Trapped Miners

[CleverClogs (RIP)]

Re: Trapped Miners

A sad day for wales...

Yes - another mine will now be closed and, worse still, this time they cannot blame Thatcher.

[di30]

Re: Trapped Miners

My thoughts are with the miners families and friends at this sad time.

My dad used to be a miner, and if he was still here now he would be absolutely devastated, he had some bad experience himself down the mines and lost so many of his good friends.

This is very tragic, I feel for the families and for all that knew them.

[Pixie]

Re: Trapped Miners

It's very sad.

My grandad was a miner and this Welsh mine is only a few miles from where my daughter lives.

[di30]

Re: Trapped Miners

My heart aches so much!

My dad with him then being a Welsh Coal Miner, the sad stories he used to talk about and haunted him forever, was so heartbreaking.

So even though dad was a miner, the main of his older generation were farmers, and my mum's side miners through and through.

God bless them all and their beloved families xxxxxx

[Handyman]

Re: Trapped Miners

And now tonight news that a Yorkshire Miner has been killed at Kellingley Colliery North Yorks.

Once More my thoughts and sympathies go out to the Family, Friends and Colleagues of the Dead Miner.

One other man was injured in the fall. I understand he is in a stable condition in Hospital.

Regards All, Handy

[CleverClogs (RIP)]

Re: Trapped Miners

Trouble at t'pit today was due to a roof collapse. Whether this was due to prop failure or some defect of the roof bolts will doubtless emerge in the enquiry.

[pompeyfaith]

Re: Trapped Miners

Handy,

Again sad news, It would appear that not enough attention is being given to site safety by UK Mining.

Surely now all mines will have to be closed and inspected before another miner enters.

Regards

[CleverClogs (RIP)]

Re: Trapped Miners

It would appear that not enough attention is being given to site safety by UK Mining.

That would be the responsibility of NACODS members.

Surely now all mines will have to be closed and inspected before another miner enters.

Why? Are you saying that the use of roof bolts, to secure steel support beams to overlying rock strata, could be unsafe?

[Handyman]

Re: Trapped Miners

Cant say too much but when Handy was involved in Plant Hire (Welding Equipment) I supplied the first electric welding sets to be used on a coal face in the UK. I even bribed on of the welders to have a problem with his machine, (I needn't have bothered) As I got called out at 3 in the morning to go down one of the pits near Doncaster to repair it.

What a culture shock and what great blokes. This particular pit had been bought out by its workers after the winding up of the NCB.

My client was using an American technique to install a new mining machine at the coal face. Regardless of what we have been told there are years worth of coal reserves still untapped. A few months later due to falling demand the colliery was forced into liquidation.

Welding on a seam full of methane was a risky business. Only a dozen men were allowed down at any time. The Chap that briefed me and took me down was impressed that I was BA (Breathing Apparatus Qualified) as well as being an associate of Derbyshire Cave Rescue. Even though it was a modern, safe mine, The conditions were horrific to a novice. It's always in the high 60's in temperature, Humid and Wet. There are no toilets, you find a place to go and hope you don't tread in your own or others excrement. You can have miles to walk to get to the job. As I found our carrying a 20 kg Mig (Manual inert Gas) Welder on my shoulder.

OK so it can be a dirty polluting method of producing power, It isn't a sustainable resource and the results so far to make it a cleaner energy provider have all been end of the pipe technology.

My last years contracting were involved in the building of FGD plants ( Flue-gas desulfurization) plants on power stations in the North of England.

The Coal we now burn in Power Stations comes from Strip mining in Australia or open cast in Poland. I have heard we even import it from China. How the Hell can this be economical or reduce the UK's Carbon Footprint.

I hold the believe that when we reach the point that the lights start to go out we will begin mining again. What was once judged to be uneconomical will become viable.

Lets face it 90% of the mines were closed for political expediency.

So here's to the Lads that dig the Black stuff

Things may not be as safe as they once were due to under funding, but we still need these folk. One day this country will wake up and realise that Call Centres, Stocks and Shares and Investment Banking means Sod All. If you have something Tangible to trade, like Coal, Steel, Manual Skills you have something you can sell to others for good old fashioned hard cash.

So here's to the Miners the ones still left. Good on you Lads.

Regards, Handy.

[garlok]

Re: Trapped Miners

Sadly its like many things in theis god forsaken bog hole of a country. The lunatics have taken over the asylum. Centuries of tried, tested and developed methods have been put aside on the say so of acedemic twaddle and so called experts who have never bent their backs at honest labour in their lives. But they are prpeared to put other's lives at risk so that they can bask in the glory of the publication of acedemic technical papers without knowing the long term consequences of their theories which of course are bought by our stupid politicians and corrupt civil service.


Garlok