Mines and Quarries Act 1954

Hours of Work

125Provisions as to hours worked by women and young persons

(1)The hours worked and the intervals for meals and rest for every woman or young person employed above ground at a mine or employed at a quarry shall conform to the following conditions, namely,—

(a)the total hours worked, exclusive of intervals allowed for meals and rest, shall neither exceed nine in any day nor exceed forty-eight in any week and, except in the case of a male young person who has attained the age of sixteen, shall not exceed eight hours in any day unless the intervals allowed for meals and rest between spells amount to not less than one and a half hours;

(b)a woman or young person shall not be employed continuously for a spell of more than four and a half hours without an interval of at least half an hour for a meal or rest, so, however, that where an interval of not less than ten minutes is allowed in the course of a spell, the spell may be increased to five hours.

(2)The total hours worked by a young person employed below ground at a mine other than of coal, stratified ironstone, shale or fireclay (including intervals allowed for meals and rest, the period between the time at which he is required to attend for the purpose of going below ground and the time at which he arrives at his working place and the period between the time at which he leaves his working place and the time at which he returns to the surface) shall neither exceed nine in any day nor exceed forty-eight in any week.

126Periods of employment of females and of male young persons under sixteen

(1)The period of employment of a woman employed at a mine or quarry shall neither begin earlier than six o'clock in the morning nor end later than ten o'clock in the evening or, on Saturday, two o'clock in the afternoon.

(2)The period of employment of a female young person employed at a mine or quarry or of a male young person who has not attained the age of sixteen employed above ground at a mine or at a quarry shall neither begin earlier than six o'clock in the morning nor end later than nine o'clock in the evening or, on Saturday, two o'clock in the afternoon.

(3)The period of employment of a male young person who has not attained the age of sixteen employed below ground at a mine shall neither begin earlier than six o'clock in the morning nor end later than ten o'clock in the evening or, on Saturday, two o'clock in the afternoon.

(4)In the case of a woman employed at a mine or quarry and in the case of any such young person as is mentioned in subsection (2) or (3) of this section who is so employed, there shall be an interval of not less than twelve hours between successive periods of employment.

(5)No woman and no such young person as is mentioned in subsection (2) or (3) of this section shall be employed at a mine or quarry on Sunday.

127Periods of employment of male young persons over sixteen

(1)Subject to the following provisions of this section and to the following provisions of this Part of this Act relating to special exceptions, the period of employment of a male young person who has attained the age of sixteen employed at a mine (whether above or below ground) or at a quarry shall neither begin earlier than six o'clock in the morning nor end later than ten o'clock in the evening, so, however, that no such young person shall be so employed at any time on a Saturday after two o'clock in the afternoon or on a Sunday except in the carrying out of work of surveying, measuring, repair or maintenance, being work of a description which requires to be done at that time.

(2)In the case of any mine or quarry, the responsible person, if authorised so to do, may by notice posted at the mine or quarry give either or both of the following directions, namely,—

(a)a direction that the foregoing subsection shall, in relation to all such young persons as aforesaid employed at the mine or quarry, have effect with the substitution, for the reference to six o'clock in the morning, of a reference to such earlier time (not being earlier than five o'clock in the morning) as may be specified in the notice;

(b)a direction that that subsection shall, in relation to all such young persons as aforesaid employed at the mine or quarry, have effect with the substitution, for the reference to ten o'clock in the evening, of a reference to such later time (not being later than eleven o'clock in the evening) as may be so specified:

Provided that where, in relation to a mine or quarry, a direction is given under each of the foregoing paragraphs, the directions shall be void if their combined effect is to extend the period of employment of the young persons employed at the mine or quarry by more than one hour.

Authority for the giving of directions under this subsection may be given—

(i)in the case of all mines or quarries or mines or quarries of any class, by order of the Minister ;

(ii)in the case of a particular mine or quarry, by notice served by an inspector on the responsible person.

(3)In the case of any such young person as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section who is employed at a mine or quarry, there shall be an interval of not less than twelve hours between successive periods of employment.

(4)Where such a young person as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section is employed at a mine or quarry on a Saturday after two o'clock in the afternoon, he shall not be employed at the mine or quarry after two o'clock in the afternoon on one of the days falling between the next following Sunday and the next following Saturday, and where such a young person is so employed on a Sunday he shall not be employed at the mine or quarry at any time on one of the days falling between that day and the next following Saturday.

128Notice fixing periods of employment, and c

(1)It shall, in the case of every mine and quarry, be the duty of the responsible person to fix within the limits allowed by or by virtue of the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act and to specify in a notice which shall be posted at the mine or quarry in such form as the Minister may specify—

(a)the period of employment for each day of the week for the women and young persons employed at the mine or quarry whose hours worked are regulated by section one hundred and twenty-five of this Act;

(b)any intervals allowed for meals or rest to such women and young persons;

and no such woman or young person shall be employed at the mine or quarry otherwise than in accordance with the notice.

(2)Different periods of employment and different intervals may be fixed under this section for different classes of women and young persons employed at a mine or quarry and for different days of the week.

(3)A change in the periods or intervals fixed under this section with respect to women or young persons employed at a mine or quarry shall not be made until the responsible person has served on the inspector for the district, and posted in some conspicuous position at the mine or quarry, notice of his intention to make the change, and shall not be made oftener than once in three months, unless for special cause allowed in writing by the inspector for the district.