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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	27th January 1906
Colliery:	South Hetton
Company:	South Hetton Coal Co., Ltd.
Cause:	Fell down shaft
Lives Lost:	1
Category:

The third case occurred on January 27th in the Upcast Shaft at South Hetton Colliery, belonging to Messrs. The South Hetton Coal Co., Limited, and resulted in the death of a shaftman. He was assisting to take off a double-deck cage at the Low Main level. The cage guides had been taken off and a rope attached to the cage bottom, for the purpose of pulling the cage into the level. Men were pulling at this rope, and he was at the edge of the shaft. In trying to help the cage into the level, he slipped and fell into the shaft.

In the ordinary course the entrance to the shaft is properly fenced, but the fence had been removed in this instance as was necessary. It was considered to be safer to change the cage at the Low Main Seam level rather than at bank, as, at bank, both the safety gates would have had to be removed, the flat sheets would not have afforded secure foothold, and the fumes from the furnace would have affected the men. The furnace drift enters the shaft some distance above the Low Main seam.

Source:

1906 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 3449), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, Page: 17 Where to find this report

	Scurfield, Thomas, aged 45, Shaftman, When assisting to change a cage he, in trying to get a better foothold, slipped into the shaft, and, falling 18 fathoms, was killed.
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