HC Deb 08 April 1935 vol 300 cc803-4
57. Mr. THORNE

asked the Home Secretary whether he has received any report from the coroner in connection with the death of a man who was buried by 1,500 tons of sand at Taylor's Hill sand-pit, Godstone; and whether there was any breach of the regulations which governs that, when men are working at the sand-pit face, the face of the pit should not exceed 15 feet in height?

Mr. E BROWN

I have been asked to reply. The accident was investigated, and the coroner's inquest was attended by one of His Majesty's inspectors of quarries. The quarry face was sloped back at an angle of 45 degrees to a vertical height of about 80 feet and the deceased man was working on the face, when, without warning, about 1,500 tons of sand slid down and overwhelmed him. There is no rule limiting the height of a quarry face to 15 feet, and the Statutory Rules relating to clearing back the overburden and the manner of working the face were fully complied with. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and attached no blame to anyone.

Mr. THORNE

I understood this was a sand-pit and not a quarry?

Mr. BROWN

It is a quarry for the purpose of definition.