Coal Mining Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/90-97)

41. (1) Every overman’s section shall be inspected by a mine examiner within the four-hour period preceding the beginning of work by each shift in that section.

(2) Where there are persons present in an overman’s section, a mine examiner shall carry out the inspections of that section at intervals not exceeding eight hours.

42. (1) Every overman who is responsible for a section shall inspect every part of the section at least once during every shift at such times that no place at which an employee works remains uninspected by the overman for more than four hours after the timewhen the shift of that employee began work in that section.

(2) The inspection referred to in subsection (1) shall be carried out to ascertain the conditions in relation to ventilation, strata control and general safety.

(3) At least once during every shift, a mine examiner shall inspect every part of the overman’s section that is allotted to the mine examiner for inspection purposes.

43. (1) At the beginning of every shift and at least once during every shift, a mine examiner shall inspect the following places that are not included in an overman’s section:

• (a) every place at which mineral is being worked for repairing or enlarging a roadway;

• (b) every place from which machinery, equipment, tools or supports are being removed or salvaged; and

• (c) every place at which employees may work and through which employees do not regularly pass.

(2) A mine examiner shall inspect

• (a) every roadway or place through which employees regularly pass, at intervals not exceeding 24 hours; and

• (b) every airway, at least once per week.

44. (1) Every overman or mine examiner who carries out an inspection under any of sections 41 to 43 shall, in the course of the inspection,

• (a) inspect the machinery and equipment;

• (b) report to the underground manager any machinery or equipment found by the employee to be unsafe; and

• (c) post at the appropriate meeting station a record of the report referred to in paragraph (b).

(2) No person shall use any machinery or equipment that is the subject of a record referred to in paragraph (1)(c) until such time as it has been reported to be safe.

45. (1) Every mine examiner who carries out an inspection referred to in section 41 or subsection 42(2) shall make a report of the inspection in a book kept for that purpose, including

• (a) the state of the roof support;

• (b) the state of the ventilation and all matters affecting ventilation;

• (c) the concentration of flammable gases; and

• (d) any thing or circumstance that is likely to be hazardous to the safety or health of employees.

(2) Every overman or mine examiner who carries out an inspection referred to in subsection 42(1) or section 43 shall make a report of the inspection in a book kept for that purpose, including all information relevant to the safety or health of employees.

(3) Where an inspection discloses a dangerous condition in an underground portion of a coal mine, the employee who carried out the inspection shall forthwith report the condition to the overman who is responsible for that portion of the coal mine or to the underground manager.