SAFETY IN MINES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1894, 31 October 1913, Page 4

SAFETY IN MINES.

■ PROVIDING APPLIANCES. Safety appliances in mines wero the subject of a statement made in tlio House of Representatives oii Wednesday by f the lion. W. Frsser (Minister for Mines) in answer to a question by Mr. Webb. "The Mines Department." tho Minister remarked, "has not teen idle as regards preparation for tho establishment of brigades for rescuo-work underground, which has only been compulsory in tho United Ivingdom for about a your. Provision has been made in' the Mining Amendment Bill to make regulations regarding rescuewiork apparatus and first-aid (equipment. The additional genoral rulesRegulation No. 94 (3)— under the Mining Act already provide for snioke-prd-tebtors—breathing apparatus—at mines where the Inspectors of Mines consider them necessary, and ambulance and first-aid appliances are maintained at all the larger mines, although this is not at present compulsory. Tho Department has been in communication with Profossor John Cadman, D.Sc.— the Homo Office advisor on mine rescue apparatus—and he has recommended a self-contained breathing-apparatus of the most reliable type, one of which has been procured from England and will bo exhibited and tested in tho mines court at- tho Auckland Exhibition. If tlio clause in the proposed Bill regarding rescuo and first-aid appliances becomos law, regulations will bo gazetted providing for the establishment of rescuo brigades.