United Kingdom mines and quarries regulation in 1910 facts for kids

The United Kingdom Mines and Quarries Regulation in 1910 was a very important topic in UK labour law. This was because the laws were complex, and workers often suffered serious injuries in mines and quarries. These rules aimed to make working conditions safer and fairer for everyone.

Coal Mines: Making Work Safer Underground

Laws for coal mines changed a lot after 1872. Many smaller laws were combined into bigger ones to make them easier to understand. The most important law was the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1887. This act brought together earlier laws from 1872 and 1886. It also included rules about using explosives underground from 1881.

The 1886 law focused on three main things:

• Miners could choose and pay their own "checkweighers." These people made sure miners were paid fairly for the coal they dug.
• The government could investigate any explosions or accidents to find out what happened.
• Families of workers who died in accidents could attend official investigations (called coroners' inquests). They could also ask questions to witnesses.

The 1887 Act made these rules stronger and added more. It was a complete set of rules for coal mines. It even included things like stopping wages from being paid in pubs. Miners were generally happy with these laws, which showed how important their worker groups were.

New Rules After 1887

After 1887, several smaller laws were added. Some of these came from ideas suggested by miners themselves.

• The Coal Mines (Checkweigher) Act 1894 made it illegal for employers to fire a checkweigher or stop workers from choosing one. This was important because some employers tried to get rid of checkweighers they didn't like.
• In 1896, new rules were added about how to create and change special safety rules. Workers could also have a say in disagreements. Rules about mine maps and safety lamps were also updated. The government could ban dangerous explosives.
• In 1900, the age for boys working underground was raised from 12 to 13 years old.
• In 1903, managers could get a certificate if they had a mining degree and at least three years of practical experience.
• The Coal Mines (Weighing of Minerals) Act 1905 improved how checkweighers were appointed and paid. It also made it easier for them to do their job.
• The Notice of Accidents Act 1906 made sure accidents were reported quickly to inspectors. This helped track and prevent future incidents.

Who Worked in Mines and How?

The 1887 Act defined what a "mine" was more clearly. It included all parts of the mine, both above and below ground. This meant shafts, tunnels, and even the areas where minerals were cleaned.

The law also changed how workers were defined:

• The term "young person" was replaced with "boy" (under 16) and "girl" (under 16).
• "Woman" still meant a female aged 16 or older.
• Women and girls were still not allowed to work underground.
• The age for boys working underground slowly increased. It went from 10 in 1872, to 12 in 1887, and then to 13 in 1900.
• The age for boys and girls working above ground was raised to 12 in 1887.

Working hours were also limited:

• Boys underground could not work more than 54 hours a week or 10 hours a day. This included travel time to and from the surface.
• Boys and girls (12-13) working above ground had stricter limits. They could not work more than six days a week. If they worked more than three days, their daily total was six hours. Otherwise, it was ten hours.
• Workers over 13 had similar daily and weekly limits. They also had rules for meal breaks and could not work more than five hours without a break.
• Mines had to keep records of all workers.

Safety and Health in Mines

The 1887 Act also improved safety rules:

• Mines had to have good ventilation to remove harmful gases.
• Mines needed at least two shafts (entrances/exits) for safety. The distance between them was increased to 15 yards.
• A certified manager had to supervise the mine every day.
• Mine maps had to be updated every three months.
• Accidents causing serious injury or death had to be reported to an inspector. The accident site had to be left untouched for three days for inspection.
• Mines had to tell inspectors when they opened or closed a mine or a specific part of it.
• Formal investigations into accidents could be held by any expert chosen by the government.

General safety rules were made much stronger:

• Rules for checking for gas and ventilation were improved.
• Rules for safety lamps and explosives were more detailed.
• A trained person (at least 22 years old) had to operate machinery for lowering and raising workers.
• Mines had to have ambulances or stretchers with first-aid supplies ready.
• Miners could inspect the mine themselves to check for dangers. They paid for this themselves. This system was very successful in Great Britain and helped reduce accidents.

