NOVEMBER, 1974 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Bsc) ee ONS RVIVAL COURSE W.C.B. TO TRAIN FIRST AID INSTRUCTORS The first of more than 800 in- dustrial first aid attendants are scheduled to begin training in November as instructors of survival first aid, according to the WCB First Aid Superin- tendent Frank Mottishaw. The training will focus on the methodology of instruction, since all of those involved hold at least ‘‘B” first aid certifi- cates and are qualified in em- ergency treatment techniques. First aid attendants who- complete the training success- fully will be certified to con- duct courses for workers on survival first aid: what to do for bleeding, breathing stop- pages and unconsciousness. When a sufficient number of workers in isolated, high-risk industries has been qualified in - Survival first aid, the following regulation will be imple- mented: “. . an employer who has workers: carrying on work activites more than twenty minutes surface travelling time from (required) first aid facilities ... shall provide . . .for each group or crew of five or more workers . . . one worker in each such group or crew who is the holder of a Survival First Aid certificate or other certification accept- able to the Board.” The intent is to provide for adequate emergency care in isolated work areas until the arrival of qualified first aid attendants, according to Mr. Mottishaw. The training of survival first aid instructors will continue through early 1975 in all areas of the province where there is sufficient demand. The courses will be taught by WCB first aid inspectors or by senior first aid attendants in local areas who have already completed the in- structors’ training. Survival first aid training for workers will centre on instruc- tion, demonstration and practise of techniques to control immediate threats to life and to help: endangered workers survive until skilled help is available. Instruction will be supported by a series of WCB-produced motion pic- tures illustrating practical _ techniques. IWA MEMBERS URGED TO TAKE COURSE Local unions are urged to remind their members to give serious thought to partici- pation in the forthcoming “Survival First Aid Training” which will develop from the new WCB regulations to meet the emergency first aid needs in industry. The survival training will be limited to the primary vital steps to take to apply emergency care. The plan will be to develop a “back-up” force to fulfill the urgent needs of first aid safety, in the face of the swelling accident rates. As soon as instructors are trained from fully qualified first aid attendants, the training of volunteers in the in- dustrial work force will com- mence. The instructions will feature an eight hour crash course using multi-media systems, of slides, movies and direct instructional forms with brief practice periods. These courses will be conducted in group sessions during work hours, and while purely voluntary, will prove of value off the job as well as on the work site. | LIGHTER SIDE | Sawmill Sue says that her new sister-in-law is a nurse and so conceited that every time she takes a patient’s pulse she subtracts ten, beats for her personality. -!o * * * First golfer: ‘“‘I suppose you heard that Olie killed his wife?’’ Golfer No. 2: ‘really, how did he do it?”’ Golfer No. 1: ‘‘With a golf club.” Golfer No. 2: “Jeez... how many strok2s?’’ * * * Kamloops Katie’s girl friend was about to get married to a surgeon — but at the last minute he cut out. ‘ - SAFETY COU . 4 ~ a . a ~ 4 NCIL DELEGATES from many large operations from all areas of Port Alberni Local 1-85 pause during busy three-day sessions on safety activity, to pose with Local Union Safety Director Tom McCrae at right front. The Council sessions deliberated safety and health problems and processed numerous proposals to amend the accident prevention and occupational health regulations currently opened by the WCB for considered changes. members of crew committee during safety tour at McMillan Contractors Sawmill at Lone Safety Director Max Salter. Butte, attended by Regional REGION CALLS SPECIAL __ SAFETY COUNCIL MEET A special session of regional safety council officers, the regional safety director and the local union directors of safety was called by the IWA regional officers to examine and summarize proposals for amendments and additions to the Workers Compensation regulations covering accident prevention and occupational ’ health. With the regulations being opened for examination by Ben Thompson advisory committees selected by the WCB from staff and with representatives from labor and industry, any submissions to be exposed to public hearings planned to commence in March of 1975, will first be perused by the advisory com- mittees. One group covering “accident prevention measures, includes Ben Thompson, President of IWA Local 1-71, while Erik Wood of Local 1-367 will serve on the occupational health sector. © IWA OFFICERS Ben Thompson of Local 1-71 and Erik Wood of Local 1-367, are members of the Advisory Com- mittees working on proposed changes of the- Workers’ Compensation Board Regulations covering accident pre- vention and occupational health. MORETIMELOST 3 ACCIDENTS THROUGH This year is very likely to set a record for time lost through work stoppages, but even at that, the time lost may be below the time lost through accidents. . On the record, accidents have cost the economy more lost time than work stoppages year after year. Last year, according to federal labour Statistics, 10.5 million man- days were lost through acci- dents and sickness attributable to the work place and exclusive of time lost through non-work sickness or accidents. In the same 12 months, time lost through strikes and lockouts amounted to 5.8 million man- days. In the first nine months of this year, 7.3 million man-days have been lost by work stop- pages compared with 7.8 million man-days for the whole of 1972, when 8.7 million man- days were lost through work- related accidents or sickness. According to the director of the labour department’s acci- dent prevention and com- pensation branch, J. K. Currie, most of the accidents are pre- ventable — from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of them. He said that 400,000 injuries a year are covered by workmen’s com- pensation. boards which pay out one million dollars a day in benefits. Only in one year, 1969, did time lost through work stop- pages exceed the accident- sickness figure. The trend of accidents and sickness due to the work place is still upward, Mr. Currie said.