Coal Mines Act 1911 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to consolidate and amend the Law relating to Coal Mines and certain other mines |
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| Citation | 1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 50 |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 16 December 1911 |
| Commencement | 16 December 1911 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes |
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Coal Mines Act 1911 was an important law in the United Kingdom. It brought together and updated all the rules about coal mines. This law was created because many terrible accidents had happened in mines during the 1800s and early 1900s. These disasters showed that mining needed to be much safer.
The Act was supported by Winston Churchill, who later became Prime Minister. It was passed by the Liberal government, led by H. H. Asquith. The 1911 Act built on older rules and added many new improvements for safety and other parts of the coal mining industry. A very important part of the law was that mine owners had to make sure there were mines rescue stations close to every mine. These stations needed to have trained staff and special equipment ready to help. Even though it was changed a few times, this Act was the main law for coal mining safety for many years.
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Why the Coal Mines Act Was Needed
In the United Kingdom, many mine disasters happened in the 1800s. These accidents led to special groups called Royal Commissions being formed. These groups looked into how to make mines safer.
In 1906, a huge explosion happened at a mine in Courrières, France. More than 1,000 miners died. The investigation found that a gas called firedamp had accidentally caught fire. This was made worse by coal dust in the air. People in Britain worried that a similar disaster could happen in their mines. So, another Royal Commission was set up. They gave reports in 1907, 1909, and 1911.
On April 9, 1908, an explosion at Norton Hill Collieries in Westfield killed 10 men and boys. This happened about 450 meters (1,500 feet) underground. At that time, there were no special mine rescue teams. The mine manager and volunteers searched for survivors for 10 days.
Two key people helped make the 1911 Act happen. Malcolm Delevingne, a government worker, did a lot of work on safety rules for factories and mines. Richard Redmayne became the first Chief Inspector of Mines in 1908. He worked with Delevingne to create the new law. The Royal Commission reports led directly to the Coal Mines Act 1911, which became law in December of that year.
How the Act Became Law
Winston Churchill played a big part in getting the Coal Mines Act 1911 passed. The Liberal government, led by H. H. Asquith, put the Act into action. It was the final step in many laws passed in the 1800s to improve mining.
The Act updated and combined all the laws about coal mines. This included an older law from 1887 and other rules. It covered how mines should be managed, safety rules, health, accidents, and how workers were employed. It also set up rules for inspectors.
The 1911 Act was the main law for health and safety in mining between World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). This Act allowed the government to add new safety rules without needing a whole new law. After 1911, more laws were passed to make working conditions even better. These included the Coal Mines (Minimum Wage Act) 1912 and other Coal Mines Acts in 1913, 1914, and 1919. These laws made working in mines safer and easier, and also helped mines produce more coal.
Making Mines Safer
A Royal Commission in 1886 had suggested creating rescue stations. But it wasn't until the 1911 Act that they became a must-have. The Act made all mine owners set up rescue stations. They also had to provide teams of trained rescuers and keep rescue equipment ready.
In 1912, the government updated the rules for ambulances and rescue equipment. They also set rules for training the people who used them. There had to be a rescue station within 16 kilometers (10 miles) of any mine with more than 100 workers. This distance was later increased to 24 kilometers (15 miles). Because of this, the number of rescue stations grew quickly between 1911 and 1918. By 1918, there were 10 main stations with full-time rescue teams. There were also 36 other stations where instructors trained miners in rescue skills.
An early type of self-contained breathing apparatus was created by Henry Fleuss. It was used after an explosion at Seaham Colliery in 1881. This equipment was later improved by Siebe Gorman into the Proto rebreather. In 1908, the Proto equipment was chosen as the best for underground use after tests at Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station. It became the standard equipment for rescue stations set up after the 1911 Act.
The 1911 Act also told mine operators to prevent coal dust explosions. However, it didn't say exactly how they should do it. After an explosion in Senghenydd, South Wales, in 1913, a special investigation was held. It found that the company had not followed the Act's rule to install fans that could reverse direction and measure air currents underground. The Act said that fans should run all the time while miners were working. Not following this rule was one reason for an explosion at Wharncliffe Silkstone in May 1914, which killed twelve people.
Other Important Rules
The 1911 Act also gave miners an eight-hour day. (An earlier law from 1908 had limited hours to eight, but it didn't count the time it took to get in and out of the mine. So, the actual working day was often longer.)
The Act also had rules about young workers:
- No boy under 14 could work underground unless they were already doing so before the Act was passed.
- Boys under 16 could not work above ground at night, but they could work underground.
The Act also brought in strict rules to protect the general well-being of pit ponies working in the mines. Even with these rules, ponies continued to be used for many years.
The Act also said that a manager or under-manager had to personally watch over each mine every day. It created the Mining Qualifications Board. This board made sure that mine managers, under-managers, firemen, and other key safety workers were properly qualified. They also gave out certificates to show who was skilled enough. Mine owners also had to make sure that old or unused mine entrances were closed off to prevent accidents.
