Coal mining can, at times, be a dangerous occupation and the miner has endured more than his fair share of accidents.
Doctors and nurses don't work underground in the roadways or on the coal faces.
A nurse may be in the medical centre on the surface but that would depend on the time of the accident. If the accident was on the night shift the nurse would most likely be off duty and the medical centre would be manned by an attendant who had certain basic medical qualifications.
Underground working areas could possibly be an hour or more travelling time from the surface. So if an accident took place it could take quite a while to obtain medical assistance from a doctor or a nurse.
Time can sometimes mean the difference between a miner living or dying. It's not always possible to wait, if a man has stopped breathing for instance, he has to receive help immediately. If help is not given within minutes, brain damage becomes a serious possibility. Or if a man is bleeding profusely from a wound, efforts have to be made to minimize the loss of blood as much as possible.
This is one reason why the miner holds first aiders in high regard, if they were needed they could save your life. Officials such as deputies were first aiders because it was part of their job and they were obliged to hold a current first aid certificate. But there were other workers who also obtained first aid qualifications, and most miners knew who they were and where they were working.
In the event of an accident these men were nearly always relieved of their normal duties and they went to the accident scene and administered first aid.
