Evolution of the Mines Rescue Service

The UK mining industry has a long, perilous history from which the Mines Rescue Service was born.

In this article, we dive into the past and detail the conditions that led to the creation of this life-saving service - and the events that drove its development.

The most striking feature of the UK mining industry is change. Over the past 150 years, thousands of mines opened, worked and closed.

In too many cases however, the mine or its locality is remembered with a monument, primarily as the site of a mining disaster associated with a large loss of life, and /or the rescue of trapped miners. 

In earlier years, mining was labour intensive with hundreds of thousands of men, women and children employed in an unregulated and dangerous industry. There was little if any legislation to protect them at work. 

Coal production drove and sustained the industrial revolution of the period enabling tremendous economic development, enhancing the quality of life of so many. 

Unfortunately, that cannot be said for many who worked to produce that coal. They paid a significant cost in the form of frequent mine accidents, with high mortality rates and subsequent social problems. 

Eventually, public outcry in the early 19th century forced Government and mine owners of that time to do more to save life.

There had always been plenty of brave volunteers who tried to rescue the injured or trapped miners, but many rescuers also died due to lack of suitable equipment, training and knowledge of the atmospheres they faced.

Early forms of legislation and guidance helped to save lives, but more action was needed. It would take many more disasters and thousands more men and boys killed and injured before Government eventually produced the Coal Mines Acts of 1910/1911. 

These were primary legislation relating to the safe working of mines, which also laid down a compulsory requirement for a mines rescue service available to all mines.

The UK coal mining industry has an appalling record of accidents, many of which resulted in multiple deaths. Unfortunately, this was accepted as an integral part of mining life during most of the 19th century. 

As the number of coal mines increased from 1850 onwards, the frequency of mine explosions also increased — and with it the reports of thousands of miners dying. 

Causes of Explosions and Fatalities

Explosions of mine gases, commonly associated with the ever-present fine coal dust, often resulted in fatalities at a level more normally associated with wartime. While many died from the initial explosion, others lost their lives due to the toxic gases released during the explosion, particularly carbon monoxide.

Several miners could have been 'rescued' by fellow miners suitably trained and equipped with breathing apparatus. Attempts were made but no equipment existed at that time, and rescuers relied on experience and mining knowledge alone. 

Rising Death Toll and Growing Public Outcry

The 50-year period between 1850 and 1900 saw the death of 7500 persons from mine explosions! There were many other deaths from other mine accidents to add to this total.

This recurring theme of explosions was emphasised by a lack of overall concern by the many mine owners at that time to invest in better infrastructure to prevent such disasters. But public outcry at such a large and consistent death toll eventually forced both Government and mine owners to act.

Legislative Efforts to Address Mining Accidents

In 1860, legislation was introduced for the "Regulation and Inspection of Mines" but had no obvious impact to reduce the accidents responsible for the most fatalities. In 1880, the Royal Commission on Accidents in mines was established, and over the next 6 years they produced a series of recommendations for the UK mining industry. 

During this 6-year period, some 29 mine explosions occurred with the death of more than 1500 miners. In 1886 these recommendations were accepted by the Government and issued to the industry. 

Early Efforts to Establish Rescue Stations

Amongst the recommendations was a reference to: -

"The establishment of centres in mining districts where additional appliances for succour and relief and also special appliances for exploring purposes, should be maintained in an efficient condition so as to be ready for use at the shortest notice ".

This was the first reference to Rescue Stations and the equipment they should hold for emergency use. Some special equipment was being designed and trialled but there was a reluctance by most mine owners to invest in such an arrangement, probably due to the cost. 

It remained as only a recommendation for a further 25 years.

Persistent Fatalities and Notable Mining Disasters

A few more progressive mine companies did progress their interest in research in suitable breathing apparatus and even began to build and share some rescue centres. However, during the 25-year period 1886-2011 some 2400 miners died from mine explosions, including these: -

1905       National Colliery, Glamorgan                                 119 killed

1909       West Stanley Colliery, Co. Durham                    168 killed

1910       Pretoria Colliery, Lancashire                                   344 killed

1910       Whitehaven Colliery, Cumberland                       136 killed

Such disasters could not be allowed to continue…

The Coal Mines Act

In 1906, the Royal Commission on Mines began another detailed review on safety in mines which culminated in a comprehensive set of mining legislation being introduced in The Coal Mines Acts of 1910 and 1911. 

This primary legislation and subsequent Regulations included for the: 

• Development and use of suitable Breathing Apparatus – BA - to be used in rescue work. 
• Provision of Rescue Stations at suitable locations with facilities to store and maintain BA and training rescue persons in their use.  
• Selection of suitable persons and the level of training needed to use the BA. 

