Virginia Decodedhttps://vacode.org36447945.2-807 Power circuits2026Mines, Minerals, and EnergyCoal MiningUnderground Coal MinesRequirements Applicable to Underground Coal Mines; Electricity, Safety, EtcElectricity

A. All underground power wires and cables shall (i) have adequate current-carrying capacity, (ii) be guarded from mechanical injury, and (iii) be installed in a permanent manner.

B. Wires and cables that are not encased in armor shall be supported by well-installed insulators and shall not touch any roof, rib, or combustible material; however, this prohibition shall not apply to ground wires, grounded power conductors, or trailing cables.

C. Power wires or cables that are installed in a belt-haulage slope shall be insulated adequately and buried in a trench at least one foot below any combustible material, unless such wires or cables are encased in armor or otherwise fully protected against mechanical injury.

D. Any splice or repair in a power cable shall:

1. Be mechanically strong and have adequate electrical conductivity;

2. Be effectively insulated and sealed so as to exclude moisture;

3. If the cable has metallic armor, possess mechanical protection and electrical conductivity equivalent to that of the original armor; and

4. If the cable has metallic shielding around each conductor, possess new shielding that is equivalent to the original shielding.

E. Every underground high-voltage transmission cable shall be:

1. Installed only in a regularly inspected airway;

2. Covered, buried, or placed on insulators so as to afford protection against damage by derailed equipment if it is installed along a haulage road;

3. Guarded if miners regularly work or pass under such cable, unless it is at least 6.5 feet above the floor or rail;

4. Securely anchored, properly insulated, and guarded at its ends; and

5. Covered, insulated, or placed to prevent contact with any trolley circuit or other low-voltage circuit.

F. Any new high-voltage disconnect that is installed on underground electrical equipment shall automatically ground all three power leads when in the open position. Every high-voltage disconnect that is rebuilt or remanufactured after July 1, 2011, shall meet this standard.

G. Every power wire or cable shall be insulated adequately where it passes into or out of an electrical compartment and where it passes through a door or stopping.

H. Where track is used as a power conductor:

1. Both rails of main-line tracks shall be welded or bonded at every joint, and cross bonds shall be installed at intervals of not more than 200 feet. If the rails are paralleled with a feeder circuit of like polarity, such paralleled feeder shall be bonded to the track rails at intervals of not more than 1,000 feet;

2. At least one rail on any secondary track-haulage road shall be welded or bonded at every joint, and cross bonds shall be installed at intervals of not more than 200 feet; and

3. Track switches on entries shall be well bonded.

Code 1950, §§ 45-82, 45-82.1; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, § 45.1-78; 1993, c. 442; 1994, c. 28, § 45.1-161.186; 1996, c. 774; 1999, c. 256; 2005, c. 3; 2011, cc. 826, 862; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.