§ 4. Mr. T. Smithasked the Secretary for Mines the number of persons killed and seriously injured in and around collieries during 1941; and the various causes of the accidents?
§ Mr. GrenfellDuring the year 1941, 915 persons were killed and 2,883 seriously injured by accidents at mines under the Coal Mines Act as compared with 923 killed and 3,237 seriously injured in the year 1940. The chief causes of fatal accidents in 1941 were 497 from falls of ground, 188 on haulages, 72 from explosions and 85 on the surface. I am circulating the rest of the particulars in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. SmithCan my hon. Friend say whether the joint machinery which exists to deal with accidents from falls of roof is working smoothly?
§ Mr. GrenfellI am very pleased to say that that machinery is getting to work smoothly, and I am happy to inform the House that the rate of accidents underground from falls of ground has been very much improved in the last six months.
§ Following are the particulars referred to in the Answer:
| Number of persons killed and seriously injured* by accidents at mines under the Coal Mines Act in Great Britain during the year 1941. | ||
| Place of cause. | Number of persons killed (provisional) | Number of persons seriously injured (provisional) |
| Falls of Ground | ||
| (a) At the Face | 429 | 1,191 |
| (b) On the Roads | 68 | 148 |
| Haulage and Transport | 188 | 711 |
| Gases, Coal Dust and Fires | ||
| (a) Explosions | 72 | 84 |
| (b) Others | 13 | 4 |
| Machinery | 5 | 57 |
| Other Underground Accidents | 55 | 389 |
| Surface Accidents | 85 | 299 |
| 915 | 2,883 | |
| * 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. |