TUNNEL WORKERS’ DEATHS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27011, 10 April 1953, Page 10

TUNNEL WORKERS’ DEATHS

Inquests Opened At Upper Hutt CORONER FAVOURS FULLER INQUIRY (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. April 9. A recommendation that the Mines Department seek immediate legislation to amend the Quarries Act was made by Mr A. A. McLachlan, S.M., sitting as Coroner at Upper Hutt today at inquests into the deaths of two workers in the Rimutaka tunnel. The Coroner said that the act did not provide sufficiently for the institution of an inquiry into general safety provisions of underground workers. In view of the thrtee deaths at the tunnel in the last six months, it would be preferable in the interests of justice to conduct a full inquiry into the safety provisions simultaneously with the inquests. After recommending that immediate legislation be sought to amend the act, he adjourned sine die the inquest into the.death of Ronald James Hall who died from injuries suffered at tne Featherston end of the tunnel on March 27 after an explosion. In the other inquest, into the death of John Welch who died after a fall of earth at the Mangaroa end of the tunnel on March 24. he returned a verdict of accidental death. Allegations that full safety precautions required under the act were not being carried out were made by Mr P. M Butler, for the General Labourers’ Union. “The enforcement of these safety measures in the future would not bring the two men back to life, but may save many of the living,” Tie said. “Many of the workers in the tunnel did not realise the dangers they were facing daily. I would not work in that or any other tunnel for £lO an hour.”

General Inquiry Opposed Mr T. P. McCarthy, representing the contractors, Messrs Morrison, Knudsen, and Downer, said that the firm had always insisted on the strictest enforcement of safety measures during work on the tunnel, and had been willing to co-operate with the union and comply with the provisions of the act. He did not think an inquiry would serve any purpose and submitted that evidence that had been presented at the inquest had suggested no grounds for a general inquiry into conditions and safety precautions. Inspector G. S. Norris, of Lower Hutt, conducted the inquests. Mr J. W. Bain appeared with Mr R. C. Ruffin. Inspector of Mines and Quarries. Mr E. D Blundell represented the Ministry of Works, and Mr T. P. Cleary the dependants of Hall. The inquests were conducted under Section 18 of the Quarries Act, which allows a wider scope than an ordinary inquest. Evidence of Workers

John Thomas Avery, of Wellington, said he had worked in the same gang as Welch. He had worked as a tunneller’s labourer, but had a New South Wales shot-firers’ ticket. Welch and other workers had been allowed to load holes against the regulations, he said. Safety precautions were not observed. and unqualified men were permitted to load holes and handle explosives. He said he had left the job the day after the accident because he refused to work in such unsafe conditions. Edward David Torrey, tunnel superintendent, said that the face of the tunnel was in good order before the firing. He had fired the shot himself, and left at 5 p.m. satisfied that the face was safe.

To Mr Butler, he said he could give a shift boss permission to fire a shot in his absence. Although. he knew the regulations said he must give written permission for shots to be fired, this had never been done by any firm he had worked for. After the accident he had considered the face dangerous, and had therefore had it cleaned up before it had been inspected by the authorities. He had not given written instructions to the shift boss, and considered this merely a technicality which had not been observed even by the Ministry of Works, with which he had been for many years. Vernon Arthur Swan, shift boss, said he was working on the left side of Welch when the slip fell. About a half a yard of earth fell and buried him while he was kneeling at the bottom of the face. To the Coroner, witness said that it was not usual for a slip to occur, though small pieces of rock often worked loose. All precautions had been taken after the firing of the shot, and there had been no indication that the face would slip. George Herbert Hutchinson, a miner employed in the tunnel, said he had been working on a platform above Welch when the slip occurred. The platform was pushed hard up against the rock face, but had given no protection to Welch, as the slip had occurred below the platform. There had been no indication that the rock was likely to slip before the accident. Loading of Holes To Mr Butler he said he had loaded holes with explosives, and did not think he was breaking the regulations. He said that a copy of the regulations had been posted on the wall of one of the huts used by the workers before they began their shifts. Mr Butler: When did you notice these regulations were posted? Witness: When I looked for them to check a regulation I was not clear on. I suggest you were instructed to study the regulations.—That is not correct. I was merely checking on a point. The Coroner, in bringing in a finding of accidental death, said there was not a lack of regulations, but a lack of adherence to them by workers and employers. The regulations in the Quarries Act’were not ideal for tunnelling work. The inquest into the death of Hall was then opened by the Coroner. “An act of God was how Joseph Glesenkamp Stewart, foreman on the Featherston end of .the tunnel, described the explosion which killed one of his gang and injured three others. He said one of his gang was filling a hole with gelignite when it exploded and injured Hall, who was working on a ladder half-way up the rock face.

He had seen an explosion of this kind on only two other occasions, and could give no definite reason for the accident. All possible precautions had been taken. When a charge had only partially exploded the holes were checked and cleared, and new charges were being placed in position when the explosion occurred. The explosion could have been caused by several things, but there had been no indication of any danger. Had there been, the work would have been discontinued. Experience in America and N.Z.

Stewart said he had had 10 years’ experience in America and New Zealand on tunnelling works. He did not think the accident was a result of negligence or failure to observe safety precautions.

To Mr Cleary the witness said he had seen parts of a charge fail to go off at least a thousand times. He suggested that a rock lodged in the hole might have pierced the stick of gelignite and caused the explosion. Mr Bain: Are you a certificated man? The witness: JNo. Was there a certificated man on the job at the time of the accident?—No, sir. Mr Bain said that since the accident defect notices had been served on the company. He would make submissions later about added safety precautions. Mr Cleary suggested that a full inquiry into tunnelling work in New Zealand should be made, even if only to dispel the uneasiness in the minds of the union and the public. Mr Butler claimed that under the existing act he had no power to call witnesses, and therefore no opportunity of proving negligence by the company or its officers. He suggested that sections 15 and 18 of the Quarries Act be amended to allow an inquiry into general conditions of tunnel workers. The Coroner then adjourned the inquest