News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 18th Year

Issue

Issue No.

12

Date Released

Aug 1965

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. National Story - Transport Today
• 2. Lincolnshire - Gently Does It
• 3. Scotland - On the Mat
• 4. National Story - NCB - TV

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

NoS synopsis: Exhibition of the scientific use of muscle power
NCB Commentary - The Derbyshire Miners’ Welfare Holiday Centre at Skegness stretches for a quarter of a mile along the sea-front.
Despite the distractions outside there’s a capacity crowd indoors, to watch teams from all over Britain competing in the National First Aid Competitions.
Six Durham trainees and their instructor gave an exhibition of the scientific use of musle power - they call it Kinetic handling.
Take a look at the medically approved way of carrying a small but heavy load. So far, so good.
Now the boy on the left is lifting the rock like most of us would - straight legs, head down, elbows out, gripping with fingers only. So he’s way off balance.
The other lad has the right idea - straight back, full grip with the palms of the hands, arms close in, head up. The leg muscles, the strongest in the body, do the work. No strain on the back.
See how a member of the audience tries to lift a 7 ft. pit-prop. He’s using his back-muscles, and he’s risking trouble.
16 year old Peter Cloe has the right idea. He takes a good grip and - again - he uses his legs to give the lift. A push forward and the prop topples over to be cradled in his arms close to the body. Looks easy, and it is. This is common sense in action.
The short boy on the left is carrying a hydraulic prop over half his own weight. He lowers it by bending from the knees - and he puts one edge down first to leave room for his fingers.
To lift the prop, he tilts it forward, keeps it close to his body and lets his legs do the work.
This new handling method applies to everything we do - lifting up a baby or carrying a stretcher.
However much mining becomes mechanised. There’ll always be some fetching and carrying. So Kinetics has become an essential part of training.
Remember, then - get down to the job, head up, chin in, good grip, arms close and let the legs do the work. Then you’ll never join the army of sufferers who go around moaning about their aching backs.

Keywords

Science and technology

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases
Films on Coal Catalogue   1969, p.50
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit