351.127 Employment of certified emergency medical technicians or mine emergency technicians required at underground coal mine. (1) Certified emergency medical technicians or mine emergency technicians shall be employed at every licensed coal mine whose employees are actively engaged in the extraction, production, or preparation of coal. Persons employed as mine emergency technicians shall be trained in a manner established in an administrative regulation promulgated by the department. Persons seeking certification as a mine emergency medical technician or mine emergency technician shall be subject to the following additional requirements: (a) All persons seeking certification as a mine emergency technician shall demonstrate drug- and alcohol-free status in accordance with KRS 351.182 and 351.183; (b) The drug and alcohol testing for those seeking certification as mine emergency technicians shall be administered prior to the examination for the certification, in accordance with KRS 351.182 and 351.183; and (c) Certification as a mine emergency technician shall not be issued until the results of the drug and alcohol testing have been obtained. Notification shall be given to the person in accordance with KRS 351.184. (2) These emergency medical technicians or mine emergency technicians shall be employed in the following manner: (a) At least two (2) emergency medical or mine emergency technicians shall be employed on every shift engaged in the production of coal, and at least one (1) emergency medical or mine emergency technician shall be employed on every nonproduction shift; (b) For underground mines, at least one (1) of the two (2) emergency or mine emergency technicians shall be underground at all times while miners are working in the mines. An additional emergency medical technician or mine emergency technician shall be employed for every additional fifty (50), or any portion thereof, employees per shift who are actively engaged in the extraction, production, or preparation of coal. If these emergency medical technicians or mine emergency technicians are also employed in other capacities at the coal mine, they shall be available for quick response to emergencies and shall have available to them at all times the equipment necessary to respond to emergencies, as prescribed by the commissioner. If the licensee selects existing employees to be trained as emergency medical technicians or mine emergency technicians, the employees selected shall be paid their regular wages during training. (3) (4) (5) Certified emergency medical technicians and mine emergency technicians shall receive annual retraining in the manner established in an administrative regulation promulgated by the department, during which they shall receive their regular wages. Effective: June 26, 2007 History: Amended 2007 Ky. Acts ch. 94, sec. 8, effective June 26, 2007. -- Amended 2006 Ky. Acts ch. 241, sec. 16, effective July 12, 2006. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 355, sec. 5, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 308, sec. 13, effective April 9, 1996. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 259, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1994. -- Amended 1990 Ky. Acts ch. 145, sec. 1, effective July 13, 1990. -- Amended 1984 Ky. Acts ch. 148, sec. 1, effective July 13, 1984; and ch. 237, sec. 1, effective July 13, 1984. -- Created 1982 Ky. Acts ch. 369, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1982. Legislative Research Commission Note (4/9/96). The action taken with respect to this statute by 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 308 was to have become effective April 8, 1996, under Section 51 of that Act. The Act, however, did not become effective until April 9, 1996, when the Governor's signed copy of the Act was filed with the Secretary of State.