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	Disasters - Names		Disasters - Names

Date:	28th January 1924
Colliery:	Baddesley
Company:	Baddesley Collieries, Trustees
Cause:	Shaft accident
Lives Lost:	1
Category:	Shaft Accidents :: Miscellaneous

Baddesley Colliery, Warwickshire, 28th January. — One man killed. The deceased, who was 28 years of age and a blacksmith, is said to have been a competent and reliable workman, and since 5th January, 1921, had been accustomed to make the daily inspection of the winding machinery except the guides, which were inspected by the carpenter. On Sunday, the 27th January, the carpenter, while making his usual inspection, noticed that a guide rail at the bottom of the shaft had become slightly displaced. It did not require immediate attention, but on his return to the surface he talked over the matter with the deceased and they decided to attend to it at the end of the day shift on the following day. The shaft is 287 yards deep, 14 ft. diameter, fitted with wire rope guides — four to each cage — and two double decked cages, the decks of which are loaded singly. Keps are provided at both top and bottom, in addition to which at the bottom, in order to prevent any endwise movement of the cages during the process of loading, guide rails 9 ft. long, made from old double headed railway rails, are installed and it was one of these which the carpenter found slightly displaced when he made his inspection.

At about 4 p.m. on the following day, the deceased went into the winding engine house and explained to the engineman the work they were about to do, and then together with the carpenter and a blacksmith's striker descended the shaft. On their arrival at the bottom they found the afternoon shift onsetter in charge, and they told him the purpose for which they had come. For a short distance on either side of the shaft the floor of the landing consists of girders and timbers, below which is an open space, reached by means of a trap-door and steps, which affords access to the keps other than by way of the shaft. The deceased was under the landing and looking over a girder at the shaft side on which the keps were fixed while the cage, with the carpenter and striker in it, was being lowered very slowly past him. They heard an unusual noise and on the cage being brought to rest they found deceased’s head pinned between the middle hoop of the cage and the girder. He was taken to the surface but expired on arrival. Apparently forgetful of the approach of the middle hoop of the cage, deceased, while watching the slow descent of the cage, had pushed his head a little too far forward. This accident is one which might have been prevented if ordinary caution had been exercised.

Source: 1924 Mines Inspectors Report, Midland and Southern Division (No. 8) by H. A. Abbott, H.M. Inspector of Mines [DMM Ref: L-01624 - Tom Bainbridge Collection], Page: 21

	Roberts, John Ernest, aged 29, Blacksmith, Shaft accident
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