Implementation and Continued Scepticism

Perhaps not surprisingly, given their past record, many mine companies were still very sceptical of this approach to save life. 

However, some were supportive and had already been acting on the 1886 guidance. In 1902, the first Rescue Station had been built at Tankersley, South Yorkshire, funded by a group of local mine owners, followed by a similar facility at Howe Bridge in Lancashire.

The Coal Mines Act 1911 now made this compulsory - the first complete legislation package relating to the provision of a mines rescue capability for use by the mines. The basic principles for rescue were now established. 

During the following years, rescue stations were a legal requirement within 10 miles (later extended to 15 miles) of mines employing over 100 men. Mining companies worked together to finance the building of 46 Centres around the country. 

• 10 of these were permanently manned with rescue teams.
• 36 sites held a small nucleus of rescue supervisors and instructors for training and overseeing rescue teams.

However, the 1913 Senghenydd Colliery gas explosion in Glamorgan was to remind everyone that there remained much work to be done to make the mines safer.

The mine gas explosion resulted in the death of 439 miners, including 8 children. This remains the largest loss of life in a single British mine disaster.

Both the mine manager and the owners of the mine, Lewis Merthyr Consolidated Collieries, were subsequently prosecuted. The manager was fined £24; the company £10 plus £5 and 5 shillings in costs for their negligence. 

This perhaps demonstrated the general attitude towards health and safety in mines at that time. 

Progress and Adaptation of Rescue Provisions

Progress regarding rescue provision in this country was now relatively rapid compared with that of the past. The 1910/1911 Acts now forced mine owners to take action. In subsequent years Regulations were amended or changed to suit prevailing circumstances. 

Unfortunately, this included events following a major incident at a mine or the death of a rescue worker, where need for improvements were identified. 

In 1914, mines were allowed to have as an alternative:

• a rescue brigade at the mine, or
• a full-time brigade at a Rescue Station.

In 1920, a revision of Regulations outlined: 

• selection and training criteria for rescue workers
• guidance for rescue work
  • only an "Approved" BA could be purchased for use at a Rescue Station that had been appropriately tested.

Impact of World War 1 on Rescue Equipment

The development of rescue equipment, particularly breathing apparatus, received a significant boost during 1914-1918. Innovations in respiratory protection for the army and escape apparatus for submarines were now adapted for use in the mines.

Many mine owners now recruited ex-service personnel to run their rescue centres. Royal Navy personnel were particularly valued and were able to bring discipline, knowledge and experience as Instructors and Supervisors of these centres.

The Coal Mines General Regulations (Rescue)1928 include many recommendations for improvements suggested by industry and were amended yet again in 1935 when oxygen revivers were added to the equipment lists to be kept at centres. 

The UK coal mining industry, however, was now suffering from a lack of investment. The 1939/45 war also meant the need for coal overcame major health and safety concerns. It was therefore no surprise when in 1947 the Government nationalised the industry into public ownership and created the National Coal Board to operate the new organisation. 

In addition to the 950 mines, 1 million employees, associated industries and housing, it included 34 Mines Rescue Stations and their employees. 

Some sites were unusual regarding their location and ownership. For examples, the Herriot Watt Station, sited in the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh, was part-owned by the Shell Oil Company because of their ownership of the Oil Shale mines to the west of Edinburgh. The building still exists today as part of the University.

By 1947, the industry was in a very poor state and there was an urgency to review and update technology and safety, including the mines rescue organisation. 

But the overarching concern for the Government was the need to review the Coal Mines Act 1911 to meet the requirements of a nationalised industry, operating mainly as a single mine owner for the industry. 

Early Struggles Under Public Ownership

The safety management of the industry had to change as evidenced by 4 major mine explosions in its first year of operation including at Whitehaven Colliery, Cumberland with 104 killed. 

Overall, some 600 men died and 2500 were seriously injured in that first year of public ownership, an action by Government designed to make the industry safer. 

In those early days under the National Coal Board (NCB), mine incidents still occurred, albeit at a much lower rate of severity. One such incident was probably the most successful mines rescue operation to save lives ever undertaken in this country. 

In 1950, a large volume of liquid peat and moss broke through from the surface into an underground roadway of the Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery, killing 13 men and entombing 116 others in a different section of the mine. 

There appeared no hope for them. But an adjacent old mine was entered by rescue workers in breathing apparatus to see if they could reach the nearest point to the trapped men. Their plan was to drive a tunnel in coal and breach an entry for escape. 

