Many years ago - in fact on my 18th Birthday - my father ( an ex collier )arranged a trip for me down the Lady Windsor Pit near Pontypridd. This was not a tourists trip, I found out later he had ploted over the beer with the NUM lodge Chairman to give me a hard time, to kill any thoughts I harboured about the romantic ideals of working underground.

One thing that I do recall was being shown the first aid stations, at regular intervals, with the first aid cabinets.

Crucial to each station was the locked boxes containing Morphine and other drugs. The keys were kept by qualified first aiders. I understand that this was UK practice, not so different from the USA. Also in the box, I was told, were grease pencils to mark on the victim the time and dose so that there would be no confusion when removed to hospital.

Gareth