THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

SAFETY PAGE

INDUSTRIAL INJURIES CONTINUE
DESPITE SAFETY REGULATIONS

By ANDY SMITH
Regional Safety Director

Sub-section 8.02, Section 8,
Workmen’s Compensation
Board Accident Prevention
Regulations provides that
“The employer shall ensure
that all places of employment
including buildings, struc-
tures, excavations, machinery
and equipment, shall be cap-
able of standing imposed
stresses of safety performance
functions for which they are
used.”

Sub-section 8.04 continues:
“All buildings, excavations,
structures, machinery, equip-
ment, tools and places of em-
ployment shall be maintained
in such condition that work-
men will not be endangered.”

However, regardless of all
the regulations, people still
are injured.

The Workmen’s Compensa-
tion Board of British Colum-
bia is established to provide
rapid financial, medical and
rehabilitation assistance to
workmen who become dis-
abled by industrial accidents
or industrial disease. Another
important duty of the Board
is to formulate and enforce
Accident Prevention Regula-
tions for the protection of
B.C.’s working force.

The circumstances under
which a workman is entitled
to benefits are outlined and
the Workmen’s Compensation
Act requires the WCB to ex-
amine the factors concerning
a workman’s injury and to
decide the degree of entitle-
ment.

It is important that the in-
jured workman answer all the
questions on the workman’s
application form, Form 6, and
send the form to the WCB.
In addition, the WCB must
receive reports from the
workman’s doctor and the
workman’s employer before
the claim.can be processed.

Delay in filing these reports
is the most common reason
for delay in payment of com-
pensation.

The man injured at work
should obtain first aid im-
mediately, and medical assist-
ance if required. He can go
to any physician he chooses,
or to a chiropractor, a podi-
atrist, naturopath, or dentist,
so long as the treatment is of
a nature permitted by law.
However, he may not change
from one to another without
the approval of the WCB.

The workman is required,
as soon as possible, to report
the injury in writing to his
employer and supply names
and addresses of witnesses,
and should file his application
Form 6 immediately with the
WCB. Maximum time for fil-
ing of application is one year,
which in special circum-
stances may be extended to
three years.

The employer’s injury re-
port must be filed with the
WCB within three days of the
injury.

It is important that the
claimant see his doctor regu-
larly, at least every two
weeks, while he is off work,
so that compensation benefits
can be received. WCB pays
disability benefits on the basis
of follow-up reports from the
workman’s doctor, confirming
the extent of the workman’s
disability.

If the workman, during
treatment or convalescence
desires to leave British Co-
lumbia either temporarily or
permanently, he must first re-
ceive the written consent of
the WCB. Failure to do this
may result in suspension of
all compensation benefits.

(1) Compensation under
the Act includes (a) payment
for time lost from work due
to personal injury by acci-

dent arising out of and in the
course of employment; (b)
medical aid; (c) rehabilita-
tion. The above benefits are
also available to workers who
suffer from industrial diseases
recognized by the Board.

(2) Full compensation to
cover loss of wages while dis-
abled is 75% of the workman’s
average earnings, up to a
maximum annual earnings of
$6,600 per annum, for acci-
dents occuring on or after
November 1, 1965. Maximum
compensation per week is
$94.93; minimum compensa-
tion is $31.84 per week unless
wages are lower. These pay-
ments are exempt from in-
come tax.

No compensation is payable
for loss of three working days
or less, but when more than
three working days are lost
compensation is paid from the
date of disability, provided
that prompt treatment is re-
ceived from a physician, chiro-
practor, podiatrist, naturo-
path or dentist.

(3) Medicai aid under the
Act includes any necessary
treatment, drugs, subsistence
allowance where applicable,
hospitalization, nurses, artifi-

cial appliances, and transpor-

tation.

(4) Where the injury re-
sults in permanent disability
which the Board considers is
likely to result in an impair-
ed earning capacity a pension
or awarded is granted.

(5) Where death results
from injury the following
benefits are payable effective
January 1, 1967:

Widows — a cash pay-
ment of $250 and a monthly
pension of $126.04, payable
until death or remarriage.
Allowance up to $2,500 is
payable on remarriage.

Children under 16 years,
$42.45 monthly; 16-18 years

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HOW TO SPOT HIGHWAY FATIGUE

Doctors have a_ special
name for falling asleep or be-
coming drowsy at the wheel.
It is hypothalamus exhaus-
tion, the phenomenon that
causes a Griver’s mental fac-
ulties to slip into the “sleep
centre” of the brain after
several hours on the highway.

