THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

AND

JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES.

Vol.’ CXII.	FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1916.	No. 2913.

Coal Mines Inspection in 1915.

SCOTLAND DIVISION.

Mr. H. Walker reports upon the inspection of mines
and quarries in the Scotland Division, which comprises
535 coal mines, 19 metalliferous mines, and 1,035
quarries, employing 128,567 persons. Of these, 121,854
were employed at mines under the Coal Mines Act, 737
at other mines, and 5,976 at quarries. The output
during the year was 42,215,123 tons, and the value of
the minerals produced was ^£23,570,160. Wages at the
coal mines as a whole were raised on four occasions,
thus leaving the rates at the end of the year 118| per
cent, above the standard rates of 1888.

During the year 1,649 inspections were made under-
ground at mines, and 962 quarries were inspected.
Seventy-seven fatal accident enquiries were attended.
Each mine was inspected at least once, and 176 of the
bigger mines, as well as all of the small ones, were
inspected throughout. All fatal and the most serious
of the non-fatal accidents were investigated, and enquiry
was made in reference to all complaints received.

Of the 65 dangerous occurrences which were reported
during the year, 12 were due to explosions of firedamp,
one was a fire on the surface, 24 were underground fires,
20 were breakages of ropes, chains, or other gear used
for lowering and raising persons, six w’ere cases of over-
winding, and two were inrushes of water. Mr. A.
McArthur, inspector of horses, inspected 2,524 horses at
276 mines.

Effect of the War.—Employment has been good, and
had the railway facilities been better, more time could
have been worked. The total output was 8,498,791
tons less than in 1913, and 4,605,324 tons less than in
1914, this being largely accounted for by the number
of miners (from some mines more than 50 per cent, of
the total employees) who have joined H.M. Forces.
With regard to accidents, it might have been expected
that, with so many of the regular workers away, and
with less experienced men having to do their work,
accidents would be more frequent, but this is not found
to have been the case; indeed, the persons who have
unfortunately been killed have invariably been experi-
enced workers.

Ventilation. „

There is no reason to think that the ventilation of the
mines has been neglected, though the quality of the air
in the roads and working faces could be improved if more
attention were paid to the splitting of the currents,
instead of, as is usual in many cases, having one long
split doing duty in several seams.

Coal Dust.

The majority of the mines in Scotland being natur-
ally wet, the coal dust question is not so troublesome as
in other coal fields. In those mines where coal dust
exists steps are taken by watering, cleaning up, or the
use of inert dust, to counteract its dangerous properties.
The attention of users of flue dust has been called to the
latest report of the Explosions in Mines Committee,
with a view to the employment of some other diluting
medium.

Support of Roof and Sides.

The question of the use of straps (planks) set in a
systematic manner to support the roof in all longwall
faces cut by machine is one which should be given more
attention than it receives at present. Objection will
always be made that the distance from roof to floor in
many of the seams worked is so small that if straps were
used, the coal-cutting machine could not pass along the
face. In such cases, iron instead of wooden straps could
be used. Accidents would also be avoided if straps were
used under the brushing between the roadhead and the
face. In some seams, ironstone for instance, the system
of supporting the roof on timber whose ends are needled
into the sides can be made effective, but this is not so
as a rule in coal seams. Crowns should not only be
needled into the sides where this method is adopted, but
also supported on props at each end. If the needling is
not done, the props supporting the crowns should be
laced together.

Rescue Work.

The number of rescue stations w’holly completed and
equipped at the end of the year was five, viz. : Cowden-
beath, Heriot-Watt (Edinburgh), Coatbridge, Kilmar-
nock, and Auchinleck. The buildings in connection with
throe others were almost completed, but there was some
little delay expected in obtaining delivery of apparatus
and equipment.

Treatment of Animals.

The animals working underground appear to be well
treated, but some of the stables are not ahvays so good
as they might or should be, and it has been necessary
on many occasions to call the attention of the persons

concerned to the requirements of the Third Schedule to
the Act in this regard. It is very false economy to ill-
use or ill-house any horse or pony.

