Working in a Coal Mine By Katelyn Leonard SS.9

Map of Britain

What’s the Purpose of Coal? Coal was used for many things, in the 1800’s America had found many different uses for it. It was used to heat salt brines to produce salt, street lights were being lit with combustible gases made from coal, and the first American made locomotive (a powered rail vehicle used for pulling trains) was powered on coal.

Who Worked in the Mines? Young boys often worked down in the coal mines, their jobs were usually as a Nipper where they would open doors to allow men and their cargo to go through; or as a thruster, where they would push along a wagon filled with coal often by using their heads. They also worked as “breaker boys” where they would crush, wash, and sort the coal.

Who Worked in the Mines It wasn’t just boys and men who worked in the coal mines, women and girls also worked in them too, as well as above the mines. They hauled wagons of coal, by having a chain wrapped around their waist. Above the mines, they sorted coal and pushed wagons from the pits to the sorting area as well.

Health Conditions & Dangers Working down in the mines was very dangerous; there were possibilities of flooding, cave-ins, as well as explosions. But along with all of these hazards, there were also health issues. Many of the miners had a lung disease called ‘Pneumoconiosis’ from all of the coal dust they inhaled, got lung cancer, had hearing loss issues, developed back injuries, and some even got mercury poisoning. Working down in the mines definitely had risks involved. Photo of lung with pneumoconiosis Cave in - 1868

Injured or Killed on the Job If a worker was injured on the job then he could no longer work, he was subject to being discarded with no compensation. If they were killed, then the company/owner might give the widow a small amount of money to help pay for the burial costs, but that was all. Back then they had little sympathy.

Mining Company The mining company that I picked is called Anglo American Platinum Limited, located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The product that they mine is platinum, which is currently worth $1651.68CA per ounce.

Employees The Anglo American Platinum Limited company hires men, and women. They do not hire children. In South Africa, child labour is illegal, although I’m sure that it still happens. Children under the age of 15 cannot be hired, and children ages 15-18 cannot be employed if the work puts them at risk.

Association/Organization Nowadays most miners belong to some sort of association or organization. They provide an injure free work place, education, safety procedures, and a support system for the workers. Union: “An organization of wage earners or salaried employees for mutual aid and protection and for dealing collectively with employers; trade union” Some benefits of a union are: you’re guaranteed a certain salary, you have access to a pension, and you’re provided with medical insurance. However, there is a fee to being in a union; which is called a due.

Non-Union Miners Non-Union miners, are also known as ‘scabs’. When miners go on strike and scabs try and take their place, they usually got brutally beaten.

Dangers Mines are dangerous places to work, and there are many potential hazards. There could be collapsing, equipment accidents, and health hazards too such as lung cancer. But these can be avoided by having proper reinforcements, safety inspections, proper safety equipment as well as up to date equipment, and by educating the workers. However all of these precautions will cost some extra money because the owner would need to hire people to educate the workers, and people to do safety inspections. Also safer equipment would most likely be more pricey.

Raven Mine The proposed location of the Raven Mine is Comox, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. They will be mining coal, and the company owner is Beanstalk Capital Corp.

Raven Mine Someone might want to work at this proposed mine because they are unemployed, or looking for a job. This mine will create approximately 600 full time jobs, and will benefit the people of BC by boosting the economy.

Cause and Effect With the mine proposal, many people are worried about the Shellfish Industry. It may be affected by the Raven Mine because the shellfish filter the water, and if the water is filled with coal dust the shellfish will consume the dust as well as other heavy metals and store them. If we then consume the shellfish we could potentially be poisoned.

Steel Metallurgical coal is essential for producing steel. If I was the owner of the Raven Mine then I would consider building a steel factory near by, because of the convenience.

Worries about the Raven Mine Roberta Stevenson is worried that the coal mine is already a done deal, she is very against it. Already $28,000,000 is created by local products in the Comox Valley area, and she doesn’t see the need or want for a coal mine.

Affected Water Bodies If the Raven Mine does get the go ahead, there could potentially be water pollution. Some of the water bodies that might be affected could be the Strait of Georgia, Buckley Bay, Fanny Bay, and Qualicum Bay. All of these water bodies carry shellfish, which are worth lots of money.

My Opinion It’s hard to say whether or not I support the opening of the Raven Mine, because I can see the pros and the cons of it. On the positive side, it would create full time jobs for many unemployed people, and help boost the economy in BC; but at the same time it wouldn’t draw in tourists, will most likely create air and water pollution, and it will affect other industries such as the shell fish industry. Overall, I don’t think that I am in favour of the Raven Mine.

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