Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Act or in the Coal Mines Act 1925, the enactments specified in the Schedule to this Act shall, as far as they are applicable and with the necessary modifications, apply to opencast coal quarries in all respects as if all such quarries were coal mines and the operation of the quarries were coal mining operations.

Except as otherwise provided by this section, nothing in the Coal Mines Act 1925 shall apply to opencast coal quarries.”

There may from time to time be appointed under the provisions of the Public Service Act 1912 a fit person to be Chief Inspector of Quarries and such number of fit persons to be Inspectors of Quarries as may be required for the purposes of this Act.

The Chief Inspector of Quarries shall have all the powers of and be deemed to be an Inspector of Quarries, and shall perform such duties and have such powers as the Minister may from time to time direct by writing under his hand

There may from time to time be appointed under the provisions of the Public Service Act 1912 a fit person to be Electrical Inspector of Quarries.

It shall be the function of the Electrical Inspector of Quarries to inspect electrical apparatus used in quarrying operations, and, for the purpose of enabling him more effectually to carry out his functions, the provisions of sections five, fifteen, and twenty of this Act shall, with the necessary modifications, apply as if he were an Inspector of Quarries.

Any Inspector appointed under the Coal Mines Act 1925 shall, in respect of the inspection of opencast coal quarries, have all the powers and functions of an Inspector appointed under this Act.”

No person under the age of eighteen years shall be permitted or appointed to prepare any explosives or detonators for use in a quarry or, in any quarry, to charge a hole with explosives or to tamp or fire any charge.

The manager or occupier of any quarry, or any person in charge of or giving orders or directions relating to the carrying on of quarrying operations, who permits or appoints any person to do any act in breach of this section commits an offence against this Act.”

The owner or occupier of any quarry shall cause such fences or other structures to be erected as are necessary to prevent accidents to persons in or in the vicinity of the quarry.

Where the working of a quarry has been discontinued the owner or occupier of the land on which the quarry was situated shall cause the disused workings to be fenced or otherwise protected in such a manner as to prevent accidents to persons in or in the vicinity of the disused workings.

An Inspector may require the owner or occupier of any quarry, or of any land on which is situate disused quarry workings, to exhibit such warning notices, to cause to be erected such fences or other structures, or to take such other steps for the purpose of ensuring the safety of persons in or in the vicinity of the quarry or disused workings as the Inspector thinks fit.

Any person who fails to comply with the pro visions of this section or with the requirements of an Inspector under subsection three of this section commits an offence against this Act.”

Where quarrying operations are carried on pursuant to a coal mining right granted under the Coal Mines Act 1925 or to a mining privilege granted under the Mining Act 1926 the owner or occupier of the quarry where the operations are carried on shall conduct the operations in such a manner as to ensure that the surface of the land suffers as little permanent damage as possible, and for that purpose every coal mining right or mining privilege granted in respect of a quarry shall be deemed to be subject to a condition that the owner or occupier of the quarry shall comply with such general or specific directions as to the restoration or care of the surface of the land as the Minister thinks fit:

“Provided that the Minister may exempt from the provisions of this section any land which in his opinion is not suitable for any agricultural or other useful purpose.’’