Picking your brains !!!

[patrickw]

Hi everyone,
I have recently been doing further research in to my maternal grandfather. His occupation was Electric tram driver (they stipulate electric becouse it was about the time of changeover from horse drawn and was apparantly considered more prestigious). My question is this, whilst at work he was electocuted, resulting in serious injury. If this were to happen today, there would be health and safety issues and forms and tribunal etc, but what about then, in the early part of the 20th century. Would this incident have been investigated and recorded? Does anyone know where such records, if they exist could be found?
Thanks for taking the trouble to read this, hope someone has a few ideas,
best wishes
Pat

 

[juliejtp]

Hi Pat,

There are quite a few sites about electric trams but are based on the areas that they operated. If you could find a site for the area that your grandfather lived it may lead you to a link that could be of help.

 

[patrickw]

hi Julie,
thanks for taking the trouble to read this thread and answer. My question refers more to the health and safety issues, rather than the trams or occupation themselves. I have managed to locate those ok, but wondered, today this would be a notifiable incident, was it in those days, and if it was, notifiable to who? I can find no record of the individual accident and just wondered if there was any gov or local bodies in place prior to the health and safety executive being set up. thanks again
Pat

 

[duckweed]

There would have to be an inquest. Any sudden death of that kind would have to have an inquest. A local paper would probably publish the court case.

 

[Hugo Donnachie]

" . . he was electocuted, resulting in serious injury. "

My guess is that there would be a hospital record and a tram company record.

There might also be a Police record.

 

[patrickw]

Hello Hugh and Duckweed,
thanks for your interest and replies. He did not die as a result of this accident, (although his death cerificate some years later added it as a contributary cause) but was seriously injured in it. I understand he lost his lung because of it. I have located some hospital records, but they are very limited ( I guess even now becouse of confidentiality) but not found any police reports. The local press has yeiled nothing yet. Thanks again, Ill contine digging, its snippets like these that add flesh to the bones isnt it.
Best wishes
Pat

 

[duckweed]

Had a thought. The Tram Museum at Crich Derbyshire has an archive about tram companies and employees. The company must have had a record of the accident in their accident reports. Perhaps you could try asking them.

 

[patrickw]

Hello again Duckweed,
thanks very much for that one, thats an avenue I havnt explored.
I will contact them and let you know of any results. Thanks agian to you and other members who have shown an interest. All the best,
Pat

 

[Minden]

If you can get to the tram company's records, they may show what compensation he was paid. I think that's how most elfin safety issues were dealt with back then. He may also have been in a union, which may have some records of work done or cases managed during that time, if the tram company put up a fight or tried to claim that it was his fault.