IWA

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

SAFETY PAGE

SAFETY DIRECTOR'S REPORT
TO ANNUAL SAFETY CONFERENCE

WOODWORKERS’ HOUSE, SEPTEMBER 23, 1967

The safety program of the

IWA has but one objective —
a continuous reduction of ac-
cident. losses, death, injury,
and economic waste.
- In a recent message from
the President of the National
Safety Council, he states as
follows:

“In the past six years, the
death rate from work con-
nected accidents has continu-
ed its long-term downward
trend, but at a slower pace.
(The 1966 rate per 100,000
workers was the lowest on
record.) However, in order to
maintain the same level of
fatalities per year the death
rate must be reduced about
14 per cent by 1975.

- “In the past six years,
deaths resulting from public
accidents rose about 15 per
cent compared with a popu-
lation growth of nine per
cent. A 14 per cent reduction

in the population death rate
will be required by 1975 to

avoid an increase in the an-

nual death total.

“In the past six years,
deaths from accidents in the
home have shown a popula-
tion rate that has varied from
about 14% to 15% per 100,-
000. If increased death totals
are to be avoided, the rate
must be lowered 13 per cent
by 1975 to offset expected
population growth.

“In the past six years, the
number killed in traffic acci-
dents has gone up 39 per
cent. Based on this ratio of
loss, the total killed in the
next ten years could reach
75,000 annually. To just hold
the line in the total killed,
we must cut the mileage
death rate to 4.0 per 100 mil-

lion vehicle miles by 1975.
The rate for the first six
months of 1967 was 5.0.”

The 1966 total of new work
injuries was only 240 less
than in the record year of
1956. However, for the first
six months of 1967, the num-
ber of claims were down 20
per cent from 1966. Fatals
were down 35 per cent; log-
ging injuries were down 20
per cent; fatals were down
10 per cent.

The following figures are a
comparison of the frequency
rate for the member com-
panies on the Council of The
Forest Industries of British
Columbia for the period Jan-
uary 1 - June 30, 1966 and
1967:

Committees in all opera-
tions are doing a good job in
accident prevention, and I
realize that Local Union lead-
ership have many other prob-
lems that may encourage
them to shove the problems
of safety to one side, but we
have to keep telling manage-
ment that safety must come
from the top. We must be-
lieve that safety has to come
from the top, for top manage-
ment has the responsibility to
provide safe working condi-
tions.

With the large turnover of
personnel in our industry to-
day, we must encourage all
workers to participate in the
safety program for who
knows better what the haz-

Se
1966 1967
Freq. Fatals Freq. Fatals
B.C. Loggers’ Div ____._.__. 33.20 5 23.68 7
B.C.L.M.A. Div. _._ 23.90 1 18.88 0
Red Cedar Shingle &
Shake Div. __.... 41.91 0 39.61 0
Plywood Man. Div. ____.. 19.90 1. = 12.45 0
See ee)

Meetings were held and
procedures agreed to in re-
gard to Falling and Bucking
Regulation 60.46 of the Acci-
dent Pevention Regulations
as well as adequate guarding
of mobile spars and loaders.

I have visited all the Locals
in British Columbia and find
conditions good insofar as
housekeeping and adequate
guarding are concerned. How-
ever, the problem of new ma-
chines being installed, neces-
sitating training and re-train-
ing, does constitute a prob-
lem as far as safety is con-
cerned.

ards of the ‘job are than the
worker, who usually knows
how to help develop proper
controls of the hazards of the
job. He also has the most at
stake, for better wages, short-
er hours, more leisure time,
greater retirement benefits,
and pensions, etc., aren’t
worth a thing if the worker
doesn’t live to enjoy them.
They aren’t worth anything
at retirement if every
moment is racked with pain.

I have attended and spoken
at a number of safety con-
ferences including the Queen
Charlotte Islands, Vancouver

The Editor:

put in your obituary

September Ist, 1967.

tempt at saving him.

Island, Terrace-Kitimat area,
and the Okanagan, as well as
numerous crew meetings as
opportunity permitted. I have
assisted in promoting the

. safety features of the Lahtin-

en Power Saw Bar that is now
being tested in many areas,
including Eastern Canada.

A handbook for Accident
Prevention Committee - men
has been completed and will
be available in the near
future. as

Disallowed Compensa-
tion claims, temporary partial
disability, pensions that have
expired, require a tremen-
dous amount of time and re-
search. I would urge all Lo-
cal Unions to make an exten-
sive study of proposed Work-
men’s Compensation Act Bill
No. 69 so that any suggested

NO FINER TRIBUTE

We at Lee & Genberg’s would like the following
column.

Fellow workers of the late William Toop wish
to express our sympathy at his passing away on

Bill suffered a heart attack shortly after coming
in off work, and he was rushed by plane to Prince
Rupert hospital. Bill died in the ambulance
enroute. He had a cheery word and a smile for
everyone. We regret his passing and will miss him
greatly. We thank the B.C. Air Lines for their at-

Thanking you,
HAROLD KINNEY,
Butedale, B.C.

Local 1-71, IWA.

while

amendments may be present-
ed to the B.C. Federation of
Labour conference called for
October 22, 1967.

In closing, I wish to voice
my sincere appreciation for
the assistance and co-opera-
tion I have received from Lo-
cal Union officials, Local
Safety Directors, and Safety
Committee-men, and while it
has been truly said that the
work of safety will never end
and our efforts are beset with
disappointments and discour-
agement, we know that thous-
ands in our industry are not
injured each year because of
the hard work in safety, try-
ing to make the camps and
mills in our industry a safer
and better place to work.

Respectfully submitted,
A. D. SMITH,
Regional Safety Director

THE LIGHTER SIDE

Among the group of fellows
kidding a local purveyor of
vitamin products, one brag-
gingly proclaimed, “I’ve a dif-
ferent kind of problem. Do
you have something that will

slow me down from twice a
night to twice a week?”

“Yep, have just the cure for
that,” answered the vitamin
salesman. “It’s called truth

serum.”

After several hunters were
taken on a trip with an elder-
ly backwoods guide, they got
the feeling that they were lost
and questioned the old man.
He agreed that he was lost,
too.

“I thought you were the
best guide in Wyoming?” one
hunter grumbled.

“In Wyoming I believe I
am,” he agreed. “But I think
we're in Utah!”

ERIC EWERT

ist Vice-Chairman

PAT EWLES

Recording Secretary

NORM KELLY

Chairman

REGIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL OFFICERS

BILL SCHUMAKER

2nd Vice-Chairman

JACK MUMM
3rd Vice-Chairman