{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/45.2-1145.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/45.2-1145.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/45.2-1145.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/45.2-1145.html"}],"law_id":364062,"edition_id":2,"section_id":364062,"structure_id":51948,"section_number":"45.2-1145","catch_line":" Operators’ reports of accidents; investigations; reports by Department","history":"1997, c. 390, \u00a7 45.1-161.292:51; 1998, c. 695; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","full_text":"A\n\nEach operator shall report promptly to the Department the occurrence at any mine of any accident involving serious personal injury or death to any person, whether employed in the mine or not. The scene of the accident shall not be disturbed pending an investigation, except to prevent the suspension of use of a slope, entry, or facility vital to the operation of a section or a mine. In any case in which reasonable doubt exists as to whether to leave the scene unchanged, the operator shall secure prior approval from the Department before any change is made.\n\nB\n\nThe Director shall go personally or dispatch one or more mine inspectors to the scene of such a mineral mine accident, investigate causes, and issue any orders needed to ensure the safety of other persons.\n\nC\n\nRepresentatives of the operator shall render any assistance needed and act in a consulting capacity in the investigation. An employee, if so designated by the employees of the mine, shall be notified, and as many as three employees if so designated as representatives of the employees may be present at the investigation in a consulting capacity.\n\nD\n\nThe Department shall render a complete report of circumstances and causes of each accident investigated and make recommendations for the prevention of similar accidents. The Department shall furnish one copy of the report to the licensed operator, one copy to any other operator whose employees were exposed to hazards as a result of the accident, and one copy to the employee representative if he has been present at the investigation. The Director shall maintain a complete file of all accident reports for mineral mines. Further publicity may be ordered by the Director in an effort to prevent mine accidents.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1356068,"text":"Each operator shall report promptly to the Department the occurrence at any mine of any accident involving serious personal injury or death to any person, whether employed in the mine or not. The scene of the accident shall not be disturbed pending an investigation, except to prevent the suspension of use of a slope, entry, or facility vital to the operation of a section or a mine. In any case in which reasonable doubt exists as to whether to leave the scene unchanged, the operator shall secure prior approval from the Department before any change is made.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1356069,"text":"The Director shall go personally or dispatch one or more mine inspectors to the scene of such a mineral mine accident, investigate causes, and issue any orders needed to ensure the safety of other persons.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":1356070,"text":"Representatives of the operator shall render any assistance needed and act in a consulting capacity in the investigation. An employee, if so designated by the employees of the mine, shall be notified, and as many as three employees if so designated as representatives of the employees may be present at the investigation in a consulting capacity.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":1356071,"text":"The Department shall render a complete report of circumstances and causes of each accident investigated and make recommendations for the prevention of similar accidents. The Department shall furnish one copy of the report to the licensed operator, one copy to any other operator whose employees were exposed to hazards as a result of the accident, and one copy to the employee representative if he has been present at the investigation. The Director shall maintain a complete file of all accident reports for mineral mines. Further publicity may be ordered by the Director in an effort to prevent mine accidents.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":51948,"edition_id":2,"name":"Mine Explosions; Mine Fires; Accidents","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":6,"parent_id":51942,"metadata":{"child_laws":4,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:29","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:55","permalink":{"id":1451303,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51948,"identifier":"6","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6","url":"\/45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51942,"edition_id":2,"name":"Mineral Mine Safety Act","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":51941,"metadata":{"child_laws":68,"child_structures":9},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:24","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:54","permalink":{"id":1451115,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51942,"identifier":"11","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11","url":"\/45.2\/III\/A\/11\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51941,"edition_id":2,"name":"Mineral Mines Generally","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":51940,"metadata":{"child_laws":117,"child_structures":18},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:24","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:54","permalink":{"id":1451113,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51941,"identifier":"A","token":"45.2\/III\/A","url":"\/45.2\/III\/A\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51940,"edition_id":2,"name":"Mineral Mines","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":51927,"metadata":{"child_laws":129,"child_structures":23},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:24","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:54","permalink":{"id":1451111,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51940,"identifier":"III","token":"45.2\/III","url":"\/45.2\/III\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51927,"edition_id":2,"name":"Mines, Minerals, and Energy","identifier":"45.