Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 83.djvu/793

 83 STAT. ]

PUBLIC LAW 91-173-DEC. 30, 1969

765

sons exposed for short periods to inhalation hazards from gas, dusts, fumes, or mist. When the exposure is for prolonged periods, other measures to protect such persons or to reduce the hazard shall be taken. DUST STANDARD W H E N QUARTZ IS PRESENT

SEC. 205. I n coal mining operations where the concentration of respirable dust in the mine atmosphere of any working place contains more than 5 per centum quartz, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare shall prescribe an appropriate formula for determining the applicable respirable dust standard under this title for such working place and the Secretary shall apply such formula in carrying out his duties under this title. NOISE STANDARD

SEC. 206. On and after the operative date of this title, the standards on noise prescribed under the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act, as amended, in effect October 1, 1969, shall be applicable to each coal mine and each operator of such mine shall comply with them. Within six months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare shall establish, and the Secretary shall publish, as provided in section 101 of this Act, proposed mandatory health standards establishing maximum noise exposure levels for all underground coal mines. Beginning six months after the operative date of this title, and at intervals of at least every six months thereafter, the operator of each coal mine shall conduct, in a manner prescribed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, tests by a qualified person of the noise level at the mine and report and certify the results to the Secretary and the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, In meeting such standard under this section, the operator shall not require the use of any protective device or system, including personal devices, which the Secretary or his authorized representative finds to be hazardous or cause a hazard to the miners in such mine. s

TITLE III—INTERIM MANDATORY S A F E T Y STANDARDS FOR U N D E R G R O U N D COAL M I N E S COVERAGE

SEC. 301, (a) The provisions of sections 302 through 318 of this title shall be interim mandatory safety standards applicable to all underground coal mines until superseded in whole or in part by improved mandatory safety standards promulgated by the Secretary under the provisions of section 101 of this Act, and shall be enforced in the same manner and to the same extent as any mandatory safety standard promulgated under section 101 of this Act, Any orders issued in the enforcement of the interim standards set forth in this title shall be subject to review as provided in title I of this Act, (b) The purpose of this title is to provide for the immediate application of mandatory safety standards developed on the basis of experience and advances in technology and to prevent newly created hazards resulting from new technology in coal mining. The Secretary shall immediately initiate studies, investigations, and research to further upgrade such standards and to develop and promulgate new and

J i use 3^5'note.

Ante, p. 745.

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