Document 1g64nBzONjxVpkLOxdBZp9bGd

The Human Side of Safety (Early Morning Classes) The series of four lectures ou "The ings of the Congress, beginning Tuesday Human Side of Safety" was arranged to and ending on Friday morning. Each of interest and provide information for. the .die speakers was introduced by W. H. many safety men and other delegates who - Cameron, Managing Director, National recognize die. importance of understanding Safety Council, Inc, who briefly epitomized man's mental idiosyncrasies in connection die subject-selected by die lecturer.. with employment activities. The four speak ers were selected from among outstanding leaders in medical service; industrial psy chiatry, supervisory training, and business salesmanship*. The following records of these,addresses are taken, in the first three lectures, from spechdty prepared papers; the.fonrth lecture is a condensation of a sfenotype report They present a valuable cross-section of a The lectures were delivered before im week of intensive discussion and interest,to mense audiences on four successive morn all the delegates. :i TUESDAY HORNING SESSION October 17,1939 ) Man's Usefulness and Limitations from a Physical Standpoint- His ProperPlacement By HAROLD A. VONACHEN, B.S^ M.D. Medical . Director, Caterpillar Tractor Company, Peoria, HL The consideration' of man from a physical comes useful, without limitations, for his standpoint and from the standpoint of his proper placement in industry naturally cov ers such a broad field that hours upon hours could he 'spent in discussing the sub ject and reading, the numerous articles that have been published during the past few years. But even so, there is much to be desired and much to accomplish, for I fear that many .industries still ignore the in evitable; while others are approaching the issues : through' haphazard methods which will be of. little value to the future of in dustry or the health of employees. place in industry? The answer to these questions lies in the tmdisputable fact that an Industrial Relations Program must become an essen tial part of the routine , to guide the in dividual to his. proper goal.' Tins certainly is not an exclusive medical problem. Let industry realize that each person presenting himself for employment is a^human bring attempting to find an honest means of liveli hood and that his problems are part of his. very bring and must he accepted &th him as a.whole.- What factors control man's physical fit Therefore; I say that physical examina ness? Is it only necessary to .determine his tions alone fall far short of being the en physical defects, or are there other essen- tire answer to determine usefulness, physical . tials to- determine beforirgn individual be- fitness and proper placement The mental. \| " 181 i;T PLAINTIFF'S ig EXHIBIT I WlAo3-5f PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT Is Q\H-Stn capacity of the man most likewise, be coo-, :under which,;.both, employer and employee sidered, his response,' his personality and sue laboring; The. employer tells the world his disposition all becoming -vital problems with great pride that -he is .spending good to be solved by dose cooperation:between, money to determine and maintain-the health personnel and medical- Less dan a year of Ids employee; and die unfortunate indi ago before the Greater New York Safety vidual enters die ranks-of the select under Council, I expressed, an opinion that "Apti the terrible delusion that be is in"A No. tude Tests" will some day become a rou :T" physioTcondition, when he may be suf tine as essential as physical examinations, fering from syphiliydiabetes, early tubercu for until we scientifically determine each losis or.numerous defects which'-are baa- man's ability tocoordinate and respond, we ardons to both hrmself and his fdkny have not reached the goal for which we employee. Itwoold have been fair better all strive. . if no wanma^nii wtijfwwr fall been Considerable time should be takentocover these aptitude tests, for strictly this is in ' I believe that each individoal should be cluded in die field of psychology rather dotibedvontym natnreb: garb.and given a than mediane. I believe that it will be complete physical examination from head the function of the personnel department to to toe, followed by a blood test; urine an apply these tests, which should indnde, alysis'amid a complete eye check. The "Cater a group of tests to control the various pillar" la; , its o^n.laboratory where blood, psychological reactions of man, such as at mine and, otberessmtial tests are made for tention, reaction time, memory, speed of de the determination and ; betterment of die cision, honesty and twnr>i?mwit employee's health. This could he followed by mental capacity tests and trade tests so that 'before the In connection with our laboratory tests individual is presented to the medical de and general physical examinations; it was partment the employment division -has a interesting to note dot' there were positive fair conception of die individual and Ms urinary findings in horn four to five per. capacity for the job selected. cent-of the individoals examined. This included the findings of albomen, sugar, In this connection, it is interesting {o pus and nninerom other incidental findings comment that a year ago a somber of which would naturally present themselves tests were made at the "Caterpillar* plant in a roctine urine analysis. .Now in eray to determine reaction time and its refaction - instance.,hi winch fine were urinary find to fatigue and the part that, fatigue phtys ' ings,. tbe indmdoal was informed of Ids in accident causation and production. Dar condition by the plant physician or the med ing these tests it was fbnnd that die so- ical director and asked to present Mmsdf called "accident prone gronp," also known to fais faniity doctor for. treatment and then as the "repeaters" in industry, showed a a re-check was made vriddn a period of definite slowing of reaction time In com three months. parison to nbrmal.lt was also shown that those individuals suffering from chronic . It was also interesting to note ..that with diseases revealed a definite abnormal reac ottr roertine Kahn tests syphilis was found' tion time, naturally malting themsdves more in ^proaciteat^:two per centof die men susceptible to accidents. examined-' It Iris been oor convktion fbr die' past fonryearsthat syphilitics are ao- It would appear as though I am becoming ceptable for indnitiy. profokd they are elementary if I dare to speak of die type of not In foe' contagions stagesand provided physical examinations necessary far proper duy present t nlrorUlc^pl"t9i%tdai& A determinations, and still I have-been re definite rontine is fcdkiWed -in wfauh ^he peatedly shocked and ashamed of some of individual is informed' dot he ;imist obtain the physical examinations, if they may be treatment fromhis family doctor for a called such, that are still bong made in' period 6172 weeks, and dot once a month * industry even today. - he must present a slip to tbe medkal dqpairtr If you consider a quick look at the ment from foe attending physician that he teeth, a rapid "once-over" of the chest, and is continuing histreatments. After the com a cough for a hernia, a proper examination, pletion .of the treatment the fadividual is then dunk of the false sense of security checked every six months. - h we no! dial tioo def< is i foal prol cate inf*. to tfaei V wfac the jeefc lb ai orcl and den esty ia'i this kal y don thoi `""JJ foe tion aid in i tagi pro! dett wfac foil P guii duo pit* edm gres if are. and belt vi p prol witt cept The Hitman Side of Safety - 183 )< To date, this plan has been successful and not made to reject the less-than-perfect . we contend dot these - Individuals show applicants. There are stiff some industries noI higher accident rate or absentee rate today, however, that are fastty maintaining than normal. It is also important to men this standard, much to their discredit, for tion here that the jnost commonphysical as. I mentioned previously, one of -man's defect found during physical- examinations primary instincts is to care for himself and. Is infected teeth arid gumVand I believe his dependents . and.