Bickershaw Colliery explosion, 1959

Carbon monoxide from an explosion in an abandoned district of the Plodder Seam killed 5 men at Bickershaw Colliery on 10 October 1959.

Cause

An explosion occurred in an abandoned district of the Plodder Seam, releasing carbon monoxide that reached working areas of the mine.

Investigation & inquiry

An inquest recorded a verdict of misadventure in each case; medical evidence showed all five men died of carbon monoxide gas poisoning. A statutory inquiry was subsequently conducted by R.H. Clough and reported to the Minister of Power under section 121 of the Mines and Quarries Act 1954.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• An explosion in an abandoned district of the Plodder Seam released carbon monoxide that reached working areas of the mine. ^1,2
• Five men died of carbon monoxide gas poisoning; an inquest recorded a verdict of misadventure in each case. ²
• A statutory inquiry was conducted by R.H. Clough and reported to the Minister of Power under section 121 of the Mines and Quarries Act 1954. ²

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…an abandoned district of the Plodder Seam killed 5 men at Bickershaw Colliery on 10 October 1959.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Bickershaw Colliery — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) Bickershaw Colliery Explosion - Leigh - 1959 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 27 August 2026 · Last researched: 27 August 2026