THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER UNION — W.C.B. CO-OPERATE AT KELOWNA SAFETY CONFERENCE The mid-year Regional wide Safety Conference at Kelowna during the first week in March, was hailed as the first combination of a working safety session and a safety educa- tional seminar. I.W.A. delegates from locals of Region No. 1 were welcomed to the successful confer- ence by host Local President W. Schumaker, on behalf of the Kelowna Local 1-423. Wyman Trineer, first Vice- President of the Regional Council, stressed the import- ance of our industrial safety program, and set the tone for the opening of the business session during which the an- nual reports of the Regional and Local safety directors were presented and explored. The keynote address from Regional Safety Director Max Salter, outlined the progress into occupational health aspects of safety in our wood- working industry. He also sketched the objectives set by the safety council toward accident prevention improve- ments, and the expansion of the safety department into the educational field. W.C.B. Commissioner George Kowbel complimented the conference on the direction of the adopted program, and expressed the objectives of the compensation board toward improvements in the claims processing, benefit awards, ar ? and in the rehabilitation field. He stressed the importance of joint assemblies of workers advocates and the industrial safety management under the sponsorship of the compensa- tion board, in striving for improved relationship and co- operation of all parties in the interests of the injured workers. : A new educational film featuring the ‘“‘Bleeding Work- man” was shown as a com- ponent of the forthcoming first aid training, under the direction of Frank Mottishaw, Superintendent of First Aid Services for the W.C.B. who outlined the course to be launched early this fall, which will provide survival first aid training to industrial workers throughout the province. Mr. Mottishaw indicated that the revised first aid regulations will be ready for release as soon as the proposals are gazetted for approval. The last day- of the sessions was completely devoted to the educational lectures co- ordinated by Murray Clarke for the W.C.B. and which covered claims procedure, pension and disability awards, appeals procedures and _in- dustrial hygiene. The lectures by the W.C.B. team were presented by Ed. Zurwick, Bob Angus, Bill Dickson, George Cartwright and Al. Riegert, who formed the question panel in winding up the sessions. These sessions were fully recorded for the W.C.B. by G. McMillan who channeled the proceedings into the audio- video system for reference in developing future classes, which will be provided to union and industry at selected centres throughout B.C. It is expected that improved un- derstanding of claims procedures will assist in streamlining processes, and overcome extensive delays which cause injured workers unnecessary anxiety. REGIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL OFFICERS, left, Bob Birchette, 3rd Vice-Chairman; Jack Welder, 2nd Vice-Chairman; Erich Ewert, Chairman; Max Salter, Regional Safety Director; Verna Ledger, Secretary. Missing from picture is Jack Mumm, 1st Vice- Chairman. George members took an active part in the Conference ie eeeebiten VIDEO TAPE MACHINE used by the Workmen’s Com- pensation Board at the Regional Safety Conference. Seated are George Zizac and Larry Walt from Local 1-80, Duncan. REGIONAL ist VICE-PRESI- DENT Wyman Trineer giving his opening address. ft, we HOST LOCAL ‘PRE 7 hig Bill Schumaker welcomes delegates to Kelowna. Bde SIDENT -HIGHRISE BUILDINGS | | FEARED FIRETRAPS eae Les Se Present protection against fire in high-rise buildings is inadequate, according ‘to a study done by a large in- surance brokerage firm. March and McLellan Ltd., one of Canada’s biggest brokers, reported that major threats of high-rise fire disasters exist in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The danger has increased with “shining towers of glass, steel and concrete”’. The firm recommends automatic sprinkler systems for all towering structures, residential and office. The National Building Code makes sprinkler systems mandatory in basements only. The Code applies to all federally-financed buildings and includes voice com- munication equipment on each floor, special elevator controls and special vents or shafts to draw smoke out of a burning building. The insurance company said that present fire safety con- cepts have to be re-appraised. “The newest high-rise buildings cause the most : concern. Those dating back 20 — Se niin ei tae Re Bee Th ics s years or more were genuinely fire resistant, with thick walls and floors and easily opened windows Today, the contents are the major worry.” Any complacency about the problem was upset recently when a fire gutted an upper floor of the Royal Trust Tower in the Toronto-Dominion Centre, one of the city’s most prestigious developments. Two people died recently in Mon- treal’s fashionable Westmount Square office-apartment complex. Five died in a fire in | the Canadian Liquid Air building in Montreal in 1972. — The report points out that mass evacuation from the modern office high-rise is usually impractical. Fire department ladders reach only 100 feet. Elevators are unreliable because fire affects the control systems, opening doors on the fire floors.. The National Research ~ Council considers that it takes 6% minutes to evacuate an 11- storey building, 742 minutes for 18 storeys, 18 minutes for storeys and over two hours