Echoes Fall 1997 Mine Safety By Jake Brouwer 1. If you absolutely must go in then do so in pairs and leave someone at the entrance to go for help. Go with a professional if you can. Mines can be the home to many creatures that you may not want to meet under any circumstances, let alone in the darkness with one route of escape. To name just a few, Black widow spiders , scorpions , raccoons, bears, and the not so friendly rattlesnake .
Snakes are a particular hazard in shallow shafts and shafts with near-surface work levels.
A mineshaft can be very deceptive. Because there is little or no light in the hole most people do not hesitate to peer over the edge and look in. The fall into a shaft however can be just as lethal as falling off a sheer cliff. The timber in old mines is usually decayed. Often it has the appearance of a perfectly good piece of wood when actually it could be crushed with just the squeeze of the hand.