It built on earlier regulations and provided for many improvement to safety and other aspects of the coal mining industry.

In the United Kingdom a series of disasters in the 19th century brought about royal commissions which developed the idea of improving mine safety.

Concerned that a similar disaster might happen in British collieries, the Royal Commission was formed, reporting back in 1907, 1909 and 1911.

[2] On 9 April 1908 an explosion at Norton Hill Collieries at Westfield approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) underground killed 10 men and boys.

[3] The civil servant Malcolm Delevingne had a significant influence on safety regulations in factories and mines.

[5] Richard Redmayne joined the Home Office as the first Chief Inspector of Mines in 1908 and worked with Delevingne to bring about the Act 1911.

[6] The royal commission reports led to the Coal Mines Act 1911, which came force into December that year.

[9] It embodied legislation in the United Kingdom regarding the management of mines, safety provisions, health, accidents, regulations, employment, inspectors and other subjects.

[18] The 1911 act required mine operators to guard against coal dust explosions, but did not dictate the approach to be taken.

The inquiry did not establish the cause of the explosion but did find that the company had failed to comply with the Act's requirement to install reversible fans and to measure underground air currents.