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 i 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 ... j 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 ;