Blidworth Colliery Cage Collision (1943)

Three men cleaning water garlands from a scaffold mounted on a descending cage were killed when the shaft's two cages collided for an unexplained reason.

Cause

The shaft's two cages collided for a reason that remained unexplained at the time.

What happened

On the night of Sunday 6 June 1943, three men were engaged in cleaning out the water garlands in one of the shafts at Blidworth Colliery. The men were working from a scaffold mounted on top of a descending cage, and while being moved from one garland to another, the shaft's two cages collided for a reason that remained unexplained at the time; the men were thrown from the scaffold, fell down the shaft, and were killed.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The Minister of Fuel and Power told the House of Commons on 9 June 1943 that the full circumstances of the accident were being investigated by HM Inspectors of Mines as speedily as possible, and conveyed sympathy to the relatives of those killed.

Recorded claims

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

• On the night of 6 June 1943, three men cleaning water garlands from a scaffold on a descending cage were killed when the shaft's two cages collided for an unexplained reason, throwing them down the shaft. ¹

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…men cleaning water garlands from a scaffold mounted on a descending cage were killed when the shaft's two cages collided for an unexplained…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…in cleaning out the water garlands in one of the shafts at Blidworth Colliery. The men were working from a scaffold mounted on top of a descending…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…from a scaffold mounted on a descending cage were killed when the shaft's two cages collided for an unexplained reason.”
• Water Garland (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…mounted on top of a descending cage, and while being moved from one garland to another, the shaft's two cages collided for a reason that…”

Sources

1. (primary) BLIDWORTH COLLIERY ACCIDENT, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (Hansard, 9 June 1943) — Hansard, House of Commons
2. (secondary) Blidworth Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026