Description

At Rainton Plain pit a man fell down to the bottom of the shaft from a mouthing, at which he had got out of the cage into an upper seam, only a few minutes before. The pit not being at work at the time, and some person having removed the guard-chain, intended to prevent persons from walking into the shaft, although there was a light at the place, or in the hand of the deceased, and he had only been a few yards from the shaft since he had gotten out of the cage; he walked back and fell into it, probably being short-sighted.

As he had been resting a few yards away from the shaft, probably in comparative darkness, the flare of the light of the oil lamp might be so great as to prevent him from seeing the shaft.

I have entered the more fully into the details of the shaft accidents above alluded to, because I incline to the opinion that a considerable diminution of the number of such accidents may be effected by the adoption of the proper precautions, which I beg to point out, at least as they appear to me.

Shaft accidents of the nature of those which have been alluded to as occurring at the Twizell and Rainton Plain Pits, where persons have fallen from mouthings, opening into shafts, at depths intermediate between the top and bottom of the pit, might often be prevented by fixing a strong bar or chain entirely across the way leading towards the opening or mouth of the shaft, at a short distance from the shaft ; such bar or guard to be securely locked to prevent its being negligently left open, and the key to be kept by the onsetter employed to set on the coals, so that no person may walk into the shaft, nor push any tram or tub into it in his absence; he being held responsible for the guard being in working order and repair, until he has informed the proper authority of any derangement in it.

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Sources

• 1856 Mines Inspectors Report
• Contributions by members of the Public

Researchers

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