B.C. LUMBER WORKER E flag illustrated above will be proudly flown over every mill participating successfully in an all-out effort to make the week May 14-18 accident free. A well or- ganized campaign, conducted by the B.C. Lumber Manu- facturer’s Association, is receiving full co-operation from the IWA and the Workmen’s Compensation Board. This safety project as outlined by Safety Director Mr. W. M. “Allison, BCLMA, was given ap- proval at the recent meetings of the IWA District Safety Council and the quarterly meeting of the B.C. District Council, TWA. Safety committees in the 78 plants affected are now being alerted, and by means of plant meetings will enlist the co-opera- tion of all employees. Individual employees will receive material advising them of the plans afoot and soliciting their support. The objective of the campaign is to accomplish the complete prevention of all compensable accidents during five consecutive working days. Mills have in- dependently established long acci- dent-free periods, but never have done so all at the same time. The program of Safety Week will demonstrate -the value of a combined effort on the part ‘of Jabor and management, on a scale beyond previous experience in B.C. Safety Week is intended to drive home the fact that 95 per- cent of all accidents are predict- able and preventable, and that with safety education the prin- cipal causes can be eliminated. The Record Speaks In 1924 the accident rate. in Association mills, employing about 4,000 workers was one fatality a month. By 1949, the rate had been reduced to one fatality amongst 5,000 workers per year. In 1950 the rate was: reduced 16 percent below that of-the pre- vious year. This, it is claimed, is attributable to the fact that all three agencies concerned, the Compensation Board, the Asso- ciation, and the IWA, have co- operated on safety education. While the Association em- ploys 60 percent of the sawmill workers in the province, they had only one fatal accident out of the eight reported last year. In other words, the sawmills which do not make any effort to promote safety, employing about 40 percent of the workers, had 87%; percent of the fatal accidents. Gradually the accident preven- tion program is bringing results. In 1944 the. accident frequency rate was 140 compensable acci- dents per million man hours worked. This year it will be about 45, Causes of accidents are kept | under constant scrutiny by safety | directors. Of the 4,613 accidents which occurred in the province during 1950, 1,253 were the re- sult of being struck by some moving object; 991 resulted from slipping and falling; 820 were the result of strains and_over-exer- tion. Equipment failure could be blamed for only 31. In 1949 workmen suffered a wage loss of $7,486,830. This calculation was based, on an | average weekly rate of $43.65, now considerably increased. The average length of dis- ability was 44 days. The greatest number of acci- dents seems to occur between the ages of 18 and 28, and the hour before noon is the worst hour of the day. 1 Safety directors hold the opinion that the No. 1 acci- dent cause is failure on the part of the worker to keep alert. 2 No. 2 cause is psychological. A man under mental stress or an emotional upset is more acci- dent-prone than a man with a carefree mind. An_ interesting fact brought to light is that dur- ing last year’s negotiations the accident rate rose to six per day for ten working days. When the agreement was signed the rate dropped to 3% per day. 3, No. 3 cause is said to be over- |Y confidence. Men who have | worked in mills for more than a |year suffer more accidents than the newcomers. 4 No. 4 cause is listed as hurry- | ing to get some place, caus- ling the high proportion of accidents due to slipping and | falling. | 5 No. 5 is improper clothing. |? Failure to wear safety hats or safety shoes when required to do so has exposed men to needless hazards. Loose clothing is also taboo. G No. 6 cause of accidents is horseplay, and the practical joker causes his full share, too. 7 No. 7 cause is the failure to go to the First Aid Room promptly. Minor injuries de- velop into major disabilities be- cause they are not properly treated at the outset. Both the IWA safety men and the companies are learning new methods of preventing accidents, and Safety Week will focus the attention of all mill workers on the importance of alert and com- plete co-operation on the job to make it safe. KEEP THE FLAG FLYING . MAY 14 T0 MAY 1 ‘Three Killed In March; Total 17 Dead: 2520 Hurt Three more fatalities were reported for the month of March in the B.C. lumber industry, in a statement