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Full Details

Surname
MACKIE
Forename
Thomas J.
Day
08
Month
07
Year
1927
Age
Occupation
Pithead Worker
Mine/Quarry Name
Prestonlinks
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Edinburgh Collieries Ltd
Location
Prestonpans
County
Haddingtonshire
Details of Event
8 July 1927: Sequel to Lothian Pit Fatality - A sequel to a fatal accident at the Prestonlinks Colliery, belonging to the Edinburgh Collieries Company, was heard at Haddington Sheriff Court yesterday, when John Halliday, colliery manager, Cockenzie; Robert Murie, foreman engineer, 5 Oswald Terrace, Prestonpans; and Lewis Potter, surface foreman, 60 Oswald Terrace, Prestonpans, were charged with having on Friday, 8th July, neglected to keep securely fenced dangerous parts of machinery - viz., two sprocket wheels, used for driving the dross conveyer, whereby, as alleged. Thomas J. Mackie, pithead worker, came in contact with one of the wheels, and was killed. The accused all pleaded not guilty, and their trial was fixed for Thursday, 12th January. [Scotsman 8 December 1927] Information from the Inspectors of Mines - 1927: On surface: The fifth man was killed by working where he was directed close to an unfenced revolving shaft and sprocket wheel. This accident occurred at Prestonlinks Colliery, on 8th July :- A horizontal dross conveyor at the screening plant, consisting of a scraper chain travelling in a trough, had been broken. After having been repaired the trough was in process of being put together again and the conveyor chain was bring refitted by a squad of engineers and labourers. Normally no person worked about this conveyor, which was 9 ft. above ground level. A driving shaft, which was fitted with sprocket wheels, crossed the conveyor at right angles 4 ft. 3 in. above the trough. One of the sprockets was immediately above the centre of the trough, and as it was 14 1/2 in. diameter the height from the trough to the sprocket teeth was approximately 3 ft. 8 in. While the repair work was going on the shafting was sometimes in use and was running at 100 revs, per minute. The repair squad had, of necessity, to work close below the sprocket, and the clothing of one of the men was caught and he was whirled round the shaft and killed. The accident need not have happened and the shafting ought not to have been set in motion at all while men were at the conveyor repair work: if it was absolutely necessary to run the shafting, temporary fencing or guards should have been fitted so that the men could work in safety. This appeared to me to constitute a contravention of Section 55 of the Coal Mines Act, and I asked sanction for prosecution of the Colliery Manager, the Engineer, and the Surface Foreman. The Sheriff found that Section 55 had not been contravened by the Manager and Engineer, and he found the Surface Foreman had no responsibility and dismissed the charge against him. An Appeal is pending in the case.