Notice2023-22742
Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 16, 2023
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentMine Safety and Health Administration
Abstract
This notice is a summary of a petition for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the party listed below.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 198 (Monday, October 16, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 198 (Monday, October 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71380-71381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22742]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Petition for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory
Safety Standards
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice is a summary of a petition for modification
submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the
party listed below.
DATES: All comments on the petition must be received by MSHA's Office
of Standards, Regulations, and Variances on or before November 15,
2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. MSHA-2023-
0035 by any of the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments for MSHA-2023-0035.
2. Fax: 202-693-9441.
3. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#acdcc9d8c5d8c5c3c2cfc3c1c1c9c2d8dfecc8c3c082cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a6d6c3d2cfd2cfc9c8c5c9cbcbc3c8d2d5e6c2c9ca88c1c9d0">[email protected]</span></a>.
4. Regular Mail or Hand Delivery: MSHA, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401,
Arlington, Virginia 22202-5452, Attention: S. Aromie Noe, Director,
Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances. Persons delivering
documents are required to check in at the receptionist's desk in Suite
4E401. Individuals may inspect copies of the petition and comments
during normal business hours at the address listed above. Before
visiting MSHA in person, call 202-693-9455 to make an appointment, in
keeping with the Department of Labor's COVID-19 policy. Special health
precautions may be required.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. Aromie Noe, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances at 202-693-9440 (voice),
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c5c697865786563627f6a637e616368656a656f6d786563624c686360226b637a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="277742534e534e4849544148554a48434e414e4446534e48496743484b09404851">[email protected]</span></a> (email), or 202-693-9441 (fax). [These
are not toll-free numbers.]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety
and Health Act of 1977 and title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) part 44 govern the application, processing, and disposition of
petitions for modification.
I. Background
Section 101(c) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977
(Mine Act) allows the mine operator or representative of miners to file
a petition to modify the application of any mandatory safety standard
to a coal or other mine if the Secretary of Labor determines that:
1. An alternative method of achieving the result of such standard
exists which will at all times guarantee no less than the same measure
of protection afforded the miners of such mine by such standard; or
2. The application of such standard to such mine will result in a
diminution of safety to the miners in such mine.
In addition, sections 44.10 and 44.11 of 30 CFR establish the
requirements for filing petitions for modification.
II. Petition for Modification
Docket Number: M-2023-012-C.
Petitioner: Warrior Met Coal Mining, LLC, 16243 Highway 216,
Brookwood, Alabama 35444.
Mine: No. 4 Mine, MSHA ID No. 01-01247, located in Tuscaloosa
County, Alabama. No. 7 Mine, MINE ID No. 01-01401, located in Jefferson
County, Alabama.
Regulation Affected: 30 CFR 75.900, Low- and medium-voltage
circuits serving three-phase alternating current equipment; circuit
breakers.
Modification Request: The petitioner requests a modification of 30
CFR 75.900 to permit use of a contactor or a Variable Frequency Drive
(VFD) in series with the circuit breaker, in lieu of a circuit breaker
alone.
The petitioner states that:
(a) The mine uses continuous mining machinery and longwall mining
machinery,
(b) Miners have been injured setting a circuit breaker which
creates a phase-to-phase fault resulting in an arc flash.
(c) The alternative method places the contactor or VFD between the
circuit breaker and load, minimizing the possibility of closing into a
fault. The use of a vacuum contactor to clear a fault has no arc flash
when the fault is cleared.
(d) A VFD will control or limit the inrush current to the connected
load as compared to starting across the line. This provides less stress
on the electrical system and allows the operator to set the
instantaneous trip on the circuit breaker at lower than the maximum
allowed setting.
(e) The petitioner currently uses a combination of a circuit
breaker and a contactor on continuous mining machine sections to power
up continuous mining machines, roof bolters, feeders, ventilation fans,
and chargers.
(f) The petitioner currently uses a circuit breaker and VFD
combination out-by on conveyor belt systems.
(g) The combination of circuit breakers with a contactor or VFD
will provide short circuit, undervoltage, grounded phase, and
overcurrent protection.
The petitioner proposes the following alternative method:
(a) The petitioner shall use a contactor in series with a circuit
breaker instead of a circuit breaker alone. The contactor shall provide
protection from undervoltage and grounded phase. The circuit breaker
shall provide short circuit protection and overcurrent protection (when
applicable).
(1) Contactors shall be rated for the maximum voltage of the
circuit being protected.
