Following a mine fire or explosion, mine rescuers would enter the mine carrying a canary in a small wooden or metal cage. Any sign of distress from the canary was a clear signal that the conditions underground were unsafe.
The practice was only phased out of British mines in the mid-1980s and reports as late as last year have come out of India showing the practice is still used in some mines. Canaries also found similar use in the automobile industry: the bird was used by the first Mercedes-Benz airbag desginers – placed in passenger compartments to check for leaks from the airbag.
Photo courtesy United States Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, National Mine Health and Safety Academy, Technical Information Center & Library, Bureau of Mines Collection.
This photo forms part of Australian and American Longwall Magazines' flashback series. Click on the photo to enlarge.
