THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

AND

JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES.

Vol. CXVI.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1918.

No. 3007.

COAL MINES INSPECTION IN 1917.

SCOTLAND DIVISION.

Mr. H. Walker, reporting upon the inspection of
mines and quarries in the Scotland Division for the
year 1917, states that during the year 1,569 inspections
were made underground at mines, and 562 quarries
were inspected. Every mine was inspected in part
at least once, and all the smaller and 72 of the bigger
were inspected throughout. Fatal accident enquiries
were attended on 74 days. The circumstances attend-
ing the fatal, and a great many of the non-fatal acci-
dents were investigated, as were all matters which
formed the subject of complaints received. Wages
at the coal mines were at the end of the year 150
per cent, above the standard rate of 1888. In addi-
tion, a war wage of Is. 6d. per day to all colliery
workers over 16 years of age, and of 9d. per day to
those under 16 years of age, was ordered by the Con-
troller of Coal Mines to be paid as from September 17
under certain conditions. The number of persons
employed during the year was 133,946; the output of
minerals was 40,529,152 tons, of the value of
£29,135,005.

Effect of the War.—In certain parts of the division
employment was good; in those parts from which the
output of the mines in normal times was shipped
abroad it was bad, but towards the end of the year
was improving. The output was 8,864,323 tons less
than in 1913, and 1,551,090 tons less than in 1916. The
output per person employed underground in 1913 was
321 tons; in 1914, 290 tons; in 1915, 325 tons; in
1916, 315 tons; and last year 377 tons. The number
of coal-cutting machines in use was 1,039, compared
with 876 in 1913.

The inspector retains his opinion that the war has
been responsible for accidents, in so far as it affected
the workers from a psychological point of view. It
has been widely believed that a great number of in-
experienced men took employment at the mines in
order to escape military service, and that these men
had, as a result of their inexperience, materially
helped to swell the number of accidents. There is no
evidence of this, and as a matter of fact the number
of persons of military age who entered the industry
in Scotland since the outbreak of war has been very
small.

Ventilation.

The sampling of air in mines has been carried on
as opportunity offered, but there is a good deal of lee-
way which it is not possible to make up under present
conditions. The number of accidents due to accumu-
lations of inflammable gas is again high, and so long
as this class of accident continues to occur, the ventila-
tion of the mines cannot be considered to be satis-
factory. The occurrence of these accidents is not, how-
ever, in itself a true test of the ventilation, for if the
use of safety lamps were universal, a very large pro-
portion of them would not have occurred. The miners
are as adverse to the introduction of safety lamps as
are the employers, and if naked lights are to b?
allowed to continue in use, adequate precautions must
be taken. These precautions consist in regarding all
mines as being equally dangerous, and taking steps
accordingly to ventilate all holes in the roof, the face
of all brushings, the high side of fast places, and to
use no lamps or lights other than safety lamps while
a new seam or district of a seam is being opened,
or when near a fault in the strata, or when near whin.
Such precautions are simple, and it is to be hoped
not only that the employers but also that the miners,
who stand to be injured in the event of an explosion,
will see that they are carried out.

Coal Dust.

The coal dust evil is not as serious in Scotland as
in most other coal fields. It occurs principally in
mines where the thicker seams are still being worked,
or where old haulage roads in the thicker seams are
being used in working the thinner seams. In the
thin seams themselves little dust appears to be made,
and that little is diluted with stone dust from the
necessarily heavy brushings required to maintain
height in the roadways. Where conditions are favour-
able to the production and deposition of coal dust,
the usual remedies are applied to counteract these con-
ditions. Dry stone buildings or packs along the side
of roadways form ready receptacles for the deposition
of coal dust. A liberal application from time to time
of inert dust to the surfaces and crevices of such
buildings would prevent the deposition of more dust
on and in them, and at the same time furnish a safe
remedy against the danger lying latent in the dust
already deposited there.

Support of Roofs and Sides.

