Page 6 B. Cc. LUMBER WORKER 8 KILLED IN JANUARY IN B.C. WOODS INDUSTRY Accident statistics for the Workmen’s Compensation Board, reveal that there were 70 fatal accidents and 10,131 time-loss lumber industry in British Co) Sixteen fatal accidents occurred in logging operations east of the Cascades; 46 fatal accidents in logging west of the Cascades, and eight fatal accidents were re: from sawmills. There were “vo fatal accidents in pulp mills. Fallers, buckers, and power- saw operators led the accident list in logging with a total of 1,414 accidents. Chokermen were next, with loaders ‘a close third. Rigging slingers and hooktenders also suffered heavy casualties. Chief causes of accidents were: Slipping and falling, axe and saw cuts, roiling logs, lines and other gear, turn coming in, and: strains year 1950, as completed by the accidents in all branches of the lumbi: and sprains. “Widowmakers” also caused a high percentage of the accidents, In the Interior, teamsters suf- fered heavily, and snags and sap- lings appeared more prominently. In sawmills, most of the-acci- dents are described as having oceurred in mill operations and the greatest percentage were shown as caused by “struck by” and “falls and slips”, or “caught between objects. Eight fatal accidents are re- ported in January, 1951, and Be Split By JOHN T. Safety Director, these pages. Only the fa more serious consequenges. On the evening of February 2nd, two men were engaged in putting car stakes on half-loaded flat cars in the craneway of the. Youbou Mill, B.C. Forest Pro- 905 time-loss accidents. ducts Ltd. More Winning Letters From Comox Logging & Rly. Contest Continued From Last Issue Gleaned from the letters of other contestants, the follow- ing excerpts. present advice on safety habits, which should be heeded by all workers in the lumber industry: New Safe Ways “Whatever the job or occupa- tion, a safe workman will do the job much better because he has learned to combine work well done by safer methods. He is ever watchful for new ways to do old jobs more safely for all.” Eleanor P, Smith, Age 13, Fairview Jr. High, Nanaimo, B.C. No Short Cuts “A. safe. workman ‘does not take short cuts to get a job done faster. ‘This may lead to serious accidents. “A gafe workman is always on the look out for hazards. A safe workman knows it is better to be safe when operating, than to have an operation; and that it is better to be safety consciods than unconscious.” Norena Gannon, Grade 11 Age 15 Better Attitudes “The workman must be aware that it is necessary for him to be safety conscious, not only on his own behalf, but also for the welfare of his fellow-workers. If each workman would develop this attitude we could be sure that the accident and fatality rate in logging as well as in other indus- tries, would become-less frequent. “The workman must not de- velop the attitude that all he must do is read about safety. He must be prepared to carry out suggestions to the limit of his ability.” Bob Cloke, Age 17, Grade 12, Ladysmith. Commonsense “Tf every working man could combine observation, agility and good commonsense, there would be considerably fewer casualties in the logging camps. “Add to that, First Aid train- ing and the death rate would be reduced greatly.” Rosemary Dennis, Grade 8, Comox Safe Equipment “A safe workman is a man that makes alterations to equip- ; ment and other conditions that are likely to cause accidents by having them replaced or repaired before accidents happen.” * i Doreen Phye, Grade 12 Tsolum School. Teamwork “A safe workman is one who is thoroughly safety conscious from the time he leaves home in the morning until he returns honte at night. “Courtesy, thoughtfulness, good teamwork between all men in the woods, together with the proper use and care of all tools and a strict observance of all safety rules.” Grace Waters, Grade 9, Comox. Four Main Points “The problem to my mind re- volves itself around four main points, namely, the ability of the workman to do the job, the equip- ment with which the employee works, the alertness of the work- man in caring for his own safety, and the‘consideration he has for his fellow workers.” Doreen Jones, Age 13, Grade 8A, Ladysmith. ’ Think Safety “The safe workman is the one who thinks before he acts. Think and be safe. He will be confident and not careless. “Obeying safety rules is im- portant to him and his fellow workers.” Margaret Grahf, Grade 10, Ladysmith. “Net My Dad” “One little mistake could cause a bad accident or death. Most accidents can be prevented by applying Safety First and clothes suitable for the job—such as hel- mets, gloves and caulk boots. “If a man gets hurt he does |not get as much money. It is hard to live on compensation as prices are so high. I would not Yike my Dad injured through an needless accident.” Georgina Luscombe, Grade 7, Ladysmith. Be Alert “A safe workman is a fellow who keeps himself in good physi- eal condition, He gets enough sleep so he will be wide awake and alert. He has learned to see quickly. unsafe conditions de- veloping and does something about it right away. I think a good slogan would be: “Practice Safety in every way, For accidents bring sorrow, And if you work safely today You're sure to work tomorrow.” Herman Falk, Grade 12, Tsolum High. Stay Healthy “To practice safety, the work- man should find out what he is expected to do and then follow instructions without taking any | worthy performance, made po | Were required to wear red bow any directions that he considers unimportant. ‘Stay healthy, prac- tice safety.’ “Eyery year many accidents happen in the woods. A good teal of them can be traced back to the carelessness of workers.” Fay McNish, Grade 10, Tsolum School, No Late Nights “A safe workman should be fit for his work in the morning. He shouldn’t stay out late in the night because he will be sleepy the next day and he won’t be able to do his work properly. “He should concentrate on his work and always be on the look- out so as not to get hurt.” Peter Reid, Grade 7, Tsolum, School. 162 TROUBLE FREE DAYS AT BCFP Employees of the Vancouver Division, B.C. Forest Products Ltd, have set a new plant record of 162 accident free days. Original target set by the plant safety committee was 145 days, as part of an inten- sive safety training program. As a reward for this praise- sible by the zealous ‘co-operation of the employees in all depart- ments, the management has arranged an evening’s entertain- ment for all employees, wives, and friends at the Narrows Sup- per Club, March 22. This promises to be a gala affair, with dinner, floor show, and cabaret gaicty, to celebrate the plant achievement. Those Red Ties The friendly rivalry between the various safety teams and cap- tains has become reminiscent of the famous “Red Bow Tie” safety stunt staged by the plant in 1948, At that time all safety men | ties of exaggerated size during the accident-free period for which the plant was striving. All em- ployees entered into the spirit of the jest with enthusiasm, and by conspiring to keep the record free, subjected the safety men to| the jibes which were directed at them wherever they went because cf their unorthodox haber- dashery. ‘The red ties were worn for 129 days, in good spirit, be- cause they ‘were accident-free days. | Pececeecececceococooent ATTEND YOUR UNION ‘short cuts, that is leaving out Better Your Hat Than Your Shull IFE-SAVING value of protective equipment is well, demonstrated by the illustrations which appear on accident was wearing a safety hat prevented much ATKINSON, Local 1-80, IWA ct that the victim of the In accordance with the stand- ard practice, one man was on top of the pile, lifting the stakes. His companion on the ground was guiding the stakes into the sockets. Several stakes had been left leaning against the load in the immediate vicinity of their work, in readiness to pick up for the remaining sockets. Apparently, the movement of the worker on the top of the load dislodged a leaning stake. It swept down, striking the lower man on his head. Fortunately he was wearing a safety hat, which was damaged as shown in the atcompanying illustration. The victim survived what might have been a fatal accident with a slight concussion and sore neck. He returned to work after one day’s rest. In the Youbou mill over 110 safety hats are being worn at present. During 1950, more than 500 safety shoes were sold and are being worn. The lesson has been learned that protective equipment plays an important part in preventing serious consequences of accidents. You cant win! (GAG is very much in the news these days. Many people are saying that many other people are making suckers out of themselves and selling our country down the river’ to the gambling bosses. The evidence does seem to in- dicate that the average Canadia1 being free, independent, ambi- tious, and sometimes cocky likes to take some kinds of chances. Chance-taking All like to win. But win or lose, some like the thrill of chance- taking. Some are convinced their CARELESS METHOD of leaning stal created accident hazard. STAKE DISLODGED by movements 0 head of worker below. shrewdness or luck will make them winners. Others, even when they realize the odds are rigged | or the game crooked, still can’t resist the temptation to give it a} try. x | Suckers | Maybe you are not one of the || 14,000,000 Canadians who are |: suckers for some form of gam-| bling. Whether you are or are| not, remember this: Every time you take a risky short-cut or ignore safe pro- cedures, you bet your life and. limb, your income and your family’s welfare against what? You may win many times—and then lose the whole | stake in one all - or - nothing plunge. That kind of gambling is cer tainly a curse, isn’t it? Ever year Canadian pay for accidents with thousands of lives, hundreds | of thousands of injuries, millions | of man-days or work lost and many million dollars. You're not a work ‘gambler, ~ | | eeeeececoeeooooono reece are you?, SAFETY HAT worn by P. J. M concussion, with 14 hours lost time. stake. :