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MINES ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 55



55.(1) It shall be the duty of the manager of every mine to take such steps as
are necessary for securing that there is constantly produced in all parts of
the mine below ground ventilation adequate for the following purposes, namely,

(a)diluting gases that are inflammable or noxious so as to render them
harmless and removing them; and

(b)providing air containing a sufficiency of oxygen.

(2) Without prejudice to the general application of subsection (1),

(a)ventilation produced in a part of a mine shall be deemed for the purposes
of that subsection not to be adequate for the purpose of diluting carbon
dioxide so as to render it harmless unless the amount thereof in the general
body of the air in that part of the mine is not more than one and a quarter
per cent. by volume or, if a smaller percentage by volume is prescribed, that
smaller percentage;

(b)ventilation produced in a part of a mine shall be deemed for the purposes
of that subsection not to be adequate for the purpose of providing air
containing a sufficiency of oxygen unless the amount of oxygen in the general
body of the air in that part of the mine is not less than nineteen per cent.
by volume;

(3) In the discharge of the duty imposed on him by subsection (1), the manager
of a mine shall have regard to the desirability of securing (consistently with
the discharge of that duty) the maintenance in the mine of working conditions
that are reasonable so far as regards the temperature and humidity of the
atmosphere and the amount of dust therein.

(4) Nothing in subsection (1) shall be construed as requiring the production
of ventilation

(a)in a part of a mine which is stopped off in a prescribed manner or in such
other manner as may be approved by the Ministry by notice served on the
manager of the mine or is stowed up;

(b)in any waste; or

(c)in any such other part of a mine as may be prescribed.

(5) Where, in any part of a mine required by the foregoing provisions of this
section to be ventilated, the ventilation is interrupted or ceases to be
adequate for the purposes mentioned in subsection (1), it shall be the duty of
the manager of the mine to secure that, until the ventilation is restored,
access to that part of the mine is so restricted as to prevent from entering
it any person not authorised to do so and no person is permitted to remain in
or pass through it except for the purpose of restoring the ventilation or in a
case of emergency.


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