Mine rescue team; training; compensation
Sec. 11. (a) A mine rescue team consisting of at least five (5)
members and two (2) alternate members shall be provided at each
underground mine in Indiana. A team may not have fewer than five
(5) members for more than sixty (60) days.
(b) The bureau of mines and mine safety shall provide initial
training of not less than twenty (20) hours and annual retraining for
each member of a mine rescue team of not less than eight (8) hours
in segments of not less than four (4) hours.
(c) When practical, members of a mine rescue team shall be made
up of supervisory and nonsupervisory employees.
(d) Each member of a mine rescue team shall be fully
compensated by the owner or operator for wages lost and expenses
incurred while being trained under this section if the employee elects
to be compensated.
(e) Compensation for damages arising from the injury or death of
a member of a mine rescue team while performing rescue operations
shall be limited to the rights and remedies provided by the injured
person's employer. However, the injured person's employer is entitled
to reimbursement from the mine operator whose mine is the subject
of the rescue attempt for the actual cost to the employer that is
attributable to the injury.
(f) An operator who has fewer than fifteen (15) mine employees
at a mine may, with the approval of the director, contract with
another operator for the services of a mine rescue team. In which
case, none of the team members need be an employee of the operator.
(g) The operator of the mine that is the subject of the rescue
attempt shall reimburse the bureau for the actual cost of a mine
rescue operation, including compensation for all mine rescue team
members.
As added by P.L.232-1983, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.37-1985,
SEC.53; P.L.243-1987, SEC.13; P.L.215-1989, SEC.6; P.L.1-1990,
SEC.239.
Last modified: May 27, 2006