The question of adequate support being given to
roof and sides is, after an efficient system has been
arranged, one of discipline. To arrive at an efficient
system suitable to the conditions existing in any seam
is the duty of the manager of each mine aided by
his officials. Careful inspection and consideration of
the existing conditions and free discussion should
result in the evolution of a system of support and

inspection which, if carried out, should prevent a
large percentage of accidents. But ho system, how-
ever perfect, is of much value unless the carrying
of it out is rigidly enforced, and it is in this regard
that the necessity for very strict discipline arises.
The attainment of the end desired, namely, the faith-
ful carrying out of a system, should be easy, but it
is not. It would be thought that the man who was
likely to be killed or injured owing to a lack of support
of roof or side would be the person most anxious to
take steps to prevent such an occurrence. A m.ner,
however, will take risks, and this factor must be taken
into account when fixing on a system of support and
inspection. On a system of support being decided
upon, models of it should be set up on the surface.
Sketches are of little value, but full-sized models, which
a miner could inspect at his leisure, would show exactly
the manner in which the supports were to be set and
advanced. In regard to inspection, this should be at
frequent intervals, and a fireman should not visit the
various parts of the section of the mine assigned to
him on any routine plan. The liability to a visit by
a fireman at any time, and not at any particular time,
as is practically the case when a routine plan is
followed, would prove beneficial and result, if the
system of support were rigidly enforced, in a saving
of life and limb. Special systems, e.g., the reduction
of maximum intervals between the supports, should
be enforced in the vicinity of faults or other similar
known breaks in the strata.

Rescue Work.

The division is now fully provided with central sta-
tions, fully equipped and manned. These stations are
situated at Cowdenbeath, Edinburgh, Bathgate, Coat-
bridge, Larbert, and Lesmahagow. At the last four
permanent rescue corps are maintained. The Lothian
Mine Workers’ Ambulance League is carrying on in
spite of the depletion in the number of ambulance
men owing to the war. Over 400 certificated men
from the district covered by the League joined
H.M. Forces, and for 1918 a new competition for
individual men was being inaugurated. The value of
this individual competition lies in the fact that at
mines where, owing to the above-mentioned depletion,
there is not a full team, individuals still have an
incentive to come forward and show their worth and
maintain interest in ambulance work at these par-
ticular mines. A letter was circulated to mine owners
and others by the Chief Inspector of Mines on July 26,
drawing attention to two cases in which miners had
been fatally affected by nitrous fumes from explosives,
and advised the following treatment of persons
affected : Make the patient lie down; keep him warm;
see that he has plenty of fresh air; if he is blue in
the face, administer oxygen, and if he has not been
sick, give him a drink of 1 oz. of salt in 10 oz. of
lukewarm water, and repeat the dose until he is sick,
sending meanwhile for a doctor. These directions have
by some owners of mines been embodied in a pamphlet
and distributed to their workmen. This course is
one which might with advantage be taken by other
owners.

Treatment of Horses.

An inspection was made of nearly 98 per cent, of
the horses employed, and of every mine in which a
horse or horses were employed, by one of the three
inspectors of horses in mines working the division.
Mr. McArthur inspected 3,855 horses^and reports that
their condition generally is improving, but there is
still room for improvement in the stables. Mr. Morris,
who inspected 169 horses, reports that they were well
attended to, and on the whole in satisfactory con-
dition, but he makes the same remark in regard to
the stables. Mr. Stubley also makes the same com-
plaint, and points out that with stables of a flimsy
character and scattered about in different parts of
a mine, the difficulty of keeping them in a sanitary
condition is increased. He inspected 434 horses, and
reports that their general condition was good. It
is quite evident that the least satisfactory feature
in connection with the employment of horses in mines
in Scotland is the character of the stables. This fact
was pointed out in the last report, and it is to be
hoped that the necessity for doing so a third time will
not arise.

Supply of Materials.

The supply of materials, though restricted, was
ample to fulfil necessary requirements. Although no
scarcity of timber for support of roof and sides was
reported during the year, it is not to be expected that
this position can be maintained unless every care is
taken to use the same timber over and over again,
consistent with safety. A large amount of timber
is buried in the waste each.year, and very little is
withdrawn—a matter which does not appear to have
received the attention which it should receive. The
difficulty in regard to obtaining pitwood will not cease
when the war ends.

Accidents.