The rescue attempt went well, with rescuers in BA forming a human chain to guide the trapped men out. They were fitted with oxygen respirators in the trapped area which enabled them to breath as they made their escape through the gas-filled old mine. 

Some of the respirators were sourced from the Navy due to the large numbers needed. The rescue took 8 hours to complete after the miners had already been trapped for 2 days. 

During the earlier years of the NCB, each rescue station was managed by a Superintendent who reported to a local management committee made up of the senior NCB managers in that geographical area. 

There was therefore an element of local independence with local work practices and procedures. It was imperative that the NCB operate under a national plan with a common approach to rescue at all mines. 

A common emergency plan for all mines was eventually put in place by 1953 and was further improved in 1965. 

By 1967, following a major re-organisation of the NCB itself, the rescue service became a headquarters-controlled service under a central management structure. This was to ensure its independence from the influence of local mines management. 

Mines Rescue also provided a "free" service to many small coal mines, which were licensed by the NCB because they were too small for the NCB to manage directly. The non-coal mine sector was also given access to their services, albeit most were low risk operations in comparison with coal. 

There were now just 25 rescue stations covering some 246 collieries in the country. 2500 men were trained to act as part-time rescue workers. This was on top of a further 170 full-time rescue workers who were employed and lived at their home rescue station. 

They were all trained and led by 80 Superintendents and Rescue Officers, with a further 6/7 senior managers who held the authority to control a rescue incident at any mine. This was a formidable team at that time, who were held as the industry "elite", with a reputation for their work worldwide. 

By this time, senior personnel in the rescue service needed to have a professional qualification issued by the Institute of Mining Engineers before they were appointed as Rescue Officers. This necessitated educational and technical development schemes organised by Colleges and Universities on behalf of the NCB.  

From 1947 up to the sale of the coal industry in 1994, mines rescue operated under the Coal Mines Act 1954 and the associated Fire and Rescue Regulations 1956. Whilst Regulations or amendments to existing regulations were added from time to time, there was a reluctance to remove or totally re-write the legislation. 

Instead, to cater for technology advances in the form of mechanisation, monitoring of the environment underground and new support systems, the NCB, later known as British Coal, introduced its own Instructions and Rules. 

These rules were accepted by the Regulators (HM Inspector of Mines) as being a form of legal guidance. 

Mines Rescue were also subject to such instructions, enabling very prescriptive guidance to be issued on a range of matters associated with rescue. This included training regimes, equipment updates, maintenance schedules, rescue team numbers and operating procedures, fitness and medical standards. 

The Decline of the Mining Industry

The rapid decline of mining in the late 1980's meant there was a corresponding reduction in the rescue service. It was at this time that the Government decided to progress the UK mining industry towards a privatisation sale to take place in 1994. 

The industry was given some 6 years to prepare for this sale. The most urgent need was to review existing legislation, including NCB/British Coal Instructions and Rules that had served a publicly owned industry so well but was not suitable for a fragmented ownership industry following the sale. 

One significant issue concerned Mines Rescue—specifically, questions about its future ownership, as well as who would be responsible for funding and managing the organisation.

Very early in the sale process, the Government stated quite clearly that they would not provide funds and did not want ownership in any format. It had to be the responsibility of the new mine owners, whoever they would be. It was therefore a return to the pre-1947 system for rescue in mines.

The provision of a national mines rescue service was identified by the UK's Health & Safety Commission as a mandatory recommendation to Government in the preparation for the privatisation of British Coal. 

This privatisation was going to be an extremely emotive issue, raising strong opposition from the workforce, trade unions and Parliament who would have to agree to the final sale of the mines. 

Any proposed changes to the rescue provision would need to be robust enough to maintain current standards and flexible enough to accommodate a fragmented ownership structure.

Fundamental objectives were laid down for the proposed mines rescue organisation: 

• There must remain the national capability to conduct 24-hour rescue operations. 
• Small and remote mines must continue to have access to an adequate rescue facility. 
• The new arrangement must not impose disproportionate costs on small mines.

It was recognised that an incident lasting more than a few hours would require rescue personnel from all over the country, hence the need for a national structure. In order to achieve this, it was essential that there were common standards for: 

• Training of both Officers and personnel
• Medical examinations and fitness
• Equipment 
• Command structures
• Access to any specialist equipment and scientific services 

These were the basic deliberations considered to ensure the overall objective of maintaining existing standards and retaining the confidence of the industry and its workers. This was decided before the industry sale and became one of the sale conditions of the purchase by prospective buyers.

