ISO 19426-1:2026

• Abstract:

  This document specifies the terms and definitions related to the structures for mine shafts, used throughout ISO 19426 series. Terms used in mining can vary from conventional engineering usage, and they vary quite considerably between different countries. For this reason, alternative terms are provided in many of the entries. The preferred terms, given in bold type, are those used throughout ISO 19426 series. It is assumed that users of this document are familiar with mining, so common terms with normal dictionary usage are not defined. Also, no definitions are provided for terms that can be widely used in mining but are not explicitly used in ISO 19426 series.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 14-Sep-2026
• ICS: 01.040.73 - Mining and minerals (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 73.020 - Mining and quarrying
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 82 - Mining
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 82/WG 4 - Structures for mine shafts
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 15-Sep-2026
• Due Date: 15-Sep-2026
• Completion Date: 15-Sep-2026

• Revises: ISO 19426-1:2018 - Structures for mine shafts — Part 1: Vocabulary
• Effective Date: 16-Sep-2023

ISO 19426-1:2026 is an International Standard from ISO for structures for mine shafts. It specifies the terms and definitions used throughout the ISO 19426 series, so mining companies, shaft designers, and equipment suppliers can use the same language for shafts, conveyances, stages, and winding equipment.

What does ISO 19426-1:2026 specify?

ISO 19426-1:2026 defines the vocabulary for mine-shaft structures and is the shared language for the rest of the ISO 19426 series. The scope explains that mining terms can differ from conventional engineering usage and from country to country, so many entries give alternative terms while the preferred term is shown in bold type.

Clause 1 states the scope, Clause 2 covers normative references, and Clause 3 contains the terms and definitions. The document is organized as a compact vocabulary standard, with a bibliography that points to the other parts of the ISO 19426 series.

What are the key requirements of ISO 19426-1:2026?

ISO 19426-1:2026 does not set design loads or test methods. Its practical job is to standardize the words used to describe mine-shaft structures, so drawings, specifications, procedures, and contracts mean the same thing to everyone involved.

Standardized terminology

Clause 3 sets preferred terms for the main parts of mine shafts, and it gives alternative terms where industry usage varies. In practice, that helps teams avoid confusion when a local name, a mining name, and an engineering name refer to the same item.

Shaft, conveyance, and hoisting language

Clause 3 defines the core hardware and operating terms used in shaft transport, including shaft, shaft wall, conveyance, cage, skip, winder, winding rope, head rope, rope attachments, bridle, top transom, and bottom transom. This matters when a project team needs to describe load paths, transport equipment, and the parts that connect a conveyance to the rope system.

Safety and arresting terms

Clause 3 includes terms such as overwind, emergency arresting structure, emergency stopping device, fall back arrestor, dogging system, overspeed device, crash beam, catch plate, and drop test. These terms are important because they separate routine transport functions from devices that are intended to stop or arrest a runaway conveyance.

Decline-shaft and rail-guided transport terms

Clause 3 also covers decline shaft, control conveyance, track braking system, trailing load, turnout, Dropsets, and doubling-down. For users of decline shafts, these terms help distinguish the vehicle, the braking arrangement, and the operational features that keep the system under control.

Sinking and access terms

Clause 3 defines stage, stage rope, stage skid, kibble, kibble cross-head, lashing unit, protective platform, and VSM. These terms matter during shaft sinking and equipping, where the stage supports people and equipment and where material handling tools must be identified precisely.

What terms does ISO 19426-1:2026 define?

• bank level - the top of the shaft, used as the reference level for access and shaft-top operations.
• conveyance - a container or structure that carries load or performs a task in a mine shaft, such as a cage, skip, or kibble.
• stage - a movable platform used to support personnel and equipment during sinking, rehabilitation, or equipping.
• winder - the machine that raises and lowers conveyances in a mine shaft by means of a winding rope.
• winding rope - the rope used to raise and lower conveyances and other equipment in mine shafts.
• emergency arresting structure - a structure intended to prevent a vehicle plunging down a shaft or to arrest a conveyance in an overwind.
• VSM - vertical shaft mucker, a remotely operated modular device that loads blasted rock into a kibble during shaft sinking.

