: THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

- APRIL-MAY, 1975

W.C.B. REPORTS

FEWER INDUSTRY DEATHS

The Annual Report of the to the Board having occurred Workers’ Compensation Board in 1974. This is a decrease from for 1974 shows that there were 1973, where 191 deaths were 180 industrial deaths reported reported.

KAMLOOPS HOSTS REGIONAL SAFE

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REGIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER Bob Schlosser, addressing Conference at opening session, in Kamloops, Local 1-417, which is Brother Schlosser’s “home” local.

» Council officers left, Max Salter, Verna Ledger, Erich Ewert.

‘ " oy REGIONAL SAFETY CONFERENCE — Kamloops — Left bs centre foreground — Alex Schewaga, Safety Director Local

4 1-184, Saskatchewan.

LES LAWLESS, !WA Local 1-417 and Jack Kerssens, Regional Safety Council Vice-Chairman, conduct

stration of Delegates fo the Regional Safety Conference poy eon In the lefi background is one of several Safety

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The Board recorded a 12.9 percent increase in reports of new work injuries and in- dustrial diseases, which numbered 145,908 in 1974, compared with 129,282 the previous year. To some extent, the increase in reported in- juries may be due to im- provements in the accuracy and completion of injury reporting.

Workers’ Compensation benefits paid in. British Columbia last year amounted to $79,920,126, an increase of $25,103,571 over 1973, according to the 1974 Annual Report of the Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. The Report was laid before the legislature by the Hon. W.S. King, Minister of Labour.

During 1974, the number of employers registered with the Board rose to 55,176 from 52,907 in 1973. Provisional figures indicate assessable payrolls for 1974 reached ap- proximately $6.43 billion, an increase of more than $642 million from 1973: Assessment rates are based on injury costs in industry.

Rehabilitation of injured workers continued, and 3,772 disabled workers were assisted in returning to employment during 1974. The number of patients treated at the WCB - Rehabilitation Clinic increased to 4,963 last year from 4,898 in 1973. Average daily attendance was 549.

The WCB Rehabilitation Residence, in its first full year of operation, housed 1,630 out- of-town workers who were in Vancouver for treatment at the Rehabilitation Clinic.

During 1974, the Board - trained 109 audiometric technicians for work in in- dustry, presented 683 accident prevention seminars and workshops. throughout the province and certified 4,627 industrial first aid attendants trained by the.St. John Am- bulance Association.

The Board conducted 24,930 inspections of work locations and issued 44,417 compliance orders to correct unsafe working conditions.

A total of 719 inspections and surveys of industrial hygiene conditions were conducted, : and 7,233 laboratory analyses were performed of air and biological samples and com- mercial materials.

Violations of WCB regulations relating to ac- cident prevention, industrial hygiene and first aid resulted in 264 penalty assessments or special assessment rates being levied upon employers.

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. DEL RIO STILL SAFETY CONSCIOUS -

A charter member of the first I.W.A. Safety Council Conference of 1949 retired at the close of 1974, but still eager to do his part in Safety.

“Ed,” Del Rio of the Haney Local 1-367, spent 45 years in the logging industry and ended his active woodworking career as a log truck driver.

Edward Del Rio was raised in Germany and immigrated to B.C. at the age of 19. By 1932 “ed” had settled into the in- dustry when horses were the main source of power for “yarding” the logs from the “bush” to the ‘‘landing”’.

Logs were hauled along “‘skidways” and the job of “skid greaser’”’ was a humble beginning. in the work force, but was also the initiation of Ed Del Rio’s interest and activity in the field of safety.

His entry into the Pulp Cut- ters Union in 1933 under the Carpenters and Joiners was his first experience with a Union.

In 1941 the logging sectors were being organized into the LW.A., and with the change- over Ed Del Rio participated in the increasing improvement of safety programs as a continual member of organized com- mittees, and was an active

figure in the formulation of

Accident Prevention Rules which became _ accepted

When a problem drinker drives, it’s your problem.

components of the developing W.C.B. Regulations.

Brother Del Rio recalls the 1949 formation of the I.W.A. District Safety Council as the turning point for expandeda> participation of safety com- mittee-members elected from the working crews. The inaug- ural sessions were held in Nan- aimo, and Ed Del Rio repre- sented his Local Union in the Safety sessions, and became 2nd Vice Chairman of the Safety Council, in which post he continued for several years.

Chosen as Local Union Safety Director, Ed Del Rio became an ever-present and significant contributor to the growing program on accident prevention in the I.W.A.

His many years as a log truck driver exposed him to the damage of hearing loss due to the unbridled noise emissions of the crude exhaust systems in vogue during the years, and he urges that wor- kers and committee members alike, should contribute more in the fight to reduce noise and vibration levels, through improved engineering an construction standards i equipment and machinery. ~

In parting, ‘Ed’ extends his best wishes to the officers and members of the I.W.A., especi- ally in the Safety field.