B.C.

LUMBER WORKER

< JANUARY TAKES TOLL

By William N. Gray, Provisional

Secretary, District Safety
Council, IWA

Do you know that there were
120 compensable accidents in the
logging camps west of the Cas-
eades in the month of January,
1949? We thought they were
closed down because of snow.
Did you know that there was
‘man killed in the saw mills
division?
_.We cannot bring him back to
life, but we can, and we must,
stop others from losing their
lives in the wood working indus-

i

ow can we as a union, stimu-
late a greater interest in acei-
dent prevention?

Brothers and sisters, that is
where we all have a part, That
is why we have this space in The
Lumber Worker and time on the
air, That is why I am writing
this in the hope that some of you

i or disagree with me,

will arse
and. give us your ideas on the

reduce accidents in any mill
or camp or other phase of the
woodworking industry, we must
first of all list all the causes of

. ‘ ;

>
1 DEAD - 120 INJURED

functioning; that these commit-
tees turn in regular reports from
their respective plants or camps:
Educate these plant Safety
Committees so that they can effi-
ciently investigate accidents and
make recommendations: to pre-
vent recurrence of accidents;
That they make periodical in-
spections of equipment and note
dangerous or wrong working ha-
bits of the employees, and see
that any existing dangers are
corrected as soon as possible;
That they make every attempt
to arouse and stimulate the in-
terest of the men in seeing that
their equipment is in proper con-
dition and that they use it safely.
Last but not least, that they
know the rules and regulations of
the Workmen’s Compensation
Act and see that the employer
and the employees carry out its
provisions. See that all conditions
in the Master Agreement are car-
ried out, “
Now let us dexl with the rea-
sons for these suggestions. If
there is no one from the union on
the job to see that the rules of
safely are enforeed, then the
union is not carrying out its part
of the Master Agreement, and is
met looking after the interests of
e © worker as it is supposed to
lo.
Your Local Safety Council uses
the minutes of the plant safety

| spuvpities in the same way that

uses an inspection

on your
and vice

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PAGE

HOW TO MAKE
YOUR COUNCIL
WORK WELL

By Michael A. Skuzanski,
District Safety Director

No safety council or safety
program will run itself. To be
successful, the interest and drive
of union executives must not only
be behind the program, but that
fact must be readily apparent to
all.

The following might be con-
sidered to be minimum require-
ments of a properly functioning
local safety council:

1. See that appointments are
made on every job to keep ac-
cident prevention committees
at full membership at all
times. Also to see that these
committee members function
properly and if they fail to do
so, to replace them with
others.

2...See that joint safety meetings
of union and company repre-
sentatives are held regularly.

3. See that proper minutes of
these meetings are kept and
posted on bulletin boards so
that the entire crew will know
of actions and recommenda-
tions of the safety committee.
Also see that action is taken
in regard to every decision of
the committee. A copy of the
minutes should be mailed to
the Local Safety Council.

The following are a few of the
dangers which local safety coun-
cils should bring to the attention
of members.

Power Saw Falling

Falling by means of power
saws calls for far greater ability
than the mere knowledge of how
to run a gasoline engine or an
electric motor. Learning to land a
tree safely in a predetermined
position requires years of experi-
ence. You don’t become a faller
just by learning to run a power
Saw.

Falling is a hazardous occupa-
tion even for experienced men.
Power saws make it still more
hazardous because they speed up
the operation of falling a tree.
Safety committees should make
it their business to see that at
least one member of a power saw
erew is an experienced faller.

Crews which have to work in
the vicinity of fallers, and parti-
cularly those using power saws,

“| must be on the alert. Make sure

the falling crew knows you are
there and be ready to move fast
when the warning is given. Wear
hard hats at all times.
Inspection of Rigging

Noticeable increases in acci-
dents have been found. where rig-
ging is not kept up to the neces-
sary standards.

BE SURE bark is removed
from trees at the point the rig-
ging is attached.

BE SURE sufficient care is be-
ing used in choosing holding
stumps. Make sure they are big
enough and sufficiently well-
rooted.

BE SURE that worn rigging is
promptly replaced. Request more
supervision if necessary on this
phase of the operations.

The woods foreman superinten-
dent is required by the Accident
Prevention Regulations to ex-

amine“ and approve 5} trees
and rigging. zd

mills of that state is more
service in a theatre of war.

Jations. :

more deaths in proportion to

As an example of the result of attention to safety
measures the report compares the lumber industry with
the steel] and cement industries.

Both of these were at one time among the most dan-
gerous occupations, but due to careful attention to safety
they are now among the safest in American industry.

In British Columbia the industry is even more haza
dous than in California as there are more accidents and

FRONT LINE COMBAT
SAFER THAN WOODS —

The Department of Industrial Relations of the State
of California reports that working in the woods and saw-

dangerous than combatant

Of the 34,000 employed in the industry in California
last year, 6,456 were disabled and 69 killed. The depart-
ment claims that most of these accidents could have been
avoided had there been strict observance of safety regu-

@

the total number employed.