One hundred and sixty-eight accidents, causing the
deaths of 174 persons, occurred during the year. The

figures show a decrease of 16 in the number of acci-
dents, and 20 in the number of deaths, when com-
pared with 1916, but when compared with previous
years they are not satisfactory, and something must
be done to lessen them. A large number of the acci-
dents, both fatal and non-fatal, which occur year by
year are preventable, and it would appear that the
question of the thorough organisation of safety work
at mines is one which should be taken up as soon
as possible. The appointment of a committee of offi-
cials and workmen at each mine, which would have
placed before it the details of every accident which
occurred at the mine, and which should have power
to make recommendations to be adopted to prevent
similar accidents in future, should be considered.
No doubt objection would be raised to such com-
mittees on the ground that they would overstep
their functions, but with good feeling and the object
of their foundation kept before them, together with
perhaps some scheme of referring recommendations to
an arbiter before being put into effect they would
go some way towards eliminating preventable acci-
dents.. The death rates from accidents per 1,000
persons employed were (a) below ground, 1'52; (5)
above ground, 0-68 ; and (c) below and above ground,
1-34. The figures for the previous year were 1-62,
1T9, and 1-53. Per million tons of mineral raised,
the death rate was 4'51, as compared with 4-84 in
1916, 3 75 in 1915, 3-64 in 1914, and 4-36 in 1913.

Explosions of Firedamp.—Eight persons were killed
by five accidents, and 66 persons were injured by 45
accidents. Compared with 1916, these figures show a
decrease of one in the number of fatal accidents, but
an increase of one death, and a decrease of 16 non-
fatal accidents, and 35 in the number of persons
injured. Each of these accidents was preventable.

Falls of JRoof and Sides.—Ninety-two accidents
caused 94 deaths, the same number of accidents as
in 1916, but a decrease of two in the number of
deaths. Of these accidents 68, causing 69 deaths,
occurred at the working face; 12, causing 12 deaths,
on roads to repairers; 11, causing 11 deaths, to persons
passing along roads or engaged in work other than
repairing or enlarging; and, one, causing two deaths,
in shafts; 21 deaths were the result of 20 falls of
side, and 73 deaths were due to 72 falls of roof.
Many of these accidents are preventable. Of the 21
deaths due to falls of side, 11 of them should not
have occurred, and were entirely due to the not setting
of sprags or rances. Three of the persons killed were
under 16 years of age, six were under 21, and eleven
under 25.

Shaft Accidents.—Eleven accidents resulted in 11
deaths, being four more accidents and deaths than
in 1916. Excepting in one case, which may have been
one of suicide, these accidents were preventable. One
was due to not using cage gates; two were due to
the keps being in the control of the winding engine-
man, and one to' the keps not being used; one to
the lowering of men down a shaft by means of a hand
winch unprovided with brakes; one to a man climbing
on to the fence at a mid-landing and falling into
the shaft; two to men pushing hutches into shafts,
expecting that a cage was standing ready to receive
the hutches when, in fact, it was not at the particular
level at all; and two to the general regulations in
reference to signalling in shafts not being carried out.
Allowing a winding engineman to control the keps
whilst men are entering or leaving a cage seems a
contravention of General Regulation 28. The de-
sirability of so arranging the gates fencing the shaft
at the ground level as to put them under the control
of winding enginemen may again be referred to. By
suitable means these gates can be so arranged that
they are open only when a cage is at the ground
level, so precluding anyone pushing a hutch into the
shaft and not into a cage as intended.

Miscellaneous Accidents Underground.—There was
a decrease of 6 accidents and 10 deaths compared
with 1916, the total number of accidents in 1917
being 421, causing 42 deaths. Five accidents and
six deaths were in connection with explosives. Of
these, two were due to the persons now deceased re-
turning to shots which had in reality only hung fire,
but thinking that they had missed.fire. Two men
were killed by one accident, due to disobeying orders
given by the fireman, who after a shot had missed fire
marked where a new hole was to be bored and in-
structed the two men to bore it. Instead they
attempted to bore out the charge which had missed
fire. Another accident due to the use of explosives
resulted in the death of one man and injury to another.
Two heavy shots of gelignite had been fired in the
coal in the afternoon of one day in the face of an
unventilated roadway. On the following afternoon
the two men were sent to fill the won coal. This
coal had been blown into a heap of fine stuff, which
on being stirred up liberated sufficient carbon
monoxide to poison one of the men and seriously
affect the other. A fireman lost his life by going into
a dip roadway containing blackdamp. Twenty-five
deaths were caused by haulage accidents, which is
two less than in 1916. Many of these accidents would
have been prevented if better discipline prevailed and
if the officials of the mines would not be content with
doing the minimum in regard to safety that is required