Imagine stepping back in time to the coal mines of Lethbridge in the early 1800s to the early 1900s. You face deadly risks daily, and “PPE” is non-existent. You are aware of the constant looming threats of cave-ins, explosions and “Black Lung.”
Inhaling Black:
You’re hard at work in a coal mine, and you’re acutely aware of the damage you’re doing to yourself just by breathing. Not only is it uncomfortable to inhale coal dust, it’s deadly over time.
“Black Lung” disease was common in underground miners – after all, your only source of oxygen at work is always mixed with dangerous dust.
Did You Know? The first hard hats weren’t adopted by miners until 1936. Holy!
Explosion Prevention:
In the early 1800s, you may end up being the safety measure yourself. You will wear a wet blanket draped over you, and you’ll be given a lit wick. Then, it’s your job to walk around the mine like this. Why a lit wick, you may be asking? Keep reading!
If you come across a pocket of gas, the wick will ignite. The blanket will keep you safe from the flames – most of the time, but if you come across a large pocket of gas, it may cause the entire area around you to be engulfed in a blaze. Just imagine having to be that person – a living safety device.
The safety of the masses outranks the safety of one miner in these early mining days. If one miner is killed, the rest can continue working. If everyone is killed, the whole workforce is gone.
Thankfully, the industry eventually recognized that this method is far too dangerous and sought other methods. This technique certainly does not hold up to today’s health and safety standards! Thank goodness.
After 1815, you may be equipped with a flame safety lamp– the first method that didn’t involve any living creatures. Not only does the growing or shrinking flame alert you of the presence of potentially flammable gases, but it also provides light for you to work by. Gas lamps are a long-standing safety tool – many industries in the United States still use them today!
From as early as 1896 until the late 1900s, you may be tasked with watching a caged canary. These birds, sensitive to gas, are living alarms in the tunnels. If the canary falls silent or begins panicking, you will know to alert your fellow miners to evacuate immediately. This method certainly isn’t foolproof, and it’s far from humane.
There is a gap in new explosion prevention methods in the mining industry from the late 1800s until the mid 1920s. The modern era of gas detection started in 1926, following the increasing use of flammable gases in many different sectors, thanks to rising industrialization through the 19th and 20th centuries.
Did You Know? The first household carbon monoxide alarm wasn’t available until 1996!
By 1942, portable methanometers come along. They are about the size of a modern-day walkie-talkie and measure flammable gas by collecting and burning it up. The heat created from gas burning up inside the device triggers the dial on the outside to display the built-up, explosive gas. As a miner today, you may still encounter a methanometer, as they are still in use.
Did You Know? Millions of litres of water had to be pumped out of the Galt mines during their operations in order for them to be workable.
Galt No. 8 – the last Galt mine to close in 1957 – was one of, if not the, wettest mine in Alberta. Upon its closure, the tipple (a structure used to load coal onto railcars), water tower, and machinery buildings remain to remind us of Lethbridge’s mining history. You can still see them today, near the end of the High Level Bridge, on the west side of the river.
Did You Know? Galt No. 8’s water tower originally belonged to the Coalhurst mine – it was relocated after the Coalhurst mine closed in 1936.
It’s difficult to imagine the hardships faced by early miners, but it’s easy to see the immense progress in workplace safety we have made since. Every step towards safeguarding the well-being and lives of workers matters so they can make it home safe at the end of the workday!