Compensation Complaints

<q

B.C. FED.
DEMANDS

The brief prepared and _pre-
sented to the Provincial Cabinet
by the B.C. Federation of Labor
has aroused wide-spread interest
among lumber workers in B.C.

The latest report of the Work-
men’s Compensation Board re-
veals that the lumbering indus-
try has the largest number of
industrial casualties entitled to
compensation.

In logging operations $9.00 out
of every $100 paid in wages is
assessed upon the industry for
compensation claims. In the
mills, $2.00 to $4.00 is the aver-
age rate of assessment.

A brief analysis of the recom-
mendations of the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor follow.

The Act now provides that
compensation in the case of total
incapacity shall be calculated on
the basis of 66 2/3 percent of the
average earnings up to $2500 a
year prior to the accident. ‘The
minimum for temporary total
disability is $12.50 a week.

The B.C. Federation proposes
that. compensation be calculated
on the basis of 100 percent of the
average earnings prior to the ac-
cident. The Saskatchewan Gov-
ernment has increased compensa-
tion to 75 percent of earnings.

The Act provides for compens-
ation in cases of partial disabil-
ity on the basis of 66% per cent
of the difference between the av-
erage earnings, and the ayerage
amount the disabled man is able
to earn after the accident. As
an alternative, time-loss compen-
sation may be calculated from
the we and degree of the
disability.

The B.C, Federation of Labor
would increase the rate by bas-
ing the calculation on 100 percent
of the average previous earnings.
Also higher minimums are pro-
posed in all categories.

Widows’ Pensions
The Act now provides that a
widow shall receive pension at

the rate of $50 a month until
death or re-marriage.

The B.C. Federation of Labor
asks that this pension be in-
creased to $100 a month, and
that dependents’ pensions he in-
credsed proportionately. It is
contended that this is reqiired to
maintain a decent standard of
living.

The Act provides for an annual
appropriation of $75,000 a year
to aid in the rehabilitation of
disabled persons on compensa-
tion.

The Federation urges that
more vigorous measures be taken
to restore disabled persons to
useful employment. It is pro-
posed that when such persons
return to work, compensation
with training should be continued
for a period and at a rate that
would enable them to regain a
foothold in industry.

Further steps for re-training
are necessary, states the Federa-
ie Men who are partially dis-
abled can be trained to take up
other occupations gainfully if
given. assistance, and properly
placed in other industries,

E.E. WINCH
, EXPLAINS,

Officers of the IWA in their
recent pilgrimage to Victoria
with the B.C. Federation of
Labor seeking amendments to the
Workmen’s Compensation _ Act
found a willing ally in Ernie
Winch, M.L.A., the veteran mem-
ber from Burnaby. Because
his special interest in the subjec
extending back for thirty years,
the B.C. Lumber Worker re-
quested Mr. Winch’s opinion on
the proposals advanced by or-
_ ganized labor.

“The Act
requires many
| amendments,”
|stated Mr.
Winch, “but
apart from
the necessary
upward revi-
|sion of com-
)\jpensation
sjrates for dis-
tressed cate-
jjgories, four.
in my opinion
stand out in
importance.

E. E. Winch
M.L.A.

“Tt is important that the Act
should provide blanket coverage
for all workers in all occupations
for all injuries, incurred in the
course of employment. The prin-
ciple of workmen’s compensation
has world-wide acceptance. It i:
only logical to apply this princi-
ple to injuries of every kind,
whether the result of accident or
disease, if it arises from oceupa-
tional conditions. a

“Under the present Act, unless
the industrial disease is specified,
no compensation is paid. The
new industrial techniques, until-
izing new substances are the
likely cause of disorders, which
should automatically be covered
when they arise, and not until
after many have suffered neglect.

“J contend also that the aver-
age earnings should be so com-
puted as to give the workman
the highest basis for compensa-
tion. Wages lost by reason of
sickness, unemployment, or. vol-
untary lay-off should be included
in computing earnings.

Nervous Disorders

‘Insufficient attention has been
given to industrial neuros
which are more prevalent than
generally recognized by the medi-
cal advisors of the Board. Work-
ers frequently suffer from nerv-
ous conditions as the after-effect
of an accident. These nervous
disorders often remain after the
actual physical injury has heen
repaired, causing the worker |
of the self-control which he pos-
sessed prior to the accident. He
should not be required to face
responsibility for the cure or the
consequent loss of time and earn-
ings. He requires further com-
pensation should be adopted in
further treatment. .

“The English principle of com-
penastion should be adopted in
the B.C, Act. A workman who
has sustained permanent partial
disability (PPD) and is, for that
reason, unable to obtain pila
ment, should be deemed to
totally incapacitated during such

period unemployment, and