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Norman Harris Rawson
| Age: | 56 |
| Died: | 7th Mar 1924 |
| Accident: | 7th Mar 1924 3.45 p.m., 6th hour of shift |
| Year Born: | abt. 1868 |
| Colliery: | Wallsend, Rising Sun Pit |
| Company: | Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Co., Ltd. |
| Occupation: | Filler |
| Notes: | |
| Buried: | [not known] |
| Category: | Miscellaneous Underground :: Suffocated by Natural Causes |
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| Description | |
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Suffocation by Natural Gases.
An accident arousing great interest occurred at Wallsend "G" Colliery, Northumberland, where a workman was suffocated by firedamp under the following circumstances.
An old district known to be charged with noxious gases was to be re-opened, and the intake airway was being repaired with this object in view. The stoneman required some tools which had been left whilst making a road over a fall some distance in advance, and the putter, carrying an electric lamp, went to get them. He was a long time away and a search for him was instituted. Numerous gallant but abortive attempts at rescue were made by the master shifter and other men, including deceased, and on some of these occasions the would-be rescuers were themselves overcome and had to be succoured. After an hour was thus spent the deputy telephoned to bank for assistance.
The manager telephoned to the Rescue Station and then went underground to supervise operations. Further fruitless attempts at rescue were made, and it was not until the gas had, to some extent, been dissipated by means of hose pipes coupled up to a compressed air main that success was attained.
The man who was first overcome recovered after the application of artificial respiration, but one of the men who attempted his rescue did not revive, although the reviving apparatus was used on him for three hours.
The occurrence brings the following points into prominence-
(1) The accident would probably not have occurred if the putter had been carrying a flame safety lamp, as he would have had an indication of the presence of firedamp.
(2) The loss of valuable time during preliminary attempts at rescue before informing the manager.
(3) Many of the rescuers repeated their attempts in a heated, panting condition ; their chance of success would have been increased if they had rested for a short time.
The rescue work in connection with this accident has been the subject of a special investigation by the Rescue Regulations Committee.
The accident was primarily caused by the disobedience of the master shifter who, disregarding the instructions given to him by the undermanager, temporarily disorganised the system of ventilating the district.
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| Sources | |
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- 1924 Mines Inspectors Report, Northern Division (No. 2) by T. Greenland Davies, H.M. Inspector of Mines [DMM Ref: L-01624 - Tom Bainbridge Collection], Page: 24
- 1924 Mines Inspectors Report, Northern Division (No. 2) by T. Greenland Davies, H.M. Inspector of Mines [DMM Ref: L-01624 - Tom Bainbridge Collection], Page: 68, Accident Number: 109
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| Researchers | |
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