45.1-161.159 - Hoisting engineers. - Virginia Statutes

§ 45.1-161.159. Hoisting engineers.

A. A certified hoisting engineer shall be either on duty continuously, oravailable within a reasonable time as determined by the Chief, to provideimmediate transportation while any person is underground, where miners aretransported into or out of underground areas of a mine by hoists or onsurface inclines.

B. When miners are being hoisted or lowered in shafts, slopes, or on surfaceinclines, the loading and unloading of miners and movement of the cage, car,or trip shall be under the direction of an authorized person.

C. Subsections A and B shall not apply to automatically operated elevatorsthat can be safely operated by any miner; however, a person qualified as anautomatic elevator operator shall be available at such elevators within areasonable time as determined by the Chief.

D. No operator, or his agent, of any mine worked by shaft, slope or inclineshall place in charge of any engine or drum used for lowering or hoistingminers any but competent and sober hoisting engineers. No hoisting engineerin charge of such machinery shall allow any person, except such as may bedesignated for such purpose by the operator, or his agent, to interfere withany part of the machinery. No person shall interfere with or intimidate thehoisting engineer or automatic elevator operator in the discharge of hisduties.

(Code 1950, §§ 45-7, 45-12, 45-68.4, 45-69, 45-73, 45-75, 45-78, 45-79,45-81, 45-83; 1950, p. 156; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, §§ 45.1-21, 45.1-68,45.1-69; 1972, c. 784; 1976, c. 598; 1978, cc. 222, 489, 729; 1982, c. 255;1984, cc. 178, 590; 1988, c. 577; 1993, cc. 171, 442; 1994, c. 28; 1999, c.256.)