The Miner's Safety In a report for 1936 the Safety
in Mines Research Board gives some extremely interesting information on the use of protective clothing among coalminers. In recent years it has increased because such things as hard hats, gloves, goggles and safety boots can now be produced more cheaply than before, and in more convenient styles and materials. Hard hats have been adopted in the industry at the rate of 12,000 a month, a total of 15o,000 in the last year and of 300,000 in the last two years. The results of their adoption in some collieries are very striking. Thus in three pits head injuries involving loss of work for three days or more were reduced by 78 per cent., in one by 93 per cent., while in one group where an intensive safety campaign was undertaken three- day injuries to head, hand, foot and eye fell by 35 per cent. in two years. The collieries which have made these experi- ments, so fully justified by results, are to be congratulated ; those which have not should be persuaded or forced to imitate them. The saving in working time itself justifies the expense involved, while it seems unpardonable callousness that when such aids to safety are obtainable the number of injuries in mines should be increasing ; last July Captain Crookshank stated that they were 2,000 more in 1935 than in 1936.
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