(2) Contactors shall be rated for the continuous full load current
of the equipment.
(3) The nominal voltage of the power circuits(s) shall not exceed
995 volts.
(4) The nominal voltage of the control circuit(s) shall not exceed
120 volts.
(5) Contactors and associated protective relays shall provide
undervoltage protection causing the contactor to open when an
undervoltage exists.
(6) Undervoltage protection shall be provided in two ways:
(i) If the supply voltage to the ground monitor drops below 68
percent, the ground monitor will trip, dropping out the GMAUX relay and
thereby removing power from the vacuum contactor coil, thus opening the
contactor. The ground monitor trip will be a latching fault that
requires a manual reset; and
(ii) In the alternative, undervoltage protection will be provided
by contactors that will drop out at 50 and 60 percent of supply
voltage.
(7) Grounded phase protection shall be provided using a ground
fault relay. When the relay trips on a ground fault condition, the
contact tips shall open removing power to the vacuum contactor coil
that shall open the contactor. The ground fault relay shall be a
latching fault that will require a manual reset.
(8) Contactors shall be located in the same main enclosure as the
circuit breaker.
(9) Each circuit breaker installed in series with a contactor shall
be equipped with devices to provide short-circuit protection for each
piece of equipment.
(10) Ground fault and ground monitor trips shall not automatically
reset and
[[Page 71381]]
must require a manual reset before the contactor can be closed.
(11) Fail-safe ground check circuits shall cause the contractor to
open when either the ground or pilot wire is broken.
(12) A monthly examination shall be conducted on each circuit to
ensure proper operation of the contactor.
(13) The monthly examination shall include activating undervoltage,
ground fault, and ground monitor trip devices. The results of the
contactor test shall be recorded with the required circuit breaker
monthly tests.
(b) The petitioner shall use a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) in
series with a circuit breaker instead of a circuit breaker alone. The
circuit breaker shall provide short circuit protection. A ground fault
relay will provide grounded phase protection which will cause the
circuit breaker to open. The VFD shall provide protection from
undervoltage and overcurrent.
(1) The VFD shall be rated for the maximum voltage of the circuit
being protected.
(2) The VFD shall be rated for the continuous full load current of
the utilization equipment.
(3) The nominal voltage of the control circuit(s) shall not exceed
120 volts.
(4) The VFD shall provide undervoltage protection. The VFD shall
trip at 55 percent of the nominal voltage based on the parameter
settings in the VFD that shall de-energize the output of the VFD.
(5) The VFD shall provide over-current protection to the connected
load. The VFD shall use an internal algorithm to protect the equipment
based on a rated load. The VFD shall calculate the motor temperature
based on current draw over time. If the motor temperature reaches the
setpoint for the defined time, the VFD shall fault indicating a motor
overload. This shall be a latching fault requires a manual reset.
(6) A circuit breaker shall provide short circuit protection for
systems using a VFD. A ground fault relay shall provide grounded phase
protection by causing the breaker to open.
(7) The VFD shall be located in the same main enclosure as the
circuit breaker.
(8) Each circuit breaker installed in series with a VFD shall be
equipped with devices to provide short-circuit protection for each
piece of equipment.
(9) Ground fault and ground monitor trips shall not automatically
reset and shall require a manual reset before the VFD would turn the
output on.
(10) Fail-safe ground check circuits shall cause the breaker to
open when either the ground or pilot wire is broken.
(11) A monthly examination shall be conducted on each circuit to
ensure proper operation of the breaker and VFD.
(c) Within 60 days after this proposed decision and order is
granted, the petitioner shall submit proposed revisions to its part 48
training plant to the appropriate MSHA District Official(s), specifying
task training for all miners who are assigned to work in any pertinent
area.
(d) The training shall include the purpose of the contractor
systems and VFD systems, the potential hazards of working on or near
belt conveyors and belt conveyor drives, and the requirements of 30 CFR
75.1725(c) and (d).
(e) The requirements of 30 CFR 48.3 for approval of proposed
revisions to existing approved training plans shall apply.
The petitioner provided documentation to include typical control
schemes, contactor specifications, VFD specifications, breaker
specifications, ground monitor specifications, ground fault relay
specifications, and coupler specifications in support of their
petition.
The petitioner asserts that the alternate method proposed will at
all times guarantee no less than the same measure of protection
afforded the miners under the mandatory standard.
Song-ae Aromie Noe,
Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances.
[FR Doc. 2023-22742 Filed 10-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4520-43-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 16, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.