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ISSUE DATE: October 1, 2009 PROGRAM INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. P09-37 FROM: LINDA F. ZEILER  Acting Director of Technical Support KEVIN G. STRICKLIN  Administrator for Coal Mine Safety and Health NEAL H. MERRIFIELD  Acting Administrator for Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health SUBJECT: Re-Issue of P06-02 - Modifying Molded Case Circuit Breakers Who needs this information? Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) personnel, underground coal mine operators, underground gassy metal nonmetal mine operators, miners' representatives, mining equipment manufacturers, independent contractors, and repair/rebuild shop facilities should have this information. What is the purpose of this Program Information Bulletin? MSHA is issuing this Program Information Bulletin (PIB) to alert the mining industry, in particular all entities that repair or rebuild circuit breakers used with mining equipment, of the hazards involved with using circuit breakers with modifications that do not meet the circuit breaker manufacturer's specifications. While circuit breakers are not approved pieces of equipment under Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations (30 CFR), they pose a significant safety hazard if they are not properly maintained. MSHA investigated two incidents where molded case circuit breakers were modified by an independent repair shop. In both cases, these modifications outwardly did not appear to change the circuit breaker. However, upon an examination of the internal components of the circuit breaker, MSHA discovered that significant changes in the circuit breaker design had been made causing a potential safety hazard. What needs to be done? MSHA recommends repairing circuit breakers to the original manufacturer's specifications using components exactly like those furnished by the manufacturer. Independent repair shops, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or an authorized OEM repair shop can repair circuit breakers when replacement components exactly like those furnished by the manufacturer are available. Before modifying any molded case circuit breaker or repairing any circuit breaker with components different from the manufacturer, consult the manufacturer to determine if the modification will have any adverse effect on the circuit breaker. Since circuit breaker designs and specifications are proprietary information, independent repair shops may not be able to obtain the required specifications from the manufacturer. If the independent repair shop can not obtain the specifications, the circuit breaker should be modified by the OEM or an authorized OEM repair shop. Mine operators are ultimately responsible for all repairs and modifications made to the circuit breakers whether made by the OEM, an authorized OEM repair shop, independent contractor or by a repair/rebuild shop facility. The mine operator must make sure that all repairs are made in a workman-like manner and that any modifications will not adversely impact the performance of the circuit breaker. What is the background of this PIB? MSHA's investigations showed that some circuit breakers are being modified to incorporate accessories and parts that were not included in the original circuit breaker design.
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977; 30 CFR §§ 75.900, 77.900, 56.12001 and 57.12001. Is this PIB available on the Internet? This bulletin may be viewed on the World Wide Web by accessing the MSHA home page (http://www.msha.gov) and choosing "Compliance Info" and "Program Information Bulletins." Who are the MSHA contact persons for this PIB? Technical Support, Approval and Certification Center Richard M. O'Hanlon, (304) 547-2316 E-mail: ohanlon.richard@dol.gov Coal Mine Safety and Health, Safety Division Salwa El-Bassioni, (202) 693-9525 E-mail: el-bassioni.salwa@dol.gov Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health Safety and Health Division William W. Wilson, (202) 693-9640 E-mail: wilson.william@dol.gov Who will receive the PIB? MSHA Program Policy Holders Mine Operators Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Repair and Rebuild Facilities Independent Contractors Special Interest Groups Miners' Representatives  |
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