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Director James Milmore a point of information.

DISCUSSION on a sofety resolution during the District Safety Conference held February 2nd, brought Andy Smith, Local 1-357, to his feet to ask

life jackets
saved lives

It is now one year since the Workmen’s Compensation
Board handed down its directive Boverning: the use of life

jackets by workmen who are exp

ged to a serious risk of

drowning. During that time eleven recorded instances are
on file describing how life jackets have saved workmen.

First man saved by his life
jacket was Charles Weatherill, a
boom man employed by Canadian
Forest Products Limited (Eburne
Division). Last Spring he was
blown out of a boom boat when
the engine exploded. Burned
about the hands and stunned by
the blast, he conquered his panic
after he realized his life jacket
was keeping him afloat. When
the shock had worn off he man-
aged to scramble up on a nearby
float. Result — one man saved
from the mighty Fraser River.

Bridge Workers

Two construction workers fell
off bridges at Nelson and Mis-
sion. Both were kept afloat in
fast moving water by their jack-
ets until rescued by fellow

* workers. ,

Besides boom men and con-
_ struction workers saved, the list
includes piledriving, barge and
surveying employees.

WCB Chief Inspector, Arthur
Francis said he was pleased with
the excellent support given the
directive by management and
labor. There was a slight amount
of opposition at the outset but
later when the jackets were prov-
ing their worth almost everyone
concerned abided by the directive
to the fullest, he said.

“This wasn’t the case not so
many years ago with respect to

the wearing of hard hats. It took;

several years before workmen
accepted hard hats as being es-

sential. Nowadays the workman

who enters the woods or goes on
the construction site without his
hard hat is looked on with scorn
by his fellow workers,” Mr. Fran-
cis said.

27 Drowned

In 1957, there. were 27 work-
men drowned, 10 less than the
previous year.

During 1957 it was necessary
for the WCB to penalize several
firms for not complying with the
life jacket directive.

Some credit for the success of
the directive must go to WCB
inspectors, Murray Clarke, and
Doug Watts. They conducted
tests on scores of different types
of life jackets before the direc-
tive came into effect.

A booklet was compiled out-
lining their findings. This book-
let helped management to supply
their workmen with the most
suitable jackets.

Wear Your Jacket

There are many workmen alive
today thanks to life jackets. Let’s
hope that those people who en-
joy recreational activities on the
water take heed of the lessons
learned by workmen. Time and
time again, sportsmen, fishermen
and boating enthusiasts have lost
their lives because they didn’t
bother to put on life jackets. It’s
not good enough just to have a
life jacket in your boat—if you're
smart you'll wear it.

side pockets and
big mouths only

Think you can get a billiard ball entirely into your mouth? Well,

if you do, there’s a hospital staff in a large city that’s ready for you.
‘They've developed a “pool ball extractor” just for people like you.

In a talk on printing safety before a Navy group in Washington,
Eugene Ernest, the Printing and Publishing Section chairman, told of
the necessity for this hospital to develop the extractor because each
week some brave soul decides to prove, that if he really tries, he can
actually get a billiard ball entirely into his mouth.

This incident was related to illustrate that if there is a probability
that an accident can occur, it will occur sooner or later.

“HE SHALL BE SUPPLIED WITH AND SHALL WEAR... .”

These were the words of Harold Dixon, Cominco Surveyor, as
he told of his harrowing “swim” down the Pend O’Oreille River
on_October 19th. When ‘the canoe he was working from over-
turned. Harold was catapulted through a mile of the most treacher-
ous part of the river.

Only the life jacket kept him from being submerged and drown-
ing. Badly bruised and completely exhausted, he was pulled from
the water a mile downstream from the accident.

Les Kitchin, who was assisting with the job, fortunately, some-
how scrambled along the bank and finally overtook and rescued
the tired surveyor. This amazing escape by Harold Dixon is but
another example of why it pays to observe safety rules.

WITH ANY IDEAS THAT COULD HELP

ee

WHO.
WOT ON THE BALL 5

Hard Hat

Mr. J, E. H. of Vancouver. Occufio
.ing by pile of lumber, 2’ x 4° fell d

damage —one crathg
injury averted — frock
Gloves

'
Mr. R. B. T. of New wert
Picked up stoker bar to poke fire.| dh

damage — one pair}f t
injury averted — painful fins

A
Life Jacket

Mr. B. L, M. of Vancouver. Occhq
log in Fraser River. Life-Saving jee}
by fellow workers,

damage — thoroug!
injury averted — drowning

Safety Belt

i
\

Mr, T. R. A. of Victoria. Occupafp9\

topped tree, feet slipped from ur \

falling to ground. iN
"

damage — torn pan!
injury averted — death i

Caulk Boots (wi

Mr. M. ©. C. of Nanaimo. Occuj
block, it slipped from his grasp andt4

damage — dented i
injury averted — multiple 4

Safety Glasses ||

Mr. J. E. H. of Vancouver. Occuj
saw struck his safety glasses.

damage — shattere
injury averted — loss of

LESSON: °"

— NO

s\

British Columbia
Workmen's Comp

Yo SAYS 10
(OR SAFETY:

‘SEE HOW.
7 SIDE: STEPPED,
THAT HAZARO?.