Safety in Mines.
Safety has played an important role in coal mines. In Britain regulations have evolved over a long period of time to help reduce accidents or incidents of one type or another. The Mines and Quarries Act ( M & Q Act ) & the Coal & Other Mines Regulations, incorporated the thoughts of many individuals and organisations. It was hoped it would make mining less dangerous with fewer accidents and fewer occurrences.
Reports became part of everyday life. They were a record of what had been done during a shift and a method of informing other shifts if anything required attention or care when the new shift came to work.
It was the duty of each official to read the reports of the preceding shift to ensure they were aware of any potential problems.
I am not an expert but here is an insight into the regulations. Which of course may have changed since my working days.
A few of the reports and their numbers.
M & Q 231. A report filled in by a Deputy in charge of a district.
A deputy's district is usually, a coal face and part of the roadways leading from the face. or a Development, either face development or roadway development.
The regulation requires that a full and accurate report ( in a book provided ), must include any information which is material to the proper working of the mine or the safety / health of the persons in the district.
It must include every defect or source of danger ( either seen by the deputy or reported to him ), and an explanation of the steps taken or necessary to deal with it.
Examples of Items to be Included in the Report.
Switching power off or stopping shotfiring due to gas.
Any heating or outbreak of fire, or any other danger.
Any damage to a flame safety lamp and how it happened.
Any accident involving an injury to a person.
Any dangerous or defective equipment, apparatus or plant.
Any gas ( other than in a flame safety lamp ), or dust ignited.
Any unsafe practices.
Any person ordered to leave the district and return to the surface.
Any abnormal make of water.
The state of the roof and sides.
General safety.
Number of men on the district at any one time.
Inspections to be carried out at least twice during each shift. One of those inspections could count as a pre-shift inspection.
No place which contained workmen should remain uninspected for more than 4 hours.
Any district which has remained without workmen for a period of 2 hours shall require a pre-shift examination before men are allowed to re-enter.
All inspections shall be noted. ( in writing by the official making the inspection ) in the 231 report book.
The report should include the nature of the inspection and the place inspected. The time the inspection commenced and the time it was completed.
If a pre-shift examination was carried out it should state the time the 1st. workman would pass the meeting station on his way onto the district.
Where there is continuous working ( continous means, for example, Day-shift, Afternoon-shift, Night-shift, each shift following the other. The 1st. man starting his shift must be at the meeting station before the last man of the preceding shift leaves it. ), there must be no more than 8 hours between pre-shifts.
A shift meant 8 hours in relation to the regulations, ( even if the men only worked 7 & 1/4 hours ).
M & Q 234. A report filled in by a Deputy inspecting places not within a deputy's district.
Times and places of Inspection.
At the beginning of a shift and at least once during the the shift when men or working there.
Every working place where mineral is worked for the purpose of repairing, restoring or enlarging a road.
Where apparatus, equipment or supports are being withdrawn in preparation for abandonment.
Where any other work is is done, being a place where persons regularly pass.
Examples of Items to be Included in the Report.
Switching power off or stopping shotfiring due to gas.
Any heating or outbreak of fire, or any other danger.
Any damage to a flame safety lamp and how it happened.
Any accident involving an injury to a person.
Any dangerous or defective equipment, apparatus or plant.
Any gas ( other than in a flame safety lamp ), or dust ignited.
Any unsafe practices.
Any person ordered to leave the district and return to the surface.
Any abnormal make of water.
The state of the roof and sides.
General safety.
M & Q 235. A Weekly report filled in by a Deputy inspecting parts of a mine not within a deputy's district.
Times and places of Inspection.
At intervals not exceeding 7 days.
Every airway and road ( which is not otherwise required to be inspected and reported on during each shift or daily ).
Road or airway inspected for fitness, and if safe for travelling.
Examples of items to be included in the Report are the same as mentioned above.
M & Q 322.Overmans Report.
It was recommended by the Report on the Houghton Main explosion that an Overman's Statutory Report should be included in the Coal & Other Mines Regulations 1956.
This report was to be completed, until the regulations were amended, in the Overman's own hand writing and signed by him.
Matters to be included in their report included, anything which affected safety & health and any matters which were material to the proper working of the mine, either observed by him or reported to him during his shift.
The object was to provide information regarding possible dangers, and remedial action taken, or required to be taken.
Duties & Information required from the Overman.
Relating to parts of the mine under their jurisdiction.
Parts of the mine they had visited during their shift.
The name of persons reporting any defects.
They were required to confer with Deputies assigned to each District and Deputies assigned to roadways.
At the end of each shift they had to give information to the succeeding Overman which was relevant to safety.
They were required to examine & countersign any reports made by Deputies within 24 hours.
A Few Other Reports Books.
M & Q 269. ( Loco Roads ).
Coal & Other Mines ( Mine Egress Book ).
M & Q 241. ( Record of Shots Fired ).
Coal & Other Mines ( Search Book ( for Contraband) ).
AP1's ( Accident Report Book ).
M & Q 267 ( Mechanical Defects Book ).
M & Q 268 ( Electrical Defects Book ).
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