Mines and Quarries Act 1954

74 Dust precautions

(1) It shall be the duty of the manager of every mine to ensure that, in connection with the getting, dressing and transporting of minerals below ground in the mine, the giving off of—

(a) any dust that is inflammable ; and

(b) dust of such character and in such quantity as to be likely to be injurious to the persons employed;

is minimised.

(2) Where, in connection with the carrying on of any operations or process below ground in a mine or in a building on the surface of a mine, there is given off any dust that is inflammable or dust of such character and in such quantity as to be likely to be injurious to the persons employed, it shall be the duty of the manager of the mine to ensure—

(a) that the entry of the dust into the air or its accumulation in any place in circumstances in which its accumulation in that place might be dangerous or harmful is minimised by means of steps in that behalf taken as near as possible to the point of origin of the dust;

(b) that any of the dust which enters the air is trapped or so dispersed as to render it harmless; and

(c) that any of the dust which is not prevented from accumulating in a place in circumstances in which its accumulation in that place might be dangerous or harmful is either systematically cleaned up and removed to a place where it cannot be dangerous or harmful or treated in manner approved by the Minister for the purpose of rendering it harmless.

(3) Regulations may impose upon managers of mines such requirements with respect to the use thereat of prescribed apparatus and the taking thereat of prescribed steps as it may appear to the Minister requisite or expedient to impose for the purpose of attaining any of the objects mentioned in the foregoing provisions of this section; and regulations having effect by virtue of this subsection may provide either that compliance therewith by the manager of a mine is to be taken, either without qualification or to a prescribed extent, as compliance with all or any of the requirements of the said provisions or that compliance with the regulations by the manager of a mine is not necessarily to be taken as compliance with any of the said requirements.