-not to be dependent that indostry nmst attempt to solve tins Upon society for his. livelihood. ` I do not problem: ini some way so-that men are edu hold that any one industry should employ cated anil wraili* COOStiODS of tile fact all ol- the defective workers, but certainly infected .teeth and' gums contribute greatly it should be., willing to accept its share for to numerous disabilities which occur in if they are not acceptable as employees, they their future.: are paid for, without return, by social tax We maintain our own X-ray department. wfccre^X-ray examinations are a-put of the examination of every individnal sob? jected-to a dusty occupation. Furthermore, ation. Many men and women have physical defects, whidi are Correctable or whidi do not prevent titem from becoming useful and efficient workers. I believe thateach industry should have . Ninety-nine per cent .of .the crutriidit re a proper consulting. staff so that extra- jections should fall under the following four ordmaiy problems, sudr as eye, ear,-Jnose classifications: and throat, genito urinary, orthopedics and sStthaate' contagious and , communicable denhatblogy cases may be solved. wifli hon t.cBtKi5to44lus. Iist is rodless but indudes esty to. both parties.-. No metical director, 'Such diseases as itetive tuberculosis, syphilis in' my opinion, is able to stiind alone in in tiie contagious. stages,. infectious and this day andage and solve all of the medieal problemsof industry. contagious dermatitis, gonorrhea, etc 2.. Heart disease with, decompensation or Whatis the purpose of physical examina with findings that would indicate that exer tions? Is'it to determine-ind to accept only tion would cause serious end results. ti^' wbo -lave'iio.^93ncaI defects? : 3. Kidney disease accompanied by hyper- j ;No^ fni a hsmamtarian standpoint; bmsiroahddnailatoTy diangc /the answer', is endless. Physical examina 4. UncorrectajIe visionary defects. tions, tint is pro-employment examinations, The renaming one per cent will call for aid in the tmai (to>rmiitin of manVfdace a thousand-various defects including men in industry, discover the presence bf-con- . tal abnormality, hernias under certain con- tagiousand rommunicahie diseases. thereby - . ditidns, artfaritis^ `advanced diabetes,. etc; protecting the persaandalready employed, Allow the appHcant with his correctable - detect.menial and physical defects which,. defects to enter engdoyment-witlr the-ander- wfaeh remedied, niake tiie individaal a use-' standmg that he must consult his.family ful employee ' physician and make every effort to hpprove . Periodical- exanunations reveal early or his general health. Make him realize that ganic disue,f dftm prevent epidemics, re duce ; accidents ..'mid' mCRase effidenor and. production and serve as^a.gtdde forhealth education. A . property rad honestly coodnctedmedkaldepartment becomes the . gieatest good win ambassador in industry if the worfceris assured tbat his problems it-is tiie honest effort of: industry-to help him solve his problem. Make him fed that the medical department is his as well as the cmnpaqy^ and. that industry has made a friend of him as well as bis family pbysiciii], who ffien can bo often called upon to give his cooperation in. tiie future me.,received- .with1 '^yi^ti^ji^'cmifidence. A problem which often: presents itself and- tjat advice is always given for lus i^"Howmuchoftheinformation ob- betternaait'.,..',-.:.;;'; tamed from physical examinations is heeded V What are the causes forrejectibn from by the man's.: hipervisor? How should it be physical standpoint? Here we are con- impartial to the sttperyispr?" ^^-fronted with* serious and far reaching It ismy opinion that the only informa- problem .and enewbicb mustbediscussed tion that Is important for -the - supervisor with complete frankness. Indnstry most ac is that whidi will protect the individiial cept the fact that physical examinations ate and his fellow wbrkers, facts, which are 184 28th National Softly Congress essentia] to the preservation and maintain- ment with its engineer must join hand In tag of health, and these should be a direct hand. communication between medical and super visor. I am strongly of the opinion that medical records-are the sole property of the medical department This. fact should be impressed on every individual examined. The physician 'who has descended to the lowest ranks is he who will become a part of a rejection scheme perpetrated by an employment department that fails to have We must not fail to recognize that cer tain jobs require certain requisites as far as the physical make-up of the individual is concerned. Even granting that the indi vidual has been approved as to aptitude and mental requirements, we still must rec ognize certain factors which control every individual's limitation on a specific job. the necessary intestinal' fortitude to carry through its own problems. For instance, an individual who presents early increased linear markings of the chest Even though the medical director. and the plant physicians are employed by the company and paid by the company, this still does not 'alter the fact that the indi vidual is still entitled to maintain his dig nity by keeping secret the body ills to which he is subjected. The code of ethics of the medical profession applies equally to in dustry as mil as private practice. It also must be remembered that if the medical department is to be respected by the em1 ployee, the insurance and claim departments should expect only an honest report in determining specific loss and temporary total disability. would not be particularly recommended as n a foundry worker; or an individual who shows a tendency towards high blood pres sure or even functional heart disease, would not be recommended to work in high places. This would also be applied to crane op erators. Precision workers would naturally .be expected' to have a' keen eyesight but would hot'necessarily be rejected because of some incapacitating physical condition. An individual susceptible to frequent colds and sinus infections and bronchitis would not be recommended as a spray painter. Welding has become a point of contention daring tire past several months, especially with the advent of leaded steel, so that It is a well known fact that many times naturally the medical department should be in the past the physician has been called on guard as to the type of men acceptable upon to lower temporary total disability and for this work. specific loss contrary to his own honest opinion.. If this practice continues in any industry, you can expect the employee sooner This particular phase impresses upon all of os the fact that the medical department or later to feel that he is not being given must have a thorough knowledge of-each i an honest return for injuries received, many times not through his own fault, but through negligence on the part of the em ployer or the fellow worker. job operation expected of the. individual hired so that limitations may-be recognized by the medical department and. the man so placed that he is not a.burden to himself, his fellow worker or the employer. We have also maintained a