Kentucky Mine Rescue The Office of Mine Safety and Licensing has a long and proud history of providing mine rescue services for underground mining operations in Kentucky. It is important that every miner in the Commonwealth know that should a mine rescue event occur while he/she is in the mine, Kentucky mine rescue teams are ready to respond to any emergency.
KRS 351.190 Mine rescue divisions and stations -- Supplies and equipment.
The commissioner of the department shall partition the coal fields of the state into mine rescue divisions. In each division there shall be a station, the location of which shall be determined by the commissioner, and there shall be kept at each station apparatus, appliances, and supplies for use in the work of rescue and relief upon the occurrence of entrapments, roof falls, inundation of liquids or gases, explosions or mine fires, and for the training of officials and miners in mine rescue work. The commissioner shall provide each station and himself with the necessary instruments, appliances, apparatus, chemicals, trucks, and automobiles, and shall designate one of the inspectors to have charge of each station.
KRS 351.191 Trained mine rescue team to be available within specified driving time of each mine.
Each underground coal mine operator shall submit documentation to the commissioner that a trained mine rescue team is within 60 minutes' driving time of each of his mines. In the event that a trained mine rescue team is not available as required, the department shall provide a trained mine rescue team which would be available to the mine within 60 minutes' driving time and shall so notify in writing the appropriate official of the United States Mine Safety and Health Administration.
The Office of Mine Safety and Licensing has six district offices located across the state with the main office located in Frankfort. The district offices are located in Madisonville, Barbourville, Harlan, Pikeville, Martin and Hazard. There is a mine rescue station in each of these offices with state-of-the-art mine rescue equipment in each station. There are two state mine rescue teams at each of the six district offices. Mine rescue teams' members are comprised of Office of Mine Safety and Licensing personnel.