§ 19. Mr. DAVID GRENFELLasked the Secretary for Mines whether he can give the number of accidents from shot-firing that have occurred from 1921 to 1926?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Commodore Douglas King)As the reply involves a table of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it with the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSCan the hon. and gallant Member say whether there is an increase or a decrease between 1921 and 1926?
§ Commodore KINGThere has been a slight increase in the fatal accidents, but the hon. Member will see the figures.
§ Following are the figures:
§ safety detonator had been invented which would make it possible to withdraw the load from an explosive charge and obviate the danger from tampering with misfired shots; and to what extent this is being used?
197§ Commodore KINGI assume that the hon. Member refers to certain observations made by Mr. Dyer Lewis at a meeting of the South Wales Institute of Engineers in 1919, in the course of discussion on an appliance for withdrawing the detonator in case of a misfire. Tampering with missed fire-shots is prohibited by the Explosives in Coal Mines Order, and I am advised that if the procedure prescribed by that Order for dealing with missed fire-shots is carried out, there is no need to use appliances of the kind referred to. The appliance in question, known as the "Adder," was, however, exempted from the prohibition by an Order in 1920, but so far as I am aware it has never been brought into use.
§ Mr. GRENFELLDoes not the Minister attach some importance to the opinion of a man so experienced on this subject as Mr. Lewis?
§ Commodore KINGCertainly I do, and I think the answer conveys the opinion of the Department on the invention.
§ Mr. PALINGIs it not a fact that before the exemption was granted to this appliance the Department had gone into the whole business, and had satisfied itself that it was a really good thing; and, in view of the answer given to the last question to the effect that the number of fatal accidents from this cause has gone up, is it not time that steps were taken to make the use of this appliance compulsory?
§ Commodore KINGIf the hon. Member looks at my answer to the previous question, he will see that the death-rate is not so high as he seems to think.
§ Mr. PALINGIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware of the fact that in 1926 the death-rate was the highest for the previous five years, and is it not time, in view of our knowledge on this question, that the death-rate went down instead of up?