rule -that any supervisor may request a physical -examina tion on any of the men in his department If he observes an individual whose: produc tion is below par or who appears to be in. ill health, he immediately calls the medical department and the individual is requested to appear for a physical examination. In this way we are often able to detect early organic disease, to correct this defect and have the individual continue his employment without lost time. We are all aware of the constant changes in industrial processes. Mechanization has not only tended towards making little men big;'but it has, as we all know, increased production with the resultant lowering-of . unit .cost Because of the lower price for which machines are sold, a great portion of the American public today uses mech anized equipment to do the tasks which yesterday were done by hand, The cycle' is a closed affair because our customers will quite likely be your employees and your In considering; man's place in industry, custonjers will be someone rise's employees we have called upon personnel and super- and so on ad infinitum.. So' from the safety- virion for .guidance and assistance, but to standpoint in my mind it is highly advisable complete our problem the safety depart- that your production engineering department see snl I . me fre tha me giv P bee tak not dti ad< urn cot tei ins! t yai mg the pri Ha exj cas me tioi . ren poi pec on re eff< fee the eff< to i J atti ica dea - pro do the tor tim tin is sigi is ma be pro The Human Side of Safety 185 ) seek out the basic causes of accidents re sulting from the use of your products. With the increased use of mechanized. . methods, which, to put it briefly, is a drift from brawn to brain, it is readily apparent that simply the purchase of a piece of equip ment 'does not in any way, shape or form give any assurance that it will be operated properly. This piece of equipment may have been designed with all safety precautions taken Into consideration, and again it may not have. In the latter case, you should either reject this'equipment or make any additions to accommodate or to offset any unsafe factors. This represents management control ; however, management must, go one step' farther to see that proper training and instruction programs are instituted. A classic example, would be to expect a yard laborer who formerly handled ..cast ings, etc.-tty. manual methods, to step into the cab of a; crane after a few mumbled or printed instructions "and do. a good' job. Many of uS> have learned through tragic . experience that tins does not work. . In many cases the men replaced are unfit from the mortal standpoint to take over the opera tion of mechanical equipment But the fact . remains that from a humanitarian'stand\ point; he must be absorbed; we canncit ex' pect some other industry to take over all our culls. So from a standpoint of good industrial relations it becomes imperative that great effort be made to rehabilitate, through ef fective training and educational methods, 'the changing 0f the employee's outlook, and * effect a transition by getting this employee to use more brains and less brawn.' Another factor which deserves special attention is the increased use of toxic chem icals. [From a logical standpoint a great deal is known of the effect of various toxic - properties of different substances. Through dose cooperation with the medical director the safety engineer has learned of these fac tors. However, be that as it may, many times the safety department functions en tirely on existing equipment and very often is not . aware of the equipment being de signed by the production department This is a very serious fault and is found in many safety program* The safety department should by all means be. given consideration where any new processes are being considered. If this is done a great deal of trouble can be elim inated because necessary ventilation and other safety devices can be installed imme diately, thus preventing the first aeddent instead of the second. Volumes have been written on . toxic chemistry in industry but the fact still remains that very simple; di rect'methods must be used before the em ployee can be assured of any degree of safety. Another thought to consider is that no matter how highly mechanized an opera tion may be, there comes a point'where the machine leaves off and manual labor carries on. A classic example is the average foundry shake-out Core rooms, moulding floors, pouring, station equipment are all models of industrial engineering and yet the shake out stations quite often remind one of a cross between a galley slave ship and early irrigation methods on the Nile. Needless to say, there is room for improvement at this point The use of protective devices on the ma chine, as well as on the employee, has re sulted in greatty reducing the number and severity of accidents. The Convention Ex hibit Hall at this Congress is a living cata log of these devices. We all know safety goggles reduce our eye cases. Many of us tolerate a great deal of argument regarding the wearing of this equipment, and if the safety goggles are left .in the tool boxes instead of bring worn, we soon come face to face with an eye problem.' The same applies to the respiratory pro tection devices. While the filter may be 98 per cent efficient, the device may bemade practicaHjr.'ijon-operative because of lack of maintenance or a stubborn attitude on the part of n&tanployce. Matty devices have been made to furnish protection to the body, such as aprons and hand pads and gloves for the protection of the bands and arms. The much cussed and discussed safety shoe is doing a re markable job in tbe minimizing of toe in juries.. All these devices, '.bring inanimate in nature, have fixed limitations. The ef fectiveness or range of limitations of these devices is determined by the degree of in telligence that the employee applies. Quite often the employee's reaction to safety devices is of a negative nature. These safety devices are physical manifestations of the thought of safety. One of the thoughts 186 28th National S^ety Cpngress of safety is caution, and it is inhercnttfaat havej^tc-^^ we, as-human, beings, vat. times rewnt^a restraining order or candon because itisat . to stkli variance wife - thcaggressive, / adventare- toom^' some spirit that weaUhaveinvaryingde- giees. ' c ' **.. minwa^v The problem of procmingcooperatiaa o> WOT: from Sic.employee inregardtnnsingsafety liniitati^^tfiff^ devices reqnires a great dealoftactand is test' approached by showing die ' em ployee, that-Seven tbougbhehimself has In cnndugion,-rT^ successfully dooccertainopcrations for a points namber ofyears Lwithoidt^ ; temptieA;to.#>ihistf^ many who.lawe performed .flat; same oper- arion over even, locgertermsof, have metwithscihmssaster^ODe'otibe \ that ttefactorsvcantWniigjBiesCiinPyn'r basic resentments -orvaggressions tbat^tbe employee mighthave against safety devices is :that it rcprrsentsto him not manage ment's answer' to a problem, batmaiiage- meat's distrust inhisabiEty. yWehaye-all heard the nonsensical statement -that ?only sissfes wear that staff." The nltimate sofo- thm of. thisproMeni.isofie of the bask challenges to anyone connectedwith safety work' . -; ..." -1|^ 9SQEvlOflBc!!"^DBiKi&?CQrIaBaOtBsIsISw1^j . In ^ plaamng of new.jntnective devkes or reverses tocxistingcqniptDent,it is a ___ Jp|p3&-' good idea to consider rite employep as wen as the mechanical factors <>f tbepnooeising equipment . AH too often . machinesaind equipment arere-arranged and potions, prodnctiori results are obtained, hot upon closer inspection it is foond tbattbeonit had i-c~-m-- *rs?:;otmraf-ovLr-tolmi'bc*i?,um-i1i'ig'*mi.?,l*M Qjfcpcr pwen' innn^.'OBt.jr<j>om '.lo^iiic mawy -pm snsn Built UHC" Uf ,tDw . ImTvSt t-.