Just why this happens is
still largely a mystery al-
though Dr. Clifford Johnson,
medical director of a large
U.S. tire company, has dis-
covered how any driver can
spot the symptoms of ap-
proaching hypothalamus ex-
haustion, and effect a cure.

The tell-tale signs of ap-
proaching hypothalamus ex-
haustion are:

e susceptibility to careless-
ness;

e muscle spasms, jerking
and straightening the legs;

e sudden talking in a louder
voice;

e sudden jerking of the
steering wheel or stabbing at
the brake pedal without ap-
parent reason, indicating the
driver is “seeing things”;

e nodding, yawning and
blinking;

e increased speed, in
bursts. or a marked slow-

down without reason;

. © driving too close to ve-
hicles ahead, then braking
suddenly.

To stop hypothalamus ex-
haustion the driver should
stop at the soonest opportun-
ity, roll his head in a complete
circle three times in each di-
rection, then take several
deep breaths, exhaling by
short bursts through tightly
drawn lips. This forces fresh
air and oxygen into the inner
lining air sacs of the lungs and
aids restoring energy.

—Reprint from: "Bus & Truck
Transport,” August '67

if at school, $47.75 monthly;

18 to 21 years if at school,

$53.06 monthly; where

there is no dependent
widow — under 16 years,

$47.75 per month; 16 to 21

years if at school, $58.37

monthly.

Pensions are payable to
certain foster mothers and
other dependents. Funeral ex-
penses of a workman —
$265.00, burial plot or crema-
tion of the workman, $85.00.

Employers are not permit-
ted to collect contributions
from the workman towards
cost of compensation, even
with the workman’s consent.
Neither can the workman
agree with an employer to
forego any compensation
benefits. The Act provides
that the workman’s right to
receive benefits intact except
for re-payment of advances
paid by Social Welfare or
money owed to the WCB.

A formula effective Janu-
ary 1966 ties most pensions
to the Consumer Price In-
dices. In 1966 and 67 three
two per cent adjustments
were made to most pensions
as a result of this formula.
Appeal Procedure

A workman may appeal a
decision of the WCB Claims

Department to the Board of
Review on an appeal form

which he can obtain by writ-
ing the WCB. The workman
may appeal the decision of
the Board of Review to the
Board of Commissioners. The
workman appealing his claim
has the right to appear in
person, and is entitled to have
representatives assist him in
his presentation. If this is a
medical dispute, appeal can
also be taken under Section
55 of the Act to a Medical Re-
view Panel which is inde-
pendent of the Compensation

Board but whose findings are

binding upon the Board and
all other parties concerned.
This type of appeal can be
taken only when a workman
applies in writing and his
physician can certify that
there is a bona fide medical
dispute and is able to supply
sufficient particulars outlining
the dispute. One specialist
from the list of specialists, set
up in accordance with the
Act, is chosen by the work-
man, another by the em-
ployer, and the chairman is
appointed by the Lieutenant
Governor - in - Council. These
three specialists examine the
workman and review all the
records of the WCB pertain-
ing to the case, and certify
their findings to the WCB.
The workman is then advised
in writing by the WCB of the
decision of the panel.

Regardless of any benefits
of WC, the Safety program
in the Forest Industry is
aimed at eliminating all in-
juries.

I am sure no-one goes to
work in the morning expect-
ing or waiting to be injured
during the day. I doubt if any
of the large numbers of per-
sons killed in the recent long
weekend left expecting to die.

Experience indicates that
the major problem in Safety
is heeding accident preven-
tion advice. “It can’t happen
to me” attitude develops and
we must make every worker
understand that “It can hap-
pen to me.”

We must work for realism
in Safety — not flowery
speeches. We must make the
worker understand what it
means for him to work and
live safely. We must all have
the basic knowledge that if
the Safety program is to suc-
ceed it is a never-ending job.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Bride: “I made this pudding
all by myself.”
Hubby: ”Splendid! But who

helped you lift it out of the °

oven?”

KG GS

Smith insisted on having
one night out a week, alone.
Every Tuesday night he went.

Ps a iO

QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLAND

One Tuesday night he went
out and didn’t come back for
seven years,

When he did return, his
wife was so happy that she
phoned all her friends.

“What are you doing?”
Smith shouted.

“I’m arranging a welcome

home party for you.”
“What?” yelled her hus-

band. “On Tuesday?”

Lo :
res ed

SPRUCE felled by Eric

Goring (right), M. B. Industries, Q.C. Division, Juskatla.
25 foot butt log contains 9,990 feet b.m. Shown with Goring
is Andy Smith, Regional safety director.

” ¥ A