Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 27 February 1931
Whirled Round Shaft.
Denaby Man Caught in Screen
Unseen Accident.
A fatal accident at Denaby Colliery on Monday morning was investigated by Mr. W. H. Carlile and a jury at the Fullerton Hospital on Wednesday. The victim was John Richard Parry greaser, Warmsworth Sheet. Denaby, and a verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.
Parry’s duties acre to see to the oiling of the screen machinery. Some of the bearings were fitted with grease caps, and most of the machinery was enclosed by fencing. The bearing near which Parry was found dead was not so protected, as it was at the end of the building, and it was presumed from the evidence that his sleeve caught in some projecting studs on a rapidly rotating shaft. He had evidently attempted to turn the cap with the machinery running.
The widow, Alice Parry, said her husband had worked on the screens at the colliery all his working life.
End Unseen
John Cheadle, 72, Chaucer Road, Mexboro’, who worked with Parry, said the machines were stopped for about ten minutes, just before12, by Parry, and re-started by him. They were stopped again almost immediately because of a little mishap to the machinery, which Cheadle put right. He then gave Parry the “Right away.’ Parry was then by the motor house, and that was the last Cheadle saw of him alive. Cheadle assumed that Parry was standing by, us he usually did, when he was not helping Cheadle, in between his visits to the machinery to oil. The machines should have stopped at 1-30, and when they did not do so Cheadle stopped them himself and then went to look for Parry. Ile found him near the shaft, dead from severe injuries. Parry had to pass through some fencing and stoop to get below the belting, to reach the bearing near which he was found. Notices were posted forbidding oiling while the machinery was running. He had never before known Parry to oil while the machinery was in motion, and Cheadle himself had never done so, though he had oiled on occasion. The shaft at which Parry was found had on the end two studs or setscrews, and the grease cap was air or seven inches from these. The studs rotated with the shaft. That was the only bearing that was so exposed, as at the other the fencing passed round the end of the shaft, and anyone oiling could walk past the bearing and put his hand through the fence to t do what was necessary. It was not possible to protect the end where Parry met his death in that way, because it was the end of the building housing the machines.
The foreman: How long are you allowed for this greasing?—lt take about ten minutes each time.
Could Parry stop the engines as long as he liked for the job? You were not pushed up for time?—No.
A juryman: Was there plenty of light at the place?—Yes, a good light.
In reply to Mr. P. L. Collinson, H.M. Inspector, Cheadle said there were about thirty bearings on the machinery, but some of them were self-oiling. Ten minutes was enough for the periodical greasing’. Cheadle’s instructions were that no fences were to be passed while the machinery was in motion. The output from the Barnsley seam at present was far below the capacity of the machine, they could stand for considerable periods without impeding output.
Question of Fencing.
Edward Robinson, “Sunnyside,” Denaby, engine-wright at Denaby Colliery, said he was in charge of the machines on which Parry worked, and he could offer no other explanation of the accident than that Parry’s sleeves had been caught by the studs on the shaft and that he had been whirled round the shaft. It was possible for that, to happen.
The Coroner? Is it possible to house this bearing so that that will be impossible in the future?—Yes.
Don’t you think it will be advisable? — Yes.
The Coroner: To look at the place there doesn’t seem to be much danger in it to a layman. I have had a look at it, and it seems to me almost unbelievable that he should have been caught in this way.
Witness: I can hardly realise it.
In reply to the foreman, witness said he had never seen anyone greasing with the machinery running.
In reply to Mr. Collinson, witness said he had beard of instances of men being whirled round shafting in similar circumstances. The bearings on the Barnsley seam side were not separately fenced off, though that was done on the Parkgate screens. The reason was that there was no fencing on the Parkgate screens at all, so they attended to them first. They were proceeding with similar precautions on the Barnsley screens.
Mr. A. Roberts (Y.M.A.): Have you ever occasion to speak to Parry about breaking any regulation ?—Never.
Dr. McArthur said Parry’s injuries included a fractured base of the skull—which was the cause of death—and the right forearm torn off four inches below the elbow. The injuries were such as would be caused by the man being whirled round a shaft, and by the right arm. The clothing on the right side of the body was torn.