New electrical safety rules for coal mines

Safety rules for installing and using electrical equipment in coal mines, sponsored by the Bureau of Mines, Department of Commerce, and the American Mining Congress, have just been made public by the Bureau. In preparing the rules, five basic measures for safeguarding the use of electricity in mines have been followed, viz.: Removing the contributory causes of accidents or danger; removing from the vicinity of electrical apparatus all elements susceptible to the influence of electricity; complete control of electric current, or limiting the area of its activity by protective devices; using a large factor of safety in the selection, installation, and inspection of equipment, and the full control of the operation of electrically driven machines.