| Year | Month | Day | Name of Colliery | Where situated | Owners name | Person(s) killed | Occupation | Age | Cause of death and remarks | Extra Details |
| 1872 | January | 3 | Bellshill | Holytown, LKS | Mossend Iron Co | A Wingate | Oversman | 60 | Explosion of fire damp. He went into an old working containing fire damp without a safety lamp | The overman of the pit, an old experienced man, went with a naked light into a disused working containing gas. It would appear that he had just been discussing with his companion the propriety of having a safety lamp, when the gas exploded and burned them both. He died, his companion recovered. |
| 1872 | January | 6 | Shieldmuir | Holytown, LKS | Wilsons & Co | P McTavish | Drawer | 20 | Fall of roof | |
| 1872 | January | 8 | Allanton | Hamilton, LKS | John Austine & Co | John Simmons | Collier | 30 | Fall of roof at stoops | Newspaper Report (date given as 11th Jan) |
| 1872 | January | 9 | Govan No 5 pit | Glasgow | W S Dixon | Hugh McGarey | Brusher | 50 | Fall of a “set” of gearing in one of the main roads while engaged making repairs | |
| 1872 | January | 12 | Polkemmet | Bathgate | Shotts Iron Co | Wm Stafford | Drawer | 15 | Fell down shaft | |
| 1872 | January | 13 | Rosehall | Holytown, LKS | Robert Addie & Sons | G Flanagan | Collier | 30 | Fall of coal | |
| 1872 | January | 18 | Knownoble | Wishaw, LKS | James Dick | Alex Anderson | Labourer | 60 | Fell down shaft with tub | |
| 1872 | January | 18 | Hill of Beath | Dunfermline, FIF | Ord Adams | James Sanders | Bottomer | 55 | Hurt by cage resting on him at pit bottom | |
| 1872 | January | 20 | Solesgirth No 2 pit | Kirkintilloch | William Wallace | John Boyle | Brusher | 42 | Fall of stone while engaged taking it down | |
| 1872 | January | 25 | Govan No 5 pit | Glasgow | W S Dixon | Alexander Waugh | Collier | 50 | Caught at the pitmouth by attempting to go off the cage while it was in motion | |
| 1872 | January | 30 | Rosehall No 10 | Coatbridge, LKS | Robert Addie & Sons | John Nicol | Charburner | 62 | Fell down the shaft from the surface | |
| 1872 | February | 5 | Grange | Bo'ness | Henry Cadell | George Grant | Miner | 25 | Fall of roof | Newspaper report |
| 1872 | February | 6 | Cuttlehill | Dunfermline, FIF | Henderson & Wallace | Wm Shepherd | Brusher | 17 | Fall of roof | |
| 1872 | February | 6 | Gartsherrie No 1 | Coatbridge, LKS | Wm Baird & Co | William Ferrie | Trimmer | 19 | Fall of wood in the pit while engaged making repairs |
From the evidence of the engineman, the cage in the "rise"
side of the shaft, while being brought to the surface, caught
against the guides, or wooden midwall, near to the pit mouth,
when the cage got displaced, or driven out of the guides. After the cage had been put into the guides, which took some time to do, the deceased, who was pit-head man, and his assistant went on to the cage for the purpose of examining the guides and machinery, or ascertaining the amount of repair required. They were lowered slowly, and made slight alterations at two places ; after which, at their request they were lowered to the pit bottom. When the opposite cage to that in which the deceased were, approached near to the surface, or at the place where the " rise " cage was displaced, it suddenly caught the guides, and they (four) being bolted together, were carried up for a short distance, and afterwards fell over into the " rise " side, or division of the shaft into which the deceased were being lowered. The cover of the cage failed to protect the unfortunate sufferers, who were both fatally injured. It was inconsiderate of the deceased under the circumstances to go on to the cage, as they were not strictly speaking the persons expected to undertake such repairs. From what I could observe of the state of things after the accident, the woodwork had been overworn, and if not insufficient, was indifferently secured. Newspaper report |
| Thos Creig | Pithead man | 60 | ||||||||
| 1872 | February | 6 | Common, No 10 | Lugar | Eglinton Iron Co | William Murdock | Roadsman | 52 | Crushed by the cage when crossing the shaft | |