Special Rules and Wages

Mines had to create "special rules" to prevent accidents and keep workers safe. These rules could even replace some general rules if they were about lights, explosives, or preventing gas and coal dust explosions. Workers could object to these proposed rules and have a say in their final form.

The law continued to ban paying wages in pubs. Rules about paying miners by weight and using checkweighers were also updated. This was to solve problems that came up from earlier laws.

Legal Actions and Inspections

The 1887 Act also changed how legal cases were handled. Anyone accused of breaking the rules could be questioned as a witness. If workers were prosecuted, the mine owner had to report the outcome to the inspector. Inspectors also gained more power. They could check on the care of animals in the mine and how the manager ran the mine.

The Eight-Hour Day Law (1908)

The Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908 was a big step. It limited the time workers could spend underground to eight hours in any 24-hour period. This included their travel time to and from work. There were exceptions for emergencies, like accidents or unfinished work that needed immediate attention.

Mine managers had to set and display the times for lowering and raising workers. An inspector had to approve these times. The law defined "workman" as anyone working underground who wasn't a mine official (like a manager). Some specific roles, like firemen or pump operators, could work up to nine and a half hours. Mines had to keep records of when workers went down and came up. Workers could also have their own people watch these times.

The law could be suspended during war or national emergencies, or if there was a major coal shortage. It started on July 1, 1909, but was delayed until January 1, 1910, in Northumberland and Durham.

Coal Mine Statistics (1905)

In 1905, there were 3,126 coal mines.

• 691,112 people worked underground. 43,443 of them were under 16 years old.
• 167,261 people worked above ground. 6,154 of them were women and girls.
• There were 1,006 fatal accidents, causing 1,205 deaths.
• Most legal cases were against workers (953 cases). Owners and managers were prosecuted in 72 cases, with 43 convictions.

Quarries: Safety Rules for Open Pits

From 1878 to 1894, open quarries (where minerals are dug from the surface) were mainly covered by the Factory Acts. These laws said that quarries were like factories, even if they were outdoors. Quarries were defined as places where people dug for slate, stone, or other minerals.

In 1891, the Factory Act made it possible to create "special rules" for quarries. These rules were designed to deal with the specific dangers of quarry work. In 1892, quarries were officially declared dangerous, meaning they needed these special rules. Before this, many quarries were very unsafe.

In 1894, the Quarries Act brought quarries deeper than 20 feet under some of the same rules as metal mines. This meant they were inspected by mine inspectors instead of factory inspectors.

Rules for Quarries

The Metalliferous Mines Acts 1872 and 1875 were applied to quarries. This meant rules about:

• Not paying wages in pubs.
• Reporting accidents to inspectors.
• Inspector powers.
• Special safety rules.
• Penalties for breaking rules.

For other things, like fencing off dangerous machinery and employing women and young people, the Factory Acts still applied. However, young boys could work in three shifts, each no more than eight hours.

By 1899, over 2,000 quarries had special safety rules. But in 1905, reports showed that many quarries still didn't follow these rules, especially for blasting. This led to many dangerous practices. Since 1887, if a quarry was dangerous to the public because it wasn't fenced, it was considered a public problem that had to be fixed.

Quarry Statistics (1905)

In 1905, 94,819 people worked in quarries.

• 59,978 worked inside the actual pits.
• 34,841 worked outside.
• There were 97 fatal accidents, causing 99 deaths.
• In 1905, there were 45 legal cases against owners or agents, with 43 convictions. There were 9 cases against workers, with 5 convictions.

A law in 1883 also made it illegal to pay wages in pubs for most manual workers, not just miners. This rule applied to any office or garden connected to a pub. However, it did not apply to wages paid by the pub owner to their own employees. Breaking this rule could result in a fine.

See also

• UK labour law history