-.im^-jDjPO^r-.'IBJO fhpf wytrfliirtiHj tn of started operatwos tefore aDI theexhaost WvnCCn jyai ^n.nmfjfp iifiy .gyjipjig and ventilation fans had been amoved: to tthatj^ accommodate hew machme operatidns, aisles.. SVBP6> : WEDNESDAY ikosinB^ Octobetl8^1939 --"wr - ;-'.. V.';*V / ; TTrvrt~7"'-`' ". v . ' Industrial PsychiafrisCMetropbUfenLifelhstirinctt^ -. -.-Ml ' f . There are things which Ihave wished for jodgn>^ri^^;ina|o^^ v a long tune ;to say .about the necessary con- tfarir^jon **-- *-w-i`' necrions betwecn psydiatiy and safety. ! cbmejto , have observed for able years iban;! care to ride, j employees, and it is toy experience and my nesr'attd ;'8cddehtsfisipne'; more The Huntan Side of Safety . . _<; I sawthen that my jobandmyworlc -was ' ^;-^^tfCK^jl^^^M9^i^|^cMbfi5^^ottDE^ri'>ta.^s<et|klr: ' to db whatmytrainmgpe^ ihsireHeyr. ^y^MjtiaMnM;-.fajginr';to.. ingithc hnjnitVanfrlirincc^ ^which . --- . ^nabdjusted nkin^ia^ - ;|^n|Kiw^fi|^0|te^;aij^Vz^ad^-4adic3Uipaus;.timt-' eMa^ra^-^Vji&K^ ~ - ;.: brought-joe ?C'j-s--'' ` o i-'- '" ' *.--V-. -'= >.._ -r---"-> -:-'v '- : ....' if - |Tt .i mtitj meaninato aiI theronalnm of ::To a-psychiatrisTth^ 'tfjysi&fiiiiai^ ; a^siflfc^'Sp^ tc; **"*?" a ccx^'^ber^titiSKibrx^ csnaMa&ic^ - a^> ciiedc ' niiiidsinpjij^o^^ .whole Efeofceadel^^ ; lift atmityw^^ < -' enwfipoal, ctfltm^Vsoic^ . -ia'i: chi^ a li4ngTt-bt^l to tint - '"* *'" ''** ens.lbfrweetn^. *"**"' 'Vthe Ac- citizen - o.^ tfbe -/ ._le t ^atofiHl^rwoik rmng gracefully ; ":re**ilt^*^iw^w^;vo^'4;bakac^artsej^vT * ' fc^:;foy:lH^i^|vtt^TOa^.-ihgurt,-cod^ ' know, abroader ooe - ) Cfor/the paKviiiseiK; jpf^U^'.iaaec^^^^bt^^ . tfil^::sarftoe:batr were,''-not-'1fwart. years of obteriratioo^amcertain that,ma^ j-.ailment* ' ;; dukxrirered , o : tbe c& ; ;d^;iiniRM^r^'' jqdacrident andcfisabiKtyrestinja^ . act emotional kigin&;S^ stomach - acbtoi^> ;tbe;-.iid(ajde!;of j uk^vandbotheivilj^ frighten..; thie.body.thatftbreaibesa^ Is - :y-W^^ludyna^ . the otiracfe.ofthemindt^ and :- tibiiiiiala&y^ .;, acts^andtheieiiat^ ^ faarinaiity^ medicine in tickniii^jlbai|eitfi^iir|;'sfirdi^';;ifinA:^<ib(ditifda - ' siriti&'i^e^'atEefi&iq^^tQinsl'ii^istvfM^'lafeeB'''' "v;-..,-'-'1 :-^cc',-;-;;--- -' 0]4 < '' >-'$!'' -;-is:' `- ;-,|ra?iiam^cfc^^ ' - diire.fiof=* *a'!s'^**X*"_friva*?i^?.ileNl" ttds'lIau^nr^clefiiiiBcmi ^^iMi^^niiS^t^<sl^^t6'^;lle0^ '. cosscdikssofinad^ 1ogk*:fidA^^ cause,.. k^eimromhent, most of necesiity come - yob: *ee,of ph^ad jand -menial sickness. . from* weaknessSpr*maladjustment 'In the Q , therearwflra ' V. . v ^ 1 .,' v v ' .'wiip siaii;.16dies :.. ,,of'c*.'b'km'irLr,Ljlsii>d-i'i^>.. .i*i.1it_;f"^. ' : letoaCiMA; jgtlaa^fti^ !r!^A`o m*m ", ' ;Jirlndiin^K^?osbdin9lli!^^ . inism>le^<w^^:^>^ bit ^ a^^'-mi^jarted',^ diibtioiutl;;airiwts^.'aiid. VL ' \~ / "j .>/;" >['.,c*' ./i,, '/.. -/! *''* .: ') ' s * ` "O* \' :' 'o . V .', i--V` t'Jl'f, \'.- 1 188 ' 28ik National Safety Congress It Is axiomatic that if there were no hu ; in a steam plant But after one night's work man bangs there would be no accidents. there, when he .was'chopping wood to help, The individual contributes 95 per cent of the watchman, a piece of wood flew up and the factors necessary to make an accident struck an eye and he lost his eye. "You can build a guard rail around a band saw," says Doctor Forster, "but you cannot fence off mental attitudes." Some ..eight out of ten accidents are preventable if the psychological factors are controlled. v Even you people who sit in front of me, for in stance, represent to me, the materials for a thousand accidents. You are tons of dyna mite sitting there, waiting,.should the mere physical. conditions align themselves prop erly, to blow safety sky-high and to glory. You are a million foot-pounds of destruc tive emotional energy ready to bring about a catastrophe at any moment What restrains that energy? What channels it into the ex cellent work for which you are noted? There are no easy answers to any such set of qhestions, for the emotional causes of accidents are deeply hidden. One must see the individual fife as a whole in order to gauge the emotional maladjustment The psychiatrist must interview the employee' personally and in the flesh. He must probe gently and classify carefully all of the data at first hand. Psychiatry is the final filter of diagnostic medicine. At an interview the boy was asked, "Why are you any different from your two broth ers who work for this same company ? You came from the' same mother, the same hither, the same environment You have had the same training, mid still they are exemplary employees .and you have an acci dent no matter,where they place you." Well, the lad was physically all right he was 'normal and fitted for his work. There was nothing on the surface to account for his accidents. An examination was made then of his home environment and the fun started. He washappily married and declared that he loved his wife and she him. "Well, then." he was asked, "than can be nothing wrong there. Have you got any' worries?" "Only one," he replied "When I got married a year ago, I borrowed one. hundred dollars from a loan shark." Remember now, all these accidents occurred within that one year period Although more than one hundred dollars bad been paid bade to the loan shark, another hundred had mounted up in interest and the threat of gamisheement was being Causes deep in the private life of the worker may bring' about in their logical sequence accidents . which are completely held over the., lad's head fine of the com pany attorneys'talked forcefully to tire, loan shark, and the obligations were cancelled unexplainable on the surface. Fear, worry, In the eighteen years that followed X hunger, illness, `psychological unrest, fatigue, had not a single accident In that single and boredom cost many lives. Anger, ir dangerous year that boy was a repeater, an ritability, bravado, showing-off, exhibition- accident-prone individual who endangered istic horse-play, group hazing, perverseness, riot only himself bat all those who worked and childishness all take a toll in human ac with him. Bat look at the cause! The - cidents. -To reach the cause of these and source of danger was not in the plant it to compensate for them, requires tite'whole self; no safety engineer, however conscien picture of the individual and not merely tious, could have aided that boy by placards that aspect of him which is uppermost in and safety meetings. He was emotionally an industrial plant sick, 'sick enough to cause an accident, but Take for example a case presented by Dr. Hart Fisher, Chief Surgeon of the Chi cago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, at the Chicago round-table conference on industrial psyeh'atrv in May, 1939. X was not side enough to visit a doctor or go to a hospital for observation. Yet the danger he caused was a very real danger---and a man kilted by a non-gun or a cannon , is still undoubtedly killed and done for. a young boy who, regardless: of tite position - So, there is the need for the general ap in which he was placed, immediately would proach, tite broad picture, the complete life. have an aixident: with change from one The causes of accidents are quite often department to another, his accident record emotional; no worker ceases to be a parent, continued. He was a constant repeater. In or a lover, or a dreamer, or a hater, or a desperation he was given a lob which any craven merely because he dons a pair of! fourteen year old child could do: he was overalls. Emotions cannot be changed or placed as a helper for a night-watchman rubbed otit by