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Full Details

Surname
PUNCHEON
Forename
Thomas William
Day
26
Month
09
Year
1907
Age
47
Occupation
Hewer
Mine/Quarry Name
Garesfield
Mineral Worked
Coal
Owner
Consett Iron Co. Ltd
Location
High Spen
County
Durham
Details of Event
A drop staple about 10 feet by 5 feet sectional area had been put up 15 fathoms from the Brockwell to the Five Quarter seam, and was fitted up with two cages each holding one tub and a ladder way. The wheel, over which the rope passed in the Five Quarter seam, was provided with a break and controlled the cages. The fitting up of the staple had only been completed two days before the accident, and the self acting gates to fence the top, in preparation in the shops, were not fixed and in the meantime a temporary fence consisting of wood spars extended across each side 3 feet 1 inch from the flatsheets. There was no tub way from one side of the staple to the other at the Five Quarter seam. There was no fixed light at the toll of the staple. There were three or four hewers, a deputy and a putter at the top of the staple and the putter was in charge of the staple. Deceased was alone at the staple top and appears to have intended pushing an empty tub from one side to the other through the empty cage and seems to have mistaken the side at which the cage was and pushed the tub into the staple and fell with it. He was found dead with the tab on the top of the cage which was at the bottom of the staple. The tubs stand 2 feet 10 inches high and would pass under the fence which was intact. The Local Inspectors reported ‘Found everything all right excepting there was no gates at the staple top. There is a fence round staple one yard of top of plates in height.’