_ Worthy of mention

Resin Safety Council and

The following is the complete text of the report made by the

IWA Regional Safety Director,

John T. Atkinson, to the 11th

Annual Safety Conference held in Vancouver, March 26.

“The contents of this annual report are herewith pre-
sented as a true record of the work of accident prevention
in the forest industry within the contract jurisdiction of our

union for the past year.
This is the Eleventh annivers-

ary of the organized safety|?ates record splendid progress.

program. The following is a par-

Many plants report the best

tial breakdown of the record for|Trecords in years. It can be said

1959, which had the highest

that extensive use of protective

FOREST INDUSTRY TIME LOSS CLAIMS 7,340

BCLMA Time Loss—Sawmill ..
ECLMA Time Loss—Plywood ..

BCLMA Time Loss—Shingle
B.C. Loggers—Logging

Independents,

Fatals—Logging
B.C. Loggers

Frequency: B.C. Loggers—51.80

Interior Associations,

Total 1,220
Gyppos, Non-Union

Total 6,120
Fatals—Sawmilling ........-. 19
BCLMA—Sawmiill ............ 1
Plywood 1

Shingle 1

COA NY Rope pe ee a So 16

BCLMA—14.10

Estimated work force of above two largest groups—25,000

fatality rate in four years.
BCLMA and B.C. Loggers are
used by virtue of 100% organiza-
tion and complete accuracy.
Proper Analysis

It is of major concern to the
union that a proper analysis and
accurate interpretation be made
of these 1959 accident statistics,
so that the required guidance
may be given the continued suc-
cessful promotion of the Union’s
Safety Program. The compari-
sons of the accident records of
organized groups of employers
with those of the non-union and
independents indicate a _ vast
need of organization and educa-

tion.

A stepped-up program of this
nature by Local Unions and the
Regional Office is already under
way, with increased staff al-
ready in the field. The recent
NHA ruling requiring all lum-
ber to be certified as to grade
before acceptance in the U.S.
market, is having the effect of
driving operators in the interior
into associations, and therefore
into union contract.

The bad safety record of this
group was clearly exposed by
the fact that July, August and
September had high accident
totals in spite of a complete
shut-down in the coastal area,

by strike action.

Safety Week

In spite of the impending
labour crisis, the union again
shared in the promotion of
Safety Week with a_ special
safety program on “Green Gold”
and features on the safety page
of the “Lumber Worker.” Local
Unions issued special bulletins
and participated jointly with
employers in this worthy effort.
It is regrettable that two men
were killed during this week—
one union, one non-union. It is
that the
fewest number of compensable
aecidents occurred in this month
of Safety Week.

Worthy as this effort has
heen, the last meeting of the
Joint Safety Week Committee,
ef which your Safety Director
is Vice-Chairman, has decided
that perhaps the project has
outlived its usefulness and will

not be carried on in 1960.

Sawmills

Reports from Local Unions to
November meeting of the

Minutes of Safety

equipment, regular inspections,
a strong aggressive safety com-
mittee, an educated work force,
plus an enlightened supervision
are contributing factors.

Plywood

B.C. plywood plants continue
to lead in high standards of
working conditions and low acci-
dent frequency rates, Infections
are being kept to a minimum by
proper attention to slivers and
immediate First Aid attention.
It has been reported that the
BCFP, Victoria Plywood Divi-

sion,’ has completed its first
accident-free year.
Shingle

Some improvement in B.C.

shingle mills’ accident rates can
be attributed to the reduction
in contract work and the mad
rush to get rich. None of these
mills has much of a labour turn-
over, which is also a contribut-
ing factor to good records.
Strong safety committees have

done much to improve safe
working conditidns in these
plants.

Logging

Bad accident records reflect
bad supervision, Logging camps
with bad accident records have
bad management, with disinter-
ested supervision. This conclu-
sion is the result of the in-
vestigation of serious and fatal
accidents of the past year in
some of our coast camps. In
these places, safety meetings are
held and no foremen attend. The
only’ company representative is
the First Aid man, or Time-
keeper. No recommendations or
complaints are made to the
safety committee by the crew.
They prefer to bring it up at the

union meeting as a “beef” or
grievance.
This is completely wrong and

should not be allowed by the
union camp committee. Business
agents and loca] union officials
can do much to correct this sad
situation when visiting these
camps. This is the exception,
rather than rule in coast camps
--many of them have excellent
records and tough, aggressive
safety committees, Coast logging
will receive special attention
this coming year in answer to
written requests from Local
Unions.
Interior

Union militancy and team-
work in safety has produced
good results on the safety
records of the Prince George
Local. A willingness to fight and
work for safety has produce

WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

John T. Condemns Record
Of Southern Interior

ST. RY. CO-OP
AUDITORIUM

pn Nas

aa

IWA SAFETY COUNCIL OFFICERS from left: John T. Atkinson, Regional Safety Director and Ist Vice-

President of the Safety Council;

Gil Ingram, Chairman of the Council; and Cliff Michael, Council Secretary.

Seated behind are: George Mitchell, Regional Secretary-Treasurer; and Jack Moore, Regional 1st Vice-President.

the results we seek — fewer
people hurt and killed, better
and safer places to work. Much
credit is due to the NILA for
the amazing progress made in
the last five years.

