Small‐scale technologies and E uropean coal mine safety, 1850–1900

This article considers new technologies and fatal accident rates in E uropean coal mining from 1850 to 1900. Its contributions are twofold: to recover and emphasize improvements in small‐scale mine technologies such as safety lamps and ventilation, and, second, to deny any role at this time for late...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Economic history review 2015-08, Vol.68 (3), p.887-910
Main Authors: Murray, John E., Silvestre, Javier
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This article considers new technologies and fatal accident rates in E uropean coal mining from 1850 to 1900. Its contributions are twofold: to recover and emphasize improvements in small‐scale mine technologies such as safety lamps and ventilation, and, second, to deny any role at this time for later macroinventions such as electrification and mechanization. We discuss the influence of these safety‐improving technologies as well as government regulations on different kinds of fatal accident rates. It is proposed that an important and overlooked source of the reduction in fatalities from certain kinds of accidents was the introduction and diffusion of a variety of safety‐related technologies, none of particularly large scale.
ISSN:0013-0117
1468-0289
DOI:10.1111/ehr.12080