Supply of Materials.

The supply of materials to the mines has in the cir-
cumstances existing been much better than might have
been expected, but should the war continue, this will
not always be the case. It is therefore very desirable
to exercise a proper economy in the use of all materials
which in normal times have been brought in ample
quantities from abroad. The withdrawal of timber from
the waste is a question which has not received so much
attention as it deserves, probably because supplies of
new timber were easily obtained, but now, when the
cost of supplies has increased so very considerably, and
when it is necessary to make the greatest possible use
of all the timber available, the question ought to be
taken in hand seriously.

Accidents.

During the year 145 accidents, causing the death of
149 persons, occurred; a decrease of 11 accidents and Io
deaths compared with the preceding year. The death
rates from accidents per 1,000 persons employed were
(a) below ground, 1-35; (b) above ground, 0-73; and (c)
below and above ground, 1*22. The figures for the
previous year, calculated on the number of persons
employed during the first seven months of the year,
were (a) 117, (5) 0’75, and (c) 1-09. Per million tons
of mineral raised, the death rate was 3-75, as against
3-64 in 1914, and 4-36 in 1913.

Explosions of Firedamp.—No less than eight accidents
causing 11 deaths, and 35 accidents causing injury to
50 persons, were due to explosions of firedamp. Of the
fatal accidents, all, except one, would have been pre-
vented if ordinary precautions had been taken.

Falls of Roof and Sides.—During the year 74 acci-
dents caused 75 deaths, or nine more accidents and
eight more deaths than during the previous year. Of
these accidents, five occurred whilst timber was being
set, and three when it was being withdrawn; seven
occurred to men working with coal-cutting machines; in
10 cases the timbering rules had not been observed; five
W’ere due to want of care, and the remainder to the
occurrence of lypes or breaks in the roof or sides and to
sudden w-eighting. In order to obtain a diminution in
this class of accident, strict supervision must be exer-
cised, and in this respect more could be done than is
being done at many mines at present.

Shaft Accidents.—The number of shaft accidents com-
pared with the number in 1914 has been more than
halved, six as against 13; but even this number would
not have occurred if proper care had been exercised.
The very excellent arrangement, common throughout
Scotland, by which the winding engineman know’s
whether the gate at a mid-working is open or shut,
should be extended to the gates at the ground level.
The fencing around the mouth of the shafts in some
cases is not good, and more attention should be pai<f to
this matter, with a view to safety.

Miscellaneous Accidents Underground.—The acci-
dents and deaths numbered 38, as compared with 54
accidents and 55 deaths in the preceding year. There
were reductions under every heading, except electricity,
and the three deaths due to electricity should not have
occurred.

Surface Accidents. — The number of deaths due to
surface accidents was 19, being two less than in 1914.
Three occurred owing to workers being entangled in
machinery, which could have, and should have, been
more securely fenced; nine occurred on the railways or
trarmvays at the surface of the mines; and seven were
due to miscellaneous causes.

Prosecutions. — One hundred and one charges were
preferred against owmers, agents, managers, and other
officials during the year. In 87 cases convictions wore
recorded; six charges wore found to be not proven; six
were withdrawal; one found proven but dismissed under
the Probation of Offenders Act; and in one case the
defendant wos found not guilty. The penalties inflicted
amounted to 4? 121 5s.

Proceedings were taken against 113 workmen during
the year, of whom 95 wore convicted and fined, eight
wore admonished, six cases were found not proven, one
was withdrawn, two -wore dismissed under the Proba-
tion of Offenders Act, and in the remaining case the
defender w’as found not guilty.

NORTHERN DIVISION.

