Sessional_Paper_1938 — Page 320

Accidents to

310

24. Whenever any accident causing or resulting in loss of life or serious bodily be reported. injury to any person or serious injury to the property of any person has occurred upon any mining land it shall be the duty of the lessee or mining manager to report im- mediately to a police or land officer the facts of the matter so far as they are known to him.

Regulations by lessee

or manager

of mine.

Tailings and over- burden.

Under- ground workings.

Hydraulic mining prohibited

save as

herein provided.

Machinery.

25. The lessee or manager of any mine shall if so ordered by Government frame such regulations in Chinese to be approved by Government for the conduct and guid- ance of persons employed in or about the mine as appear under the particular cir- cumstances best calculated to ensure their health and safety and copies of such regula- tions shall be kept posted in conspicuous places on the mine. Fines inflicted under any such regulations while in force may be deducted by the lessee or manager from the salary of any person employed in or about the nine who has in the opinion of such lessee or manager become liable to pay the same, and any such person aggrieved by the decision of the lessee or manager may appeal within thirty days to the nearest magistrate who may confirm, vary or reverse the decision of the lessee or manager.

26. Except with the written consent of Government, the lessee of mining land may not dump or permit any other person to dump tailings or overburden outside the limits of the land held under lease by him.

27.-(i) No boy under the age of 16 years and no woman or girl shall be em- ployed in any underground working.

(ii) No shaft shall be sunk or underground excavation made within 150 feet of the centre of any road or railway or Crown land set apart for a road or railway with- out the written permission of Government.

(iii) The lessee of mining land in which any open pit, shaft, or adit exists shall erect and thereafter maintain such fencing as may be necessary to prevent the occur- rence of any danger or damage to man or beast and surround with a substantial wall the top of any shaft which for the time being is out of use or used only as an air shaft.

(iv) All shafts, adits, levels, galleries and underground passages shall at all times, where necessary be securely timbered and supported in such manner as to en- sure the safety of all persons working in or passing through the same.

(v) Such ladder or other ways as will furnish effectual means of exit from any underground working or of ascent or descent of persons without the assistance of winding machinery shall be provided and maintained.

(vi) All parts of every underground working shall be properly and sufficiently ventilated to the satisfaction of Government.

(vii) Every working shaft exceeding 150 feet in depth which is used or intended to be used for raising or lowering persons or minerals shall, unless Government grants exemption in writing, be provided with mechanical haulage fitted with special and suit- able appliances to prevent the sudden fall of the cage down the shaft.

28.--(i) No person shall work any land by ground sluicing or gravel pump min- ing or by any method of removing or excavating earth by the direct action of water without the written consent of Government.

(ii) Such consent may be for a period not exceeding twelve months and subject to such conditions as shall be therein stated and shall specify the area upon which the waste matter from such workings shall be retained.

(iii) Government shall have the power to cancel or suspend such consent at any- time upon proof that the lessee has failed to observe or comply with any of the condi- tions thereof, or upon proof that he is carrying on mining operations in such manner as to injure or be likely to injure the property of the Crown or to impair or be likely to impair the lawful rights, privileges or possessions of any other person.

29.-(i) Any machinery employed on mining land may be subject to inspection by any person duly authorized by Government in that behalf who may issue any orders that may be considered necessary for the safety of persons.

(ii) No machinery shall be operated unless and until all moving parts are shielded or fenced as to obviate danger to persons, and no person shall be permitted to stand or pass between machinery in motion and any such shield or fence.