Working as an underground mechanical engineer in the early 1980s, Robinson then tried his hand at mines rescue training and is now consulting for various coal mining companies worldwide on mine rescue services and breathing apparatus.

Robinson’s father, a rescue brigadesman at Mansfield rescue station, paved the way for him and his older brother, who at one stage both found themselves working under their father at the same rescue station.

To date, Robinson has had over 40 articles published in major emergency service and mining magazines on various aspects of breathing apparatus, confined space entry and rescue work and mines rescue and casualty protection.

Six years ago, Robinson compiled a series of articles reviewing and testing European and American compressed air breathing apparatus (CABA), the largest review of its kind ever compiled.

International Longwall News talks to 46-years-young Brian Robinson about his experiences and memories in the industry:

Q:What is your earliest mining memory?

A: I was probably around six years old, living in the mining area of Chesterfield and Mansfield, seeing the pit headgears etc, and living on a full-time rescue station, beginning to understand mining was a big way of life for the area. Also seeing dad “turn out” in the middle of the night when the bells went off, going to an emergency.

Q: What made you choose mining as a career?

A: A logical step then, jobs were still fairly easy to get in the National Coal Board, I managed to get a mechanical apprenticeship, and I thought it looked a secure, rest-of-life job. How wrong a lot were assuming that in the UK! To be honest I didn’t want any other career other than mining, even from a young age.

Q: What was your favourite job in a coal mine?

A: As a rescue man, but I suppose that doesn’t really count as we’re only “visiting”. Secondly, salvaging old districts, very quiet, yes sometimes spooky. The best, developing new longwall faces, rapid work, knowing you were the first ever to see that bit of virgin coal. Boring and firing.

Q: What was your least favourite job?

A: That’s an easy one – Friday nightshift on a boring job, say changing pans on an AFC.

Q: Who, or what, has most influenced your mining career?

A: Another easy one – my dad, Wilf Robinson. Also my ex-superintendent and mentor Derek Broom.

Q: What do you consider your best mining achievement?

A: Gaining my rescue officers certificate, not quite the mine managers ticket, but a hard achievement. Being asked by such as the Mines Inspectorate to do presentations on rescue etc.

Q:What do you see as being the greatest mining development during your career?

A: Use of FSVs [free steered vehicles] underground instead of relying on rail bound traffic pulled by stationary haulage engines, or diesel loco’s even. Now something as small as the use of LED caplamps giving superior light to the user.

Q: Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?

A: To have my own small coal mine. To travel more to other countries and assist in setting up new rescue facilities, or make old ones better. To make more money of course!

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment in a coal mine?

A: Getting an FSV [scoop tram to non-UK readers] stuck in the rings [arched roof supports] the first time I drove one and having to ask someone to get it out, oops. Or maybe having to tell people that we still used the Seibe Gorman “Proto” apparatus as late as 1988 in British Coal, a supposed leader in world coal mining.

Q: What was your scariest time in a coal mine?

A: As a fitter, nightshift on the M3 salvage face, at Garw colliery, a huge hole up to the next seam was visible on the face, the ground was so bad it had stopped the face. As we were moving the AFC and chocks the ground started moving big-time. It was like thunder rolling from the front of the face back over the gob for maybe 100m. I thought the world was ending.

Same pit, having ghostly things happen, normally on a nightshift when you were on your own, so not sure if it was “real” or not. Also as a rescue man, attending an explosion at Merthyr Vale colliery in ‘86, standing by at the Fresh Air Base when a second explosion took place inbye. A little unnerving to say the least, especially as we had not long come out from the area. Words beginning with S & F were being muttered by all, including big brother and myself!

Q: What is your worst memory of coal mining?

A: Knowing someone that has been killed underground. Realising that coal mining in the UK was all but finished and seeing 120,000 UK miners out of work.

Q: Do you think that the day of the fully automated remotely operated face is near?

A: No! Certainly not in Europe with the geology we have – even in flat seams in say the US or Australia I think it’s still a pipedream for now. If the face geology and equipment is that good, it’s safe to have people on the face anyway.

Q: What major improvements would you like to see on longwall operations?

A: Increased coalface lighting – but even that has swings and roundabouts. Padded support canopies so you don’t scrape your back – only joking!

Q: What changes have you seen in mine rescue over your career?

A: Positive pressure breathing apparatus has a big safety advantage for the wearer.

Other than that, mine rescue still involves a rescue team walking into an area that is completely hostile, to assist miners in difficulty, the same thing that has been going on since the Fluess apparatus was invented in 1880, and even the heroes before that who attempted rescue without apparatus.

Q: What could be done to make things better for both survival and rescue workers?

A: Better, smaller, lighter self-rescuers that are proven to work in hostile conditions, to give the miners the chance of escape they deserve. At present manufacturers seem to think we’re asking the impossible though.

Better communications and accountability systems, again that are proven to survive after say a mine explosion. Even today’s modern breathing apparatus could be improved on, to make them stronger, and easier to use. Allowing the use of Thermal Imaging Cameras in coal mines to assist rescue teams is a must!

Q: Any funny tales from the coalface?

A: Being sent to, and lowered down, a long disused coal shaft that had opened up, to rescue a car (unoccupied) and other garage equipment that had gone down as the insurance wouldn’t pay up without the evidence. We would never get away with it on risk assessment these days. *see pictures

Being sent into ...click here to read on.