The picture is certainly dif-
ferent in the South. The ILA has
the most pitiful and ineffective
program in the whole industry.
Until this situation is corrected, |
the work and efforts of a usion
drive will be largely wasted. An
official complaint to the WC3!
by this office has already been |
made. Further to this it is neces-
sary that action by the local |
unicns involved and the interior!
Regional Office must be under-}
taken.

}

Alberta-Saskatchewan
No reports have come from |
Alberta regarding progress since |
our last annual meeting, but an}
official request for the attention |
of the safety director has been |
received. H

The expansion of the safety
program to Loca! 1-184, Prince!
Albert, Saskatchewan, has been |
directed by President Morris. !

iV velop

This will be undertaken by the
Regional Safety Director, and
arrangements made for a series
of meetings with the employer
group, Workman’s Compensation
Board officials. On-the-job meet-
ings have been planned for mill
crews On a group hasis.

National Safety Council

The labour division’s most im-
portant project in 1959 has been
the compilation of the Labour
Manual, Some satisfaction: will

| be gained by IWA members who

over the years have helped de-
union ovolicy in safety.
They recognize the trend. of
IWA thinking in its finished
edition.

Your safety director has been
| invited by Geo. T. Brown, Safety
Director, AFL-CIO, Washington,
D.C., to speak for labour at the
National Congress: in Chicago
in October, The Regional Execu-
tive Board has directed that he
fulfil the request.”

Respectfully submitted,
John T. Atkinson,
Safety Director,
WESTERN CANADIAN
REGIONAL COUNCIL
No. 1, (WA.

Sai fei ty

Briets

New eae Can Shock
Don’t be overawed by those new, much-advertised, cheap

TV antennas that plug in a wal

| socket and “‘turn your house

wiring into a giant antenna.” They are potentially dangerous,

according to Consumer Bulletin

After tests the magazine concluded,

magazine.
“A coupling capacitor

used in plug-in antennas tested was rated at a working voltage

of .1,000 volts. However,
densers in TV receivers do fail,

if one should fail,

and such con-
as any serviceman can attest,

then a potential of 115 volts will be applied to the TV set.
Depending on circuit design of TV models and especially with

sets that have metal cabinets,
dangerous shock hazard present.’

there could be a severe and

Wringer Washers—Big Problem

Despite the increased use of
thousands of children and ad

automatic washing machines,
ults are injured in wringer

washers each year, according to a report by the American

Standards Association. There
wringer washers in operation in
700,000 sold each year. The ass
mittee to recommend minimum
washers.

are an estimated 30 million
the country today, and about
ociation is considering a com-
safety standards for wringer

Jail For Careless Smokers?

Is a person who carelessly s

tarts a fire that kills someone

guilty of manslaughter? Some think he is as legally liable as

if he ran down a pedestrian with
ning to think that way too.

his auto. The courts are begin-

Last fall in Columbus, Ohio, a 45-year-old man, smoking
a cigarette, fell asleep and started a fire that killed his four

grandchildren, sleeping upstairs.

The city or state had no statute under which they could

try him for manslaughter, but th

ey did convict him of violating .

a careless fire ordinance. His sentence was six months in the
workhouse, but it was increased to three years under the

“habitual offender charge.”
Flaming

Foam

Most persons think white plastic foam, extensively used in

home decorations, is fireproof.

But it burns easily, as was

proved in a holiday fire in Oklahoma City. An electric lamp
cord came in contact with a plastic foam Christmas ornament,

igniting it.
The plastic, known as expand
burns vigorously and fills the

ed polystyrene, ignites quickly,
air with a thick black ash,

causing serious smoke damage, according to Dan Hollingsworth,

director of the Oklahoma City S

afety Council.

Victoria BCFP

Wins Satety
Award

The Victoria Plywood Divi-
sion of British Columbia
Forest Products Limited has
won a significant International
Award for Safety as a result
of its outstanding record in
1959.

The award is given annually
to a.member of the National

Safety Council with the lowest
accident frequency rate in
Group A plywood plants. Group
A plants are the largest in North
America, During 1959 Victoria
Plywood Division of British
Columbia Forest Products Limi-
ted had a frequency rate of
zero, the only plywood operation
in a group of 16 plants to work
the entire year accident free.
This is the second such honor
won by this plant, and on two
different occasions the crew has
worked over one ‘million man-
hours without a loss time acci-
dent.

This remarkable achievement
was made possible through the
co-operative efforts of the
management, the crew, the
union and the Workmen’s Com- .
pensation Board in combatting
accidents in one of British
Columbia’s basic industries.

Time Out

“So she’s sore at her husband.
I always thought he was per-
fect. In their ten years of
married life, hasn’t he always _
turned his check over to her the
first of every month?”

“Yeah, but she discovered he
gets paid on the fifteenth, too.”

%

“Y’m warning you,” said the
exasperated piano teacher to his
pupil, “if you don’t behave your-
self, I'll tell your parents you
have ae

Waiter: One who thinks that
money grows on trays.

Marriage auudies a man to
find out what kind.of husband
his wife would have preferred.

bo

What a pleasant world this

would be if only the right people
had the inferiority complexes.
* * *

“Doctor, what can you say to a
girl who is so scary she jumps
into the nearest man’s arms every
time she’s frightened?”

Doctor: “Boo!”

* * *

“Ts he really fat?”

“Fat! Why, last winter he had
the mumps for three weeks before

he found out about it.”
* * *