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Full Details

Surname
M'COLL
Forename
Hugh
Day
14
Month
08
Year
1927
Age
Occupation
Mine/Quarry Name
Loch's Virtuewell Mine
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Loch's Coal Co. Ltd
Location
Coatbridge
County
Lanarkshire
Details of Event
Information from the Mines Inspector's Report - 1927: Electricity: The Electrical fatality occurred on August 14th, at midnight, at Loch's Virtuewell Mine, Lanarkshire, an engineer being electrocuted. The Colliery surface is lit electrically from power got from Clyde Valley Electrical Power Co., at 440 volts A.C., the lighting being between one phase and neutral. What the man was doing when he received the fatal shock is not known, but, on a wet night, he had been up the standard at a 250 C.P. lamp, the fitting of which was swaying in the wind. Mr Horsley, reporting on the accident, says :- “I find no evidence to suggest that there had been any defect of insulation whereby deceased could have obtained an electric shock, either from the metal pole or from the stay wire attached thereto. I think it is possible that he took hold of the cap of the lamp, from which he could have received a shock at the full pressure to earth of the circuit, namely, 250 volts a.c., because the live conductor was connected to the screwed (outer) contact in the lamp holder. The screwed part of the lamp cap constitutes one terminal of the circuit, and when the lamp is screwed into the holder, part of this live contact can be touched. I was informed that it was a windy night, and it appeared possible that deceased swarmed up the lamp post in order to lash the lamp fitting, which may have been swaying in the wind, in order to make the illumination more effective for the men who were working in the vicinity.” The lamp should have been so fitted that no live part could be inadvertently touched.