Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...

coal mine Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron fro ...

s means items which not allowed to be taken underground in a coal mine because if there is

firedamp Firedamp is any flammable gas found in coal mines, typically coalbed methane. It is particularly found in areas where the coal is bituminous. The gas accumulates in pockets in the coal and adjacent strata and when they are penetrated the relea ...

about they may start a fire or explosion. This includes: matches, tobacco and other smoking materials, anything that may cause sparks, anything with electric components except what has been safety-approved. They have to be declared before going down and left there, and collected after coming out of the mine.

References

{{mining-stub Coal mining