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Safety
a Habit

Michael A. Skuzanski,
District 1, Safety Director

Safety committees in teaching
safety should largely concern
themselves with developing right
attitudes during instruction peri-
ods, so that safety habits will
ee the pperkers

e ing and reckless
periods of their lives.

To build a good safety pro-

1m in our industry, we must
uild ideals and we must know

yalues. We must re-examine our
ideals and inexorably test all our
sole activities by the touchstone
of those ideals.

‘The value of safety commit-
tees in our industry is effec-
tive to the extent of their
safety programs, and the de-
Sree of that success depends in
a largé measure upon the
amount of energy and effort
that is put into carrying out
that safety program.

Unquestionably, the most im-
portant value derived from the
teaching and observance of safe-
ty habits, as far as our daily life
is concerned, is the value which
teaches men and women to live
stronger, more satisfying, more
worthy and longer lives. That
value is alertness. To be alert at
all times will destroy the enemy
earelessness, which cuts our lives
short or maims us for life.

The History of Safety
The (een of safety is old.
Certainly, pre-historic man had
problems of protection from dan-
of wild beasts and his fel-
w-man, Education for safety
was included in the tribal wisdom
passed on from father to son.
It was, however, with the ad-
vent of the Industtial Revolution

that the problem of accidents
sky-rocketed. The new machines,

Po egg and often operated
erowded conditions, be-

fame menacing safety hazards.

For many years these indus-
twial accidents were accepted as
wnavoidable and a necessary cost
of industrial progress. It was not
until the end of the 19th cent
made to deal wit ike sogtbay at

leal wi e problem o:
industrial accidents. m
What is Temporary?

All temporary installations
should be put in just as safely
@8 permanent ones, and com-

before anyone is allowed
use them.

‘This brings out the fact that
the future or the past perform-

of spachine angel no bear-
pacity as a man

know of a number

jobs, but we have

of a “temporary”

a “temporary

tury | highest, the toll of deaths was!

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Safety Rules Count Here

GOVT. PROMISES WCB PROBE;

UNIONS TO

TESTIFY

Trade unions will be invited to submit their views on
Workmen’s Compensation during a full investigation
which will be conducted by the Government within a

reasonable time.
This assurance was given

by the Minister of Labour when faced with a demand for

in the Legislature last week

an investigation touched off by District President Alsbury
in the Vancouver Labor Council.

Significant statements made by!
the Minister were: “It must be
realized that in dealing with the
Workmen’s Compensation Act
we are dealing with the money
of industry. When we are asked!
to increase the benefits, which in
many cases would be justifiable,
‘we must consider the effect upon
industry.

“The Government has definite-
ly decided that there shall be a
full investigation into this mat-
ter, and an opportunity afforded
to both labor and industry to
present their views, and while
the method of such investigation
is not settled, I wish to give my
assurance to the labor unions |
and industry involved, that such |
investigation will be commenced
within a reasonable time after |
the prorogation of the House.”

Report Tabled

Simultaneously with his prom-
ise, the Minister of Labor tabled
the report of the Workmen’s
Compensation Board for 1948.

Accidents reported for 1948
were the second highest on re-
cord, 74,064, exceeded only by
the 1947 ’record of 75,018.

Fatal accidents for 1948 to-
talled 259 more than in any pre-
vious year. In 1948, the next’

256.

The number of operating firms
assessed in 1948 was 19,587, with
an estimated payroll of $560,-
000,000.

The number of injured work-
men given remedial treatment
under the Rehabilitation Branch
was 8,611. Of those interviewed,
563 were considered eligible for
re-training. Courses were given
to 72. A special course in saw-
filing was conducted for injured
lumber workers. Of those re-
trained, 32 were placed in new
employment,

Total receipts of the Board
during the year, from all sources,
amounted to $19,016,881. Total

disbursements were $11,130,278.
After purchase of investments
amounting to $5,717,812, the
bank balance at mber 31st
was shown to be 68,791. The
assets controlled the Board
are valued at 834,
The lumber
for
filed with

Mothers
W Pol. icy, LA

“Emnie dear, don’t go too far
in the water!”

“But look, daddy’s out a long
way.”

“T know, dear, but your father
is insured.”

Sapely

“And the end is that the workman shall live
to enjoy the fruit of his labor; that his
mother shall have the comfort of his arm
in her age; that his wife shall not be un-
timely a widow; that his children shall have
a father, and that cripples and hopeless
wrecks who were once strong men shall no
longer be a by-product of industry.”

