Safe means of access shall be provided and maintained to all working places.

Crossovers, elevated walkways, elevated ramps, and stairways shall be of substantial construction, provided with handrails, and maintained in good condition. Where necessary, toeboards shall be provided.

Ladders shall be of substantial construction and maintained in good condition.

Portable rigid ladders shall be provided with suitable bases and placed securely when used.

Fixed ladders shall be anchored securely and installed to provide at least 3 inches of toe clearance.

Fixed ladders shall project at least 3 feet above landings, or substantial handholds shall be provided above the landings.

Wooden components of ladders shall not be painted except with a transparent finish.

Where restricted clearance creates a hazard to persons, the restricted clearance shall be conspicuously marked.

Walkways with outboard railings shall be provided wherever persons are required to walk alongside elevated conveyor belts. Inclined railed walkways shall be nonskid or provided with cleats.

Vertical clearance above stair steps shall be a minimum of seven feet, or suitable warning signs or similar devices shall be provided to indicate an impaired clearance.

Persons using ladders shall face the ladders and have both hands free for climbing and descending.

Openings above, below, or near travelways through which persons or materials may fall shall be protected by railings, barriers, or covers. Where it is impractical to install such protective devices, adequate warning signals shall be installed.

Crossovers shall be provided where it is necessary to cross conveyors.

Moving conveyors shall be crossed only at designated crossover points.

Regularly used walkways and travelways shall be sanded, salted, or cleared of snow and ice as soon as practicable.

Fixed ladders shall not incline backwards.

Fixed ladders, except on mobile equipment, shall be offset and have substantial railed landings at least every 30 feet unless backguards or equivalent protection such as safety belts and safety lines, are provided.

Fixed ladders 70 degrees to 90 degrees from the horizontal and 30 feet or more in length shall have backguards, cages or equivalent protection, starting at a point not more than seven feet from the bottom of the ladders.

Scaffolds and working platforms shall be of substantial construction and provided with handrails and maintained in good condition. Floorboards shall be laid properly and the scaffolds and working platform shall not be overloaded. Working platforms shall be provided with toeboards when necessary.

Trap doors or adequate guarding shall be provided in ladderways at each level. Doors shall be kept operable.

Ladderways constructed after November 15, 1979, shall have a minimum unobstructed cross-sectional opening of 24 inches by 24 inches measured from the face of the ladder.

Before entering a manway where persons may be working or traveling, a warning shall be given by the person entering the manway and acknowledged by any person present in the manway.

Travelways steeper than 35 degrees from the horizontal shall be provided with ladders or stairways.

Fixed ladders with an inclination of more than 70 degrees from the horizontal shall be offset with substantial landings at least every 30 feet or have landing gates at least every 30 feet.

(a) Every mine shall have two or more separate, properly maintained escapeways to the surface from the lowest levels which are so positioned that damage to one shall not lessen the effectiveness of the others. A method of refuge shall be provided while a second opening to the surface is being developed. A second escapeway is recommended, but not required, during the exploration or development of an ore body.

(b) In addition to separate escapeways, a method of refuge shall be provided for every employee who cannot reach the surface from his working place through at least two separate escapeways within a time limit of one hour when using the normal exit method. These refuges must be positioned so that the employee can reach one of them within 30 minutes from the time he leaves his workplace.

Escape routes shall be—

(a) Inspected at regular intervals and maintained in safe, travelable condition; and

(b) Marked with conspicuous and easily read direction signs that clearly indicate the ways of escape.

Refuge areas shall be—

(a) Of fire-resistant construction, preferably in untimbered areas of the mine;

(b) Large enough to accommodate readily the normal number of persons in the particular area of the mine;

(c) Constructed so they can be made gastight; and

(d) Provided with compressed air lines, waterlines, suitable handtools, and stopping materials.

