AND

JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES.

Vol. CVII.

THURSDAY. APRIL 9, 1914.

No. 2780?

Training of Rescue Brigades.

THE NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE COALOWNERS’ STATION.

At a meeting of the North Staffordshire Institute of
Mining and Mechanical Engineers on Monday, Mr. G. H.
Greatbatch read a paper on the “ Training of .Rescue
Brigades at the North Staffordshire Coalowners’ Central
Resue Station at the Berry Hill Colliery, Stoke-on-
Trent.” He said:—

The station consists of a large room in which is stored
the breathing apparatus, &c., an adjoining smoke gallery
in which the men are trained, and, a few yards distant,
another room fitted with washing accommodation, in
which the men change their clothes. The gallery is not
an ideal one for the purpose, and plans are being
prepared for a permanent, up-to-date building, but at
the same time I do claim that the men have been
trained in a very efficient manner and have accomplished
rescue and recovery work with the apparatus in the
North Staffordshire coalfield, which, up to the present,
constitutes a record for the United Kingdom.

The breathing apparatus installed is the well-known
Fleuss-Davis “ Proto ” self-contained type, and the
reviving apparatus used is the “ Proto,” both of which
are manufactured by Messrs. Siebe, Gorman and Co.
Limited, London.

The equipment of the station is well in excess of what
is required to comply with the Rescue and Aid Order,
and a supply of oxygen cylinders, charging-pump,
caustic soda, all necessary spare parts, and birds are
kept in stock. In the colliery yard a motor van is
housed, ready for immediate despatch to the scene of
any disaster. It is equipped with 12 complete sets of
apparatus, fully charged; three 100 cubic feet capacity
oxygen cylinders, oxygen pump, 1 cwt. of caustic soda,
electric lamps, reviving apparatus, ambulance box and
a quantity of spare parts. The motor van is taken
out each week for a short run to keep it in order, and
the whole of the 12 sets of apparatus are changed
weekly. Telephonic communication is established
between the instructor’s house and the rescue station at
the colliery, and arrangements have been made with
the district superintendent to have priority of calls. The
staff consists of an instructor and assistant instructor.

The brigades are selected from volunteers by the
managers of the individual collieries, and before being
sent for training are subjected to a very strict and
searching medical examination. Unless they are abso-
lutely physically fit they are not accepted. We have
found this to be a very necessary precaution, and in
addition each man is informed that if he is suffering from
cold, or any other slight derangement, it is much better
to miss a practice, as the work is too serious to run any
risks. I am absolutely certain that men working
strenuously each day, and consequently in good hard
working condition, are able to wear the apparatus with
less fatigue, and consequently less fear of a breakdown,
than a man who is in what I call a soft condition. Each
brigade consists of six men, No. 1 man acting as leader
and No. 6 man as captain.

The training consists of 12 practices at the station,
each of two hours’ duration—one practice per week for
12 consecutive weeks.

First Practice.—This is wholly occupied by the in-
structor’s thorough explanation of the apparatus, and
by marching round the station wearing the mouthpiece
only, which is called “ mouth drill.”

Second Practice.—The complete apparatus is worn
and the men merely walk about the station.

Third Practice.—The men wearing the apparatus are
put into the gallery and do a limited amount of work.

Foztrth Practice.—The men work in the gallery for the
first 45 minutes, and then sulphur fumes, not strong, are
turned in for the remainder of the practice.

Fifth Practice.—The whole of the work is done in the
gallery filled with strong sulphur fumes, and the pro-
gramme of work at this and the remainder of the
practices is as follows :—

A weight of 56 lb. is pulled to a height of 8 ft. ten

times by each member of the team. Bricks are loaded
in a wagon, pushed along a tramway, and a stopping
built on an upper platform. This is then taken down,
and the bricks taken back to their original position.
Three settings of timber are fixed and covered with
brattice cloth, and a dummy is placed on a stretcher and
carried through them. The men are taught to creep
through small apertures, pushing the breathing bag in
front of them. Wooden blocks are carried, and a stop-
ping built in a confined space—in fact, the practice is as
near alike to actual pit work as it is possible to make it.
Previous to each day’s training, the instructor explains
to the men how to proceed in the different circum-
stances they may be placed in during actual work down
a mine.

The men are taught to put on tbe apparatus expe-
ditiously and without assistance, and to test its condition.
Leakages of oxygen from the valves and cylinders can
be detected by smearing soapy water round them, and if
there is a leakage, bubble will be formed. Another way
is to apply the glowingendof a match, which, in contact
with oxygen, will burst into flame. A person with quick
hearing may detect a slight hissing sound. A captain
should examine the valves and connections of each appa-
ratus worn by members of his team, to see that they are
in proper order, also to registei’ the pressure of oxygen
shown on the gauge. Each man, before putting on
the nose-clip, should also make sure the oxygen
is entering the breathing bag. This may be done by
slightly bending the head and listening near the main
oxygen tube, when, if the passage is clear, oxygen
will be heard flowing through. He should take several
short and sharp breaths to ensure that the inhaling and
exhaling valves are loose and in order. The relief valve
should also be tested for airtightness. Before putting
on the nose-clip the wearer should inhale through the
nose several times, and exhale through the mouth, until
the bag is about three-parts full of air. The inhaling
tube should then be gripped tightly above the valve and
pressure put on the breathing bag with the other hand,
when any leakage will be heard and felt.

