In message <[log in to unmask]>, Barry
Job <[log in to unmask]> writes
>I think that Dave Williams is absolutely correct that the
>Nationalising the coal industry resulted in an improvement in safety.
Thanks.
>The National Coal Board actively promoted safety, for example, by
>safety campaigns and disseminating safety information. The benefit of
>a Nationalised industry is to be able to raise standards across the
>industry to the level of the highest. An example would be the very
>high standards enforced by the National Coal Board for its surveying
>staff. I don't believe that any mine plan before 1947 can
>automatically be relied upon for accuracy, later plans can. The N.C.B.
>also required a standard naming system for seams within a coalfield
>(rather than each colliery giving the same seam a different name).
>Thus the effect of standardised seam naming and accurate plans on
>reducing the risk of inrush from abandoned mine workings, for example,
>can readily be seen.
One could throw Knockshinnock and Lofthouse at you! However I don't know
much about surveying standards before and after, so I won't.
>However, Peter Challis is also correct in saying
>that being able to separate the different reasons for
>safety improvement would be notoriously difficult.
I'm not convinced of this. I think it would not be difficult to compile
a graph of accident trends, from, say 1900, up to at least 1980 (when I
think the sample would start to become too small). A statistician could
probably produce a more intelligent result than a mining historian. Such
a graph, adorned with published accounts, would, I think, demonstrate
the fact. From Nationalisation up at least until 1970, there was such a
sea change in attitudes within the industry with regard to consultative
committees, training, safety officers, union participation, etc. etc.
that I doubt that you could find anyone to deny that the lot of the
collier did not improve as a result of Nationalisation.
>
>
> Barry Job.
>
> Eur. Ing. Dr. Barry Job,
> Department of Geology,
> School of Sciences,
> Staffordshire University,
> College Road,
> Stoke-on-Trent,
> ST4 2DE.
--
Dave Williams - [log in to unmask]
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