Putting ones life at risk..

[Scrumpy]

Am I right in saying that all persons who sustain injury through playing ANY sport should have private medical cover..

All persons injured through leisure time activities should have private insurance to cover any injury..
Those that go deep into caves.. sky diving.. surfing.. skiing..  etc; 

Surely this would drastically cut down on our NH services being called out when needed elsewhere..

Am I wrong in thinking this.. ?

[klondike]

Most already pay medical insurance. Or rather have it taken before they ever see it. It's called National Insurance. Actually pensioners don't right now but I doubt many of them go mountaineering or play rugby etc. plus they probably already paid in for forty years or more.

[Raven]

Yes your right they certainly should. There was discussions going on here about our mountain rescue teams having to go out in all weathers looking for folk who were lost in the mountains......Sometimes putting themselves at risk and sometimes having an accident in the process.
Once the climbers are down they are often idiots with no experience, no proper gear, no planned route ect ect. They are always grateful and so sorry to have caused all the bother then they get in their cars and begger off to where they came from.   The guys here have to buy special equipment, train, often call out choppers to assist, it all costs and I don't see why the climbers should get off scott free.
Insurance would be a massive help, if no insurance then you get a bill and you pay it.  Insurance should be  Compulsory.

Errr, you will have guessed by now this is one of my hobby horses.

[Scrumpy]

A pit tragedy is disastrous... Miners trapped underground..

Those trapped underground because they are ( exploring) and it is a hobby.. Idiots..
The same goes for climbing mountains.. They put the lives of those who help to rescue them in danger..
And to them it is a pastime .. Foolish..

They should have sufficient private insurance to cover all expenses..
I feel strongly about this.

[klondike]

Not quite the same as playing rugby or football and you started off with ANY sport.

[JBR]

A pit tragedy is disastrous... Miners trapped underground..

I have never been a coal miner of course, but when teaching I took my class every year to Astley Green mine, now a museum, and found the matter very interesting for myself.
Upon retirement, I volunteered to help as a guide there and learnt a great deal more in doing it.

It is, or was, a very dangerous job in the 19th and early 20th century.  Although many new safety devices were developed more recently, there were still mine disasters and many miners were killed.  Very brave men, and I know I couldn't do it.

[Raven]

Crabby who is away from here just now could tell you all about the mines. He worked in them. 

[JBR]

I remember an ex-miner from Wales who I haven't seen here for some time.  Unfortunately, I can't remember his name but I don't think it was Crabby.  Perhaps that was on 'another site'.

Actually, if you are interested, you could look up details about earlier coal mines.  Modern ones are relatively safe, but the old ones were desperately risky and highly unpleasant.  Women and even children were once employed in those mines, usually employed in dragging the tubs of coal, but as dangerous as for the men.

Actually, I'd like to discuss such things here on this forum, though I'm not sure whether there would be sufficient interest.

[dextrous63]

There was a plumber on DiyNot who was an ex miner JB.  Lovely fella who sadly died (must be over a decade ago).  He had a huge tattoo of a pit on his back iirc.

I still miss him.

[muddy]

I have never been a coal miner of course, but when teaching I took my class every year to Astley Green mine, now a museum, and found the matter very interesting for myself.
Upon retirement, I volunteered to help as a guide there and learnt a great deal more in doing it.

It is, or was, a very dangerous job in the 19th and early 20th century.  Although many new safety devices were developed more recently, there were still mine disasters and many miners were killed.  Very brave men, and I know I couldn't do it.

My grandfather was a miner .
He was crushed in an accident in the pit cage
He survived but could no longer work .

As a child I remember going to the museum and listening to the account of the Maypole Colliery disaster which killed 72 men . My family came from this area my grandma could remember it ,her son my uncle started down the pit when he was 14 but rose to become  a colliery manager he always said it was a terrible thing to go down the mine.
http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/Mining.html

[Scrumpy]

Not quite the same as playing rugby or football and you started off with ANY sport.

Oop's.. you forgot to read that I mentioned..

  Leisure Time Activities.. Skiing.. Sky diving.. those that go deep into caves.. 

[GrannyMac]

My grandfather was a miner .
He was crushed in an accident in the pit cage
He survived but could no longer work .

As a child I remember going to the museum and listening to the account of the Maypole Colliery disaster which killed 72 men . My family came from this area my grandma could remember it ,her son my uncle started down the pit when he was 14 but rose to become  a colliery manager he always said it was a terrible thing to go down the mine.
http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/Mining.html

It was in the bad old days. Modern mining, though still a very tough job, was quite different by the 1970s.

We lived in a pit village in South Yorks.  There was plenty of money around for NCB employees, the women I knew as a young mum didn't work.  Subsidised housing, and the three clubs in the village were always busy.  We supported those who did work underground, but every hard won benefit they got (like a coal allowance) went to the ancillary workers, office staff, managers etc. 

I got a job at the Gas Board, I had a friend who worked at the NCB offices.  Not only did they pay better, but because she didn't use coal, she got a heating allowance towards her gas bill.  No wonder coal was so expensive.

[Scrumpy]

My father-in-law left the valleys to settle in England.. the alternative was to remain working in the mines.

We were in Wales during the miners strike.. a sad place to be at that time..
I remember standing on a hill looking down where the  Aberfan disaster happened..
  A memory that will stay deep in my mind for ever..

[JBR]

It was in the bad old days. Modern mining, though still a very tough job, was quite different by the 1970s.

We lived in a pit village in South Yorks.  There was plenty of money around for NCB employees, the women I knew as a young mum didn't work.  Subsidised housing, and the three clubs in the village were always busy.  We supported those who did work underground, but every hard won benefit they got (like a coal allowance) went to the ancillary workers, office staff, managers etc. 

I got a job at the Gas Board, I had a friend who worked at the NCB offices.  Not only did they pay better, but because she didn't use coal, she got a heating allowance towards her gas bill.  No wonder coal was so expensive.

Still a difficult and potentially dangerous job, but modern coal mining is/was a good and respected job.
What a pity that some of our politicians (not only Maggie I might add) closed down mines and eventually left us with none at all, and still millions of tons of it still down there.

Of course, the country is now on a downhill stretch and the lack of coal mining and other industries is the least of our worries.

[JBR]

My grandfather was a miner .
He was crushed in an accident in the pit cage
He survived but could no longer work .

As a child I remember going to the museum and listening to the account of the Maypole Colliery disaster which killed 72 men . My family came from this area my grandma could remember it ,her son my uncle started down the pit when he was 14 but rose to become  a colliery manager he always said it was a terrible thing to go down the mine.
http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/Mining.html

A terrible thing to read, but sadly far from the only one in the early days.
The really impressive thing is the way that every man present was prepared to go down and rescue who they could.  Those were the days when there was a great deal of unity, not only in mines, but throughout the country generally.