{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-352.020","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 352.020","heading":"Mine ventilation plans -- Methods of ventilation -- Amount of air required","body":"-- Plan requirements.\n(1) A mine ventilation plan and any revision of an existing mine ventilation plan shall\nbe suitable to the ventilation conditions and mining system of e ach mine. The mine\nventilation plan and any revisions to the mine ventilation plan approved by the\nUnited States Mine Safety and Health Administration shall be submitted to the\ndirector or his or her authorized representative and incorporated into the license. All\nmine ventilation plans shall be set forth in printed form. The mine ventilation plan\nshall require the air quality throughout the mine to contain at least nineteen and one-\nhalf percent (19.5%) oxygen and not more than one -half of one percent (0.5% ) of\ncarbon dioxide, and the volume and velocity of the air current shall be sufficient to\ndilute, render harmless, and carry away flammable, explosive, noxious, and harmful\ngases and dust, smoke, and fumes. A copy of the mine ventilation plan and any\nrevisions to that plan shall be available to the miners and their representatives.\n(2) The ventilation of all underground coal mines shall be produced by means of\nmechanically operated fans located outside the mine in fireproof housing and offset\nat least fifteen (15) feet to one (1) side or above the opening, protected by explosion\ndoors or weak walls and arranged so that ventilating current may be reversed if\nnecessary. The fan shall be installed so as to prevent recirculation of mine air. The\nmain fan shall be operated from a power circuit independent from the mine circuit.\nIf inside auxiliary fans are required to ventilate working places the commissioner\nmust first approve the installation.\n(3) The licensee, superintendent, or foreman of every coal mine worked by shaft, slope,\nor drift shall provide and maintain for every mine two (2) separate and distinct\nescapeways, one (1) of which is vented by the intake air. However, if a mine was\noriginally licensed prior to January 1, 1990, the commissioner may approve  an\nalternate ventilation plan. Each active working section shall be ventilated by a\nseparate split of intake air. In all mines the quantity of air passing through the last\nopen crosscut between the intake and return in any pair or sets of entries shall be not\nless than nine thousand (9,000) cubic feet of air per minute and as much more as is\nnecessary to dilute and render harmless and carry away flammable and harmful\ngases. All working faces from which coal is being cut, mined, or loaded in a\nworking secti on between the intake and return airway entries shall be ventilated\nwith a minimum quantity of three thousand (3,000) cubic feet of air per minute and\nas much more as is necessary to dilute and render harmless and carry away\nflammable and harmful gases. The quantity of air reaching the last crosscut in pillar\nsections may be less than nine thousand (9,000) cubic feet of air per minute if at\nleast nine thousand (9,000) cubic feet of air per minute is being delivered to the\nintake of the pillar line. The air current shall under any conditions have a sufficient\nvolume and velocity to reduce and carry away smoke from blasting and any\nflammable or harmful gases.\n(4) All mines shall maintain at least nine thousand (9,000) cubic feet of air per minute\nat the points  mentioned in subsection (3) of this section. The commissioner shall\nhave the authority to require additional air in any mine when he deems it necessary\nfor the safety of the employees.\n(5) When the air from a split has passed through and has ventilated al l the working\nplaces in an air split of a mine it shall then be designated as return air. Return -air\ncourses shall not be designated as primary escapeways.\n(6) As working places advance, breakthroughs for air shall be made not more than\nninety (90) feet ap art, except that where longwall or modern systems of mining are\nused the commissioner or his authorized representative may approve a greater\ndistance between breakthroughs or the method of ventilating such longwall or\nmodern systems of mining. If any break throughs between intake and return airways\nare not required for the passage of air or the travel of equipment, they shall be\nclosed with stoppings. All permanent stoppings shall be substantially built with\nsuitable incombustible or fire resistant material subject to the approval of the mine\ninspector so as to keep the working places well ventilated. All brattice cloth and\nventilation tubing shall be flame resistant. Doors on the main haulways shall be\navoided where practicable, and overcasts, built of concrete or other suitable material\nand of ample strength, shall be adopted. Where doors are used they shall be built in\na substantial manner, and shall be hung so as to close automatically when\nunobstructed.\n(7) In a mine where methane can be found to an exten t of one percent (1%) or more on\nthe return of any one (1) split, the mine safety specialist, with the approval of the\ncommissioner, may require the mine to be ventilated by the exhaust system,\nrequiring the haulage roads and all feed wires to be located o n the intake air and the\nelectrical system to be so arranged that no wires carrying electrical current shall be\non return air. A period of not more than ninety (90) days from date of notification\nshall be allowed to make the changes required.\n(8) The venti lation plan shall require all fans utilized in the ventilation plan to be in\ncontinuous operation unless the fan must be turned off for repairs or maintenance,\nduring which time all persons must be withdrawn from the mine. After the mine fan\nis restarted f ollowing the completion of repairs or maintenance, it must be in\noperation for a sufficient period to ensure air quality and the equalization of the\nmine atmosphere. Within fifteen (15) minutes after a fan has been unintentionally\nstopped, all miners must begin withdrawing from the mine. If the fan is restarted\nbefore the miners reach the surface, the miners shall remain at the point of their\nretreat, and the area inby shall be preshifted prior to the miners returning to the\nsection.","path":["KRS Chapter 352"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44546","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:37Z","sha256":"a61bbe67d17ff93df711b054c191c5f03d3d4d1ced82100a574997d242146dd0","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-352.018","next":"us-ky/krs-352.030"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}