| 1872 | February | 8 | Stevenston | Stevenston | Merry & Cunningham | Chas Matthews | Brusher | 40 | Fall of coal while taking it down | |
| 1872 | February | 10 | Barleith, No 1 | Kilmarnock | John Galloway | Arthur Foster | Bottomer | 40 | Fell from a mid-working, six fathoms | There were three seams of coal being worked at different levels, and hutches were placed upon the cages at these several landings. From the frequency of this description of accident in some parts of this district, attention has often been directed to the insecurity of the system. By the new Mines Regulation Act, General Rule 14, I trust that a complete stop will be put to this reckless and insecure system of working, or that something effective will be introduced, so as to render such accidents impossible. They are undoubtedly preventible, and should never take place. |
| 1872 | February | 14 | Blantyre | Hamilton, LKS | W S Dixon | John Bodman | Pithead man | 30 | Crushed between cage and frame at surface | Newspaper report |
| 1872 | February | 19 | Common, No 3 | Cumnock | Eglinton Iron Co | Andrew Muir | Drawer | 13 | Crushed between two hutches while running an empty hutch down an incline | |
| 1872 | March | 1 | Loanhead | Dalkeith, Edinburgh | Shotts Iron Co | Samuel Hoskins | Collier | 24 | Falling down incline | |
| 1872 | March | 1 | Gartshore, No 5 | Kilsyth | Wm Baird & Co | Patrrick Lappins | Collier | 49 | Explosion of fire damp. | Happened in a fiery pit, in one of the usual working places. It appears that the fireman on the morning of the accident reported the place clear of firedamp, and the person usually engaged in it, worked safely till 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It is a question whether the ventilation had not been partially checked by loose coals having been placed in the air course, as after the accident, the deceased's lamp was found hanging within a foot of the roof, near to the face, where it is assumed he had been working with it at the time of the explosion. The seam is unusually steep, and a slight check in the air course would be immediately followed by an accumulation of gas. |
| 1872 | March | 9 | Ellismuir, No 2 | Baillieston | Provanhall Coal Co | John Doyle | Brusher | 44 | Fall of roof | |
| 1872 | March | 11 | Heathery Knowe, No 2 | Baillieston | Heathery Knowe Coal Co | Thos McInney | Collier | 21 | Fall of roof | |
| 1872 | March | 14 | Robroyston | Bishopbriggs | James Dunlop & Co | James Stanton | Smith | 63 | Fell down the shaft | |
| 1872 | April | 6 | Greenhill | Holytown, LKS | Robert Young | H McGairn | Miner | 30 | Fall of coal | |
| 1872 | April | 10 | Gauchalland, No 4 | Galston | Gauchalland Coal Co | George Lindsay | Boy | 13 | Fall of roof | |
| 1872 | April | 13 | Gadgirth No 1 | Ayr | Geo Taylor & Co | John Welsh | Fireman | 40 | Explosion of fire damp. |
Happened to a fireman, who in the course of his examination went into a heading with his open light, and ignited a small quantity of gas, by which he was burned, and died from the effects. This is the old story, and it is difficult to conceive how an experienced workman should so far peril his life, when by using a safety lamp, which he had with him at the time, his examination could have been made with safety. The deceased was fireman, and at the time of the accident
was engaged going his round of examination. The pit was not fiery,
and it appears that the only fire-damp known to exist at the
time did not extend to more than one or two places. The deceased
had, in the course of his examinations, been in the habit of
proceeding with his open light to within a certain distance of
the places suspected to contain gas. And, as afterwards explained
by himself, he had by some mistake on the morning of the accident
gone beyond the point of safety. |
| 1872 | April | 16 | Shieldmuir | Wishaw, LKS | Wishaw Iron Co | Pet. Carrol | Labourer | 60 | Crushed by waggons at screens | |
