emer SNE Cs ple ie na Sls FON lea . = eapne ~ ~ Soy Serre WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Editorial Safety Is As Safety Does John T. Atkinson, safety director for the International Woodworkers of America, pulled few punches Sunday when he warned northern interior lumbermen that if their safety assessments go up they will have only themselves to blame. Although he left many things unsaid, his blunt warn- ing could be put in a few words: That under today’s re- stricted forest products market prices, increased Workmen’s Compensation Board assessments could force many marginal operators into bankruptcy. Mr. Atkinson’s record as a mill worker and as a safety expert stems from experience and knowledge in his field that few men can equal and none can surpass. This is acknow- ledged both in government circles and throughout the industry. Therefore the words he spoke at Sunday’s safety seminar bear repeating. “Ninety-six working men died violently on the job in the B.C. forest industry last year, 70 per cent of them in gypo operations, small contractors operations, non-union camps and plants and interior associations. “Where there is no organization, no safety program, no education and no safety committees, WCB statistics show there was a total of 7,340 injuries in the industry. Approxi- mately 6,000 of these accidents occurred east of the Cascades. “The Williams Lake area, Princeton, Merritt, Kam- loops and some parts of the Kootenays have had bad acci- dent records. In Prince George much progress has been made. Here, plants and camps have become cleaner, better and safer places to work, through co-operation of union, man- agement and the WCB, in the short space of seven years. The fatal and crippling accidents on the jobs have been drastically reduced. The employers in the orbit of the North- ern Interior Lumbermen’s Association have benefitted greatly by reduced compensation assessments. “Today we are told by the NILA speaker that the acci- dent rate is increasing. The reason is obvious to us all. “Here we have with us experts and highly qualified instructors in the work of accident prevention, from the WCB office in Vancouver, a top safety official from the B.C. Lumber Manufacturers’ Association, and senior IWA officials donating their time, effort and skill to this safety seminar. “And we also have the sad and pitiful spectacle of prac- tically no representation from the NILA and the local mills in attendance. “This is a demonstration of employer indifference and insincerity. When carried out at the job level it will destroy what once was a successful program with very worthy and desirable results. “Safety must start at the top and be maintained by con- tinuous effort. If top management does not care, neither will superintendents, foreman, supervisors, nor anyone else in the work force. “TNeterioration of safety progress in the Prince George area will have its repercussions, not only financially, but also in public and union relations. Bad accident records in any industrial unit reflect bad management, regardless of any statement, anywhere, any time, by anyone, to the contrary. “This seminar can be considered most interesting, in- formative and educational. The meagre representation from the NILA and independent employers will not encourage further sacrifices by the participants in this large and im- portant section of the forest industry.” Reprinted Prince George Citizen. Death on the Downhill Side... Age 56 Enperience: 38 years a cat run ef seven logs, one of which was x0 located that he couldn't hook the the cst blade in front of the tracks ond gave the signal to pick ws 12% downgrade and pinned deceased against the blode. WCB Chairman Eades Replies To Charge Of John Wood The following letter is in answer to the charge made by John Wood, Administrative Assistant to the Leader of the Opp osition, that a statement made by WCB Chairman J. E. Eades Q.C. during his address to the recent IWA Regional Convention was incorrect. The Editor: , Mr. John H. Wood, administra- tive assistant to the Honourable Robert M. Strachan, M.L.A,, Leader of the Opposition, extend- ed to me the courtesy of sending a copy of his letter. In the remarks to which he re- fers, I did not say that there were no appeals allowed in Great Bri- tain against questions of fact, and if I have been so quoted, then the quotation is incorrect. I was dis- cussing the sole question of ap- peals to the courts from Compen- sation Board decisions on ques- tions of fact and the exact state- ment was that: “JT have not mentioned the experience of Great Britain. Until 1946 there was an appeal to the courts in workmen’s compensation. Under the present integrated wel- fare system workmen’s compensa- tion still remains and gives the worker who has sustained a work injury a better deal than one who suffers otherwise. The appeal to the courts has been swept away because it was found that litiga- tion as in the United States des- troyed the value of the scheme.” I think that Mr. Wocd agrees with this statement and no doubt he is familiar with the white paper which was introduced into the Hoduse of Commons following Lord Beveridge’s comprehensive report which very clearly showed the failure of the system through such appeals. Furthermore, I made it abund- antly clear that I was in favour of the present medical appeal panels, and I further made it abundantly clear that I have the fullest confidence in the courts and that nothing that was said should or could be interpreted otherwise. I then quoted from a number of commissions in Canada, all presided over by learned judges, including the late Chief Justice Sloan, and all concluded that no appeals to the courts should be allowed. I quoted also from a re- cent speech of Mr. Fair, assistant director, department of social Time Out A tactless person had just asked her age. “Well,” was the reply, “let me figure it for you. I was 18 when I married and my husband was 30. He’s now 60, or twice as old as he was then, so I’m now 36.” - * x * Women are to blame for most of the lying men do. They insist on asking questions. * x * Quote: “I got to thinking yes- terday—you know how it is when the television’s not working.” a ye * Dejected young miss: “He not only lied about the size of his yacht, he made me do the rowing.” * * * “That waiter is either a fool or a comedian.” “What's the matter?” “I ordered extract of beef and he brought me a glass of milk.” * * * Filling station attendant to driv- er: “Your oil’s okay, but your motor could stand changing.” * * * Perfume salesgirl, showing new: est brand to a customer: ‘To tell you the truth, I consider this brand unsportsmanlike — sort of like dynamiting fish. * * x A college boy sent a telegram home saying: “Mom! Have failed everything. Prepare Pop.” The reply came the next day. “Pop prepared. Prepare yourself.” security of the A.F.L., C.LO., who, in dealing with workmen’s compensation in the United States, very strongly advocated the aboli- tion of appeals to the courts and said: “,. The total result, whatever the individual advantage, makes impossible effective operation of workmen’s compensation .. .” The subject matter was specific- ally limited to appeals on ques- tions of fact to the courts. It was not possible in the time allowed to deal with alternative methods and means. In Britain under the integrated scheme a claim is dealt with by a insurance officer attached to the local office of the Ministry’ of Pensions and National Insurance. An appeal lies, as Mr. Wood stated, to a local tribunal consist- ing of three members, one repre- senting employers, one represent- ing employees and a chairman THE SAFET =< So = WY ea = O @4 Qs © — Ss ee sé OZ = O > THE SAFETY~COMMITTEE. who is a lawyer and who is ap- poipted by the Lord Chancellor. A further appeal lies to a com- missioner who is a lawyer of not less than 10 years standing, ap- pointed by the Lord Chancellor. His decision is final and binding and there is no appeal to the courts. Perhaps I should mention that under B.C. procedure a claim is first decided by a claims officer. An appeal from his decision lies to a board of review, consisting of the chief solicitor, chief medical officer and the chief of the claims department. Further hearing may be had before the Workmen’s Compensation Board which con- sists of appointees exactly similar to that of the British tribunals and is set up as an independent board. Whether an appeal to a commissioner similar to that in Great Britain would be an advan- tage or disadvantage in the scheme of workmen’s compensation ad- mits to much argument for and against. J. E. EADES OMMITTEE BRITISH COLUMBIA WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION BOARD