an appeal to reason; their' The Huptan Side of Safety 189 driving power comes from .deep pressures withintbe mind, and mere logic cannot touch than. Apparently unrelated causes may bring about serious accidents. There is more be- research), as being almost certain some time to be involved in a fatal accident Titty were repeaters, the accident-prone drivers. And incidentally that survey was frustrated ttfeen the size of a grocer's bill and a by the lack of authority to enforce the six broken leg than the average industrialist's per cent to undergo psychiatric examination. philosophy may yet have dreamed of.' Industry has better control and a better From my point of view, then, what are chance to deamine these repeaters. . the baric requirements for an accident? I can simplify-my answer by limiting the personal' factors to two, each' present in varying Intensity. Tbefirst of these is the lade, of physical co-ordination, the jam in the muscular con trol, the slow reaction time through which the individual fails to assess a situation `and move in time to avoid an accident, the slowing up of physical response in a set These are the two baric requirements for an accident; then; the lack of physical co ordination and the lade of attention. With their deep-set emotional foundations they constitute the sign and signature of red and potential accidents. If we are to prevent . accidents and not merely mop-up after them, these two factors must be detected and re moved upon their first appearance. routine. Lucidly there are many dearly recogniz . The second basic requirement for an acci dent is inattention, perhaps the distraction which an alien emotional current sets up so that the job in hand loses focus and full meaning; perhaps the intrusion of a feeling of distance and unreality which maladjusted emotional factors bring about; perhaps men* tal and emotional - preoccupation--but at an)- rate, inattention. These two factors are basic; if one takes for granted that the management has taken all proper safety precautions, then these two account, probably, fir all accidents. The presence of either or both of these is a able psychological types which exhibit these two basic requirements for an accident My first group for discussion consists of rather obvious types,1 but even with these obvious types one must be vigilant Employees a long time with the company may devdop. unnoticed, into one of these types, and hot be discovered Until an accident brings them out into the open too late; Safety and med ical men must keep their eyes open for the appearance of the incipient stages, and when detected these workers most be removed from jobs whoe their lade of control may endanger their own and other fives. constant source of danger; if any preven -1. The epileptic is >a perennial problem in tive.safety work is to. be done, the affected safety. Do what we will, they will pop up individuals must be detected and treated - in responsible positions where a seizure will before the accident or another accident oc cause an afcddent And a major seizure curs. The surest indication of the presence means loss of consciousness, muscular con of these two factors is the minor accident, tractions, and an almost instantaneous loss the cut finger, the damaged machine. of balance. Even when free of a seizure the With some people these two factors are always present Such people are "repeaters," the accident-prone. They form a more or less constant group. That accidents happen to this group and not to other groups is a epileptic usually has poor concentration, and his illness makes him lose direct contact with his job. The threat constantly hanging over' him brings fear and a loss of confidence. In most positions, he is, in all charity, unfit' . .logical result of the underlying-causes which distract the attention and destroy physiol co-ordination. . 2. The late syphilitic constitutes a direct threat to safety. The two basic factors are present in full force; there is lade of motor It is interesting to note the distinctions co-ordination and also'a mental deteriora which some of the antomobile insurance tion--a general paresis. Venereal control companies make among their policy holders. campaigns By compulsory blood tests .have. "Safe" drivers are often given a preferred id recent years reduced the incidence of the rate. In a study of five thousand drivers later stages-, of syphilis in industry. And in Connecticut, six per cent of the drivers By tiffs time marry symptoms-are so readily had contributed some seventy-two per cost noted, even, by non-professionals, that ac of the accidents. These people were, judged cidents arising freon tiffs group have been by Dy. Walter V. Bingham (who made the lessened considerably. 190 28th National Safety Congress 3. The pre-semle cases, those where the in your heart and write," which might be \ defects of advanced age are present in a changed to, "Look in your heart and listen," relatively younger age, are sources of em in order to be the, perfect principle for barrassing problems. They do represent; those guiding the safety of millions of em however, our two basic factors, and are ployees. And human sympathy and: human hence accident-prone. The shifting to other understanding will solve problems even wider jobs constitutes a neat problem in tact; as than those of safety. most of you know, but firmness is in the long run a real kindness. 4. High-blood-pressure sufferers exhibit quite dearly the accident characteristics. Be fore the cerebral break they are most often irritable 'and inattentive. After the stroke, of courser there^are-distinct physical halts and menh^'vagueness. These cases are not difficult to recognize medically; one of the best things a supervisor can do is to refer all instances of vertigo to the medical of ficer. 1. The manic depressive you have all met, even though you may have recognized him under a less oppressive titie.- He'is die, most human of men. Praise him. and he flies to the sky; criticize him and he mopes in the depths. He is the cyclic individual with either the up or the down cycle pre dominant The up-cycle lad is guy ninety per cent of the time; he laughs too readily and reacts too swiftiy for 'ns pedestrians. Usually we like him .and get along with him quite well; his ten per cent depression 5. Feeble-mindedness exhibits both of the pferiod seems somehow engaging and amus accident factors very dearly. The muscular ing to most of us. But believe me, be is reactions are vague and illogical; the atten-. a dangerous fellow; bis moods shift too tion and memory are easily distradedi These swiftly, his muscular reactions are film light cases should never be permitted to work ning, and detail baffles him. Trust him only with or around moving machinery. They. . in. jobs which have variety and swung to are walking accidents looking for a place them; never trust him in the monotony of to happen; they have a logic all their own detailed routine. His first cousin, die down and one which rarely takes physical forces swing manic; is ninety per cent of the tune. into a fall accounting. depressed and unhappy. He is bard to get 6. Chronic-alcoholics are another clearly recognizable instance of the accident-prone. The ever-present threat of a green bile ) hangover drives the alcoholic into continued attempts to paralyze his nerves and his stomach muscles. His reactions are furred and out of focus; mentally he has lapses into forgetfulness and irritable rage over trifles. He has all the requisites for a splendid accident; look out for him or hell have it in one of your plants. When you can afford it, send him away for a cure, but, . .executive , or not, don't keep him as he is. along