Norchard Colliery

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Adams, Arthur James, 17 Jun 1930, aged 45, Powerhouse attendant, Crushed between trams and overhead platform

Akers, Walter, 10 Jul 1914, (accident: 08 Jul 1914), aged 33, Timberer, Deceased was engaged with two others in cleansing a brow, gradient 1 in 12. The material was loaded in trams and lowered on to the main haulage road. The brow formed a connection between the intake and the return, and was fitted with two brattice sheets and a door. The custom was for one man to go down the brow to attend to the sheets and door, and another to lower the tram. At the time when the accident occurred, deceased was sent down to attend to the sheets. He was seen to arrange the first sheet and proceed to the second. One of the other men stated that he placed an iron sprag 2 feet long in the wheels, and then pushed the tram away. When it had travelled a few yards, he saw the sprag fall out and shouted to deceased, who, however, was overtaken by the tram and pinned against the door. His pelvis was fractured and urethra ruptured. He succumbed to his injuries in the Infirmary two days later

Angles, Charles, 25 Jun 1915, Blood poisoning after a slight wound

Fisher, Charles, 10 Mar 1899, aged 42, Labourer, Fall of roof in an old level, where he was engaged stowing rubbish

Hancock, George, 11 Oct 1902, aged 19, Collier, When turning a new place off a level, part of the overhanging coal fell and crushed him. This accident was due to expecting props; to support the sides instead of sprags — the prop on being struck sideways was easily knocked out whereupon the coal fell

Hyatt, -, 22 Apr 1853, Banksman, Fell down the pit

Kear, Edward, 08 Sep 1910, aged 38, Underground Pumpman, He was travelling along an endless rope haulage road, when he was caught between the end of a full tub and the timber set at a corner of a refuge hole. The refuge holes were from nine to ten yards apart and were whitewashed. Presumably he had delayed too long before getting into one

Kear, T., 04 Apr 1929, aged 41, Collier, Fall of coal from side

Lodge, Albert, 27 Apr 1928, (accident: 10 Mar 1928), Died from injuries received 10th March

Mayall, Arthur, 06 Aug 1924, 1.0 p.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 24, Haulage Hand, The deceased was engaged in his work at the top of No. 2 West Slant, which is an over-rope endless haulage. The tubs are landed on fiatsheets and twisted round into a passbye at right angles to the haulage. The full and empty side ropes were kept at a sufficient height above the fiatsheets by pulley wheels, the spindles of which ran in pedestals bolted to props. The accident was caused by one of the pedestals of the empty side pulley breaking. This released the journal and the weight of the rope and consequent leverage on the other journal broke the other pedestal. The pulley was thus released and the rope flew down and struck the deceased, who died as a result of his injuries 16 hours afterwards

Norris, Alfred, 05 Mar 1932, aged 16, He was sent to work a underground pumping engine alone, 1000 yards away from anyone else. He got over the safety guarding and attempted to oil the engine whilst it was in motion and was dragged into the gearing. He sustained severe lacerations to the skin

Phipps, William, 08 Oct 1902, aged 30, Collier, The two men were killed by a fall of rock (about five tons) while working in their place. The place had been examined about 1½ hours before the accident and is said to have been thought safe. Owing to unseen slips this roof requires more regular and closer timbering, although a strong rock roof [More information ...]

Powell, Elias, 20 Aug 1912, aged 17, Filler and trammer, A pillar of coal was being worked out from the goaf side, the roof over the goaf being upstanding and supported by props, when suddenly the roof over an area measuring approximately 24 by 16 yards fell, and part of it caught and pinned deceased to the ground. Efforts were at once made to release him, but he was killed by a second fall which occurred shortly after the first

Shingles, Richard, 08 Oct 1902, aged 22, Collier, The two men were killed by a fall of rock (about five tons) while working in their place. The place had been examined about 1½ hours before the accident and is said to have been thought safe. Owing to unseen slips this roof requires more regular and closer timbering, although a strong rock roof [More information ...]

Willetts, Ernest, 21 Oct 1913, aged 42, Mason, Four empty trucks were being hauled towards the screens by an open-ended rope attached to the coupling hook of the leading wagon and worked by a stationary engine, the speed being about 1½ miles per hour. Deceased walked in front of the first waggon between the right-hand buffer and the rope in readiness to detach the rope when the wagons reached a part of the road dipping 1 in 60. When the trucks reached a point from which they were able to gravitate onwards, the engine was stopped, the trucks overran the slack rope which formed a bight round deceased's body, and in attempting to get out under the buffer he either tripped on the rail or was drawn down by the rope, and the front right wheel of the truck passed over his right leg below the knee. He succumbed to his injuries at the hospital three hours later

Willetts, Joseph, 17 Dec 1901, aged 19, Collier, Fall of roof near the face of a stall where he and an experienced timber-man had been sent to do some repairs. The fall was a large one, and carried away some timbers which were under part of the stone