Page Six

‘B.C. LUMBER WORKER

“JOHN T”
WINS
VOTE

Election by secret ballot of a
representative for the B.C.
District Council, IWA, on the
International Safety Council at
the quarterly meeting of the
District Council, Oct. 14-15,
placed Safety Director, John T.
Atkinson, Local 1-80, IWA, at
the top of the poll.

Results of balloting for this
position also resulted in the
selection of Michael A. “Gus”
Skuzanski, District Safety Dir-
ector, as an observer to attend
the organization meeting of the
International Safety Council,
and William Gray, District
Safety Secretary, as an alter-
nate.

Debate which preceded bal-
loting stressed the importance
of adequate representation
from the B.C. District at the
initial meeting in Portland dur-
ing the month of December.
Representatives of Local 1-80,
IWA, offered to help defray the
expenses of extra delegates for
the occasion.

JOHN T. ATKINSON, Safety
Director, Local ‘1-80, IWA, el-
ected as B.C. representative on
the International Safety Council.

MICHAEL A. “GUS” SKUZAN-
SKI, District Safety Director, el-
ected as observer at the Decem-
ber meeting of the International
Safety Council.

WILLIAM GRAY, Secretary,
District Safety Council, elected
as alternate representative on In-
ternational Safety Council.

FFF FFF FFF
THINK SAFE.
ACT SAFE...

BE SAFE

eter

Safety Director,

the employees.

‘The management’s invitation
to me as the Local Union’s
Safety Director, to make a first
hand inspection of safety
measures was in itself a pro-
gressive step in labor-manage-
ment relations on the question
of safety and proof of the com-
pany’s sincerity about co-
operation to achieve safety ob-
jectives.

‘As our Local Union recog-
nizes that organized labor and
management have a mutual in-
terest in an effective accident
program, based on the full
acceptance of joint responsi-
bility, it is gratifying to be
able to report that this was
found in the Ladysmith opera-
tions.

Arrangements for my tour of

inspection were made by Superin-
tendent Jos. Cliffe, who placed the
necessary facilities at the dis-
posal of our party, and permitted
me unrestricted opportunity to
inspect equipment and interview
the men on the job.
Other members of our party
included Business Agent Emie
Boulet, Local 1-80 IWA, the
popular Safety Committee Chair-
man George Simpson, and Com-
pany Safety Director, Jack Tay-
lor.

Safety Innovations

On our preliminary visit to the
company warehouse, “it ‘was a
great pleasure to compliment
Safety Director Jack Taylor on
his invention of a practical con-
tainer for first aid equipment and
blankets, which is now widely
used throughout the industry.

This device is made simply
from a section of an inner tube
of a large truck tire, which vul-
canized at both ends, hermetically
seals the contents against mois-
ture. The air valve is usually
retained, and air pumped in as
further protection.

This invention has proved in-
valuable for the proper care of
equipment at first aid stations in
logging operations.

The company has recently sup-
plied Redi-heat units as standard
first aid equipment. These units
are small, compact, and handy,
and eliminate the usual trouble
experienced with hot water
bottles in the treatment of shock.

A small cartridge can be in-
serted which keeps the unit at
the right temperature for about
an hour. A re-fill can be inserted
to prolong the application of heat,

New Hard Hats

Another innovation is the in-
troduction of the modern typé
skull-guard “hard hats”. These
are supplied under the usual
arrangement, payment upon
issue, and refund when turned in
at the expiration of a term of
employment.

In my opinion, these hats are
the most comfortable yet placed
on the market. They are light,
and with the adjustable cradle
can be fitted to suit the comfort
of the wearer.

They were described as type
“B” skull-guards, with adjustable
cradle, manufactured by Modern
Safety Appliances, Pittsburgh.

At the booming grounds we
found the Eve Rocking Board for
artificial respiration in near-
drowning accidents.

When. each of us was supplied
with one of the new type “hard
hats” we started on our inspec-
tion trip. We spent as much
time as possible at the loading

1-80 Director Inspects Comox
Logging Safety Activities

By JOHN T.

ATKINSON,
Local 1-80, IWA

A one-day tour of the operations of the Comox Log-
ging and Railway Co. in the vicinity of Ladysmith and
Nanaimo Lakes, undertaken at the request of the manage-
ment, revealed to me an excellent safety program, and a
sincere desire to establish safe’ working conditions for

and yarding units around Lady-
smith and chatted with the
crews. Everywhere we found a
first-class attitude toward the
safety program, and signs of
growing participation by the
men.

The evidence gained by us
confirmed our former opinion
that one vital feature of a suc-
cessful safety program is the full
co-operation of the men on the
job.

The company program has paid
off with a low labor turn-over.
An additional attraction for the
men is, of course, the fact that
thelatest and most modern equip-
ment is installed, and there is
evidence of a readiness to listen
to new ideas.

