These regulations are made by the Minister of Power under the Mines and Quarries Act 1954 and provide for the medical examination of young persons (i.e. persons over compulsory school age but under 18) upon first employment at any mine and thereafter at intervals of a year, or sooner if the examining doctor thinks it necessary.
The regulations apply to all mines and revoke and replace the Coal Mines (Medical Examinations) Regulations 1956 and regulation 70 of the Miscellaneous Mines (General) Regulations 1956.
Arrangements are to be made by the owner of the mine at which a young person is employed or to be employed for that young person to be medically examined by a doctor approved by the Minister, and certificates are to be given in a book provided by the owner of the mine. The regulations specify the owner's duties as regards the giving of notices to young persons and the doctors concerned with examinations and the keeping of records and prohibit (apart from 30 days grace) the employment of any young person for whose medical examination arrangements are required to be made until he has been examined, and of any young person found unfit by such examination, either generally or in particular circumstances.
The regulations require young persons first employed at mines after the 30th September 1964, to be examined annually. Young persons employed at coal mines who have already been examined under the regulations revoked by these regulations will not be required to submit to further examination unless the certificate issued under the revoked regulations specifically required further examination. Young persons employed at mines of stratified ironstone, shale or fireclay, who have not hitherto been required to be medically examined, will not have to be examined under these regulations if they continue to be employed at a mine at which they were employed for thirty days before 1st October 1964. Young persons employed at mines other than mines of coal, stratified ironstone, shale or fireclay, to which the Miscellaneous Mines (General) Regulations 1956 apply, and who had been certified fit pursuant to regulation 70 of those regulations will not be required to submit to further examination.