Lidgett the Plucky Pit
Jason Barstow Tech IOSH TinSAR
Technical Rescue Instructor at Mines Rescue Service
In the 1870’s the sun started to set on the Skier Spring Ironstone Mining operation, situated on the border between Hoyland and Tankersley near Barnsley.
From the ashes a plucky little colliery pulled itself from the brink of failure to national recognition and success.
Laying inconspicuous against Sheffield Road, Hoyland near Barnsley the remains of the old engine houses, repurposed as a garage veil its once proud history.
Doctor William Clarke was the physician to Earl Fitzwilliam who resided at Wentworth Woodhouse and owned the mineral rights associated with Skier Springs Ironstone Mine.
Dr Clarke was able to leverage his well healed connection and negotiate the rights to repurpose the six-shaft ironstone mine, filling and partly filling the shafts to mine a 2ft seam of coal from 1879 up until its final closure in 1911.
Hard Times
Lidget mine chased the 2ft thick seam of good quality coal, but the geology was hard, and the management quickly realised it was going to be extremely difficult to recover with manual labour and a pick – production eventually fell flat and resources being to drain.
Mine Ventilation
Early mines would often rely on natural ventilation, utilising a system of solid oak doors to direct air flow through the mine as required.
‘Trappers’ or the young children of the miners would be tied on or near the door in darkness with the sole task of opening and closing those heavy doors allowing ‘tubs’ to pass. This would have been essential to maintain safe and breathable air for the workers.
Fire and ventilation
More hazardous systems of ventilation involving furnaces at the bottom of a shaft were used to make warm air rise and draw fresh air into the mine with the inevitable risk of explosion.
These systems were expensive due to the amount of coal needed to operate, but also added inherent danger to the operation.
Should an explosion occur this system was notoriously slow at clearing harmful gases, and it could take many hours for the environment to be safe enough to light a fire and restart ventilation leading to further loss of life through suffocation.?
Lidgett Mine likely inherited a ‘Nasmyth steam fan’ from the previous operation, which used a coal powered boiler above ground rather than burning coal at the bottom of the shaft.
This would have been far more cost effective, but also provided some additional benefits, such as:
Ventilation – different industry, but a modern comparable
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
“Ventilation - 103 Some confined spaces require mechanical ventilation to provide sufficient fresh air to replace the oxygen that is being used up by people working in the space, and to dilute and remove gas, fume or vapour produced by the work.
This can be done by using a blower fan and trunking and/or an exhaust fan or ejector and trunking (provided that there is an adequate supply of fresh air to replace the used air).
Fresh air should be drawn from a point where it is not contaminated either by used air or other pollutants.
Never introduce additional oxygen into a confined space to ‘sweeten’ the air as this can lead to oxygen enrichment in the atmosphere that can render certain substances (eg grease) liable to spontaneous combustion, and will greatly increase the combustibility of other materials”
Source: HSE Approved Code of Practice L101 ?Source: HSE Approved Code of Practice L101 (Third edition, published 2014) https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l101.pdfhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l101.pdf
领英推荐
Innovation – Coal Cutting Machines
Dr Clarke with the help of his family and contacts took over the operation of the mine and went into a new partnership with Horace Walker in July 1883. They introduced a new method of work that would lift the failing pits fortunes – railed compressed air coal cutting machines!
Almost immediately the mine develops, and production increases from 700 to 2000 tons a week, whilst concurrently reducing the working costs of the mine, but a problem develops.
The further away the machine gets from the source of the compressed air the more difficult it becomes to maintain the air pressure needed to operate the machines – production drops off and a solution needs to be found.
Tragedy was never far behind the technology, in an industry often associated with the employment of young children. Sadly J Webber was killed on the 28th November 1884 when a fall of ground occured at Lidgett Colliery.
UK Health and Safety and Young Workers
As the UK enters into the era of the aging workforce, its important that UK employers are able to develop and train young people to eventually take over.
Nobody would like to go back to the conditions that led to Mr Webbers loss of life at 15 years old, which is why over time laws were enacted and changed to offer them more protection.
According to the Durham Mining Museum young people killed at Lidgett Colliery included:
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Young workers are often seen as vulnerable due to their perceived lack of experience, risk awareness and often not being fully matured.
Young Persons Risk Assessments are required to take these elements into account, but also to avoid exposing them to hazard extreems, such as:
Additional hazards would also need careful management and risk assessment. including:
Young workers can be exposed to these hazards in a controlled and supervised way if it is necessary for training and or if enrolled on a properly organised apprenticeship for example.
Electricity in mining
Dr Clarke’s son Thomas Bishop Andrew Clarke trained as an electrical engineer and had real knowledge and experience when it came to all things electrical. Mr Clarke (acting on behalf of his father) redesigned a version of the compressed air cutter and sent these specifications to the ‘Yorkshire Engine Company’ to modify the frame to accommodate a 14 HP DC electric motor to be fitted.
By April 1894 an operational machine was showcased and eventually patented, with workshops being constructed at Lidgett Mine for what would turn out to be a hugely successful business venture, far exceeding the life of Lidgett Mine and its founding fathers.
Sadly the new technology still had its casualties, Frank Hoyle was employed at Lidgett as a Coal Cutting Machine Assistant, whos work amongst other things involved laying rail in front of the machine for it to progress.
A fault developed with the machines electrical supply and on the 26th February 1904 the Mines Inspectors report states that he was heard to cry out, but was found dead in front of the machine due to electrocution.
Marketing Manager at MRS Training & Rescue
1 年MRS Training and Rescue