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":99,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":627,"child_structures":120},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:51:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:33:32","permalink":{"id":1449541,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51927,"identifier":"45.2","token":"45.2","url":"\/45.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":364061,"structure_id":51948,"section_number":"45.2-1144","catch_line":" Reports of explosions and mine fires; procedure","url":"\/45.2-1144\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1144","metadata":false},{"id":364062,"structure_id":51948,"section_number":"45.2-1145","catch_line":" Operators' reports of accidents; investigations; reports by Department","url":"\/45.2-1145\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1145","metadata":false},{"id":364063,"structure_id":51948,"section_number":"45.2-1146","catch_line":" Reports of other accidents and injuries","url":"\/45.2-1146\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1146","metadata":false},{"id":364064,"structure_id":51948,"section_number":"45.2-1147","catch_line":" Duties of mine inspectors","url":"\/45.2-1147\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1147","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":364061,"structure_id":51948,"section_number":"45.2-1144","catch_line":" Reports of explosions and mine fires; procedure","url":"\/45.2-1144\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1144","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":364063,"structure_id":51948,"section_number":"45.2-1146","catch_line":" Reports of other accidents and injuries","url":"\/45.2-1146\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1146","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/45.2-1145\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1997. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 390<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1998, chapter 695<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1451309,"object_type":"law","relational_id":364062,"identifier":"45.2-1145","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1145","url":"\/45.2-1145\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/45.2-1145\/","token":"45.2\/III\/A\/11\/6\/45.2-1145","dublin_core":{"Title":" Operators’ reports of accidents; investigations; reports by Department","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 45.2-1145","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Each operator shall report promptly to the Department<\/span> the occurrence at any mine of any accident involving serious personal injury or death to any person, whether employed in the mine or not. The scene of the accident shall not be disturbed pending an investigation, except to prevent the suspension of use of a slope, entry, or facility vital to the operation of a section or a mine. In any case in which reasonable doubt<\/span> exists as to whether to leave the scene unchanged, the operator shall secure prior approval from the Department<\/span> before any change is made. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The Director<\/span> shall go personally or dispatch one or more mine inspectors to the scene of such a mineral mine accident, investigate causes, and issue<\/span> any orders<\/span> needed to ensure the safety of other persons. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Representatives of the operator shall render any assistance needed and act in a consulting capacity in the investigation. An employee, if so designated by the employees of the mine, shall be notified, and as many as three employees if so designated as representatives of the employees may be present at the investigation in a consulting capacity. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> The Department<\/span> shall render a complete report of circumstances and causes of each accident investigated and make recommendations for the prevention of similar accidents. The Department<\/span> shall furnish one copy of the report to the licensed operator, one copy to any other operator whose employees were exposed to hazards as a result of the accident, and one copy to the employee representative if he has been present at the investigation. The Director<\/span> shall maintain a complete file of all accident reports for mineral mines. Further publicity may be ordered by the Director<\/span> in an effort to prevent mine accidents. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n OPERATORS’ REPORTS OF ACCIDENTS; INVESTIGATIONS; REPORTS BY DEPARTMENT\n(\u00a7 45.2-1145)\n\nA. Each operator shall report promptly to the Department the occurrence at any\nmine of any accident involving serious personal injury or death to any person,\nwhether employed in the mine or not. The scene of the accident shall not be\ndisturbed pending an investigation, except to prevent the suspension of use of a\nslope, entry, or facility vital to the operation of a section or a mine. In any\ncase in which reasonable doubt exists as to whether to leave the scene\nunchanged, the operator shall secure prior approval from the Department before\nany change is made.\n\nB. The Director shall go personally or dispatch one or more mine inspectors to\nthe scene of such a mineral mine accident, investigate causes, and issue any\norders needed to ensure the safety of other persons.\n\nC. Representatives of the operator shall render any assistance needed and act in\na consulting capacity in the investigation. An employee, if so designated by the\nemployees of the mine, shall be notified, and as many as three employees if so\ndesignated as representatives of the employees may be present at the\ninvestigation in a consulting capacity.\n\nD. The Department shall render a complete report of circumstances and causes of\neach accident investigated and make recommendations for the prevention of\nsimilar accidents. The Department shall furnish one copy of the report to the\nlicensed operator, one copy to any other operator whose employees were exposed\nto hazards as a result of the accident, and one copy to the employee\nrepresentative if he has been present at the investigation. The Director shall\nmaintain a complete file of all accident reports for mineral mines. Further\npublicity may be ordered by the Director in an effort to prevent mine accidents.\n\nHISTORY: 1997, c. 390, \u00a7 45.1-161.292:51; 1998, c. 695; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c.\n387.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}