When I worked at the underground copper mines in Bihar, India,
in 1958 to 1960, virtually all Indian workers were barefoot, even
though the schisst-type rock comprising the ore broke with quite
sharp edges.
One of the more bizarre situations was where workers - often
Gurkhas -- worked on the grizzlies breaking large boulders with
sledgehammers. They wore puttees, issued by the company,
to protect their shins, but their feet were bare.
When, in 1983, I revisited the mines for Mining Magazine, the
whole situation underground was transformed. Under 100%
Indian management, safety standards were much better, and
the ventilation was vastly improved, even though the workings
were by then at a greater depth.
Tony Brewis
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