At the termination of the training, colliery managers
are appointed to examine thoroughly the men in their
work and the description and use of various parts of
the apparatus, and also as to how they would proceed in
actual rescue work down a mine after a disaster. They
are also examined with regard to the building off of
workings affected by gob stink, and no man is certifi-
cated until efficient.

Up to December 31, 1913, we have fully trained and
passed for certificates 418 men, and during the training
of this number and the few that fell out the following
incidents have occurred :—

In Connection with the Main Valve.

August 4, 1911: The leader of a brigade turned off
his oxygen supply whilst walking round the apparatus
room and collapsed. On reviving he remarked: “If
dying is as easy as that, then I am not afraid to die.”

September 8, 1911: No. 5 man of a brigade collapsed
in the gallery from the same cause. When brought
round, he charged one of his mates with pushing him
down. It appears when he was falling he tumbled
against him.

November 3, 1911: The captain of a team, when
breathing oxygen for the first time, and naturally
taking .it easy, was troubled by his bag filling. He
turned off his main valve, instead of pressing the
relief valve, and in a few minutes became unconscious.
Coming round, his first words were : “ What am I doing
here?”

February 16, 1912 : A member of a brigade turned
off the main valve in the gallery, and when collapsing
grazed his arm. He was brought round in the fumes
by the other members of the team.

August 12, 1912: Two men, belonging to the same
--’am, turned off their main valves and collapsed in the

apparatus room, but quickly came round. Before
falling, the face of one became a curious green colour.

February 25,1913: When building the block stopping-
under the staging, one of a team collapsed through
shortage of oxygen, owing to the main valve being
accidentally, closed. The captain, a man holding a first-
class certificate, at once tried the main valve and found
it shut. He opened it, turned on the by-pass, and in a
short time brought the unconscious man round without
bringing him out of the fumes. . Great credit was due
to the captain for the able and cool manner in which he
dealt with this emergency. The instructor was watching
the occurrence through the window.	.

May 6, 1913 : When working in the gallery, a captain
turned his valve spindle completely out, losing all his
oxygen in a few seconds.

Several cases have occurred in the gallery where the
main valve has been accidentally closed, but these have
been noticed immediately and no ill-effects caused.

Sticky Bags.

December 2, 1911: No. 4 man in a brigade had to
come out of the gallery with a sticky bag, after 1 hour
45 minutes’ work.

January 8,1912 : No. 5 man in a brigade had to come
out with a sticky bag, after 1 hour 50 minutes’ work.

February 13, 1912: No. 5 man in a team had to retire
with a sticky bag a few minutes before time. It was the
third time he had used oxygen. The following week he
finished his practice, but his soda was in a very sticky
condition. The fifth week he used his by-pass often and
had to come out again, because his bag was sticky, and he
could not get a circulation. This was his last practice.
The foregoing occurred when we were using a large
proportion of caustic soda obtained from the Continent,
and not from the, firm who are now supplying the
association with their requirements.

Breathing Fumes.

August 20, 1912 : A leader of a team came out of the
gallery complaining that he was breathing the sulphur
fumes. It was found that in putting on the mouthpiece
he had allowed a portion of his moustache to get between
the rubber and his lips, and the fumes were being
inhaled through the opening so caused.

Saliva Trap.

July 19, 1912: A rescue man’s saliva trap became
disconnected after 1 hour 25 minutes’ work in the
gallery. He came out and had it replaced. Had it
occurred in the pit, it could have been replaced quite as
easily without any ill-effect.

Damaged Breathing Bag.

In the gallery a man, throwing a piece of timber with
a jagged end, caught his canvas bag and punctured it
also the rubber breathing bag. No ill-effects occurred,
but if such an accident happened whilst doing actual
rescue work in an irrespirable atmosphere, a man would
be in an awkward fix, unless be had the presence of
mind to close the perforation by holding the torn ends
close together with his hand, and come out immediately.

Over-exertion.

January 15, 1912 : A brigade, whilst being examined,
went through their work very slowly, and No. 2 man
being anxious to get the work done, over-exerted himself,
and had to be assisted out of the gallery. His lips
turned purple. This was after two hours’work. The
others continued working. Presently the leader informed
the captain that he was short of oxygen. The latter
examined the man’s gauge, and in mistake turned on
fully the by-pass valve, instead of the gauge valve. In
consequence, the breathing bag was blown up hard, the
nose-clip was forced off, and the mouthpiece would
undoubtedly have been blown out had it not been
securely strapped. This would have been very serious
had it occurred in a mine in an irrespirable atmosphere.
The work was completed in 2 hours 25 minutes.

January 3, 1912 : During the examination of a brigade
No. 4 man over-exerted himself, came out of the gallery
for 5 minutes, then returned and finished the work with
the others.

In connection with the main valve getting accidentally
closed, the following occurred at Norton during the
recovery of the .pit:—