Illinois § 28.01

§ 28.01.

Hoisting engineers. It shall be the duty of every superintendent of every mine having a hoisting engine to appoint and designate one or more persons to be known as hoisting engineers. Only licensed engineers shall be permitted to hoist or lower people in a shaft where either (1) the hoist is driven by a motor, engine, or machine having a capacity of more than 50 horsepower, (2) such hoisting engineer is required to care for, attend, or supervise a steam boiler in addition to his or her duties as a hoisting engineer, or (3) the rope speed for hoisting or lowering people exceeds the rate of 300 feet per minute. For hoisting material, and for hoisting and lowering people in shafts other than those hereinabove specified, the hoisting engineer need not be licensed. Hoisting engineers shall be licensed by the Department of Natural Resources or by an inspector designated by the Department. Such license shall be issued to, and only to, any person 21 years or more of age with actual hoisting experience of 6 months, at an average of 10 hours per week, or its equivalent, devoted to hoisting, who has knowledge of the laws relating to signals, and is of good moral character and temperate habits, provided, however, that whenever a hoisting engineer is required to care for, attend or supervise a steam boiler in addition to his or her duties as a hoisting engineer, his or her license shall specifically state his or her capacity so to do, and in addition to the qualifications above specified for hoisting engineers, he or she shall also have had 2 years' experience as a fireman or engineer attending or operating a steam boiler of a type similar to that the applicant proposes to handle, and be able to pass an examination by the Department as to knowledge and ability to care for, attend, or supervise steam boilers of the type the applicant proposes to handle, and the license in such case may be restricted to operation of particular equipment. Any superintendent failing to appoint hoisting engineers in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall be guilty of a violation of this Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing provision, a license shall be issued to every hoisting engineer who, on the effective date of this Act, was employed as a hoisting engineer to hoist or lower people in any mine shaft where either (1) the hoist is driven by a motor engine or machine having a capacity of more than 50 horsepower, (2) the hoisting engineer is required to care for, attend or supervise a steam boiler in addition to his or her duties as a hoisting engineer, or (3) the rope speed for hoisting or lowering people exceeds the rate of 300 feet per minute. (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)