North Somerset's Guss and Crook

A piece of rope and chain that made young miners into beasts of burden underground. Unique to the North Somerset coalfields. The ropes would chafe and create burns which were tattooed by the coaldust leaving indelible scars. 

More info here

Above. Somerset miners and carting boys wearing the device - my Grandfather was 12 when he had to wear one. Right: here's the only known photo of the guss and crook being used by the carting boy at left. Newbury pit.