YORKSHIRE MAIN COLLIERY

The following is a short report about the explosion which occurred at Houghton Main Colliery in June 1975.

The report on the accident which killed five men was made by Mr James Carver, HM chief inspector of mines. In the report he describes in detail the probable causes of the accident. Despite the sealing of the affected mine workings which prevented the normal detailed examinations from being made, Mr Carver said that the evidence given at the inquiry enabled him to determine the most probable causes and circumstances of the accident and he concludes that the cause of the explosion was the ignition of firedamp which had accumulated in a heading which had been left unventilated for nine days .

The most likely cause of ignition was a faulty auxiliary ventilation fan[ which the report says was known to be defective and to have produced open sparking nine days previously]. He rejects after close examination of all the evidence a NCB submission that the ignition occurred elsewhere in the mine. He also concludes that it is not possible to determine whether coal dust helped to fuel the explosion.

ROADWAY AT HOUGHTON MAIN.

But if its violence was caused by firedamp alone, the explosion was of unprecedented force and highlighted the severity of the problems and the need to provide constant ventilation in narrow drivages as required by law.

PICTURE OF OIL LAMP RECOVERD FROM THE SCENE OF THE EXPLOSION.

Three officials employed at the mine were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive for alleged infringements of safety legislation.

Summonses were granted at Barnsley Magistrates Court and the men appeared at the court on March 22nd 1975.

The former General Manager of the Colliery,  has been charged on two accounts under section 55 of the Mines and Quarries Act, that on different dates, he failed in his duty to take steps to ensure adequate ventilation underground.

A former Under Manager, faced three charges.  Under section 7 of the Health and Safety At Work Act, two charges relating to different dates, allege that he did not take reasonable care of the safety of the men working in the Meltonfield Seam at the colliery who were liable to be affected by his acts and omissions, in that he failed to ensure that a development heading was properly ventilated and free from noxious gases, and that he failed either to read himself , or to ensure that some other competent person read each report entered in a statutory report book and to ensure that any other matter of an abnormal or unusual nature was promptly brought to his notice, it is also alleged that he failed to ensure that an auxilary fan installed to ventilate the heading was free from patent defect and properly maintained.

A Colliery Deputy faced four charges.  It is alleged that under regulation 12 of the Coal Mines Act he did not himself ascertain by inspection the condition of every part of B.05's district, which was required to be ventilated, as regards the presence of gas, ventilation and general safety.  Also under regulation 24 having been required to make a pre shift inspection, he did not, on completion of the inspection, make a complete and accurate report on the statutory form. Two charges under section 7 of the Health and Safety Act relating to different dates, allege that he did not take reasonable care for the safety of the men working in the district in that he failed to carry out his pre shift inspection properly and to record the presence of fire damp, the lack of proper ventilation and the dangerous presence of a defective fan.

HOUGHTON MAIN PIT CHECK

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