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APPENDIX B REPORTS RELATING TO THE INSPECTION OF COAL-MINES The Inspecting Engineer and Chief Inspector of Coal-mines to the UnderSecretary of Mines. Wellington, 9th July, 1949. Sir, — I have the honour to present my annual report on the coal-mining industry of New Zealand for the year ended 31st December, 1948. OUTPUT The total output for the year was 2,775,886 tons, an increase of 24,161 tons on production for the previous year. This included opencast production, which for the three inspection districts was: Northern, 262,393 tons ; West Coast, 218,680 tons ; Southern, 195,655 tons ; the underground coal mined being : Northern, 752,795 tons; West Coast, 925,199 tons ; Southern, 421,164 tons. The statement shows the tons of coal raised, men employed, and lives lost by accidents in and about collieries to 1948 :

ACCIDENTS Serious and fatal accidents during 1948 were as follows :

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Lives Lost by Accidents in or Output, in Statute Tons. Persons Ordinarily Employed. About Collieries. Year. i Per Per Million m hn ,".., dumber Above Ground. Below Ground. Total. Tons Produced. JLnoubanu Persons Employed. of Lives Lost. Prior to 1941 95,336,168 526 1941 2,639,507 1,358 3,633 4,991 1-51 0-80 4 1942 2,680,041 1,338 •3,659 4,997 2-24 1-20 6 1943 2,787,868 1,375 3,999 5,374 2-87 1-50 8 1944 2,805,970 1,637 3,958 5,595 4-28 2-14 12 1945 2,833,576 1,660 3,932 5,592 2-12 1-07 6 1946 2,793,870 1,738 3,819 5,557 1-43 0-72 4 1947 2,751,725 1,703 3,739 5,442 1-43 0-73 4 1948 2,775,886 1,740 3,842 5,582 1-80 0-90 5 Tots Is 117,404,611 575

Fatal. Serious. — Number of Accidents. Deaths. Number of • Non-fatal Accidents. ' Number of Persons Injured. Carbon-monoxide poisoning Other gases Explosions, fire-damp, or coal-dust Falls of ground or timber Explosions Haulage Electrical Miscellaneous —Underground Surface .. 3 1 1 3 1 1 6 2 19 1 3 8 6 2 19 1 3 8 Totals 5 5 39 39