Who uses ISO 19426-1:2026?

ISO 19426-1:2026 is used by mining companies, engineering firms that design mines, shaft-sinking contractors, and suppliers of hoisting and shaft equipment. Quality, safety, and project teams use it to write consistent specifications, interpret drawings, train staff, and manage international projects where terminology can vary by region.

What changed in ISO 19426-1:2026 from the previous edition?

ISO 19426-1:2026 is the second edition and cancels and replaces ISO 19426-1:2018. The foreword states that the revision technically revises the vocabulary by clarifying definitions and by including terminology used in other countries.

Which standards are used with ISO 19426-1:2026?

The bibliography points to the related ISO 19426 parts:

• ISO 19426-2 - Structures for mine shafts - Part 2: Headframe structures.
• ISO 19426-3 - Structures for mine shafts - Part 3: Sinking stages.
• ISO 19426-4 - Structures for mine shafts - Part 4: Conveyances.
• ISO 19426-5 - Structures for mine shafts - Part 5: Shaft system structures.

What does the ISO 19426-1:2026 document contain?

ISO 19426-1:2026 is mainly a numbered glossary of mine-shaft terms and definitions. Many entries include alternative terms and short notes that explain how the term is used in practice.

Figures 1 to 3 illustrate typical 3 deck cage components, skip components, and single deck cage components. Those figures help readers identify the named parts listed in the vocabulary.

The document also includes a bibliography that links the vocabulary to the other parts of the ISO 19426 series. That makes the terminology easier to use alongside the related technical documents for headframes, stages, conveyances, and shaft systems.

International
Standard
ISO 19426-1
Second edition
Structures for mine shafts —
2026-09
Part 1:
Vocabulary
Structures de puits de mine —
Partie 1: Vocabulaire
Reference number
© ISO 2026
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Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
Bibliography .13

iii
Foreword
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with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
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Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 82, Mining.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 19426-1:2018), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— Clarification in definitions and inclusion of terminology used in other countries.
A list of all parts in the ISO 19426 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
Many mining companies, and many of the engineering companies that provide designs for mines, operate
globally so ISO 19426 series was developed in response to a desire for a unified global approach to the safe
and robust design of structures for mine shafts. The characteristics of ore bodies, such as their depth and
shape, vary in different areas so different design approaches have been developed and proven with use over
time in different countries. Bringing these approaches together in ISO 19426 series will facilitate improved
safety and operational reliability.
The majority of the material in ISO 19426 series deals with the loads to be applied in the design of structures
for mine shafts. Some principles for structural design are given, but for the most part it is assumed that local
standards will be used for the structural design.

v
International Standard ISO 19426-1:2026(en)
Structures for mine shafts —
Part 1:
Vocabulary
1 Scope
This document specifies the terms and definitions related to the structures for mine shafts, used throughout
ISO 19426 series.
Terms used in mining can vary from conventional engineering usage, and they vary quite considerably
between different countries. For this reason, alternative terms are provided in many of the entries. The
preferred terms, given in bold type, are those used throughout ISO 19426 series.
It is assumed that users of this document are familiar with mining, so common terms with normal dictionary
usage are not defined. Also, no definitions are provided for terms that can be widely used in mining but are
not explicitly used in ISO 19426 series.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
bank level
top of the shaft
3.2
bank door
collar door
shaft door
door installed at bank level (3.1) that prevents personnel, equipment and material from falling down the
shaft
3.3
bottom transom
structural member, or group of members, located at the bottom of the bridle (3.7) and used to transfer
underslung loads (3.85) or tail-rope loads (3.8) to the bridle hangers
Note 1 to entry: See Figures 1, 2 and 3.
3.4
box front
gate
structure located at the lower end of a rock pass (3.62) used to control rock (3.61) flow