| 1872 | April | 18 | Bonnyton | Kilmarnock | John Gilmour & Co | David Brown | Boy drawer | 15 | Caught by the cage, which was raised without a signal whilst he was engaged putting a hutch upon it | |
| 1872 | April | 18 | Drumpeller No 3 | Coatbridge, LKS | Wilsons & Co | Andrew Clarkson | Oversman | 48 | Fall of roof | The pit, Drumpeller No. 3, is 120 fathoms deep to the Kiltongue coal, and is the only seam at present being worked. The roof immediately overlying the coal is strong. The accident took place at the bottom of the main incline, where it joins the pit-bottom level. Lachlan, the "bencher," was constantly employed there, and Clarkson, the underground manager, had just reached the place, in company with one of the roadsmen, when a part of the roof fell unexpectedly, and the manager and "bencher " were both crushed under it. This sad accident happened at one of the busiest points of the mine, where all the persons intrusted with the care of the roadways were constantly passing, and in which the manager was at the time advising regarding the general operations. This description of accident is the most difficult to deal with; the security or insecurity of a roof is a question of judgement, and unfortunately in many cases there is very little to guide, further than the uncertain sounding of the roof, which at the best is but an unsatisfactory test, and often treacherous and misleading. |
| Francis McLachlan | Boy | 16 | ||||||||
| 1872 | April | 25 | Mossend | Holytown, LKS | Mossend Iron Co | Hugh Maxwell | Collier | 65 | Fall of stone from roof | |
| 1872 | April | 25 | Dalhousie | Dalkeith, Edinburgh | Arch. Hood | J Lawson | Boy | 13 | A revolving screen was started by mistake when he was inside oiling the machinery | |
| 1872 | April | 29 | Hillhead, No 7 | Kilmarnock | J & M Craig | John Tyre | Collier | 16 | Fall of roof at face. | |
| 1872 | May | 1 | Law Colliery | Wishaw, LKS | John Wilson | John Gillies | Bottomer | 25 | Carried over pullies | |
| 1872 | May | 3 | Cliland | Holytown, LKS | W S Dixon | Thos Jose | Bottomer | 60 | Cage dropped off rope while he was ascending it | A very unusual accident occurred at Cleland, whereby a man was killed by the cage on which he was ascending getting detached from the rope. It appears that the rope had been too long, and when the cage rested at the pit bottom the slack chain wound round the muzzle and bolt, and broke the "split locking," which kept the bolt in its place. By degrees the bolt worked out, and unfortunately about mid-day, when the deceased was ascending the shaft, it came out altogether, and the cage, with the deceased, fell to the bottom and he was killed. I think a nut with a pin through it, or the bolt screwed into the muzzle, is better than a split locking. |
| 1872 | May | 8 | Greenhead | Wishaw, LKS | Robert Brand | Jas McMurdo | Driver | 17 | Found drowned in a pond underground | |
| 1872 | May | 18 | Whitehill | Dalkeith, Edinburgh | Arch. Hood | A Kerr | Collier | 40 | Fall of coal | |
| 1872 | June | 3 | Gartshore, No 4 | Kilsyth | Wm Baird & Co | Alex Hay | Engineman | 20 | Fell from part way down while assisting to screw up pipes | |
| 1872 | June | 4 | Clydesdale | Wishaw, LKS | Archd. Russell | John Farrel | Labourer | 52 | Carried into pit by a rope which was being uncoiled | |
| 1872 | June | 6 | Westmuir | Shettleston | Robt. Gray & Co | James Russell | Collier | 18 | Fall of roof at face. | |
| 1872 | June | 11 | Campsie | Lennoxtown | Hurlet and Campsil Alum Co | Dennis Gallacher | Collier | 17 | Fall of roof | |
| 1872 | June | 11 | Grougar No 4 | Galston | Eglinton Iron Co | James Jones | Boy | 16 | Fall of coal | |
| 1872 | June | 14 | Twechar, No 1 | Kilsyth | Wm Baird & Co | Daniel Ralston | Miner | 40 | Fall of roof at face. | |
| 1872 | June | 14 | Woodside | Hamilton, LKS | Jas Smith & sons | David Brown | Miner | -- | Fall of coal | |
| 1872 | June | 15 | Trees | Bathgate | W Torrance | C Blade | Miner | -- | Fall of coal | |
| 1872 | June | 28 | Robroyston | Bishopbriggs | James Dunlop & Co | James Broatch | Smith | 30 | By a fall of stones from the side of the shaft |
