§ 24. Sir GEORGE BERRYasked the Secretary for Mines if, in view of the health advantages claimed for even a short exposure to ultra-violet rays and, further, in view of the work of miners, necessarily at times debarring them from enjoying daylight and sunlight, the natural source of such rays, he will consider the desirability of establishing experimentally installations for the production of ultra-violet rays in one or more of the baths provided for miners?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI understand that the Miners' Welfare Committee have this matter under consideration in connection with the provision of pithead baths under the Mining Industry Act, 1926, but that the proposal is not free from difficulty.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that it is absolutely necessary to have expert
| NUMBER OF PERSONS Killed and Seriously Injured* at Mines under the Coal and Metalliferous Mines Regulation Acts. | ||||||||
| Number of Persons killed. | Number of Persons seriously injured.* | |||||||
| Month. | Below ground. | Above ground. | Total. | Below ground. | Above ground. | Total. | ||
| December, 1925 | … | … | 105 | 11 | 116 | 332 | 59 | 391 |
| January, 1926 | … | … | 75 | 12 | 87 | 353 | 49 | 402 |
| February, 1926 | … | … | 101 | 12 | 113 | 363 | 44 | 407 |
| December, 1926 | … | … | 90 | 8 | 98 | 348 | 42 | 390 |
| January, 1927 | … | … | 70 | 6 | 76 | 371 | 45 | 416 |
| February, 1927 | … | … | 86 | 8 | 94 | 356 | 43 | 399 |
| * These particulars refer to accidents which, because of their nature, are required to be reported to the Inspectors of Mines at the time of their occurrence. They include (a) accidents causing fracture of head or limb, or dislocation of limb, or any other serious personal injury, (b) accidents caused by explosion of gas or dust, or any other explosive or by electricity or by overwinding, and causing any personal injury, whatever. The number of persons less seriously injured is considerably greater, bat particulars of such accidents are not available for these periods. |
§ supervision of this treatment because it is very dangerous to carry out, and must be in charge of a properly qualified official?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe extent to which that is true—and within limits it is true—is one of the many difficulties which attend the adoption of what on the face of it is an attractive proposition.
§ Mr. PALINGIs the Miners' Welfare Committee going to discuss the possibility of putting these installations down the pit so as to avoid the necessity of the men coming to the surface at all?
§ Mr. HARDIEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the fact that no amount of artificial rays, ultra-violet or otherwise, can make up for the absence of natural sunlight caused by the extended hours under the Miners' Eight Hours Act?