55. No coal mine shall be worked below the sea bottom or below a body of water or material that may flow, except under the following conditions:

• (a) a solid barrier of unworked mineral of 50 m or more shall be left between the workings of a submarine lease and any other submarine lease;

• (b) subject to paragraph (c), where a coal seam or stratified deposit is worked, there shall be a cover of 55 m or more of solid measure; and

• (c) where a passageway is driven, there shall be a cover of 30 m or more of solid measure.

• 56. (1) At least one exploring drift shall be driven in advance of the working face of workings in a coal mine that are advancing towards an area

  • (a) that is less than 300 m below the sea bottom or a body of water or material that may flow; and

  • (b) where there is likely to be a geological fault at a distance of 50 m or less from the working face.

• (2) Where the throw or dislocation of a geological fault exceeds 10 m or where the faces of the fault plane are separated by material more than 600 mm thick, no coal face shall be worked within 11 m of that fault.

• (3) Where a solid measure below a sea bottom is less than 150 m, soundings shall be taken to a distance of at least 300 m in advance of any workings referred to in subsection (1) for the purpose of determining the depth of the water, and levels shall be taken at the working face at least once every three months for the purpose of determining the depth of the solid measure.

• (4) The location of the soundings and the levels referred to in subsection (3) shall be marked on a plan of the underground workings that is kept readily available at the coal mine in respect of which it applies for examination by employees.

• 57. (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall be employed to work as a coal miner at a working face unless the person is a coal miner.

• (2) A person who is not a coal miner may be employed at a working face to perform the functions of a coal miner if the person is employed for training purposes for not more than eight months and a qualified person accompanies the person, exercises close personal control over the person and provides appropriate guidance to the person in respect of safe work practices.

• (3) No person shall be employed at a working face to perform functions other than the functions of a coal miner unless the person has received training in the safety and health procedures to be followed.

58. Every employee whose employment in a coal mine requires that the employee be the holder of a certificate, other than a coal miner’s certificate, shall complete a refresher course, approved by the Provincial Board, within six months after the expiration of every five-year period after

• (a) the date of the certificate; or

• (b) the date of the most recent refresher course taken by the employee in respect of the certificate.

• 59. (1) The mine manager shall prepare in writing and implement safe procedures for the operation of cages, trips and mobile equipment underground.

• (2) The procedures referred to in subsection (1) shall specify the conditions under which persons may be transported.

• (3) The employer shall submit a copy of the procedures referred to in subsection (1) and any changes in those procedures to the Coal Mining Safety Commission for approval at least 30 days before the implementation of the procedures or changed procedures.