THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER ACTS OF GOD? Six of our people have been killed in the woods in the last few months from small earth movements or landslides which brought down upon them stumps, trees or great boulders. The Workmen’s Compensation Board statistics show that the number of fatalities is not unusual. Further, they tend to cluster in the spring and fall months when rainfall is heaviest in the logging camps. son. But what of the smaller shows in which this se- lection is not possible? Experts say that there are warning signs for those trained to read them. YOUR REGIONAL SAFETY DIRECTOR REQUESTS ALL SAFETY COMMITTEES IN THE WOODS TO CONSIDER THIS PROBLEM. WE KNOW THAT OUT OF YEARS OF EXPERI- ENCE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIST THESE “WARNING Are we helpless to prevent this type of accident? SIGNS”” BEFORE TRAGEDY STRIKES. Do we accept this hazard and just try to live with it? Brother Ross Davis, Safety Director of Local 1-80, has written a letter which illustrates this matter. We print it so that the obvious lesson can be appreciated by all. Obviously, larger operations could plan to avoid logging. in known “slide areas” during the rainy sea- “This accident involved the Shovel Op- erator, thirty-one years of age, employed by the B.C. Forest Products Ltd., at their Port Renfrew operation. He had had ten years ex- perience as a Shovel Operator and was con- sidered one of the best. The accident occurred on the twenty-third day of October 1963 at 10:20 am. Here are the details: | PLAN of SITE OF FATAL ACCIDENT | GRANITE CREEK, PoRT RENFREW To CARL MACKEY October 23,)963 Scare 1"=10 ft. “The. blasting crew had blasted six hun- dred feet of rock at about 9 a.m. There had been a Job Plan for this area, because of the condition of the rock in this area. It was con- sidered safer to work from the top down. There had been a road made from the top down. Just previous to the shot being fired, the | Operator had moved the shovel down below the shot, contrary to orders and previous plan. - showing appecrance afler the accident. Reck SHor FoR . APPRox. 600 Feet AHEAD ALONG : \ PiLoT ROAD | There had been no foreman in the area since | Friday, previous, except on Monday -when he ( was in there just long enough to pull the crew | \ | out. “Following the shot which was at 9 a.m., —then following the shot about twenty min- utes after, the shovel moved in and started to clean up the debris and clean off the rock face. After commencing to work they worked until 9:30 a.m., and then stopped for a coffee break. After coffee they walked back to have - a look at the face before starting to work the shovel. ‘fhe pitman showed the operator water coming out of the rock face, where they were about to work. The pitman pointed this out and made the observation that he did not think that it was safe.) But the operator said, “Oh sure, that’s safe enough, that’s good rock.” He then climbed on the shovel and started to work. The Pitman noticed the water in question getting dirtier, and tried to warn him by a pre-arranged signal, (namely, throwing a rock at the cab), but it was too late. The opera- tor swung out from the cut, but falling rock swung him back 20 degrees and the big rock ( approximately 18 cubic yards in size crushed { ; the operator in the cab. The operator died in- stantly. The pitman felt for pulse and found \ none. S~ eo oe SHOVEL HAD CLEANED ovT Ss s~ i OY se Ft WIOH FACE APPROX. sTeeP SLOPE ee “TI investigated the accident the next day, in company with our Local Business Agent, Del Pratt, and Union members of the Safety Committee, and following the investigation brought in a recommendation for more thor- ough and frequent inspections to be instituted in this kind of work. It is my personal opinion that the cab be better “armoured” and I under- stand that the WCB Inspector is going to recommend that they use boiler plate. “The inquest was held at the Colwood funeral parlour, which I attended with Del Pratt. The verdict was that the deceased | met death while operating the shovel at the Renfrew division with blame attached to no — one. The inquest was held on Octoh NOTES . PoSITION OF DECEASED ‘AFTER AccWENT INDICATED BY X, 2. Roex A 1s APPROX. JO CU. YDS, 3. Rock B 1s APPROX. 8 cu Yos. 5. : 4, Roe Pitre ApPRox. Q FEET Me)