6

B.C. LUMBER WORKER ;

1953 COAST LOGGING ACCIDENTS

FALLING & BUCKING

SAPLING.

“OCCUPATION:
EXPERIENCE:

BUCKER
SEVERAL YEARS
DATE: MARCH 25,

1953.

The Bucker was bucking a log which was pivoted on another

log and wedged against a stump.

When there were two feet yet to cut the log slabbed and slid, |
pivoting about the stump and trapping the man against the roots |

of a sapling. ,
He died of injuries.

Negligence Found
In Blast Death

Negligent supervision of the use of explosives caused
the death of Peter J. Sinclair, 48, employed by Charles

Creek Logging Co. Ltd., Kingcome Inlet,

it was found by

a coroner’s jury investigating the cause of the fatal acci-

dent which occurred on July

Evidence heard at the inquest |
held in Vancouver, and brought |
to light through the questioning |
of witnesses by Safety Director, |

John T, Atkinson, pieced together | those using powder to exercise |
a series of violations of the ac- | greater care, in the protection of |

cident prevention regulations, |
which may lead to prosecution, |

nalman approximately 350 feet
distant from the point where a
construction crew of two men
and a road foreman were build- |
ing a road. It was testified that
they encountered a ledge of rock |
yequiring blasting.

No Precautions Taken

The foreman secured powder
at the camp, and without drilling
placed the charge on top of the
yock, according to his evidence.
He also testified that he placed
the dipper of the shovel over the
charge to mattress it and gave
the usual warning. ‘The evidence
on this point was contradictory.

The deceased, when found, had
been seriously injured by por-
tions of a stump, which led some
of the rigging crew to believe
that the road crew had been
Elasting a stump. He was flown
to Alert Bay Hospital and sub-
sequently to Vancouver, where
he died on the operating table,
July 23rd. He is survived by a
widow and five children,

Regulations Violated

‘When questioned regarding the
procedure observed in handling
explosives, the Safety Director
pointed to numerous violations
of the regulations in this respect.
The foreman who set the charge
had no blasting certificate, and
no previous experience with ex-
plosives. :

The supply of powder was
stored in the camp, and not at a
suitable distance from dwellings.
The charge was set in too close
proximity to a rigging crew, and
within the guy lines.

‘The proper procedure, it was
contended, would have been to
wait until the rigging crew had
ended their day’s work, as it was
already late in the afternoon. It
was also alleged that not all men
in the vicinity were properly
warned and asked to withdraw to

a safe distance, /

20.

It was evident from the rider
attached to the jury’s verdict,
that it was intended to warn all

life and limb,

It was recommended that the |
The victim was engaged as sig- | foreman concerned be prohibited |

irom using powder, and that
more care be taken in'the future,
in all blasting.

The Company was found negli-
gent in that they had allowed an
unauthorized person to use ex-
plosives.

It is anticipated that the cir
cumstances as revealed

review by the Workmen’s Com-
pensation Board at the request of
the IWA District Safety Council.

The IWA officials also point
out that the fatality occured in
a camp where it had not been
found possible to organize a job
safety committee.

Trafiie Toll

Equals War’s

OTTAWA (CPA) — Motor
vehicle accidents during 1952
took nearly nine times the
number of Canadian lives that
were lost during the three
years of the Korean War by
Canada’s armed forces.

The Dominion Bureau of Sta-
tistics has announced that traf-
fic fatalities jumped 5.2 percent
in 1952 compared with the pre-
vious year. Excluding the Proy-
ince of Quebec and Newfoundland
outside of St. John’s, the 128,817
reported motor vehicle accidents
last year claimed 1842 lives and
accounted for 45,032 injuries.

2,500 Killed

Estimates compiled from the
partial coverage place the total
number of motor vehicle acci-
dents at 215,000, with over 2,500
people killed and 60,000 injured.

In the whole of Canada, only
St. John’s, Newfoundanld, re-
ported a fall in the total acci-
dent, fatality and injury rate be-
tween 1951. and 1952. Alberta
however, showed a significant
drop in the number of people
killed in accidents,

during |
the inquest will be under further |

Sincere regret because of

among the falling crews.

Full details of the circum-
stances surrounding the fatality
were not available, beyond the
fact that the deceased had met
his death from a falling limb.

part:

| While’ not attempting at this
time to fix the blame for any of
these accidents on persons, I

*|must point to the accidents as

indicating the necessity of still
greater attention to our Union’s
safety program. Almost invar-
fably, such accidents can he pre-
vented if a genuine effort is
made to remove their causes.

| Our Local Union is deeply con-
|cerned over the recent high fa-
tality rate among fallers and
buckers. We have been pressing
for a full-scale investigation into
the causes, to determine whether
or not new safety techniques are
necessary, consequent upon the
| use of power saws.

| __I personally consider that the
| Union should ask all loggers to
| avoid any reckless disregard of
safety considerations, always a
| temptation when working on the
contract system.

Speed-up Fatal

Conclusive proof has been
found in the investigation of
many fatalities occurring among

AS

NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS haye

“FALLERS’ DEATHS|
TOO HIGH”... FIEBER

Louis Galinas at Justkatla Camp, Q.C.L, on July 29 was
expressed by Financial Secretary Fred Fieber, Local 1-71,
IWA, speaking over the Green Gold radio program, July
80. He significantly stated that this had been the third
fatality in the Kelley Logging Co. camps in recent weeks

s y

OR INSTANCE

of falling trees -as demonstrated in the aboye picture with two
fallers using two saws at the same time.

A7T7O KWOWGETTER 2.2

the accidental death of faller

fallers and buckers, that death
was the result of a speed-up to
make the desired day’s earnings.
Piece-work rates for falling and

employers say so during the con-
ciliation proceedings.

Harsh experience has taught
us that when men throw safety
considerations into the discard, in
response to the urge to make
bigger earnings, only disaster can
result. This Union is interested
in building up the take-home pay
of every man who works in the
industry. But at the same time
we see clearly that high pay is
no compensation for death or
crippling accident. ‘Timber pro-|
duction is accomplished efficiently
only when it is conducted safely.

No Reckless Haste

I point to these recent tra-
gedies which snuffed out the lives
of three brothers in their prime,
bringing untold sorrow to their
next of kin, as a warning that
we cannot afford to sacrifice
safety for gain. Reckless haste
to make big money, under the
prodding of contract rates, offers

no pay-off to the dead. The time
to prevent an (secident, (whith
may cost your life, is before it
| happens.

resulted in the past by this method

Programs

P bucking are, of course, designed | |
A Warning to offer an extra incentive to’ in- Reduces,
The IWA official stated in| crease production. We heard the,

y
{
i

by elin

Gives a

by rem
fear of

by devel
a deep

r
Workmen's Con

ADAM BELL, Ch
F. P. ARCHII
CHRIS. W. PRI
E. V. ABLETT,