[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 30, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 30CFR75.203]

[Page 459]
 
                       TITLE 30--MINERAL RESOURCES
 
  CHAPTER I--MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
 
PART 75--MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS--UNDERGROUND COAL MINES--Table of Contents
 
                         Subpart C--Roof Support
 
Sec. 75.203  Mining methods.

    (a) The method of mining shall not expose any person to hazards 
caused by excessive widths of rooms, crosscuts and entries, or faulty 
pillar recovery methods. Pillar dimensions shall be compatible with 
effective control of the roof, face and ribs and coal or rock bursts.
    (b) A sightline or other method of directional control shall be used 
to maintain the projected direction of mining in entries, rooms, 
crosscuts and pillar splits.
    (c) A sidecut shall be started only from an area that is supported 
in accordance with the roof control plan.
    (d) A working face shall not be mined through into an unsupported 
area of active workings, except when the unsupported area is 
inaccessible.
    (e) Additional roof support shall be installed where--
    (1) The width of the opening specified in the roof control plan is 
exceeded by more than 12 inches; and
    (2) The distance over which the excessive width exists is more than 
5 feet.