Investigation
Under section 83 of the Coal Mines Act 1911, a formal investigation of the causes and circumstances of the disaster took place. The investigation was headed by William Walker CBE, acting inspector of Mines, and the inquiry took place in December 1919 at Kings Hall, Stoke. The jury returned the following verdict, after hearing witness evidence from 40 persons, viz:
| “ | We consider that the deceased persons met their death from a medical point of view as follows,
144 from carbon monoxide poisoning 11 from violence plus carbon monoxide poisoning The cause of death was an explosion of gas and coal dust in the Bullhurst and Banbury seams of the Minnie pit. That there is not sufficient evidence to show what caused the initial flame. We consider that the pit has been carried on in accordance with the Coal Mines Act 1911, and general regulations as far as they have been issued, but, we are of the opinion that, if the dust had been systematically removed, the explosion would not have been so extensive. We do not consider that any particular person is to blame for the explosion. As a result of the inquiry, we consider that further regulations should be issued at once for the treatment of coal dust. But we agree with the miners representatives, that nothing what so ever should be introduced, which will injure the miners, or young life in the mine and that there is great scope for inquiry by government experts on this point, particularly making coal dust itself inert. The jury consider that any shot-lighter should report in writing anything he considers unsafe in the mine. It appears that the workmen have not taken advantage of Section 16 of the Coal Mines Act, relative to the periodic inspection of the mines by workmen and we consider that they do so. |
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In summary, the jury concluded that no blame could be apportioned to any one individual but regulations should be issued for the treatment of coal dust. This was recommended because it was thought that the wholesale devastation of the mine was propagated by an abundance of dust.
Read more about this topic: Minnie Pit Disaster