Mines and Quarries Act, 1965

Deputies.

17.—(1) Provision may be made by regulations—

(a) for imposing, in relation to a mine, such requirements as to the carrying out, by competent persons (each of whom is in this Act referred to as a “deputy”) appointed for the purpose by the manager of the mine and having such qualifications as may be prescribed, of inspections of the mine as the Minister thinks proper to impose to secure the safety and health of the persons employed;

(b) for providing that, subject to any exceptions for which provision may be made by the regulations, deputies shall have the immediate charge of the persons employed at the mine and of the operations carried on by them;

(c) for prescribing any additional duties to be discharged by deputies and for requiring that, subject to any prescribed exceptions, deputies shall devote the whole of their time to the discharge of their duties; and

(d) for requiring or authorising the delimitation in a mine of districts for the purpose of the discharge by deputies of their duties, for requiring that where districts are delimited no deputy shall have charge of more than one district and for relating to each district the duties of the deputy in charge of it.

(2) It shall be the duty of the manager of the mine to secure that the number of deputies is sufficient to secure the efficient discharge of their duties.