c.—2.

The following statement shows the tons of coal raised, persons employed, lives lost by accidents in or about collieries, &c., to 1931.

SECTION lII.—ACCIDENTS. The following is a summary of accidents in and about coal-mines during 1931, with their causes : —

The fatal accidents for the year under review were at the rate of 0-69 per thousand persons employed and at the rate of 1-85 per million tons of coal produced. Accounts of the different accidents are given in the reports of the District Inspectors (Annexure A). Of the four fatal accidents three of the deaths were due to fractured skulls, two of which were caused by falling props. On the 12th January John Dickson sustained a fractured skull in the Westport-Stockton Mine. He and his brother had been working less than an hour in a pillar place where the stump had been shot out. They were filling a tub of coal when a lump of stone of about 4 cwt. rolled down from the top of 6 ft. of loose coal in the waste. It hit the foot of a supporting prop, which, in falling, struck the deceased on the head. His head was pinned by the prop on a jagged piece of stone lying in the place.

42

Lives lost by Accidents in or Persons ordinarily employed. Tons raised ! about Collieries. v« nr Output, in per each Per- p Statute Tons. son employed Per Million Thousand Number Above Ground. Below Ground. Total. below Ground. J™ 8 Peraons of £y es produced. employed . lost. Prior to 1900 13,444,437 * * * * * * 165 1900 .. 1,093,990 «17 1,843 2,460 593 3-65 1-62 4 1901 .. 1.239,686 688 2,066 2,754 600 2-42 1-09 3 1902 .. 1,365,040 803 2,082 2,885 655 1-46 0-69 2 1903 .. 1,420,229 717 2,135 2,852 665 2-81 1-40 4 1904 .. 1,537,838 763 2,525 3,288 609 2-60 1-21 4 1905 .. 1,585,756 833 2,436 3,269 651 3-78 1-83 6 1906 .. 1,729,536 1,174 2,518 3,692 687 3-46 1-62 6 1907 .. 1,831,009 1,143 2,767 3,910 .662 6-55 307 12 1908 .. 1,860,975 992 2,902 3,894 641 2-68 1-28 5 1909 .. 1,911,247 1,159 3,032 4,191 630 3-66 1-67 7 1910 .. 2,197,362 1,136 3,463 4,599 634 7-28 3-48 16 1911 .. 2,066,073 1,365 2,925 4,290 706 6-77 3-26 14 1912 .. 2,177,615 1,130 3,198 4,328 681 4'13 2-08 9 1913 .. 1,888,005 1,053 3,197 4,250 590 3-18 1-41 6 1914 .. 2,275,614 1,176 3,558 4,734 639 21*53 10*35 49f 1915 .. 2,208,624 1,050 3,106 4,156 711 4-07 2-16 9 1916 .. 2,257,135 988 3,000 3,988 752 2-65 1-50 6 1917 .. 2,068,419 1,090 2,893 3,983 715 1-93 1-00 4 1918 .. 2,034,250 1,102 2,892 3,994 703 2-95 1-50 6 1919 .. 1.847,848 1,095 2,849 3,944 648 5-41 2*53 10 1.920 .. 1,843,705 1,152 2,926 4,078 630 0-54 0-24 1 1921 .. 1,809,095 1,218 3,149 4,367 574 5*52 2*28 10 1922 .. 1,857,819 1,191 3,365 4,556 552 3*23 1*31 6 1923 .. 1,969,834 1,353 3,647 5,000 540 2*53 1*00 5 1924 .. 2,083,207 1,364 3,505 4,869 594 4*80 2-05 10 1925 .. 2,114,995 1,288 3,489 4,777 606 3*78 1*67 8 1926 .. 2,239,999 1,336 3,823 5,159 586 6-69 2-90 15 1927 .. 2,366,740 1,386 3,988 5,374 593 4-23 1-86 10 1928 .. 2,436,753 1,366 4,010 5,376 608 3*69 1*67 9 1929 .. 2,535,864 1,370 4,127 5,497 614 4*73 2-18 12 1930 .. 2,542,092 1,437 4,430 5,867 574 5*50 2*38 14 1931 .. 2,157,756 1,414 4,331 5,745 498 1*85 0*69 4 Totals .. 75,998,547 .. .. .. .. ., .. 451 * For returns for previous years see page 32, Mines Statement., 1921. t Year of Ralph's (Huntly) explosion.

Fatal Accidents. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Number of Persons Nnrnhpr nf Nnmhpr of injured, including Separate Fatal %^ith a 01 Separate Non-fatal whi?h Accidents. Accident, their Companions. Explosions of fire-damp or coal-dust Falls of ground ...... 3 3 5 5 Explosives Haulage .. .. ., . . .. .. 9 9 Miscellaneous —Underground ... 1 1 1 1 On surface .. .. .. .. 2 2 Totals ........ 4 4 17 17