A specific escape and evacuation plan and revisions thereof suitable to the conditions and mining system of the mine and showing assigned responsibilities of all key personnel in the event of an emergency shall be developed by the operator and set out in written form. Within 45 calendar days after promulgation of this standard a copy of the plan and revisions thereof shall be available to the Secretary or his authorized representative. Also, copies of the plan and revisions thereof shall be posted at locations convenient to all persons on the surface and underground. Such a plan shall be updated as necessary and shall be reviewed jointly by the operator and the Secretary or his authorized representative at least once every six months from the date of the last review. The plan shall include:

(a) Mine maps or diagrams showing directions of principal air flow, location of escape routes and locations of existing telephones, primary fans, primary fan controls, fire doors, ventilation doors, and refuge chambers. Appropriate portions of such maps or diagrams shall be posted at all shaft stations and in underground shops, lunchrooms, and elsewhere in working areas where persons congregate;

(b) Procedures to show how the miners will be notified of emergency;

(c) An escape plan for each working area in the mine to include instructions showing how each working area should be evacuated. Each such plan shall be posted at appropriate shaft stations and elsewhere in working areas where persons congregate;

(d) A fire fighting plan;

(e) Surface procedure to follow in an emergency, including the notification of proper authorities, preparing rescue equipment, and other equipment which may be used in rescue and recovery operations; and

(f) A statement of the availability of emergency communication and transportation facilities, emergency power and ventilation and location of rescue personnel and equipment.

Telephone or other voice communication shall be provided between the surface and refuge chambers and such systems shall be independent of the mine power supply.

Any portion of a designated escapeway which is inclined more than 30 degrees from the horizontal and that is more than 300 feet in vertical extent shall be provided with an emergency hoisting facility.

The procedure for inspection, testing and maintenance required by standard 57.19120 shall be utilized at least every 30 days for hoists designated as emergency hoists in any evacuation plan.

Each operator of an underground mine shall establish a check-in and check-out system which shall provide an accurate record of persons in the mine. These records shall be kept on the surface in a place chosen to minimize the danger of destruction by fire or other hazards. Every person underground shall carry a positive means of being identified.

For the protection of operators of hoists located underground which are part of the mine escape and evacuation plan required under standard 57.11053, the hoist operator shall be provided with a respirable atmosphere completely independent of the mine atmosphere. This independent ventilation system shall convert, without contamination, to an approved and properly maintained 2-hour self-contained breathing apparatus to provide a safe means of escape for the hoist operator after the hoisting duties have been completed as prescribed in the mine escape and evacuation plan for that hoist. The hoist operator's independent ventilation system shall be provided by one of the following methods:

(a) A suitable enclosure equipped with a positive pressure ventilation system which may be operated continuously or be capable of immediate activation from within the enclosure during an emergency evacuation. Air for the enclosure's ventilation system shall be provided in one of the following ways:

(1) Air coursed from the surface through a borehole into the hoist enclosure directly or through a metal pipeline from such borehole; or

(2) Air coursed from the surface through metal duct work into the hoist enclosure, although this duct work shall not be located in timber-supported active workings; or

(3) Air supplied by air compressors located on the surface and coursed through metal pipe into the hoist enclosure.

A back-up system shall be provided for a hoist enclosure ventilation system provided by either of the methods set forth in paragraphs (a) (2) and (3) of this section. This back-up system shall consist of compressed air stored in containers connected to the enclosure. This back-up system shall provide and maintain a respirable atmosphere in the enclosure for a period of time equal to at least twice the time necessary to complete the evacuation of all persons designated to use that hoist as prescribed in the mine escape and evacuation plan required under standard 57.11053; or

(b) An approved and properly maintained self-contained breathing apparatus system which shall consist of a mask connected to compressed air stored in containers adjacent to the hoist controls. The self-contained breathing system shall provide a minimum of 24 hours of respirable atmosphere to the hoist operator. In addition, the self-contained breathing system shall be capable of a quick connect with the approved 2-hour self-contained breathing apparatus above.