Nanaimo Lakes

At the Nanaimo Lakes opera-
tions we also visited as many
railway sidings and loading
operations as possible, as well as
the first aid stations, and found
everything in good shape from
the safety: angle.
| I think it should also be suid
lthat production methods sere
lefficient, without signs of any
|“speed-up”. Machine power is
|used where possible to save mar-
|power. It is claimed thas the
Joutput per man is one of the
lhighest in the province.

In any event the accident rate
jis low. The record shows one
fatality for one billion, 200 mil-
}lion F.B.M.

Fire-Fighting Units

Ten or more tank-unit
trucks are stationed at strategic
points. throughout the entire
loperation to fight forest fires.
| "These are manned in the summer
| months by trained men. I was
told that the company has not
had one serious forest fire since
operations commenced in this
area.

First Aid Training
In addition to the safety pro-
gram that is carried on within
the operation, the Company em-
barked, approximately 12 years
ago on an intensive educational

program among their employees’
families in Ladysmith.

They started a program of
First Aid education in the year
1938. ‘The Company provides
the instructor and pays the
registration fees for all em-
ployees’ wives and children.
Since the inception of this
scheme they have trained ap-
proximately 1,100 people for
First Aid work. On top of that
number between 900 and 950
hold St. John’s certificates.

Essay Contest

Two years ago they instituted
in the schools of this area, an
annual Safety essay contest open
toall children of employees of the
Company. The children are ask-
ed to tell in their own way why
their fathers or brothers should
observe and practise Safety’ pre-
cautions on the job. In the last
contest over ‘200 letters were
entered.

Champions

In addition to their own Safety
program during the war years
the Company Safety Director
supervised the training of ARP
personnel in this area. In 1949
a First Aid team composed of em-
ployees in the operation won the
Dominion First Aid Champion-
ship with one of the highest
scores ever recorded by a win-
ning team. The captain of this
team also won the Dominion In-
dividual title.

| My trip was an enjoyable ex-

This is not the first time that
a Ladysmith First Aid team has
won a Dominion title, for in 1927
a Miners’ team from this area
won the Kadir Cup, emblematic
of the Mine Rescue Championship
of the Dominion.

There are 35 employees hold-
ing the Industrial First Aid cer-
tificates (mostly A’s) in this
operation at the present time.

perience. It was made so not.
only because of the courtesies ex-
tended to me by the Company,
but more especially because 1 saw
a safety program, loyally sup-
ported by labor and management,
steadily achieving the desired
goal of preventing all needless
accidents.

MORE SUPPORT
FROM LOCALS
ENDORSED

Fuller support by Local
Unions for the activities of the
District. Safety Council was
urged in the report of the
Council submitted and endorsed
at the quarterly meeting of the
IWA B.C. District Council,
Oct. 14-15.

The recommendations submit-
ted were the outcome of the
meeting of the District Safety
Council held on the previous eve-
ning.

Coupled with this chiding of
delinquent Local Unions was the
advocacy of special attention to
remedy serious neglect of safety
measures in the Interior of the
province.

Recommendations on safety ap-
proved by the Council delegates
were:

Recommendations

That a recommendation be

made to the International Offi-
cers to set aside two full days
for effective organization of
the International Safety Coun-
cil at the initial meeting in De-
cember.
That a apecial study be made
by the District Officers of ways
and means to increase support -
for activities of the District

Safety Council, and to lower
the accident rate in the Interior.

That provision be made for
one full day’s session of the
District: Safety Conference im-
mediately prior to the District
Convention in January, 1951.

That the Vancouver Labor
Council be requested to hear H.
E. Willson on the subject of
accident prevention.

Discussion of safety measures
was followed by the balloting to
elect the B.C. representative on
the International Safety Council.

rrr
We hold our tongue in our
cheek when we say that we hope
the day will soon come when
everyone will take a good helping
of safety food and take it because
they like it and not because they
can’t handily avoid it.

‘TWO MEN UNLOAD STORES Ay

FROM BOAT AT @, THEN
PULL BOAT TO ® TOMOOR
\T BEYOND LOW TIDE LINE.

FIRST WITNESS: “We went out

THIRD WITNESS: “It was about 2:

U

w
MEN START BACK ALONG
FLOAT. FIRST MAN TURNS\ AR)
AROUND TO FIND COMPAN~ \ i
JON HAS DISAPPEARED:

Occupation:
Age: 38
Date: July 1, 1950

INQU

Before we started to unload it
“We unloaded the freight then

to come up. I walked as far as
I went back to the boat and
where I last saw him on the
splash. There were not any

ISECOND WITNESS: “It was about

around. I did not dive in as I
started looking around. I d
cross walk ways about 20 feet fi

get the freight. There were