with, and he thinks slowly. He laves detail and does well on routine jobs. Less prone than the up-swing manic to accident, he most still be watched in his ten per cent up-swing, for he lades the skill to take things in. the rapid sequence which his temporary mood requires. With sympathy and understanding neither of the two manic, depressive types need give rise to acadents. Unless they have already been involved in an accident; the handling of them can be left to the personnel department. Sufficient for the dayr... These obvious types are, of course, more or less automatically exduded from posi tions of responsibility where tbeir*ladc of control may be a source 'of danger. But there are other individuals so dose to the normal that the detection of them must many times come, Unfortunately, only from the consequences of their defections. These more.obscure types suffer from thp com monest of human ailments* die emotional upsets which impair efficiency and limit ns to one great man a generation. By some chance they have come to.have exaggerated forms of our normal traits. They need sympathy. There is ah old adage, "Look 2. Then there are the day-dreamers. For then we have the sympathy we usually're serve for children. They are the Miniver Cheeveysof this 'world Who "Miss the me* dievahgrace of iron clothing." They find in the turbulency of their inner imagery an ade quate substitute for participation in this^ stubborn world of factual and economic barriers. The dreamers fit not too wdl into our industrial rivilization; they are constantly being jerked into the present fay rite inexor able demands of a practical and non-mystical people. Their thought is ahvaystnrnedin, and never, or jardy, toward the specific job to be done. "Perhaps I set an impossible * 1% ^ 'V 8 B'8 2 b j?- s*S SB.ft'? 8*8 8* Sr'i B 'feS 8 8.8B S 8. %3-8 8 S I 5 '**1 s` f The Human Side of Safety 191 ta!sk for you, but to prevent accidents from come; asjto doubt you have often observed, these people one ought to keep them on the moderately proud of bis ailment But then, . jump; to keep.themfrom having time to go we would rather have a human bore' than a wool gathering. Action atnd a chance to .human accident; I'm sure. dramatize themselves will keep their atten-, tion oo the job and permit that excellent inventiveness which is typical of all dreamers to work productively. Only through lack of attention are they accident-prone. 5.The lonely personality is a much more diffuse case of inattention. The londy. man tends to become dissociated from his work and his fellow employees;.he lives in a somewhat bitter world of . his own malting, 3. The chronic worriers form another and views even his* job from the other side group which shows the two accident diar- of an emotional Grand Canyon. The source acteristics of lade of proper co-ordination and cause of his loneliness rests almost al and lade of sharp attention. Theyanticipate ways in his private life; It may be a.geo accidents, and by* that mental line-up set graphical factor; a childhood spent in the their muscles and their attention so defi open plains with their long, empty vistas, nitely on a coming misfortune that they . or in the separateness of big mountains, will often encourage it rather than fend it away. often enough leave the grown man reluctant The back-seat driver is a homely example. : to enter the spirit of a big organization. At every tight place be contorts his muscles, Poverty, again, may leave scars upon the shrieks in dismay, and makes some invol adult personality. Membership in the minor untary move to take over control of the religious sects sets a man apart, and some machine; some day he will anticipate an times the memory or the presence of path accident by creating cue himself. The wor ological. parents prevents the grown man rier also suffers in retrospect; he loses his from realizing himself in his work. What nerve. Past narrow escapes upset him so ever the cause of the loneliness; two types much that he has a tendency to duplicate emerge; those who linger at the edge of the situation and to provide'a more dramatic the crowd wistfully hoping some anti will conclusion. These worriers should be drilled invite them to join in; and the others who to a set routine wherever possible; when have- an admixture of melancholia in their an emergency comes, habit wiH then take loneliness and will not join. The second care and calm the worrier. The worrier is .group..oiily .needs attention here; these will. always relieved by certainties. What, be ' become schizoid'and dangerous from a cannot stand,and what makes him accident- safety viewpoint unless some well-thought prone is the possibility of something un out program is conducted to win them to an pleasant happening to him; quite often he inclusion in the life of .the organization. is a good soldier when he knows, if you They react well to'tips type of responsibility. will forgive the figure of speech, what music . 6. The paranoid personality is a suspicious hebastoce. ...' fellow who reads dark motives and fell ' 4. The crippled-personality is another ac- ddent-prone. person who dudes detection ex cept ;by the trained eye and a laboratory check-up. He is the person suffering from auoy disease or deficiency--heart ailments, plans into the simplest.of actions. He trusts no one and suspects everyone; thus he brings an dement of unreality into the normal functioning of the industrial organ ization, and thus violates the basic rules of. deafness,, gout, chest conditions, endocrine insufficiency, or others. These people make accident prevention.' Such a person must at all costs be removed from any supervisory a-mental compensation to fit thou: physical ailments. They are separated: in thdr own position, for he .breeds resentment and un reality, thus endangering not only himself minds from the average employees; thdr. illness is a baric factor in all they thitik or do. A vagueness clouds their actions, and in many instances the defect, which would but all those under his direct command. He lacks any decent objectivity, and visits his family, social, and religious Irritations upon his fellow workers. not rule them out of perforating their jobs These are. the types, then, which show is turned into ah obsession which will. Alert most dearly the primary , equipment for an ness and-normal reactions vanish--and the accident. They are lacking in dear emo accident occnrs. Medical treatment and out- tional and physical action; an.alien dement in-the-open discussion will bea corrective, obtrudes itsdf upon thdr good sense, and and in time the crippled-personality will be . thdr physical reactions suffer.' Of course, I Iff V 192 28th National Safety Congress am well aware that the mere recognition men can work well when they are beset by of these types among the employees is only financial devils,. and during a period of the first step toward safety measures, but distraction and worry, accidents may occur. that first step and the sympathy it involves Usually these worries diminish when one is of great importance. Once the problem .talks them over with another person; super is clarified, the solution becomes humanly visors and personnel officers most take tins possible too common ailment into their accounting So far we have been discussing types of and set np aids of financing plans and personalities, bat there, are also situations educational discussions. which give rise to our two requirements for an accident; inattention and lack of co ordination. One must always remember that an unusual situation or an irritating dilemma gives rise to emotional stress, and under emotional stress the average personality becomes abstracted