No miner shall be placed in charge of a cutting, loading, drilling, continuous miner, or timbering machine in any mine who is not an authorized person capable of determining the safety of the roof and ribs of the working places. Such miner shall also be capable of detecting the presence of explosive gas and shall be compelled to undergo examination by a mine inspector or other instructors who are certified by the Board of Coal Mining Examiners and authorized by the Chief to determine his fitness to detect explosive gas before being permitted to have charge of machines in such mines.
Code 1950, §§ 45-7, 45-12, 45-68.4, 45-69, 45-73, 45-75, 45-78, 45-79, 45-81, 45-83; 1950, p. 156; 1954, c. 191; 1966, c. 594, § 45.1-21; 1976, c. 598; 1978, cc. 222, 489; 1982, c. 255; 1984, cc. 178, 590; 1988, c. 577; 1993, cc. 171, 442; 1994, c. 28; 2012, cc. 109, 241.