MAY, 1973 : THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER 3

CONFERENCE SUCCESSFUL _

One of the most informative

and sucessful IWA Regional
Safety Conferences was held
May 11-12 in Cranbrook, with
approximately seventy dele-
gates and visitors in attend-
ance.

The first order of business
were the Local Safety
Directors reports on safety
conditions in their respective
Local Unions. The majority of
the reports painted a grim pic-
ture of IWA members still
being injured and killed.

The worst section of the in- ety 22 aN Se
dustry for fatalities and injur- ; : ag
ies was the logging section. :

Following discussion of the
reports, the delegates dealt
with eighteen resolutions de-
signed to alleviate some of

‘ SAFETY COUNCIL OFFICERS left, Verna Ledger, WCB INSPECTORS left, Doug Watts, Al. Anderson and
safety problems in the forest Recording Secretary ; Erich Ewert, Chairman; Jack Mumm, Gerry Salmon.
industry. 1st Vice-Chairman.

A number of resolutions
sought changes to the Work-
men’s Compensation Regula-
tions to provide for people from
the bargaining unit accom-
panying WCB inspectors dur-
ing inspections. Others sought
changes to the Regulations to
provide joint accident preven-
tion inspection of all new
machinery or equipment prior
to being used. ;

Some of the resolutions were
concerned with dust control
and pollution which the dele-
gates pointed out are becoming
a real hazard in the manufact-
uring plants.

WCB Commissioner George
Kowbel was guest speaker dur-
ing the first day. His talk cent-
red chiefly on the role. played
by the Board in looking after
the interests of injured B.C.
workers and ensuring to the
best of its ability that the work-
ers job site was as safe as pos-
sible.

He pointed out that with only
fifty inspectors and thousands
of employers the job was a her-
culean task.

Following his address he was
questioned extensively by the
delegates on all phases of the
Board’s activities.

The next day the WCB log-
ging and sawmill inspectors

_ for the area addressed the con-
ference and afterwards sub-
mitted to a lengthy question
period. It was obvious from the
numerous questions asked on
both sides that the discussion

LOCAL 1-405 CRANBROOK DELEGATION

had been worth while and they > :
‘how understood one another’s Smee a :
problems better. LOCAL 1-357 NEW WESTMINSTER DELEGATION. LOCAL 1-417 KAMLOOPS DELEGATION.

In the afternoon the confer-
ence broke into buzz groups for
a couple of hours following
which they reassembled to re-
port their findings. From these
findings it was evident that the
delegates believed something
concrete had been accomplish-
ed for the Union’s safety pro-
gramme.

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VISITORS FROM LOCAL 1-405 CRANBROOK. | LOCAL 1-424 PRINCE GEORGE DELEGATION.