(a) At any time before a hearing, the judge on his/her own motion or on motion of a party, may direct the parties or their representative to exchange information or to participate in a prehearing conference for the purpose of considering matters which tend to simplify the issues or expedite the proceedings.

(b) The judge may issue a prehearing order which includes the agreements reached by the parties. Such order shall be served upon all parties and participants and shall be a part of the record.

(a) Proposed exhibits shall be exhanged at the prehearing conference, or otherwise prior to the hearing if the judge so requires. Proposed exhibits not so exchanged may be denied admission as evidence.

(b) The authenticity of all proposed exhibits will be deemed admitted unless written objection to them is filed prior to the hearing or unless good cause is shown at the hearing for failure to file such written objection.

(a) Parties are encouraged to engage in voluntary discovery procedures. For good cause shown under appropriate circumstances, but not as a matter of course, the judge may entertain motions for permission for discovery and issue orders including orders—(1) to submit testimony upon oral examination or written interrogatories before an officer authorized to administer oaths, (2) to permit service of written interrogatories upon the opposing party, (3) to produce and permit inspection of designated documents, and (4) to permit service upon the opposing parties of a request for the admission of specified facts.

(b) Motions for discovery shall be granted only to the extent and upon such terms as the judge in his/her discretion considers to be consistent with and essential to the objective of securing a just and inexpensive determination of the merits of the citation without unnecessary delay.

(c) In connection with any discovery procedure, the judge may make any order which justice requires to protect a party or person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression or undue burden or expense, including limitations on the scope, method, time and place for discovery, and provisions for protecting the secrecy of confidential information or documents. If any party fails to comply with a discovery order of the judge, without an excuse or explanation satisfactory to the judge, the judge may decide the fact or issue relating to the material requested to be produced, or the subject matter of the probable testimony, in accordance with claims of the other party in interest or in accordance with the other evidence available to the judge, or make such other ruling as he/she determines just and proper.