3.5
brattice screen
screen to partition off a portion of the shaft to prevent falling objects or spillage moving from one area of the
shaft to another
Note 1 to entry: This is usually placed around personnel hoisting compartments to ensure safe hoisting conditions.
3.6
brattice wall
airtight dividing wall partitioning a shaft into two distinct ventilation compartments, one being an upcast
compartment and the other a downcast compartment
3.7
bridle
bail
structural frame that includes the top transom (3.81), the bottom transom (3.3) and the bridle hangers (3.8)
to form a frame that carries the cage (3.11) or skip (3.73) body
Note 1 to entry: See Figures 1, 2 and 3.
3.8
bridle hanger
structural member, or group of members, that transfers loads between the top transom (3.81) and bottom
transom (3.3)
Note 1 to entry: See Figures 1, 2 and 3.
3.9
brow beam
beam that supports the concrete layer that stabilizes the hanging wall at a station
3.10
bunton
structural member (usually horizontal) that primarily provides support to the conveyance (3.15)guides
(3.37)
3.11
cage
single or multiple deck conveyance (3.15) used for the transportation of personnel, equipment or material
(or both) in the shaft
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
3.12
camelback
raised portion of the path traversed by a roller, used for tipping hoppers in decline shafts (3.21) or for
providing a gravity locking mechanism on skips (3.73) in vertical shafts
3.13
canopy
cover or roof structure, offering protection to persons on the top deck of the stage (3.75) or on a conveyance
(3.15)
3.14
catch plate
spectacle plate
device for operating and supporting the rope-detaching hook in a final overwind (3.55) condition, and that
subsequently prevents the detached conveyance (3.15) from running back down the shaft

3.15
conveyance
container or structure used in a mine shaft to transport a load or perform a task, that includes counterweight
(3.17), equipping skeleton (3.31) cage, inspection platform, kibble (3.46), personnel or material cage, skip
(3.73), sinking cross-head, material cars, hoppers, or cradle
Note 1 to entry: Some typical conveyances are illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
a)  Front view b)  Side view
Key
1 top transom
2 roof beam
3 floor beam
4 bottom transom
5 bridle hanger
Figure 1 — Typical 3 deck cage components

a)  Front view b)  Side view
Key
1 top transom
2 pivot bar
3 bridle hanger
4 bottom transom
5 tipping roller
6 door
7 loading lip
Figure 2 — Typical skip components

a)  Front view b)  Side view
Key
1 top transom
2 roof beam
3 floor beam
4 bottom transom
5 bridle hanger
Figure 3 — Typical single deck cage components
3.16
control conveyance
pilot car
conveyance (3.15) in a decline shaft (3.21), attached to the haulage rope or the winding rope (3.88), that can
contain an operator who is in communication with the haulage engine or winder (3.87) and that controls the
operation of the train
3.17
counterweight
balance mass in a conveyance (3.15) winding system
3.18
crash beam
beam intended to stop the conveyance (3.15) in the event of a final overwind (3.55)
3.19
critical load bearing component
structural components, failure of which would be catastrophic
Note 1 to entry: For conveyances (3.15), this includes all top transoms (3.81) and bottom transoms (3.3), bridle hangers
(3.8), floor beams and their immediate connecting elements.
3.20
cross beam
beam spanning between the shaft walls (3.68) for the purposes of suspending a stage (3.75)

3.21
decline shaft
incline shaft
inclined excavation equipped with tracks where people, material or rock (3.60) are regularly transported by
means of a winder (3.87)
Note 1 to entry: The term incline shaft is used if the shaft was excavated from the lower end upwards.
3.22
distributor
kettle
reservoir supported on the stage (3.75), that contains the concrete before it is placed in the shaft formwork
3.23
dogging system
device mounted on a conveyance (3.15) and intended to stop the conveyance by engaging onto the guides
(3.37) in the event of loss of head rope (3.41) tension
3.24
doubling-down
procedure where a rope is doubled by use of a sheave temporarily attached to the conveyance (3.15) to carry
out any of the following:
a) installation and changing of winding ropes (3.88);
b) cutting of winding rope back ends;
c) lowering of abnormal loads;
d) tightening of winding rope coils on the winder (3.87) drum
3.25
Dropsets
3.25.1
emergency arresting dropset
dropbeam
hinged beam or beams installed in a decline shaft (3.21) to arrest a runaway conveyance (3.15)
3.25.2
station dropset
pair of hinged beams and tracks that is used to divert a conveyance (3.15) from its inclined plane of travel to
a hor
...