“SAFETY FIRST.”

Grey River Argus, 1 March 1927, Page 8

“SAFETY FIRST.”

(By Rewanui.) On this subject we cannot have too much discussion, as arguments bring to light facts that can easily be overlooked in ordinary conversation. Ono of the facts that I wish to bring into publicity, it the careless use and handling of safety lamps in the State Mines. The miners’ lamps, both electric and safety-—-are examined in the ordinary way by the deputies of the entrance to the mine. A few months ago the writer had occasions' to go into a working place that was being worked by two strangers- to me. I noticed their safety lamps, which were hung up about 6 or 7 feet from the floor. The flame of which was elongated to a large extent. T drew, their attention to it. They did not seem to know what to do with it. One of the men got hold of it but it was that hot he could hardly hoTTI it. The writer had to fix things up for him. The incident shows that his lamps was burning a large quantity of inflammable gas! This is not the only instance of the same nature, which I haveseen. One of the main arguments which I must bring forward is to speed up the deputies to a sense of their duty, instead of their rushing about the main levels trying to increase the output! Men that have to use safety lamps for the detection of gas in their working places, as well as their own electric lights, should be given a practical demonstration of how to tell when they are working in an atmosphere conta minuted with inflammable gas. In the

gassy mines the writer has worked in. it has always been the unwritten law that whatever the status of the mine official, whether he be the General Manager, or a deputy, he must have his lamp examined by an indepdent, competent, individual, lie has drawn the attention of one or two deputies to this rule, but it sees to be ignored. Perhaps, the ignoring of this rule was tho cause of the I)T>bson disaster! Extracts from the report of a Royal Commission held in Groat Britain on the question of Safety Lamps,. August 1922 may be quoted by:—‘‘A lamp may be of the safest pattern, and yet small defects in the fitting of its parts may entirely deprive it of its power of affording protection. In preparing a large number of lamps for use in a mine, it may happen, even with the greatest care on the part of the lamp men, that a lamp in an imperfect condition may be allowed to pass. The detection, of these imperfections by simple inspection is in many cases impossible, and we :ue con vinced that the only way of avoiding the introduction into a mine of a dangerously imperfect lamps, is to test every lamp in an explosive mixture of air and some inflammable gas before it is allowed to go into the mine. The use of parrafin, kerosent, petroleum, spirits; or benzine, as the illuminant in safety lamps, instead of vegetable, or animal oil, is attended with some advantages, but it also introduces new sources of grave danger!”

“The power and uniformity of illumation given by a lamp, can be notably by using as an illuminant, vegetable, or animal oil, mixed with one half of its volume of petroleum oil of safe flashing point.”

From the above extraets( it will be I seen that the use of Kerosene only, as an illuminant in our safety lamps, is open to very grave argument, when the risks arc taken into consideration. Another matter of vital interest, and also coining into the “Safety First Principle” is the vrorkmen’s inspectors, who, from the first, should be able to take gas tests, and also be able to use the anemometer to take the velocity of the air in different parts of the mine. I remember when the State Mines were first examined by the workman’s inspectiors (having myself been one) and the Mines Dept., and the. management gave opportunity to make a thorough inspection, lent us their own -anemometer whenever we needed it, a privilege we accepted until the union got one of its own. The Mines Dept., of that day even went so far as to offer to pay th.* workmen’s inspection their wages, but the union as a body had to refuse the kindly offer. A few years ago I asked our union to take up this question of i the check inspectors using a safety lamp that would indicate gas, however small, in the vicinity; also of their using the anemometer to take the velocity of the air in certain places, if this suggestion is taken up, it will instil more confidence into the men while working.