and loses co-ordination among mind, body and the job. Employees quite, often attempt to carry on their jobs while suffering from tempo rary shock. A death in the family, a broken engagement; a .fire; or what-not may put a man into a temporary daze.' Wherever possible the supervisor should see that the employee does-not work at all while in this condition. The few days of inaction will The first grouping of situations are so pay dividends in increased efficiency and familiar that I need only mention them freedom from accident. briefly. ..... The second group of situations are riot Physiological fatigue arising from under so reacfift treated; they are worth a more nourishment is more common than a well- extended^exposition than thb limited time fed executive might at first imagine. Large perigdwffl permit I offer them to you for. families living on a-small budget are apt real cofisfderation. to be somewhat erratic in their eating There b the problem of beginnings: every habits; poor food and the worrying about time the worker b brought into a new it bribg employees far below a safety stand- .. set-up be' must build anew the muscular and. For this situation I have no solution, and; mental and emotional co-ordination unless it be the installation of free, lunches. which spell good work and safety. Whether Mental fatigue arising from long periods he is a green employee or a transferred of .concentrated work b another and very one; the danger'-period ensues. On the common source of accidents. Rest periods physical.side thb hazard has been accounted and change of pace would aid greatly. In for, but the emotional adjustments1 have some heavy industries this curse is dearly more often than not been left to chance. recognized by having alternate teams which The importance cannot be too heavily perform on the job for a short period and stressed; safety depends upon a decent then are relieved by the other team. morale. The new man must be made to feel Then there are the hard, unyielding super at home whatever means are used. visors, who drive their men callously, and Again there b the prohlem of endings fthe who take resentment of the employees, as old employee dose to retirement age pre a sign of full-swing. production. These, sents a real hazard; Ids habits are set upon praise be, are becoming a rarity. Another old models; Ids claim upon sympathy and type of supervisor, unfortunately, b becom-, past record sets np an arrogance difficult mg more common--that of die superior to control; Ids jealousy of younger blood who has become all mental, whose.viscera and' his failing co-ordination take away, reacts sluggishly, and thus keeps him from the edge from bis abilities. Tactful handling maintaining a sympathetic understanding of will prevent any accident to him, bat-what his employees. I quote without comment of those who -work alongside him? - from Professor J. A. Melrose, who lectured at the 1930 National Safety Congress: "We have gotten so heady in our cmUzation and think so much of our intellects, that we have lost our viscera. We lose our punch when we lose our viscera, because, this, after all, is our power machine." There b the problem of the early thirties: for some reason, especially with women, the thirty year mark presents an emotional hurdle. At that tixtie both men and women are emerging .into a new civilized adjust ment; the home shackles have been broken, the emotional drive of youth b waning, and Financial difficulties take a toll of the the sober responsibilities of full adulthood worker's co-ordination and attention. Few have not yet been crystallized. It b a period I- S 55 8 a 6*3 s| fi a !T8 S"9M Q B ESS. . fi tt!0 R*B Sf.Sl&B*iC B- '* B ft ft w n .. -a* b*ob or - a r e . n o' 77te Human Side of Safety 193 ol emotional indirection and possible raelan- 3. Wherever possible the attempt should j cholia/Tbe unrest is apt to carry over into be made to fit the type to the job and'not the employees "work and create a safety the job to the type. Entrance examinations hazard wiU provide some material for judgment, There is, again, the problem of group ex- and personnel officers can, with medical . hilaratioo: workers react definitely to then- .rid, taro in a. list of suggested changes at group feeling and indulge in exhibitionistic stated intervals. horse-play, hazing; and impromptu histrion 4. I would suggest a closer examination ics. They wish to realize themselves in the of the cases of extreme fatigue. - Here the approval of die group, and any exaggera supervisor or the foreman must be on the tion of their normal- actions and qualities alert to anticipate fatigue before the danger will be indulged in to secure it The horse- period sets in. A reasonable set of rest play.-is an unconscious compensation for'' the periods, together with physical examination emotional drag of a settled routine' The of .extreme cases should reduce, the physical exuberance and exhilaration must be chan and emotionaL'dangers. neled into safe usage. Horse-play accidents - 5... Relaxing factors should lie included are modi too common. in the physical set-up of the plant Attrac Finally there is the problem of'menopause, tive rest rooms and recreation halls are in both male and female.' The period comes 'wide usage. Group games, rivalry by desomewhere in the forties ini females, with . partments, free lunches, libraries build mo forty-five a? die reckoning age! In males rale. . the' cbange-'occurs between the ages of 50 6. Last, and most important, I would ad and 60^ with 55 die usual age. The emo vise the employment of a competent psy tional stresses of the menopause are well chiatrist whose office would be a Sort of known in females, but in males, also there . emotional no-man's-land. or "zone of. neu is a psychic menopause which disrupts their trality," in which'the employee's confidence .. settled habits and creates a-inental condi could be more .readily - won. In smaller tion that encourages inattention-and non- companies, the service of a psychiatrist could co-ordination. ' be spread among a group. At the very least Thee then, are the sources as I see them \ of. accidents arising from emotional factors. ) If I may,-1 should like to indicate a few dose connection should be established with the local hospitals and with nearby country sanitaria so that adequate care and rest more general considerations in handling the : may be obtained. Rest and ease of mind . emotional problems.. are the greatest protections against accident. 1, rwould suggest that all accidents of the past several years id any one. organization be .analyzed -for the appearance; of these; types and situations. ' Accidents, as you know,. have a most uncanny way of hap pening^ in the-same place; perhaps the con stant in many of them is an emotionally maladjusted worker. Before I dose I should like to re-empha size an earlier point: that-of bring certain to keep in mind the .whole unified picture of the. Individual worker. The industrial is.only a part; bade of it rests the mental life, the family pressures,.the local environ ment, the-.social class, and the currents of our total civilization. Safety, again, as I see it, is a sign of 2,1 would , suggest again, that all near , positive co-ordination, a sweetness of phys accidents be reported and analyzed. In that ical and mental health, the adaptation of a .... way .the repeaters and the accident-prone twentieth century adult to his industrial may be difedted and eliminated before the environment; It is extremely important to damage is done. This procedure would add remember that all of'the environment most i more work, to. the. safety department and be considered, for man lives, breathes, and entail considerable education work among works as a unit Safety is a humane con supervisors, but an honest trial might be sideration and a grace accruing to a really worth the (effort . decent dviiization. 