3

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

CHAIRMAN EADES TELLS UNIONS
_ ACCIDENT RATE INCREASING

Marked increase in the volume of claims before the
Workmen's Compensation Board, caused mainly by in-

creased productive capacity it
Chairman, J. E. Eades, when
ger convention of the B.C. F

in B. C., was described by the
he addressed the recent mer-
‘ederation of Labour. He out-

lined the major problems now confronting the Board, and

discussed plans for their solu

“The business of the Board has
been vastly increasing during the
past ten years, there has been an
increase in the number of firms
registered from 9,361 with a pay-
roll of roughly $384,000,000.00 in
1954 to 25,853 with a payroll of
$1,250,000,000 in 1955.

The number of claims has in-
creased in that period from 55,854
to 82,733. We are second only to,
Ontario in size and volume. Aug-
ust of this year was the largest
in volume of claims ever handled
by the Board, 9,867 claims were
filed. The increase of course re-
sults partially from changes in
the coverage of the Act as well
as the great economic growth in
the province.

That rapid recent increase in
volume presents some difficulties
in administration as you can well
understand but that is no, reason
for remaining static and the
Board has been and is constantly
endeavoring not only to cope with
the continued increase but to im-
prove the administration.

Revision Planned

Several of your member unions
have mentioned to us that the
forms which we use are not sat-
isfactory in certain respects.
Form 6, the application for com-
pensation, Form 7, the employer’s
report, Form 8, the doctor’s first
report are under revision and
have been for some time.

I hope we can finalize this re-
vision before the end of the year.
I think it should be understood |
that the answers to the questions
are the basis not only of decision
on the particular claim but for
statistics which are in turn used
for many purposes. Forms for
use in Optional Protection have
been revised and simplified.

The subsistence regulations are
being redrawn so as to make
them readily understood by all
concerned. Recently the amount
for married men was increased
from $4.50 per day to $5.00 per
day and for single men from
$4.00 to $4.50 per day. We have
also found that some who were
entitled were not applying for
their rightful dues and steps

tion.

were also taken to endeavor to
see that those who are entitled
are informed.
First Aid Training

I also stated that the Board
intended to take a greater part in
First Aid training. We have and
are doing so. Our First Aid Regu-
lations have been revised and in-
clude oxygen therapy which has

probably be standard, not only in
British Columbia but elsewhere,
has now gone beyond its final
draft stages and is approved by
the St. John Ambulance, by the
Industrial First Aid Attendants
Association and by the B.C. Divi-
sion, Industrial Committee of the
Canadian Medical Association.

Management as a whole gives
full support to the program and
desirous of giving a higher stand-
ard of care to the injured work-
man. Some who come into the
province from other jurisdictions
find the regulations onerus and
are inclined at first to be some-

what belligerent but after ex-

problems confronting his administration, and tells of greatly increased

number of claims.

been found yery valuable partic-
ularly in the treatment of shock.
We have trained 2037 industrial
first aid attendants in the use of
this equipment at courses specific
ally for the purpose and at the
end of the year the new regula-
tions will become effective.

This has not been done without
a number of hearings and a great
number of discussions but the
Board is sure that benefit will ac-
crue. Next year too we are em-
barking for the first time in First
Aid Competitions on a province-
wide scale which we hope will
give an impetus in province-wide
standards.

A text on first aid which will

Mama, why
Daddy wear a

led

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wouldn't
HARD HAT 2

perience come to realize its value.
Some few in industry have to be
carefully watched and brought
into line. The standard in this
province is generally recognized
to be superior to that in any part
of the continent and we must be
vigilant to maintain and improve
it.

Another problem that we are
endeavoring to deal with is the

Meade Creek

Gold certificate of merit
was recently awarded the
rigging crews of the Meade
Creek Division, Western For-
est Industries Ltd. for the
completion of oxer 90,000
man-hours, November - June,
1956, entirely free from com-
pensable accidents.

Earlier the entire crew had
received a silver certificate
“ for the completion of 60,000
accident - free man - hours of
labor.

length of time taken to process
claims. It takes no longer in
British Columbia than in other
provinces but is still too long.
We realize that when the pay
cheque is cut off the compensa-
tion cheque is of vital import-
ance fo a man and his family.
‘A survey is being made to see
where the difficulties lie.

Bottlenecks Cleared

Strangely enough the peak
month for claims is August.
This year as I have stated a
few less than ten thousand
claims were filed in that month.
The difference between August
the highest month and Janu-
ary the lowest month is about
3,077 claims or 31.18%. We
have strengthened the staff in
an endeavor to take care of the
ebb and flow.

We have added an additional
Assistant Supervisor of Claims
to speed up their handling and
incidentally one of them is espe-
cially deputed to improve the cor-
respondence and form of the let-
ters which go out. We find some
Units dealing with claims to be
slower than others and delays
occur in the Medical Department
or in assessing and determining
wage rates or the machine room
that provides the cheques.

The bottlenecks are seldom the
same but we feel that we can, by
cutting half days here and half
days there, improve the efficiency.
That will not necessarily hasten
payment of the claims which are
substantially delayed.

One of the greatest causes of
this is the failure of the injured
man to file his Form 6. You can
help in that regard. The second
greatest delay is the failure of
the doctor to file his Form 8 and
Progress Reports. We have at-
tempted to deal with that. We
have set up a Liaison Committee
with the B.C. Division of the Can-
adian Medical Association and
with the Chiropractors Associa-
tion and through that several ar-
ticles have been published in the
“Bulletin”. the official publication
of the medical profession. I have
personally addressed meetings of
the doctors on the Island, in the
North, the East Kootenays and
elsewhere and have addressed the
Chiropractors’ Association in
Vancouver and each time have
stressed the necessity of speed
and accuracy in their first and
progress reports. The third delay
is the filing of the Form 7 by the
companies and many personal
contacts and much correspondence
has been devoted to speeding this
up.

Cooperation Necessary

You, as leaders of organized
labor, get the complaints from
your members when payments

GI7O KWOWGETTER ...

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of hazards 100:

Many accidents happ
when unusual conditioz
getting short — when y
conditions have to be m
have to be dealt with, ‘

Too often there is a
under these cireumstar:
and over hasty — to,
forget prudence. 1]

There is always a ne
— to consider problem
enough to do a job in the

Don’t let yourself be 3
— always size up the jc

Bi
Workmen's Com

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