Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XXVIII. Mines and Minerals § 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, including 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 persons 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 first 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.