B.C. LUMBER WORKER 7 rk TOTAL 1953: NG ACCIDENTS x TAL 1953: Dead 25 Injured 4138 District Safety Conference, These reports stated that the production practices of the ma- jority of the Interior Operators, ignore even the elementary safety rules. The deplorable sanitary conditions in the camps were a disgrace, they said. A brighter safety picture was painted by the Coast delegates who noted a satisfactory trend towards achievement of their goal of eliminating unsafe procedures. These procedures were prevalent throughout the industry until the advent of Labor, Government, Management, Safety Campaigns. ‘The thirty-four delegates, dur- ing the one-day session, dealt with 16 resolutions, 14 of which were ratified subsequently by the District Convention. Of the other two resolutions, one was lost and the other was ruled out of order in the Convention. Resolutions approved by the District Convention are as fol- lows: 1. That Safety Equipment worn in the lumbering industry be supplied by the Companies free of charge. held in the Medical-Dental Building, Vancouver, February 14th. 2. That the IWA bring pres- sure.to bear on the people re- sponsible for the unsanitary and filthy camps in the In- terior. 3, That the IWA go on record as opposing the practice of holding inquest before WCB Inspectors or Union represen- tatives are able to attend. 4. That the Department of Labor and the Compensation Board be notified in cases where First Aid Attendants improperly persuade injured workers that they do not re- quire medical attention. 5. That all sections of the Compensation Act dealing with Safety Committees be rigidly enforced. 6. That a representative of the Safety Committee accom- pany each WCB Inspector on his tour of inspection of plants and that he be given a list of * the safety precautions ordered by the Inspector. 1. That the District endeavor to have the WCB draw up suit- INTERIOR NEEDS STRESSED BY ANNUAL CONFERENCE Urgent need of higher safety standards for the Interior lumber industry as shown in the reports submitted by the Interior Delegates was recognized by the 5th Annual able regulations to control braking systems, load limits, ete, on logging trucks and that the responsibility for their enforcement be placed on the WCB Accident Prevention De- partment. 8. That First Aid Men be not employed on jobs which re- quire them to be at any dis- tance from the operations. 9. That the IWA endorse the present system of Local and District Safety Councils to pro- mote safe working conditions for our membership. 10. That ‘District Safety In- spector, John T. Atkinson, make a tour of all Interior op- erations to promote the IWA safety program at the earliest opportunity. - g 11. That the IWA seek to have an amendment placed in the Workmen’s Compensation Regulations of B. C. prohibiting workmen to be sent out on dangerous jobs alone. 12, That the IWA and other organized bodies jointly ap- “proach the B. C. Government to make plans to install fully- equipped air ambulance ser- vice available to anyone. 13. That the staff of the WCB Inspectors in the Interior be increased. The District Safety Director, referred to hints emanating from political circles suggesting that the work of accident prevention might be transferred to other de- partmental agencies. He stated that organized labor would be in opposition to any plan which would divorce prevention from enforcement of the regula- tions. He said, in part: The Purpose Workmen’s Compensation leg- islation in its present form was first introduced into this province jn 1917. The major purpose in view at that time was to relieve an injured workman from the ne- cessity of entering suit in court to secure damages for injuries sustained on the job, and proving contributory negligence on the part of the employer. It served to-correct in part a scandalous situation in which pen- niless workmen were placed at a serious disadvantage in contend- ing with well-financed employers “seco THOUGHT, Ald in the courts. The province then OUR COMPANY AWY GUY WHO RISKS: HS FUTUR: WOULD RISK HIS WEEK WE TOL, HUE CHECKS Opposition to any weakening of the present structure of the Workmen’s Compensation Board was expressed by John T. Atkinson in a recent broadcast, in which he reviewed the purposes of the legislation likely to be under review at the forthcoming session of the Legislature. JOHN T. ATKINSON admitted a social responsibility for industrial casualties. It was found to be in the pub- lic interest to safeguard the wel- fare of injured workmen, for thereby the productive capacity of the working force in the prov- ince was conserved. The princi- ple was adopted of assessing in- dustry for the cost of accidents, and using the funds so secured to set up reserves from which bene- .| fits might be paid when disabling consequences attended an accident or an occupational disease. The assgssment upon industry, was based upon calculations which took into consideration the num- ber of employees, and the pre- vailing accident rate. At the out- set, the workmen made contri- butions toward the fund which provided medical treatment, but in later years this practice was abandoned, and steps were taken to provide medical treatment without cost to the workers’ auto- matically, when required. Administration The administration of the Act was placed in the hands of a board responsible directly,to the Legislature through the Cabinet. The theory behind this step was that a Board so constituted would be as free as possible from any ministerial control or partizan po- litical interference. At present, EXPANSION W.C.B. PROGRAM URGED BY | WA DIRECTOR the Legislature has direct respon- sibility with regard to the defini- tion of the conditions under which compensation may be granted to any claimant. We may form some impres- sion of the importance of thi legislation when’ we read in the last annual report that since the inception of the board, 1,433,457 claims have been con- sidered. Of these 7,383 related to fatalities. On December 31, 1952, 8,193 workmen were in receipt of benefits for disabili- ties varying in, extent and se- verity. In addition the board was then issuing pension to over 3,000 dependents as a re- sult of fatal accidents. The re- serves then established under the act to provide for the lia- bilities assumed by the act éx- ceeded $54 million dollars. Annually, the board collects from industry an assessment which approximately is $15 mil- lion. There are two sides to the picture presented by these fig- ures. We are able to realize the great boon that it has been to injured workmen even though the benefits provided have been woe- fully inadequate. I believe that organized la- bour will oppose any attempt to strip the Workmen’s Com- pensation Board of its powers with regard to enforcement of accident prevention regulations in industry. I know that the suggestion has been made on the plea that greater co-ordina- tion might be achieved. It is now evident that enforcement should go hand in hand with prevention, otherwise preven- tion activities might become. a farce. Our Union has already sub- mitted to the authorities a num- ber of suggestions which, if adopted, would lead to more effective co-ordination in the field of prevention. We are op- posed to any exploitation of the safety activities for partisan political purposes. As far as possible the work of prevention must be conducted with even- handed justice, and with one purpose only, the development of higher safety standards throughout industry by means of government-management-la- bour co-operation.