§ 21. Mr. J. Griffithsasked the Secretary for Mines the number of explosions that have. occurred at coalmines in the past 12 months, and the number of persons killed and injured by these occurrences; the ascertained causes of these explosions; and what steps are being taken to prevent their recurrence?
§ Mr. GrenfellDuring the 12 months ended 31st August, 1941, 68 persons were killed and 39 injured in 11 fatal explosions or ignitions of firedamp. The more recent of these explosions are still under investigation and have been or will be the subject of public inquiry or special public reports. As to the others, the proximate causes, so far as they could be ascertained, had to do with matches or smoking, the use of electricity, or mishaps with safety lamps; but what might be regarded as a basic cause was usually some deficiency or temporary derangement in ventilation. As to prevention, the first consideration is good ventilation, and I take this opportunity to stress the need for high standards and for ceaseless vigilance on the part of all concerned to maintain those high standards.
§ Mr. GriffithsIs my hon. Friend aware that there is a general feeling that the standard of ventilation has declined, and will he look into the matter again and give definite instructions that the standard of ventilation must not be allowed to decline?
§ Mr. GrenfellI have said so in public to-day. I have had several conferences with my officials during the last 12 months, and I can assure my hon. Friend that inspectors are advised that they must insist on the maintenance of the highest standard of ventilation.
§ 23. Mr. Tinkerasked the Secretary for Mines whether he has examined the accident figures in the mining industry; whether he is aware of the concern there is at the growing increase through falls of roof at the coal face; and what steps his Department are taking to deal with this position?
§ Mr. GrenfellYes, Sir. The figures which are being circulated to-day in reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Normanton (Mr. T. Smith), are not abnormal, 19 except in one single respect, namely, falls of ground at the working face, but those figures are most disturbing and, sharing the concern that the House and the industry must feel, I have again discussed the matter very fully with the Chief Inspector and the divisional inspectors. I can offer no simple explanation nor seek to put the blame in any particular quarter. Since the war started, the rules for roof support at the working face have not been weakened, the supply of timber has been good and its quality satisfactory, the supply of steel props and bars has been substantially increased, and the methods of working and of support and its supervision have not substantially changed.
We seemed to be faced with a position in which the systems of roof support as laid down under the Statute are being less efficiently applied, due partly to a variety of managerial and labour difficulties and partly to a distraction of attention and effort to so many other matters, personal and otherwise, mostly attributable directly or indirectly to the war. If that is so, we need to bring about a re-dedication of attention and effort to the matter by owners, managers, workmen, workmen's inspectors and the Government inspectors alike, and I have it in mind to attempt this by setting aside an experienced inspector in each area to give his whole time to this purpose and associating with him in some active but not too formal way local representatives of the different interests I have just mentioned. A plan of action on these lines is now being worked out, and I hope to be in a position to make a further statement in the House shortly.
§ Mr. TinkerWill the Minister cause attention to be given to the use of machinery at the coal face? It is the belief of many of us that the incessant noise of the machinery prevents miners from detecting the danger of a fall of roof.
§ Mr. GrenfellYes, Sir. I have expressed the view which I hold that the presence of machines in the mines is not itself a source of danger but that special precautions must be taken in association with the use of machinery.
§ Mr. T. SmithHave any representations been made to the Minister recently by the deputies' association, in which they allege that they have not sufficient 20 time to supervise mines adequately? Is the Minister in a position to make a statement on the matter?
§ Mr. GrenfellThat point has been a matter of concern for some years to deputies. The law requires that they give all their time to their statutory duties, but if they have to do duty which is not among their statutory duties, these ordinary duties must suffer in consequence. I am inviting representatives of deputies, workmen, workmen's inspectors and managements to join me in trying to remedy this position.
§ 27. Mr. T. Smithasked the Secretary for Mines the number of persons killed and seriously injured in the mining industry this year up 1o the latest date available; and the various causes of the accidents?
§ Mr. GrenfellDuring the past 35 weeks of this year, that is, up to 30th August, 638 persons were killed and 1,931 seriously injured in accidents at mines under the Coal Mines Act, as compared with 633 killed- and 2,175 seriously injured during the corresponding period in 1940. The chief classes of fatal accident this year are 349 from falls of ground, 122 on haulages, 63 from explosion and 58 on the surface. I am circulating the rest of the particulars in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the statement:
| Number of persons Killed and Seriously Injured* by accidents at mines under the Coal Mines Act in the 35 weeks ended 30th August, 1941. | ||
| Cause. | Number of persons killed. | Number of person seriously injured. |
| Falls of Ground | ||
| (a) At the Face | 307 | 819 |
| (b) On the Roads | 42 | 97 |
| Haulage and Transport | 122 | 473 |
| Gases, Coal Dust and Fires | ||
| (a) Explosions | 63 | 58 |
| (b) Others | 10 | 4 |
| Machinery | 3 | 36 |
| Other Underground Accidents | 33 | 235 |
| Surface | 58 | 209 |
| Total | 638 | 1,931 |
| *Injuries which, because of their nature or severity are, under the terms of section 80 of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, required to be reported to His Majesty's Divisional Inspectors at the time of their occurrence. |