Mining Industry Sale and The Escape and Rescue Regulations 1995

In December 1994, the industry was sold. The new owners operated for 15 months with mines rescue still provided under contract by British Coal. 

The new Escape and Rescue Regs 1995 came into force on 31 December 1995, the only new legislation prepared for the fragmented industry. During 1995, the owners were consulted on the new rescue arrangements incorporated within the Regulations.

Sixteen of the new 27 regulations contained in the package related directly to the duties and responsibilities of the Mines Rescue Service organisation.

Formation of the Mines Rescue Service Ltd

In January 1996, a company "Mines Rescue Service Ltd " was formed, into which all the properties (6), employees, rights and liabilities of British Coal's mines rescue service were transferred by a Restructuring Scheme made by Parliament. This transfer took place on 31 March 1996. 

Mines Rescue Service Ltd now provided the underground mines with an effective mines rescue emergency response and training facility for all mines under a Mines Rescue Scheme arrangement. 

The Scheme, reinforced by the new Escape and Rescue Regulations 1995, stated - no mine could operate without being a member of the Scheme and maintaining quarterly membership fees, paid at a rate/tonne of coal produced. 

Total funding was the responsibility of mine owners. The deficit between what the owners were able to fund, and the overall running costs of the company was covered by undertaking health and safety related commercial work for the mines and other industry. 

Continued Diversification of the Mines Rescue Services Ltd

This arrangement continued for some 20 years until 2016, when the last large coal mine, Kellingley Colliery closed.

Despite its commercial success, the company’s ability to provide effective rescue services remained uncompromised. The industry’s strong safety record and collaborative efforts with the Rescue organisation ensured that the quality of the rescue service was always maintained.

The frequency of emergency incidents has been low, but the service's resources have been utilised consistently throughout the 20-year period without it ever having been found wanting in its response. 

During this period, Mines Rescue adapted to technological advancements and effectively addressed the needs of various industries. They became proficient in areas such as training, managing confined space hazards, risk assessment, and safety management.

Closure of the Last Coal Mines

With the impending closure of the last coal mines, the remaining coal companies agreed that Mines Rescue Service Ltd should explore its options for the future. At the same time, the Health and Safety Executive began to review its own options for mines legislation, given that coal mines were to be closed. 

It was obvious that the legislation relating to the relationship between coal mines and mines rescue would become obsolete with the last mine's closure. 

The HSE confirmed new Regulations for the “revocation of the Escape & Rescue from Mines Regulations 1995 in their entirety”, which included the National Mines Rescue Scheme, and thereby the statutory requirement for all coal mines to utilise the Mines Rescue Service.  

The original objective and purpose for MRS was therefore removed.

Transition to Health and Safety Training Provider

Mines Rescue was by now a leading provider of health and safety training to industry in general and had become very successful in other industries. It had created a "hands on" approach to work problems, something it had been acclimatised to for many years working in mines. 

Whatever mines would remain in the country could still be provided with a mines rescue resource under commercial arrangements, with the cost of that service and the level of service agreed between the mine and mines rescue. The next chapter in the history of mine rescue was about to commence. 

In 2016, Mines Rescue Service changed its name to MRS Training & Rescue and became an Employee Benefit Trust.

Today, as MRS Training & Rescue, we continue to operate a mines rescue scheme and maintain operational readiness of our people and equipment. 

We also continue to train the ‘part time’ rescue teams in both the coal and non-coal mining sector and act as a consultant on the effectiveness of mines rescue arrangements internationally. 

Major mining companies in the UK trust us to deliver their emergency response and rescue service when needed. Our highly trained rescue team leaders service the National Mines Rescue Scheme. These individuals are trained, assessed and fully competent to produce rescue schemes, plans, risk assessments and method statements to reduce risk to an acceptable level.

We have been able to leverage some of the core skills from the mines rescue part of the business to develop training schemes for industry. Those same skills used in mines rescue are used to provide specialist rescue skills for other sectors outside of mining. 

We also offer an end-to-end Health and Safety Consultancy service for business as well as work in specialist and major hazard sectors. 

A comprehensive range of health and safety related products, training and services is also offered at all our centres across the UK, including: 

• Working in Confined Spaces
• Working at Height
• Health and Safety
• First Aid
• Fire Fighting

Stay Safe with MRS Training and Rescue

The history of the Mines Rescue Service demonstrates the experience and dedication of MRS Training and Rescue in keeping people safe when lives and livelihoods are on the line.

Our mission is to continue providing unparalleled health and safety services to the professionals who face risk as part of their day-to-day operations.

Contact us today to partner with true safety experts.