be available
for inspection by interested persons. If a hoist is used only during a weekly
examination of an escapeway, then the inspection required by this subsection
shall only be required to be completed weekly before the examination occurs.

G. Subsections A, B, C, and D shall not apply to automatically operated
elevators.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 45-68.4; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, §§ 45.1-68,
45.1-69; 1972, c. 784; 1978, c. 729; 1994, c. 28, § 45.1-161.158; 1999, c. 256;
2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.