Over this period, he progressed from being a
shotfirer to a deputy and later an overman.
After he recovered he studied to be a mine engineer which saw him do a variety of jobs from working the coal cutting machinery, to
shotfirer who assembles, positions and detonates explosives to break or dislodge rock and soil or to demolish structures; and finally overman, a type of foreman.
Tips: To be a
shotfirer or explosives supervisor you need to gain practical experience then pass a written exam backed by an NVQ.
He again told the jury how
shotfirer Phillip Hill, one of the men who died, had disobeyed his instructions to reduce multi explosions to single blasts as they neared the breakthrough point.
Roger Maddocks, expert industrial illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "The hearing on Tuesday at the High Court is an extremely important milestone and moves the victims and their families a further step closer to securing the justice they deserve ." Hugh James solicitors will run a series of public meetings in collaboration with Bleddyn Hancock, previously general secretary of NACODS (National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and
Shotfirers) throughout Wales over the coming weeks to help potential claimants pursue compensation.
Roger Maddocks, expert industrial illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "The hearing on Tuesday at the High Court is an extremely important milestone and moves the victims and their families a further step closer to securing the justice they deserve concerning exposure to harmful fumes at a number of coking plants around the UK." Hugh James solicitors will run a series of meetings in collaboration with Bleddyn Hancock, previously General Secretary of National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and
Shotfirers in the coming weeks to help potential claimants.
John Moffat of the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and
Shotfirers union, said: "We realise our mining days are over but we want what we are owed and it does not look as if we are going to get it.
Material for the archive comes from the Durham Miners' Association (NUM North-East), the Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers and the National Association of Colliery Overmen Deputies and
Shotfirers (North-East).
But unions, such as the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and
Shotfirers (NACODS), said they feared the benefit could be scrapped altogether.
I belonged to the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and
Shotfirers -or NACODS for short -and we didn't support the action of the NUM.
Belddyn Hancock from the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and
Shotfirers, estimates that there are up to 2,000 families waiting for compensation.