Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on metalliferous mines and quarries : volume 1.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on Metalliferous Mines and Quarries.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on metalliferous mines and quarries : volume 1. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    55/406 page 47
    24 June 1910.] Mr. G. J. Williams. [Continued. insinuation that the workmen stop at home because they get club money ?—I say it is natural. 1384. Is it not natural that the doctor should send the man back to work before he gets well, because he gets paid by the other side ? I want you to say what is natural on both sides ?—I will not admit that. 1385. (Mr. Greaves.) He gets a fixed salary, does he not ?—Yes. 1386. Does it make any difference to the doctor?— No. (Mr. Redmayne.) I think we may take it that the doctor does his duty. He would not favour master or man. (Mr. Jones.) The doctor is very skilful, and but for his skill the results of the accidents would have been much more serious than they are. Mr. Williams makes a statement of what is natural on the one side, and I want to know what is natural on the other side, and he will not make it. 1387. (Mr. Lovett.) How many men are there em- ployed in the granite and limestone quarries in your district ?—A considerable number. I have not gone into those figures. 1388. Wordd you suggest that all open quarries should be grouped together for inspection purposes, and that they should come under one Act ?—They do now. 1389. Some come under the Factories Act ?—Yes, certainly. I would suggest they should all come under one Act, irrespective of the depth of the quarry. 1390. What number of inspections have you made in yoru- district in these particular quarries, tbe granite and limestone quarries, during the last five years ?—I could tell you by looking up my diaries. 1391. Do you make a thorough inspection of these quarries ?—Yes. 1392. You visit them ?—I visit them and go round. Once a year at least I make in all quarries an inspec- tion of the explosive boxes, and of the ropes, and the rock, &c. 1393. I am thinking particularly of the granite quarries. Would you recommend that a certificated manager should be employed for those quarries?—I would, for every quarry of any size. 1394. (Mr. Redmayne.) The point was what num- ber of persons ?—I suggest a different class of certificate for a man who manages a quarry where 30 men are employed, or any number you like to fix, and a higher certificate to a man who has a large number employed under him. 1395. They would be equally dangerous ?—Yes, but you have more machinery in one, and a good many things which do not come in a small quarry. 1396. Merely an extension of the one ?—Yes. 1397. (Mr. Lovett.) You would be prepared to advise that all foremen should be supplied with a copy of the Rules operative in the respective quarries ?—Yes, and every workman who enters the quarry should be supplied with a copy. I have had that done in several quarries lately. 1398. You have had considerable experience in the use of rock drills ?—Yes. 1399. Is spraying practised to any considerable extent when they commence drilling operations, or do they leave spraying till they get two or three inches deep ?—They spray very little at all. They use small pneumatic hammer drills. 1399a. I am thinking of compressed air and steam ? 1400. (Mr. Redmayne.) They do very little spray- ing ?—They do not use the spray: they water it. A man with a can waters it. 1401. (Mr. Lovett.) They do not usually commence to use water till two or three inches deep ?—No. 1402. Would you not make it compulsory to com- mence using the water at the outset ?—It would be a great improvement. 1403. It would be advantageous if this was made compulsory, it seems to me, because the dust is thicker than when they get deeper in the dry-hole drilling. That gets on the lungs and sets up serious effects ? — Tes. 1404. With respect to the crushers, you have mentioned two quarries, both having very large crushers, crashing- 1,000 tons a day of road meral. I understand you to say at the Brandrit Quarry the dust comes out underneath, or is sent to the rubbish heap. Some is coming out of the roof at present ? —No. There is one at Mr. Darbishire’s quarry where it comes off at the roof. 1405. There is a considerable amount of dust in the mill, although using these fans ?—Yes, some, but nob much, especially at Mr. Darbishire’s. 1406. Have you made a thorough inspection of any of these crushers, going into every part in the absence of the employer or manager ?—No—or the foreman. 1407. Do you not think it would be advisable that you should go in on your own sometimes ? You woidd find that you would get into some of the more dusty and more dangerous pai-ts than if you had the foreman or the manager with you?—No, I go where I like, and they accompany me. I think it is only fair that the foreman or agent should accompany me always. 1408. Would you be favourable to one of the men accompanying you on these visits ?—I do not mind in the least, but I think it is fair when I visit a quarry or mine to tell the agent or the foreman, and give him an opportunity of coming where I go. 1409. When about to visit a quarry for inspection, what notice do you give the employer before going ? —Never any, unless I want to see him on some particular business. 1410. It is customary to sweep up these mills once per day ?—I do not think it is. 1411. (Mr. Redmayne.) One of the instructions to inspectors is to pay surprise visits ?—I never give notice unless there is some particular reason for doing so. (Mr Lovett.) I Was aware of that, but I have a shrewd suspicion that employers sometimes get notice. There is no need to go into a particular case, and I do not know the witness. (Mr. Greaves.) I am certain in our case it never happens. I have never known when an inspector is coming. 1412. (Mr. Lovett.) Do you think there should be any improvement with regard to the working of the crushers to obviate the dust ? Gan you make any suggestion?—None in these two cases, but they have experts to advise them as to a new one. 1413. Is it working now ?—It was when I was there last. 1414. Do you not think that sometimes the fans are put, not in the best place, at any rate ?—It is quite possible, but they get the advice of experts. 1415. Brundrits have shifted theirs ?—Yes. 1416. And have you found on the floors of the crushers one-eiglith of an inch of dust after the day’s working where they have fans ?—I have seen a good deal of dust. When they had swept the floor last I could not tell. 1417. In most places they sweep it once a day. If there is an eighth-of-an-inch of dust after a day’s working, it is not satisfactory ?—I do not admit that 1 have seen so much. 1418. I have. (Dr. Haldane.) In the place where the men are working ? 1419. (Mr. Lovett.) Yes. I agree that these two quarries are as far advanced from the health point as any crashers, but at some of the crashers they have no fans. If the fans are necessary and advantageous in these crushers, ought it not to be compulsory for them to be used in all crushers?—Yes. I believe in some method of getting rid of the dust. 1420. That is where a crusher breaks more than a given quantity a day ?—Yes. 1421. Would you agree to make sjn-aying compul- sory, that is over the jaws, spraying the stone, the x'ough metal, when it is going into the jaws ?—I see no objection. They do it pretty generally. 1422. At the two quarries you mentioned, do you think that there is sufficient spraying ? It strikes me that it might be sprayed to a greater extent than at present ?—I cannot answer off-hand. I will see to it.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3