Ideal

—P. B. Juhnke.

JURY DEMANDS
INSPECTIONS

Arising out of the death of
Thomas E. Powers at the Honey-
moon Bay Plant of the Western
Forest Products, the jury at the
inquest recommended that more
safety inspections should be ear-
ried out in mill yards.

Mr. Powers was killed by a
piece of lumber falling from a
pile which was being stacked by
a mechanical stacker, while he
was stooping to pick up a piece
of lumber which had fallen to the
ground,

The medical evidence revealed
that Mr, Powers had suffered a
fracture of the skull.

The sympathy of his fellow
lumberworkers is tendered to
Mr. Powers’ widow and family
and his untimely death will re-
inforce the determination of lum-
berworkers to take every action
to eliminate the possibility of
such tragedies in the future.

Noon-Hour
Meeting

. A noon hour meeting at West-
ern Forest Products was ad-
dressed by Bros. Bill Gray and
Bert Fulljames on the subject of
safety,

Great interest was displayed
by the membership and the
speakers had a number of ques-
tions which provoked an inter-
esting and instructive discussion.

A safety committee is active

and a good safety program was
outlined.

Bros. Gray and Fulljames ex-
pressed themselves as well satis-
fied with the interest displayed
and the evident determination of
the members to do something
about accident prevention.

IWA JOINS —
TRUMAN
CAMPAIGN

ORTLAND, Ore—“The need
for! ‘a, federal safety program in
the lumber industry will be
stressed again by the IWA-CIO
at the second session of the Presi-
dent’s Industrial Safety Confer-

v Yeclared. President J.
one ee ie TWA-CLO 1a)
week. x

In announcing plans for repre-
sentation of the organization’s
90,000 members at the confer-
ence, which will be. held in Was! .
ington, D.C., on March 23, —
and 25, Fadling said that loggin
jJeads all industry in the nation
jn the number of accidents per
man-hours worked.

“This is a rather dubious dis-
tinction,” he said, “and an over-
all industry-wide program of ac-
cident prevention and supervision
js absolutely necessary if we are
to reduce this frightful’ toll of
human life in. the production of
logs and lumber.”

Over 1,500 business, labor and
government officials have been
fhvited to attend the three-da
meeting which will be held cH
direction of William L. Connolly
Director, Bureau of Labor Stan-
dards.

The Union, at its convention
last October, adopted a resolu-
tion in which it called upon #
Federal Government “to estal
lish a special accident prevention
program for the wood industry
in the same way it now has a
special program for the mining
industry.”

IMPROVED
ATTITUDE

High praise was given the
work of Safety Committees in
the Annual report of the Work-
men’s Compensation Board re-
cently tabled in the Legislature.

The report said in part:

“A review of accident pre-
vention activities during 1948
indicates that interest and
achievement reached new and
gratifying levels. Both manage-
ment and labor displayed a
stronger desire to reduce the
waste and suffering associated
with accidents. This improved
attitude has produced success-
ful results in the accident-pre-
vention work undertaken in
many operations. The gains
made have engendered heaps
confidence in the belief that ac
cidents can be curtailed.

—————

FRED HOCKEY
HEADS SAFETY

Local 1-357 reports the ap-
pointment of Bro. Fred Hockey
as safety director for the Local.
Bro. Charlie Spooner, in the last
issue of the “Buzz-Saw”, reminds
the membership of Local 1-867
that the Safety Council set up in
1947 under the leadership of
Bros. Hockey, Switzer and him-
self was forced to dissolve owing
to the lack of interest on the part
of the members.

Bro. Spooner, in- his letter to
the “Buzz-Saw”, makes an urg-
ent appeal to all members to get
behind the new safety director in
working out a plan which will
“yeyerse the record of the lum-
per industry from one of the
most dangerous industries to the
safest industry in British Colum-

bia”.

11,317 WOODWORKERS INJURED IN PROVINCE IN 1948
$3,000,000 IN WAGES LOST

W.C.B. ANALYSIS OF CLAIMS PAID IN 1948

Number
Class 1 of
accidents
Logging West of Cascades 4,941
Logging East of Cascades __. 1,663
a tant "Papert eos 393
Mi = 8,898
Ply-wood, Veneer, Sash and Door — 422,
‘Tokay: 2 Pela sobs 8 Ream ARNG SEE eoe aes 11,317

Total Average
Wage Length
Loss of Disability

$1,531,816.00 at
416,84 AL
103,27 42
880,356.00 37
81,719.00 34
42

114,006.00

842,972