This sign was displayed near to the cage where miners would ride down into the mine. It would have been used from around 1950 to 1985.
Contraband was a general term used for cigarettes, pipes, lighters and any other items that were banned from the mine. It was a dismissable offence to carry contraband into the mine and men were randomly searched before they started their shift at the coalface.
The naked flame from a smoker's match or lighter could instantly ignite firedamp and cause an explosion. Contraband was prohibited from the mine to prevent accidents and for the safety and welfare of the miners.
