JUNE, 1978

IWA

The first IWA International Conference on health and Safety was held in Seattle in April, 1978.

The founding conference was fitted into the annual labour school held at Shoreline Com-

munity College.

Co-ordinated by Denny Scott frém the International Office in Portland, the week-long school and conference brought a large turnout of student dele- gates from the West Coast areas particularly, and featured qualified instructors from several source areas in- cluding the Wisconsin School for Workers.

While the dating of the school conflicted with several other important IWA functions, and the CLC Convention, it re- ceived strong approval from the students. :

Ineluded in the professionals presenting courses, were the

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

professor in the Department of Operational Efficiency at the Royal College of Forestry in Sweden, and accompanied by countryman Adres Soderaqvist, who is a research specialist in the Royal College.

The two Swedish specialists preceded their attendance at the safety school with a familiarization tour of logging and sawmilling in Washington State, and the huge Canfor Ply- wood complex at New West- minster.

Accompanying the Swedish visitors on the tour of Canadian Forest Products were Q. Rah- burger, Safety Director Region No. 3, V. Ledger, Local 1-357 Safety Director, M. Storm, Canfor Plant Chairperson, J. Lowood, General Manager, and Max Salter, Region No. 1 Safety Director.

The group was particularly impressed with the dust col- lector system at this operation. The system, which removes dust from various saws, planers and groovers through- out the mill, was designed and built primarily buy Canfor trades-people. The unit gathers and stores dust for burning in the steam boilers and provides approximately one sixth of the steam requirements per day, which results in a considerable saving in oil consumption.

The system also meets all re- quirements for air pollution control. The explosion proof doors and automatic sprinkler system have reduced the pos- sibility of fires that plagued the obsolete bag system which it replaced. Another major im- provement has been the drastic reduction.in dust and smoke from the work environ- ment.

SASKATCHEWAN AMENDING WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ACT

This year, the Workers’ Compensation Act of Saskat- chewan is open to submissions for amendments.

A special committee repre- sentative of labour, industry and the Compensation Board, and chaired by Judge Muir, is gathering proposals via a series of public hearings.

Good responses were real- ized from the public as well as organized groups of workers, the medical profession and employers groups.

Saskatchewan IWA Local 1- 184’s submission was prepared and presented to hearings in Saskatoon by Max Salter, Re- gional Safety and Health Con- sultant. The IWA brief was supportive of general pro- posals issued by the Saskat-

chewan Federation of Labour, but also emphasized the need to extend compensation cover- age beyond the present scope. One proposal called for pro- vision of compensation cover- age for farm and ranch workers, in view of the high percentage of modern mech- anization now experienced. Other amendments seek in- creases on the scale of com- pensation benefits, increased pensions for widows and de- pendants, and improving the financial responsibility of the board for burial expenses. The IWA brief pressed to ex- tend the ages of dependants beyond present levels. Weaknesses in the present disability awards system were pointed out, and the union pro-

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posals emphasized the need to improve and expand the role of the board in the matter of re- habilitation of workers suffer- ing disabilities from industrial accidents.

The union strongly urged re- moval from the law courts of cases. dealing with employer violations, and recommended that sanctions for such viola- tions should properly be handled by the board of com- missioners.

Another requirement suggested that employee vio- lators be provided government sponsored short courses as a corrective measure, in a manner similar to the de-} fensive driving courses in B.C., | rather than use the present} court-action penalty approach. | {

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VANPLY SAFETY COMMITTEE left, Art Elkin, Corky White, Jens Olsen, John Ryan,

(back row. left to right), Bill Bascomb, Daryl! Rouleau, Ross Binion, Ted Vandeperr, Harr Regas, John Ebel, John Nielson, Harry Hyde. 2 A

PICTURES OF TOUR (left to right), A. Soderqvist, B. Agar,

Sans

J. Lowood, V. Ledger, M. Storm

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THE NEW cyclone dust-collector unit at Canfor, New West- minster, integrated into fuel feed system to dispose of waste, and conserve energy, otherwise requiring oil or gas for steam generating requirements.

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VANPLY WORKERS | STUDY PLANT SAFETY

MacMillan Bloedel’s original decision to close the huge Van- couver Plywood mill certainly shook up every worker in the plant, and had some disagree- able reactions on attitudes. .

Even the die-hard members of the Accident Prevention Committee had difficulty maintaining their composure and perseverance, and there is no doubt that working under the mental stress developed by threats of closure could have played a serious role in ac- cidental injuries in the opera- tion.

However, with the future plans somewhat modified, the need to re-emphasize the ac- cident prevention program found the committee members gathered recently in spirited discussions to tackle the problems in safety. .

Regional Safety and Health

Director, Max Salter joined the sessions on the invitation of the joint group, and offered assist- ance toward the solution of some problems in the preven- tion zone, and reported on aspects of several new ac- cident prevention regulations. SES a

LIGHTER SIDE

A London businessman got weary of going clothes-shop- ping with his wife. One day ina crowded lingerie department she held up the briefest of pant- ies and asked if he liked them “T certainly do!’’ he said. “‘But I don’t think your husband would approve of them at all.”

She never took him clothes- shopping again.

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Scotch proverb: ‘Don’t marry for money; you can borrow it cheaper.”