Overview

This guidance is primarily for managers, electrical engineers and electrical engineering supervisors, but it may also be of interest to other electrical engineering staff and to mine owners, It deals with the design, construction, alteration and adaptation of power supplies to safety critical plant and equipment at mines. Contents: Introduction; Definitions; What are safety critical electrical systems?; Identifying hazards and assessing risks; Continuity of the electrical supply to the mine; Integrity, reliability and security of the supply to the mine; Arrangements with the regional electricity company; Surface sub-stations and distribution equipment; Planning for routine maintenance; Restoring main supplies following disruption or equipment failure; Prevention of vandalism and tampering; Severe weather conditions; Continuity of supply to the underground workings; Design of networks and selection and maintenance of equipment; Computer-based network analysis; Sustaining colliery network supplies in the event of disruption; Siting of equipment; Cable, cable couplers and joints; Continuity of safety critical, electrically powered ventilation equipment; Provision of ventilation equipment; Surface fans; Booster fans; Surface restarting and automatic restarting of booster fans; Auxiliary ventilation; Standby ventilation; Winding equipment; Requirements for the availability of exits from the mine; Facilities to cater for breakdown of apparatus; Mobile emergency winders; Power supplies to de-watering and firedamp drainage plant and equipment; Monitoring and control systems; General; Maintenance; Auditing; Communications systems; Main underground telephone system.