C—2.

The following statement shows'the tons of coal raised, persons employed, lives lost by accidents in or about collieries, &c., to 1938 :—

SECTION lII.—ACCIDENTS. The following is a summary of accidents in and about coal-mines during 1938, with their causes:—

Despite the vigilance of mine officials and the inspection staff, there were eleven fatal accidents in or about New Zealand coal-mines in 1938, and the fatal-accident rate registered the comparatively high average of 2.41 deaths per thousand persons employed, or at the rate of 4-86 per million tons of coal produced. Two fatalities occurred in the Northern District and, beside a death following hernia caused by a very simple accident, there were six other fatal accidents in West Coast coal-mines. There were two fatal accidents also in Southern District mines in 1938.

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Lives lost by Accidents in or Persons ordinarily employed. Tons raioei j about Collieries. v„„ r Output, in ; per each Per- „ Statute Tons. I son employed Per Million T , Number Above Ground. Below Ground. Total. below Ground. Tons Persons °' Li y es produced. employed lost. Prior to 1900 13,444,437 * * * * * * 165 1900 .. 1,093,990 617 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 .. 2,167,362 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 1920 ... 1,843,705 1,152 . 2,926 4,078 630 0-54 0-24 1 1921 .. 1,809,095 1,218 3,149 4,367 574 552 228 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 1932 .. 1,842,022 1,257 3,379 4,636 545 6-51 2-59 12 1933 .. 1,821,258 1,192 3,194 4,386 570 3-84 1-59 7 1934 .. 2,060,315 1,229 3,249 4,478 634 3*88 1*78 8 1935 2,115,184 1,127 3,104 4,231 681 0-94 0-47 2 1936 .. 2,140,217 1,103 3,154 4,257 678 1-87 0-94 4 1937 .. 2,277,799 1,129 3,288 4,417 693 2-64 1-36 6 1938 .. 2,222,088 1,195 3,368 4,563 659 4-86 2-41 11 Totals .. 90,477,430 .. .. _ .. .. _ .. 501_ * For returns for previous years see page 32, Mines Statement, 1921. f Year of Ralph's (Huntly) explosion.

Fatal Accidents. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Number of Persons I Number of N„mW„f Number of injured, including Separate Fatal TWha Separate Non-fatal V)Ose injured by Accidents. Deaths. * Accldents Accidents which proved Fatal to their Companions. Explosions of fire-damp or coal-dust .. 1 1 FaUs of ground ...... 4 4 11 11 Explosives .. .. . ■ ■. ■ ■ ■ ■ 1 1 Haulage ........ 1 1 6 6 Miscellaneous —Underground .... 2 2 6 6 On surface .... 3 3 Totals ...... 11 11 24 24