released by the Workmen’s Compensation Board. Time-loss accidents for the same month were 791. The total number of fatalities for 1951 is now 17 and time- loss accidents for the same period 2,520. : Assessment levied upon the sawmill section of the B.C. lumber industry, to provide for accident compensation approxi- mates $100 per man per year. In the logging section this levy increases to $187.50 per man. With this’ statement Arthur Francis, Chief Safety Inspec- tor, Workmen’s Compensation Board, contended for greater | expenditure on accident pre- | vention, when addressing a | regional labor-management conference, New Westminster, April 16. |. The conference was attended by management and IWA safety representatives from all Associa- tion mills in New Westminster and the Lower Fraser Valley, Mr. W. M. Allison, Safety Direc- tor, B.C, Lumber Manufacturers Association, presided. Plans were discussed to promote Safety Week, May 14-18. The Board’s Chief Inspector estimated that the direct and in- direct costs of accidents in the sawmills approximated $500 per man per year. section the comparable figure would be $937.50, he stated. The actual cost of an accident is at least four times as great as the apparent cost. - Chief Inspector Francis agreed with IWA representatives pres- ent that the Board’s safety in- spectors should on all occasions contact the plant safety commit- tees when conducting their regu- lar inspections. “Their work and stature must be supported,” he said. ‘This request has repeatedly been made by the IWA in submis- ‘sions to the Workmen’s Compen- sation Board. ‘A type accident was explained and discussed by the members present to determine the cause and remedy, In the final analysis, it was unanimously concluded, respon- sibility for its prevention rested upon all those directly concerned with the particular operation, In the logging | WCB INSPECTORS TO CONTACT SAFETY MEN from top-management down: through fhe chain comprised of the foreman, inspector, safety man, and including the injured, man himself. Mn Francis spoke in praise of, the safety educational program of the IWA, and the voluntary work performed by members of plant safety committees. “The IWA is doing more than any other similar organization on the continent,” he declared. ~ “Too often, more is said than done,” said the government’s top safety man. “Your actions will reveal your attitude toward the vital necessity of protecting life and limb in the lumber industry,” he concluded. | Sev! KEEP 17 CLEANS As the man said when he couldn’t get whiskey: “Well, I'll just have to gin, and beer it.” 8 There’s nothing strange in the fact that the modern miss is a live wire. She carries practically no insulation. a 2 6 Heading the list of people who try us Are husbands who blissfully sleep on the bias. An Old Wives’ Wail. * Scotch proverb: “Don’t marry for money; you can borrow it cheaper. see Czech proverb: He whé marries might be sorry. He who does not will be sorry. tee An old flame lightens the gloom of many a married life. THe FtooR, \_ E> WE MEAN! Carelessness Leads To Grave €) CARELESS EMPLOYEE invites disaster by wandering inatten- tively in the path of a carrier. hs athe. ts a boom-man who had not taken the precaution to sharpen the caulks on his boots. 'T| The success is not measu cA SAFETY cam important element of a {| The real aim and purpose ; understanding and a more Iq and value of living under a time to take stock o {iti the need for safety, to req of Accident-prevention, ai . elements of the safety prog allowed to slip into disuse, ing the short period of the of interest and understandii result of the attention campaign period, { Safety awareness is not overalls when starting to wo k the end of the day’s work. {| Safety is an attitude of min gent thinking, and that cont involuntary, not only under industrial operations but in { when enjoying the recreatione portant part of life. {| There is something of valu can get it by supporting the ADAM BELL, Chalrman F. P. ARCHIBALD, Secretary- GOOSENECK BREAK! /\OFF Block ())WAULING GASOLINE DOWN TO COLDECK DONKEY IN SLING WITH Tr HAULD? TRAWLINE (2) FIRST LOAD WAS 3 BAREELS OF SECOND 5 BARRELS £ THIRD 6 G) THIRD LOAD WANGS UP, & IT PECIDED TO TIGHT LINE TO (4) GOOSENECK ON TOP SPAR (5) NAULBACK SWAPS ACROSS, ; OF 8x8" post ON DONKEY & $1 ENGINEER & DECEASED The crew was truck load 950’ down a For the purpose a 7%’ Spar tree to the base at | to control the movement 0! Loads of three and fiv cold deck donkey, ‘The decided to tight line to the haulback at the sp: t haulback whipped, cut thi of the donkey and struc rigger died from ee ea. WORKMEN’S COMPI