Abstract
OF the deaths caused by haulage accidents in mines, the fact that over a period of eight years nearly 25 per cent were due to runaway tubs is sufficiently serious to indicate this as a subject demanding inquiry. One of the lines of research undertaken in this connexion was to determine the relative degree of effectiveness of the different types of backstay which are used as one means of arresting potential runaways. The backstay, which is known by several local names, is a strong steel bar which trails along the rail track at the rear of the string of tubs, its function being to dig into the track if the frain tends to run back. Frequently its action is ineffective, and this led to one line of research being directed by the Department of Mines towards ascertaining the chief causes of the failures and the ways and means of preventing them by improving the design of this simple safeguard. The results of this investigation have now been published under the title "Backstays for use in Mines" (Safety in Mines Research Board Paper No. 103. H.M. Stationery Office. 1s. net), which describes all the steps taken and results obtained and makes available to the coal mining industry the conclusions reached.
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Haulage Precautions in Mines. Nature 145, 315–316 (1940). https://doi.org/10.1038/145315b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/145315b0