(1)The sirdar or other competent person appointed under regulation 129 shall, subject to orders of superior officials, have responsibility, charge and control of the district of the mine assigned to him by the manager or assistant manager.(2)The sirdar shall -(a)take reasonable means to ensure proper observance of the requirements of the Act and of the regulations, and orders made thereunder by persons under his charge and shall, as soon as practicable, report any contravention thereof to his superior official;(b)make such inspection and reports as are required by these regulations, and in making such examination, he shall pay particular attention to edges of the goaf, if any, for checking supports and for presence of gas;(c)except in the case of a mine working in a continuous succession of shifts, on completion of the first inspection of the district, proceed to the station specified under regulation 129 and instruct all persons as to their places of work and as to any special precautions necessary to be observed by them;(d)if he finds any person in a place other than the one assigned to him, he may order such person out of the mine, and shall forthwith report the matter to his superior official;(e)ensure that no inexperienced person is employed on any work except under the supervision of an experienced person.(f)see that the roof and sides of all traveling roadways and working places in his district are made and kept secure;(g)where the height of any working place in the district in his charge measured from floor to roof exceeds three meters, see that a suitable wooden bunton or pole by which all parts of the roof may be effectively tested by a person standing on the floor and a ladder of suitable length are kept at convenient places in the district;(h)report to his superior official any deficiency in timber, support materials, appliances and other necessaries required for the safe working of the district;(i)Where either of the two ways affording means of egress from the district to the surface is not ordinarily used for travelling, travel, once at least in every seven days, the whole of such roadway in order to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the same; and(j)see that no support is withdrawn except by means of a safety prop-withdrawer.(3)If sirdar observes any dangerous place during the course of his inspections or if any danger at a place where work persons are employed is reported to him, he shall, if the danger is not possible to be removed forthwith, withdraw all persons from such place and shall not leave the place until the danger has been removed in his presence or all approaches to the place have been fenced off so as to prevent persons from inadvertently entering such place.(4)The sirdar shall -(a)take care that any dangerous operation is carried out with due precautions, and in such cases shall be present throughout whenever any work of clearing falls of ground and setting of supports therein is being carried out;(b)cause the entrance to every place which is not in actual use or in course of working or extension, to be fenced across the whole width, so as to prevent persons from inadvertently entering such place;(c)if he finds any accumulation of inflammable or noxious gases, take such precautions as specified in regulation 166 and shall not remove such accumulation until he has received instructions in that behalf from his superior official;(d)on receipt of information of an accident to any person in his district, proceed at once to the place of accident, inspect the place and, if required, supervise the rescue operations, and shall report or send notice of the accident to the manager or assistant manager;(e)devote the whole of his time to his duties, and shall not leave the mine until the end of the shift or until relieved by a duly appointed substitute;(f)if the mine is worked by a continuous succession of shifts, before leaving his district, confer with the sirdar or other competent person succeeding him, and shall acquaint him with all matters requiring his personal attention and give him such other information as may be necessary for the safety of his district and of the persons employed therein;(g)see that mining operations in the district of the mine assigned to him under sub-regulation (1) are carried out as per the code of practices framed under these regulations.(5)In case of opencast workings, the sirdar shall ensure that-(a)sides of benches are kept properly dressed;(b)stability of benches is not endangered;(c)haul roads are kept maintained;(d)stability of overburden dumps is not endangered; and(e)dust control measures are implemented.
