293.260. Explosive strongbox required--employment of shot firers, duties--penalty. - Missouri Statutes

Explosive strongbox required--employment of shot firers,duties--penalty.

293.260. 1. All owners, agents or operators of coal minesshall require of all miners or other persons employed in andabout a mine, using gun or blasting powder or other explosives,to have and keep a strongbox in which all surplus gun andblasting powder or other explosives in the mine shall be kept,excepting so much as is necessary for immediate use. These boxesshall be kept locked and not opened unless it be to put in ortake out powder. Nor must these strong (or powder) boxes be keptnearer than one hundred feet to the place of blasting.

2. And in all dry and dusty coal mines discharging lightcarbonated hydrogen gas, or in mines where the coal is blastedoff the solid, shot firers must be employed by the operator ofsaid mine or mines, to fire all shots after the employees andother persons have retired from the mine.

3. And all shots prepared by the miner for the extraction ofcoal from off the solid must be so placed, drilled and chargedthat the same, when fired, shall perform safely the duty requiredof such shots; but if the shot firers find or discover that adrill hole is gripping too much, or that it is drilled too muchinto what the miners term "the tight", and as may in the judgmentof the shot firers prove a windy, blown-out or otherwisedangerous shot, said shot firers shall there and then condemnsuch shot as too dangerous to fire and pass the same withoutfiring it.

4. It shall also be the duty of the shot firers to notifythe mine foreman as soon as practicable, when a shot iscondemned, who shall in turn attract the attention of the mineror miners responsible for the preparation of said condemned shot,and said miner or miners shall immediately after returning towork provide the necessary remedy to render the said condemnedshot harmless.

5. Any agent, owner or operator of any coal mine in thisstate violating the provisions of this section shall be deemedguilty of a misdemeanor, and for each offense, on conviction,shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more thantwo hundred and fifty dollars, or by imprisonment in the countyjail not less than six months nor more than one year, or by bothsuch fine and imprisonment, proceedings to be instituted in anycourt having competent jurisdiction.

(L. 1959 S.B. 188 §§ 28, 29)