When may a person give a technical direction about a safety and health matter to a person appointed to be responsible for the control and management of underground activities when the manager is not in attendance at the mine?

• A. After manager's return
• B. Only the mine manager can issue directions
• C. Any worker can issue directions
• D. If they have the necessary technical competency and are authorised by the mine manager to give the direction

Answer: (D)

The important idea here is that urgent safety and health directions when the mine manager isn’t on site can be given by someone who is both technically competent and formally authorised by the manager. This ensures that critical controls can be put in place promptly to manage underground risks, without waiting for the manager to return, while keeping accountability clear.

So the correct approach is that a technical direction may be given if the person has the necessary technical competency and is authorised by the mine manager to issue that direction. This reflects proper delegation: the manager empowers capable individuals to act in their absence to protect workers and the mine.

The other options don’t fit because waiting until the manager returns could allow a dangerous situation to continue unresolved; restricting directions to the mine manager alone ignores practical safety management, and allowing any worker to issue directions would lack the necessary expertise and authority.