Aberfan 50 Years On

On October 21st 1966 the catastrophic collapse of the Aberfan colliery spoil tip, near Merthyr Tydfil, changed the lives of many and the way mines and quarries were managed for the future.

Within minutes of the collapse, the children and teachers at Pantglas Junior School were inundated by slurry and died. The timing was tragic - just minutes earlier and the children would not have been in their classrooms, while a few hours later would have been the start of half-term. Great rescue efforts were made but, sadly, few lives could be saved. The impact of the disaster on the families, the rescue workers and the community was immense and the words ‘Aberfan disaster’ still resonate with older generations today.

This series of talks aims to reflect on the disaster 50 years ago, to explore the impact of such disasters on communities in the immediate and the long term, and to highlight the importance of industry to the health and wellbeing of communities across the UK.

One of the first medics on the scene at Aberfan was a 5th year medical student. Fifty years on, Professor Sir Mansel Aylward will talk about his experiences at arriving at the school and the effect it has had on him throughout his career.

Professor Ewan Macdonald was the ‘mines doctor’ in the Yorkshire coalfield and too will describe how tragedies impact on the life of the workers and their families.

Professor Sir Anthony Newman Taylor will take us through a journey of industrial medicine as the chair of The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council from 1996 to 2008.

Professor Dame Carol Black will bring us to the future and what we, as the medical profession today, can do to improve the health and wellbeing of our workers.