A. A certified hoisting engineer shall be either on duty continuously, or available within a reasonable time as determined by the Chief, to provide immediate transportation while any person is underground, where miners are transported into or out of underground areas of a mine by hoists or on surface inclines.

B. When miners are being hoisted or lowered in shafts, slopes, or on surface inclines, 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 elevators that can be safely operated by any miner; however, a person qualified as an automatic elevator operator shall be available at such elevators within a reasonable time as determined by the Chief.

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

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.