‘ACCIDENTS AR
UNTIL EVERY...

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Principles of organization to accomplish accident prevention were boldly outlined
by District Safety Director John T. Atkinson when he spoke recently on the Green
Gold radio program on behalf of District Council No. 1, IWA, and claimed that ex-
perience had shown “sure-fire” results when they were faithfully followed.

I hope that no single person in
the Green Gold audience this
evening ever has an accident? An
accident is something that all of
us dread. As a matter of fact,
we try to conceal our dread of an
accident by pretending to our-
selves that accidents always hap-
pen to the other fellow.

This evening I would like to
interest you in the accident that
you are not going to have be-
cause you intend to do something
about it.

To pretend that by some
magic you are immune from
accidents is foolish. The person
who lives with confidence and
serenity is the person who
frankly faces the possibilities
of accidents in his workaday
world, and who intelligently re-

duces those possibilities by in-
telligent action.

Webster’s Definition ©

First let us agree on the de-
finition of an accident. Mr. Web-
ster says in very technical lan-
gauge that an accident is some-
thing that befalls us. He says
that it is an event that takes
place without one’s foresight or
expectation, something that is un-
designed, sudden and unexpected,
resulting in injury or damage.
When he discusses the meaning
of the word in logic he touches
the core of the question. He says
that an accident is a sudden mis-
hap, not entirely by reason of
chance, but because it is the ef-
fect of preceding causes.

PICTORIA:

In publishing the text of
a talk recently broadcasted
by Safety Director John T.
Atkinson oyer Station 600,
the Managing Editor decided
that readers might be inter-
ested in a pictorial report on
the production of the Green
Gold program on this par-
ticular occasion.

The photos interspersed
with the text show in se-
quence, (1) the Safety Direc-
tor discusses his script with
the District Secretary, who
must approve all such pro-
grams on behalf of the Edi-
torial Board, whereupon the
script is submitted to the
station’s lawyers to énsure

L RECORD

that it complies with CBC
regulations. .

(2) Vie Watters puts the
Green Gold program on the
air, with station introduction,
watching his dials carefully
that fluctuations in the
speaker’s voice do not “fade
out” or “blast” on the air
waves.

(3) Jack Webster, of “City
Mike” fame, CJOR, discusses
the presentation of -the pro-
gram with the IWA speaker,
and arranges for its intro-
duction.

(4) The program is “taped”
by Barry Clark in the late
afternoon, ready for the 7:00
p.m. presentation.

PREPARATION

So, if we follow Mr. Webster,
who is supposed to know his
words, we are directed to con-
sideration of the causes of dread-
ful mishaps. When we use our
own logic, we readily agree that
it is commonsense, to remove the
causes of our mishaps, if we can
get at them. That’s what I’m talk-
ing about now. “How do we get
at the causes of accidents, and is
it worthwhile.” Re

“Those of us who have lived
close to the consequences of ac-
cidents firmly believe that it is
of the utmost importance to re-
move the: causes of accidents. I’ll
tell you why. It is because, time
and time again, we are required
to break the sad news to a widow
and her children, that the bread-
winner’s broken body is awaiting
her orders at the funeral parlor.

Every day, men visit my office,
whose bodies have been so broken
and damaged by accidents that
they despair of ever regaining
useful lives. Behind them always,
I can see the misery and hard-
ships of the wife and children,
who must live on short commons,
deny themselves the full enjoy-
ment of modern living, because
the husband and father is a
cripple, unable to earn.

Lives at Stake

I’m speaking to you this even-
ing as the man who is charged
by our Union with a large mea-
sure of responsibility in the pro-
motion of accident prevention
through the Union’s facilities. I
must take the matter seriously,
because I see the problem in
terms of human well-being and
happiness. From close observation
of the accidents which occur in
the lumber industry, I know that
more than ninety percent of them
could have been prevented.

So, I must place myself in the
position of the widow, or the
crippled Iumber workers. Before
the tragedy happened, what could
have been more important than
that we should have taken the
practical measures necessary to
spare the widow or the stricken
workman, his or her crushing
tragedy.

T suggest that, even though you
are feeling well and in -good
spirits this evening,’ that you
should also take the matter ser-
iously. I hope you understand
that I am not suggesting that you
should live in fear, or a morbid
anticipation of an accident. I am

suggesting that you -will have
greater mental freedom and less

fear, if you cultivate the habit of
automatically planning your
moves at work, at play, and in
the home, the safe way.
The Record
Tl give you a few reasons
why you should take the matter
seriously. I have before me the
record of all accidental deaths
injuries on this continent
during 1954. The figures were
compiled by the National Safe-
ty Council, through the co-op-
eration of the American and
Canadian governments.

There were 90,000 accidental
deaths in 1954 on this continent.
The total of crippling injuries was
9,050,000. Usually we kill off
over 100,000 persons, but in 1954,
we reduced the toll by about 5%.
1954 was the lowest death rate
on record, with an increased pop-
ulation.

Many of these deaths and in-
juries happened on the highway,
as well as in the homes and in
industry. Let us see what hap-
pened in industry. The record
shows that 14,000 persons were
killed and 1,850,000 were injured.
The drop, due to safety efforts,
was about 6%.

Home Safety

Just to complete the record,
because we are quite as interest-
ed in home and highway safety
as industrial safety—27,300 were
killed on our highways, and 27,-
500 persons were killed in their
homes. We might argue from
these figures, that the workers
in industry are becoming safety
conscious, and’ that the rest of
the population is sadly in need
of safety education. I’m inclined
to agree, when I see people tak-
ing reckless and dangerous
chances in performing simple
duties around their homes.

If you are not interested in

T STOP

protecting your own well-being,

ON-THE-AIR

you certainly ought to be inter-
ested in the safety of the kiddies.
Pause for just a moment to ab-
sorb the fact that accidents each
year kill more children than any
of the diseases. we are so deter-
mined to conquer through medical
science. Accidents form the prin-
cipal causes of death among
children from 1 to 14 years of
age. Accidents killed almost 12,-
000 children in 1954, whereas the
dreaded polio took less than 2000.

Lumber the Worst

Perhaps you are not very in-
terested in this gloomy story
about human suffering, and would
rather think of the matter in
terms of dollars and cents. Very
well. Our accidents during 1954,
cost us $9,800,000,000, Each one
of us paid our share of that stag-
gering loss. Certainly in prices,
and in taxes it is a charge against
our family budgets. The one xe-
assuring feature of this situation
is that our safety campaign is
steadily reducing the death rate.
Home accidents last year were
down 8%, industrial accidents
dropped 8% also, and highway
accidents were 7% less than the
previous year.

The lumber industry is one of
the worst offenders, and stands
close to the bottom of the list in
order of merit, with its high
accident frequency rate. I should
add, that in British Columbia, the
picture is brighter as regards the
lumber industry. Labor, manage-
ment and the Wérkmen’s Com-
pensation Board have joined in
a determined co-operative effort
to exterminate needless causes of
accidents, and we now lead all
sections of the lumber industry
on the North American continent.
In this achievement, we like to
feel that our Union has taken a
major role.

PED

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