Description

Number 53 on the list occurred at South Pontop Colliery, on the 4th of September, about 2.30 o'clock p.m., causing the death of John Tucker, a coupler.

At this colliery there are two shafts, one a downcast, and the other an upcast, about 14 yards apart, and coals are brought to bank at both of them, but the men are, only lowered or raised at the downcast shaft. Deceased was working in the Shield Row Seam, which is 9½ fathoms from the surface; all the coals from this surface are sent up the upcast, and it is the onsetter's duty to attend to both shafts.

On the day in question, it appears the deceased boy was sent to bank for a meal for a man who was staying in the pit; the onsetter came from the upcast shaft with him, signalled for the cage to be sent to the Shield Row Seam, put him into it, and then signalled for it to be taken to bank, which was done; the onsetter then returned to his work at the other, or the upcast, shaft. The boy went to the man's house, got the meal, and returned to the pit, and the banksman told him to get into the cage, which had not been moved since he came to bank, and, without doing anything to ascertain whether the onsetter was at the entrance to the Shield Row Seam, sent the cage away. It stopped at that seam, but the onsetter was at the other shaft, and deceased, who had no light with him, attempted to get out of the cage, but did not see or forgot about the gate being closed, and ran his head against it and was knocked back into the shaft. He was found on the top of the other cage, 75 feet below, and was so severely injured that he died on the following day.

There were no means at this shaft, as required by section 49, General Rule 25, of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, of communicating distinct and definite signals from the surface to this seam.

The manager said he did not think it was necessary, as it was only 9½ fathoms, or 19 yards from the surface to this seam, and the General Rule states that the means of communicating signals must be used if the shaft exceeds 50 yards in depth. This shaft is 120 yards in depth, and this seam is only one of the entrances to it.

This was not, however, the cause of the accident. The banksman did not carry out his duty, as required by Special Rule 86 of No. 3 Rules, which reads thus: "When persons are to ascend, or descend, the agreed signal shall be given by the banksman or onsetter only, except where otherwise authorized; and when persons are descending, or ascending, the banksman and onsetter shall remain in a position so as to immediately signal the engineman in case of an accident."

The agreed signal, under this Rule, up to this time, had been by shouting to the onsetter, but in this case the banksman did not do so, and, in consequence, did not enable the onsetter to be at his place to receive the cage. If he (the banksman) had attended to his part, the onsetter would have gone round to the downcast shaft, and had the gate open, and this boy would not have been killed.

The banksman was severely reprimanded, and the management undertook that he should be dealt with for his neglect of duty.

A down over signal has, since the accident, been put into the Shield Row Seam, and is arranged to signal to both the upcast and downcast shafts at the same time, so that the onsetter can hear any signal that is given whichever shaft he may happen to be at.

Mines Inspectors Report Entry

Sources

• 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 19 Where to find this report
• 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 42, Accident Number: 53 Where to find this report

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