Mr. J. R. R. Wilson reports that all the coal mines
in his Division have again been inspected underground
at least once, and many of them several times. Jointly,

the members of the staff in the Division paid 3,237 visits
to mines, of which 2,622 were underground inspections,
and 1,343 inspections were made at quarries. The
enhanced-prices for all commodities are reflected in the
changes of wages which took place. At coal mines in
Northumberland at the beginning of the year 1915
wages were 50 per cent, above the standard of 1879; at
the close of the year they wrere 83 per cent, above the
standard. In Durham the wages were raised from 53f
per cent, to 75 per cent, above the same standard. In
the Cleveland ironstone district the wages were raised
16| per cent. In connection with the Cumberland
haematite mines, exclusive of Hodbarrow, there are three
separate conciliation boards for different groups of mines
which regulate the w’ages quarterly in accordance with
the price of haematite warrants as recorded by the
Glasgow iron market. There was an advance in each
quarter during the year, the total amounting to 3s. 9d.
per day.

Every class of workers has rallied to the Colours since
the outbreak of war, and the number from this Divi-
sion now exceeds 71,000.

General Effects of the War.—Mining, no less than any
other industry, has severely felt the effects of the war.
There has been a shortage of labour of all kinds, and at
collieries officials have found it very difficult to keep the
roadways in a proper state of maintenance. At coal
mines in the Division the number of persons employed
at the end of the year was 184,124, as compared with
248,251 at the end of July 1914.

The output of coal w^as only 47,030,285 tons, as com-
pared with 52,384,478 tons for the year 1914, due to
some extent to lack of shipping, the rise in freights,
and other exporting restrictions. In fact, had great
efforts not been made in the direction of working the
more easily-gotten coal—whether by closing the diffi-
cult seams or difficult districts of a seam, or adopting
different methods of working—the output would have
been still less, as the figures show that in 1915 the
output per person employed above and below ground
had risen to 266 tons, the largest average since the year
1909.

The total deaths from accidents at mines under the
Coal Mines Act was 227, the number being an increase
on that of the previous year. Of these accidents, 87
should never have occurred if ordinary caution or a little
common sense had been displayed. If both fatal and
serious non-fatal accidents are taken into consideration,
there is a decrease in the number of reported accidents;
but the decrease is not as great as it should have been,
considering the smaller number of persons employed.
About 60 per cent, of the underground accidents are
attributable to falls of roof and side, and many of these
w’ere due to neglect in not setting sufficient support. It
is difficult to say how much the changed conditions due
to the war are responsible for this state of affairs. The
fatalities were not due to the w’ork of inexperienced men,
but many of them certainly must be put down to lack
of foresight on the part of these workers, and one is
driven to the conclusion that often the anxiety to keep
up the output has clouded the judgment and made men
take unnecessary risks.

Ventilation.—On the question of ventilation there has
been no special cause for complaint. More attention
has been given to the question of stoppings between the
roadways, and the extended use of both coal-cutting
machines and conveyors has compelled the lengthening
of the faces, with a consequent improvement in the
ventilation in each case. Closer attention, how’ever,
should be given to the proper building of gate packs and
the extraction of timber from the goaf. Air samples
have been taken from time to time w’herever the condi-
tions seemed to suggest the need for doing so, and the
analyses were, on a w’hole, very satisfactory.

Coal Dust.—With regard to the coal dust danger,
increased attention is being given to means of dilution,
and more stone dust is being used for the purpose
rather than flue dust.

Falls of Roof and Side.—Whilst, as a rule, there is
marked improvement in discipline, compliance with
statutory requirements, and precautions taken to pre-
vent accidents, there is still room for improvement in
the methods of supporting the roof and sides. Where
the deputy is responsible for setting the timber, the
miner does not ahvays realise that he also is responsible
for his own safety, and should set supports when needed
without waiting for the deputy’s appearance. Atten-
tion has frequently had to be drawn to the roof supports
which w’ere not set within the maximum distance
allowed, or coal was being undermined and no sprags
were set; and the maximum distance apart at wrhich
supports w’ere allowed to be set wras often out of all
proportion to the distance found to be necessary in actual
practice. The scarcity of foreign timber has caused
many managers to use devices for. saving their timber,