New Jersey § 34:6-98

§ 34:6-98.

a. There is hereby created within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development a mine safety section . b. The mine safety section shall be under the immediate supervision of a section chief, who shall be responsible for the efficient, effective administration of the work of the section. The section chief shall be assisted by and supervise such other mine safety inspectors, technicians and other employees as may be necessary to perform

the work. c. The section chief shall personally or by assignment to employees of the section, inspect,

investigate, inquire and examine into the operation, workings, methods, safety devices

and appliances, machinery, sanitation, ventilation, means of ingress and egress, means

taken to protect the lives and insure the safety and health of miners, together with

the causes of accidents, injuries and fatalities and means taken to comply with the

law; conduct scientific tests to determine amount and condition of air together with

contaminants therein or for any purpose that shall provide for the maintenance of

safe, sanitary and healthful conditions, furnish such reports and do other related

work as required . d. Employees of the section shall have the power and authority, upon exhibition of official credentials, at all

reasonable hours to enter and examine any part of a mine, mining plant, equipment

or workings. All operators and their employees shall render all assistance necessary to facilitate

such examination. e. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2007, c. 155). f. ( Deleted by amendment, P.L.2007, c. 155). g. ( Deleted by amendment, P.L.2007, c. 155 ). h. No employee of the department shall make public, directly or indirectly to any

person any knowledge or information obtained by him in the exercise of his official

duties concerning ores, ore bodies or values of any mine or part thereof. Any employee who shall violate any of the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree and, on conviction, shall be punished

by a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 or imprisonment in the

county jail not to exceed 1 year, or both, and shall be dismissed from his position. i. It shall be the duty of the section to cause to have inspected at least once in every 3 months, every underground mine

in this State, and every other working mine at least twice each year, and more often , if it is deemed necessary for the safety of the persons involved with the mine. j. After every inspection, the mine safety inspector shall enter forthwith in a book

to be kept at the mine and designated as the “record of mine safety inspection,” the

portion of the mine inspected, the nature of the inspection and the dangers and defects

observed. This record shall be open at all reasonable hours to the examination of the operator,

any employee or the designated representative of the employees of the mine inspected. Nothing contained in or omitted from any entry in such record shall limit or affect

the duty and obligations of the operator, superintendent or employee.