KRS 351.1291: Course of instruction for surface coal miners.

(1) All inexperienced surface coal miners shall complete a twenty-four (24) hour course

of instruction composed of sixteen (16) hours of classroom training and eight (8)

hours of mine specifics that is devised or approved by the department in subjects

including but not limited to: accident prevention, cutting and welding, equipment

operation, fire protection, first -aid methods, ground control and transportation,

handling and use of explosives, mine communications, mine electrical safety

standards, mining law, i ncluding the statutory rights of miners, safety around bins

and hoppers, alcohol and substance abuse education and training, and any other

subjects deemed appropriate by the department. For purposes of this section,

"inexperienced coal miners" means all pe rsons who have not previously worked at

least forty-five (45) days at a surface coal mine in this Commonwealth.

(2) All surface coal miners shall complete an eight (8) hour course of annual retraining

devised or approved by the department in the subjects identified in subsection (1) of

this section, thirty (30) minutes of which shall be dedicated to alcohol and substance

abuse education.

(3) One (1) hour of initial substance abuse training and education shall be provided as

part of the certified miner's fir st annual retraining conducted in a classroom that

occurs after August 1, 2006. This requirement does not apply to a certified person

who received the one (1) hour initial substance abuse training and education as part

of his or her forty (40) hour or twenty-four (24) hour new miner training.

(4) In addition to the thirty (30) minutes of annual alcohol and substance abuse

education required for certified miners, supervisory personnel shall be required to

undergo an additional thirty (30) minutes of alcohol and substance abuse awareness

training annually.

(5) Each applicant for a certified surface miner, in addition to meeting the educational

requirements of this chapter, shall pass a drug and alcohol test in accordance with

KRS 351.182 and 351.183.

(6) The commissioner shall certify all surface coal miners who complete the courses of

instruction and show proof of drug - and alcohol -free condition of certification

required in this section.