This thesis examines the development of health and safety in the British coalmining industry in the period of rapid expansion 1840 to 1913 through a case study of the Warwickshire coalfield. It will assess the contribution of the miner, the coalowners and the State to improvements to mine safety. Although historians have been attracted to this period of coalfield expansion, they have tended to concentrate upon the complex economics necessary for success or the fractious record of industrial relations, with health and safety marginalised to the periphery. They have also mainly taken their exemplars from the important coal exporting activities of the North-East and South Wales, together with the larger coalfields of Scotland, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. By studying the Warwickshire fatalities and comparing that experience with the neighbouring counties of the East Midlands and national data, this thesis will reveal how local factors influenced safety in the mines. The individual miner had little influence upon mine safety in the period 1840 through to the mid 1870's when the sub-contracting butty system removed owners from the responsibilities of production. The establishment of a permanent Warwickshire Miners’ Association from the 1880’s, characterised by moderate leadership who sought to work closely with employers, gained for the Warwickshire miner superior earnings and conditions of employment, even when compared to neighbouring coalfields in the prosperous Midland Division. This undermines the national caricature of coalowners as brutal capitalists with little regard for their workers or communities where they gained their wealth. The results showed conclusively that it was not the mode of management but the size of the enterprise that was the dominating factor. Fatalities increased in the large deep mines that became more common at the turn of the century and were more susceptible to deaths from falls of coal and men crushed by wagons on the surface. The role of the State was somewhat patchy. Mine Inspectors could recommend that horses employed in oncost haulage should work in shafts rather than chains and that low tension batteries should be used to bring down coal, but owners were free to ignore this advice, with fatal consequences to the workforce. They were more successful in promoting the professionalization of mine management and at the turn of the century legislation was the dominant factor in the adoption of patent explosives to replace the use of gunpowder in Warwickshire mines. This thesis builds upon recent studies by McIvor and Mills which have sought to address this neglect of health and safety in the British coal mining industry. By approaching this through the study of a small coalfield that has largely been ignored by mining historians, it reveals how local factors influenced the contribution of the miner, the coalowner and the State to the problem of accidents and fatalities in the coal industry.

Thesis (M.Sc (Physiology)) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / Objective This study assesses whether noise levels above legal limits of 85 dB(A) that can result in noise-induced hearing loss are present in areas where employees are supposed to work and to verify that such areas are demarcated as noise zones at the Polokwane Platinum Smelter. Background and motivation Excessive noise is a global health hazard with considerable social and physiological impact, including the development of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Noise is a major hazard in many workplaces. It is estimated that more than 30 million workers (almost 1 in 10) are exposed to unsafe noise in their work places. NIHL is the second most self-reported occupational illness or injury in the United States. Amongst miners, more than 90% of the population reports hearing problems by the age of 55 years. Noise exposure is prevalent in construction, foundries, agriculture, transport, industry and mining-related activities. The prevalence of NIHL has not changed much in the past two decades. Therefore, a hearing conservation programme is an important issue in the smelter as certain areas are denoted as noise areas. Study design A cross-sectional study design with a group of utility workers at the Polokwane Platinum Smelter, as the experimental group, and a group of undergraduate Bachelor of Science students at the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus) served as a control group. Method A sound level meter was used to measure the noise levels where the utility group performs their technical work. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program. Results The average noise measured in various locations of the Polokwane Platinum Smelter was between 62.6 dB(A) and 105.1 dB(A). The results indicated that workers at the Polokwane Platinum Smelter are over exposed to noise in certain work areas if they work eight hours in the area. Areas where the average noise level was above noise rating limit of 85 dB(A) were demarcated as noise zones as an additional protective measure. Employees also use hearing protective devices, when they are working in noise zones, to control personal noise exposure. This is in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 85 of 1993 as amended eleventh edition (OHS Act 85/93). Conclusion In the present study, noise levels in certain areas exceeded the noise rating limit of 85 dB(A). However such areas are clearly demarcated as noise areas and employees accessing those area must wear earmuffs or earplugs. Possibilities of employees developing hearing loss overtime exist, if employees work for eight hours or longer in demarcated areas and do not adhere to the existing Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) implemented at the Polokwane Platinum Smelter. Noise levels at the Polokwane Platinum Smelter should be monitored regularly. / University of Limpopo