At work, the miner of the Middle Ages in Europe wore the normal costume for his local region - pit trousers (Grubenhose), shoes and miner's jacket (Bergkittel).

Even the manufacturer of the helmets, the 3M Company, warned that the proposal had flaws, including the agency's acknowledgement that many miners would not always wear the helmets properly.

So miners wore Raft cast-offs ?

The miners wore rubber boots and insulated overalls and slickers, Dr. Dumire said, because the mine, 240 feet below ground, was only 50 to 55 degrees.

Not just the miners themselves, but their families, wives and teenage children, babies, and grandmothers wear camouflage hats, T-shirts, trousers.

A comely female miner wears off-the-shoulder rags and mines topless when the temperature gets high.

The legislation requires miners to wear wireless devices so they can be found more quickly.

He and five other miners (plus four wives and two children) wore camouflage fatigues and sneakers.

"I know ... what about those environmental suits the miners wear?"

As Mr. Gribonov spoke, he shifted on the kneepads that the miners wear as they scramble on all fours in the cramped tunnels.