Assembly Bill No. 311-Committee on Labor and Management

(On Behalf of the Division of Industrial Relations of the
Department of Business and Industry)

March 26, 1997
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Referred to Committee on Labor and Management

SUMMARY--Makes various changes relating to mines. (BDR 46-414)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.

EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to mines; requiring the operator of a mine to notify the administrator of the division of industrial relations of the department of business and industry before a boiler, elevator or pressure vessel is installed at the mine; requiring the administrator to adopt regulations pertaining to the standards for boilers, elevators and pressure vessels; authorizing the administrator to prohibit the installation or operation of a boiler, elevator or pressure vessel at a mine in certain circumstances; requiring the operator of a mine to maintain certain records and reports relating to emergencies at the mine; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

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Section 1 Chapter 512 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to read as follows:
1. An operator shall notify the administrator before installing a boiler, pressure vessel or elevator at the mine. The notice must include:
(a) The name and location of the mine.
(b) The name and address of the operator.
(c) The name of the person in charge of the installation, if different from the name of the operator.
(d) If a boiler or pressure vessel is to be installed, the following information pertaining to that boiler or pressure vessel:
(1) The name of the manufacturer;
(2) The number assigned by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors or its successor and, if different, the serial number; and
(3) The rated operating capacity.
(e) If an elevator is to be installed, the following information pertaining to that elevator:
(1) The name of the manufacturer;
(2) The serial number; and
(3) The rated operating capacity.
2. If the administrator discovers, pursuant to subsection 1 or by other means, that an operator is preparing to install or has installed a boiler, pressure vessel or elevator which does not comply with the standards for boilers, pressure vessels and elevators adopted pursuant to NRS 512.131, he shall issue an order prohibiting the installation or operation of that boiler, pressure vessel or elevator until such time as it complies with those standards.
Sec. 2. NRS 512.131 is hereby amended to read as follows:
512.131 1. The administrator [may] :
(a) Shall adopt, by regulation, standards for boilers, pressure vessels and elevators which are at least as stringent as those standards adopted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers or its successor organization.
(b) May adopt any regulations for mine health and safety he deems necessary and which are consistent with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act (30 U.S.C. §§ 801 et seq.), as amended.
2. The administrator shall forward a copy of [every] each regulation adopted [under] pursuant to this section to the operator of each mine and to the representative of the workers, if any, at the mine. Failure to receive a copy of the regulation does not relieve anyone of the obligation to comply with it.
Sec. 3. NRS 512.160 is hereby amended to read as follows:
512.160 1. [Operators] An operator shall maintain records and reports and shall submit, at least annually and at such other times as the administrator deems necessary, and in the form [he] the administrator prescribes, reports of production, employment, mine activity and status, accidents, bodily injuries, loss of life, occupational illnesses and related data.
2. The administrator shall compile, keep and analyze and may publish, either in summary or detailed form, the information obtained pursuant to the provisions of subsection 1.
3. [Operators] An operator shall notify the administrator before opening and upon closing mine operations. The notice must include the name and location of the mine, the name and address of the operator, the name of the person in charge of the operation, a statement of whether the operation will be continuous or intermittent, and upon closing, a statement of whether the closing is temporary or permanent.
4. In addition to the records and reports which an operator is required to maintain pursuant to subsection 1, an operator shall maintain:
(a) A current list of employees who are members of a team organized to respond to emergencies in the mine;
(b) A record of the training that has been provided to the members of such a team;
(c) A current list of persons qualified to instruct employees to respond to emergencies in the mine; and
(d) A record which documents the maintenance and service of equipment used to respond to emergencies in the mine, including, without limitation, rope and related hardware.
Sec. 4. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting the regulations required pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of section 2 of this act and on October 1, 1997, for all other purposes.

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