Escape and Rescue from Mines Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Effective arrangements for rescue

12.—(1) A mine shall not be worked unless the owner has made effective arrangements suitable for the mine both—

(a)for the rescue of persons from the mine; and

(b)for the carrying out of work necessary to secure the health and safety of persons below ground in the mine in an emergency situation.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1)—

(a)every owner of a mine of a type described in regulation 3(2) shall—

(i)make effective arrangements to ensure that two rescue teams of five trained and fully equipped rescue team members are available to attend at the mine should an emergency situation requiring the use of breathing apparatus occur below ground at the mine;

(ii)make effective arrangements to ensure that the rescue teams referred to in head (i) are capable of reaching the mine within sixty minutes of being notified of such an emergency situation occurring below ground at the mine; and

(iii)secure that the rescue team members referred to in head (i) reach the mine within sixty minutes of being notified of such an emergency situation occurring below ground at the mine; and

(b)every owner of a mine of coal shall make effective arrangements to ensure that sufficient trained and fully equipped rescue team members are available as required to provide a continuous twenty-four hour rescue service following an emergency situation occurring below ground at the mine.