Single Record

Full Details

Surname

CLIFTON

Forename

Henry

Day

19

Month

11

Year

1906

Age

26

Occupation

Coal cutter

Mine/Quarry Name

Woodhorn

Mineral Worked

Coal

Owner

Ashington Coal Co. Ltd

Location

Woodhorn

County

Northumberland

Details of Event

Deceased was moving forward a Diamond coal-cutting machine at right angles to its ordinary movement, so as to be in position to start the next cut, and two rails were placed under it to slide on. At the end of the cut a place 8 yards wide had been driven forward by picks 3 yards in order to make room for the machine, and in the corner of this place next the face to be cut, a prop, suitably stayed, was fixed with a chain attached to its foot, and a small pulley with a hook was provided to attach to this chain. Deceased pulled some rope from the drum on the coal-cutter, and Instead of using the small pulley threaded it through one of the links of the chain and then attached it to a stud about the centre of the frame of the coal-cutter. He then stood between the coal-cutter and the corner of the coal face and turned on the compressed air, so that the drum of the coal-cutter would pull it into position. The machine came forward with a jerk, probably owing to the resistance of the rope round the link being suddenly overcome and he was crushed by it against the coal. A Sylvester prop-drawing apparatus is also provided for moving the machine forward, but did not appear to have been often used. The Local Inspectors reported, ‘In our opinion it is a pure accident.'