407.

6

B.C. LUMBER WORKER ,

Ist Issue, March

Let’s all prove we're 0

Your life may depend on
your interest in safety

Lhis is the story of how 57 forest products workers were
killed in 1957. Read it, and read it carefully, for it will show
you how the most ordinary circumstance can lead to a man
being killed while he is working.

It proves that every worker
should be 6n his guard, not only
when the danger is apparent, but
also when he feels he is quite safe.

Perhaps you are employed in
one of these occupations. If so,
read those particular descriptions
even more carefully because it
could have been your life that was
lost.

The bright spot in this sad story
is’the fact that there were 58 less
men killed last year than in 1956.
Part of the reason would be the
decrease in work activity. The
major reason is the increasing
awareness on the part of workmen
in the industry that support of
safety programs and adherence to
safety regulations pays off in sav-
ing lives.

And don’t forget that in or-
ganized operations as we have,
the accident rate is less than in
those operations ‘which are not
organized.

In 1958, don’t give an accident
the opportunity to snuff out your

life.
LUMBER MILLING
1. Millhand
Hit by a cant kicked back off
the gang edger.
2. Hyster Swamper
Hyster had taken down a load
of 1” x 6” from a pile. Man step-
ped towards pile to pick up a piece
of lumber when the load toppled
over, burying him.
3. Shiploader
While ‘Winging up”, wing fell
and pinned man’s head and shoul-
ders under lumber. ¢
4. Millwright
‘Was putting new bolts in bucket
belt on fuel elevator when ma-
chinery was put into motion. His
foot was caught, dragging him
down between the belt and the
drum at the bottom.

5. Boomman
Working logs in the boom.
While feeding logs to the jack
ladder, he fell into the water and
drowned,
6. Sawyer
Bringing empty carriage back
when centre dog caught headsaw,
tearing it loose, and throwing it
against the man's chest.
7. Sawyer
Jumped clear of log which came
out of the dogs. In so doing the
head saw caught the left elbow
and left side of body.
8. Barker Operator
While helping repair a kicker
arm on the barker, he was struck
on the right side of the face.
9. Edgerman
‘An edging, 5’ long, was thrown
out of the edger and struck the
man on the right side of the fore-
head.
10. Sizer Feeder
Man was feeding planer sizer.
Was thrown backwards down two
steps and struck his head on the
edge of the platform.
11. Truck Driver
Unloading truckload of lumber
in planer yard. Top of load fell
and) man was found underneath
the lumber.
12. Sawyer
Carriage jumped track and into
saw. Carriage dog caught in saw,
broke loose and struck man.
13. Dragsaw Operator
Walked out on boom log, fell
and bumped his head and drowned.

LOGGING

1. Cat Driver
Cat upset and went over a bank.
Man was crushed by the canopy.

2. Faller
While falling a tree, it kicked

back and pinned the man under it.

SBCs oetaLs
bss

died...

45

OCCUPATION: Stump Blaster

AGE: 40
EXPERIENCE: 2 years

A blaster and his helper had

lit the fuse to an explosive charge

under a stump. Both men retired approximately 125 yards and

took cover behind trees.
One man was killed when

a chunk weighing approximately

100 Ibs. flew out from the exploding stump, ricocheted off one of
the trees and struck him on the head.
ALWAYS TAKE ADEQUATE COVER WHEN

FIRING A SHOT...

THE ROUND MAY BE

OVERLOADED OR MAY NOT BREAK AS

YOU EXPECTED.

SAFETY HATS MUST BE WORN BY BLAST-
i ERS AND THEIR HELPERS. a

3. Logger
Drowned when the boat in which
he was riding struck an object
in the lake.

4. Cat Hooker
Unhooking logs behind the cat.
He went under the top log to un-
hook the bottom log. Top log
rolled on top of him and crushed
him.

5. Handyman
Drowned when skiff overturned.

6. Bull Rope Man
Struck by log which rolled off
the top of a logging truck.

7. Logger
Loading logs onto truck. Log
slipped out of tongs and hit the
man on the head,

8. Loader
Bulldozer turned over and man

was caught between canopy of
bulldozer and the ground.

9. Second Loader
Spar tree fell and hit the work-
man,

10. Second Loader
Quarter guy broke at the tree,
and the heel boom hit the work-
man on his back. ,

11. Chaser
Struck by a’swinging log.

12. Boom Foreman
Spraying logs with paint. Lost
his footing and fell, struck his
head ona log, and disappeared into
the water.

13. Pole Inspector
Crossing river in a boat and
drowned.

14. Loader Operator
“A” Frame on log dump col-
lapsed while being erected. One
leg struck the workman.

15. Mechanic
Unhooking a cable between two
trucks on a grade. Brakes had not
enough air and one truck started
to move. Man was caught between
the two trucks.

16. Faller
Workman sought protection’ un-
der a log. Tree being felled kicked
back and struck the protecting log,
crushing the man.

17. Mechanic
Man was putting a walking beam
onto a logging truck. The rigging
fouled and the portable “A” frame
tipped over and fell on him.

18. Chokerman
Setting chockers, stepped to the

‘interest in safety

ITHER too much or too little has been said about the
conduct of the safety program in thé B.C. lumber
industry. :
Because IWA safety men have encountered dis-
couraging experiences in some operations in their .
efforts to promote safety observances, they were obvi-
ously unhappy over developments at the recent IWA i
District Convention: Nearly all the obstacles met with
in their work seemed to be placed in the way by the
safety directors sitting on management’s side of the job
committee table. ‘

Since the [WA has entered into the plan of co-opera-
‘tion, which is the heart of the safety program, and since
IWA safety men, doing an honest job, are disturbed |
about the apparent sabotage of safety, the time has come
for a fearless and searching probe of all the facts. ¢

It is repugnant to nearly all those who have a genuine |
that Union members should now
revert to the attitude taken by the LPP-Communist
clique dominating the “Union prior to the 1948
attempted recession.

At that time, the Pritchett-Dalskog group raved
about ‘“‘murder in the woods” and did exactly nothing
about organizing on the job to assist in the elimination
of accident hazards. It was a ‘‘talk and do nothing”
policy, very useful in belabouring the employers, but
which brought in its wake an appalling death and acci-
dent toll.

Under the more enlightened policies adopted since

1948, the respective responsibilities of management and {

labour were defined, and co-operation toward a common ||
purpose was deliberately agreed upon and developed.

This co-operative effort has resulted in a substantial »

reduction of the accident frequency rate.

Nothing would be gained in terms of accident pre- |}
vention by confining the Union’s efforts now to steps
intended merely to embarrass the employer on the sub-
ject of safety. \ “

Even so, this does not relieve Union members of the
obligation to speak up when things go wrong with safety
in their own operations.

The men who said at the convention that things are

going wrong about safety in the operations where they 7

work are not liars, The reasons for their complaints will
be thoroughly investigated. :
Consideration of the problem at the District level
does not disclose any grave conflict of purpose. For the
most part, the chief executives of the large employing «
corporations are genuinely interested in the success of

safety. So are the top officials of the WCB. There are ~

many substantial business reasons why they should be,
apart from the fact that in their own homes they react
to humanitarian considerations, just the same as the -
rest of us. Top corporation executives are not morons,
or they would not now occupy their present positions.
They know, that the fewer the accidents, the greater the ,
efficiency of the production which they supervise, and

the less they must pay for compensation assessments. %

©

opemeniemeacenmnens
EP a ak Se

—_——

inn maton

ey

de ght Ny oe