194 28th National Safety. Congress THURSDAY MORNING SESSION Octofteir 19.1939 8f r g & S ft.R-R R S' S-B TS 5 " a 3 S- S S Foremanship Training--the Fundamentals and Effective Methods Involved By GLENN GARDINER Assistant to President, Forstmann Woolen Company, Passaic, N. J. We have an interesting subject. ,It is an interesting and important subject, right at this time above all other times in our re cent industrial experience. We mustn't de ceive ourselves about the importance of this man we are talking about--the {preman. His function has always been an important one in industry; it has not always been recognized completely. It is coming into greater recognition, however, and we are realizing more and more that only as we prepare and equip our foremen to do the job that we expect of them, can we hope to get the kind of industrial relations re sults we want In recognizing the importance of the fore man, I hope that management isn't going to overlook too much the fact that an im portant function deserves important Compen sation. There are- some evidences , in, certain parts of the country that foremen as a group are not entirely satisfied with the recogni tion they have had from management Man agement continuously talks about the im portance of the foreman and his function; but I am afraid management hasn't always fully recognized how much that important function is worth on pay-day. When we delegate heavy responsibilities, we like to be able to delegate commen surate authority. I think that the foreman himself in these last several years has be gun to wonder if something hasn't been hap pening to his authority. He is beginning to, wonder how he is going to get the results expected, when he is subjected to certain limitations of authority* by reason of new labor policies, newf labor legislation and new methods of bargaining and dealing with labor. One thing we must recognize, however, is that no matter how conditions may have changed, we still must have from foremen at least as good resutts as ever before. We hope we can go on getting better and better results through the effective performance of the foreman's functions. In approaching my subject, I should like to point out that there are three major, func tions of foremanship under today's condi tions. The first of' these concerns labor relations, th^ second community relations, and third, the foreman as an interpreter of business facts. A Labor Relations Man In the first place then, let's consider what is today the most important single function of the foreman. That is, his function as a labor relations man. Not. so many years ago, the question of personnel, labor relations, employee rela tions, or call it what you will, was.recog nized as a managerial function. that needed to be taken care of. Companies began to set up personnel departments some twenty-five years ago. During the period of the World War and immediately following, this per sonnel function blossomed and expanded. Many companies had large, personnel depart ments, and they were measuring their em ployee relations on the basis of the exten siveness of the personnel, program activities they were carrying on. . I think that for a period we were too much impressed by the belief that if we set up a personnel department, the per sonnel department would jtist naturally take care of this whole question of employee relations. We thought that we could dele gate to a personnel manager and his staff, the responsibility for good employee rela tions. There was a tendency at that time to take away from the foreman and to cen tralize such functions as hiring and firing. There was a tendency to encourage em ployees to take their grievances over the foreman's head to the personnel department ; Well, I think we have learned something & 0.8.8 The Human Side of Safety 195 itl the more recent years where good labor help him so that he won't stumble with the j relations really originate. basket we can look for unsound labor re We have' learned that, good labor rela lations in our organizations. Every .fore tions originate right at the point where the man, today, must be a positive human re - employee has his contact with the com lations asset, not just a trouble dodger. pany. We all know that this is with his immediate boss; foreman, or supervisor.. Regardless of what our personnel activity' program may. be, there is at the same time, traveling right- along beside it, out of sight, unmeasured, uncharted, the real labor rela tions Program based upon what individual foremen are doing from day to day in their contacts with their people. That relationship is building up at that point, regardless of what else we may do, It is not sufficient for a foreman to be able to say, "Well,- I am getting along swell I don't have any squawks. No one kicks about the way I am handling things. I don't have any rebellions in my depart ment; everything seems to be all right" . That is not enough. We have to go be yond that, and never be satisfied with re lations as they are, but continuously make them better. regardless of what we may do in the front A Community Relations Man office, regardless of whether we print our policies in attractive form and distribute , them. It still remaps that it is the' per sonal contact between the foreman and Ms : ' men that establishes, the Relationship we are The second function of the foreman' that I want to spej^oJ is his function fs a community relaimo-man. Now, just how does, a foreman figure in that picture? developing with our labor force. In a country where democratic processes Now, don't get the idea, from what I have, said that we should throw the personnel department "out tbewindow." No, I think it has an even more important part than it has ever played before in coordinating many of these labor relations activities and equipping the foremen ;to discharge them.. It can help the foreman with the land of \ information that can be furnished from a staff research servicing point of view. But we must recognise all the time that labor prevail where we have a free press, and free , speech--which we fervently, hope will never be -denied us--it is inevitable that public opinion becomes the conrt of last appeal in all matters affecting the public. We hare seen a good deal in the past few years of the effect of public opinion upon industry and the growing recognition of industry and management .that it has to re gard the public and its opinion very seri ously. relations are actually bring built up for Public opinion, as far as a company is good or had by the foreman himself. * .concerned, has certain national aspects, if I am afraid that sometimes personnel de- partments are a little jealous of their pre rogative?. They will do a much better job for their companies if they, will recognize themselves as a staff service organization, accomplishing their good results through the meant the front, the foremen. They shoutd. be less concerned over who gets. credit for satisfying "Olaf McKosky." They should see that he . is satisfied at the hands . of the man who is dealing with him every the company, does business on a national scale. But I also think that public opinion is peculiarly important to every company, regardless of the geographical scope of its activities. Public opinion is important in i/j oti.li community, the community in which it operates and in which its employees live. AVe would not have any great public relations problem in industry if every com pany took care of its own neighborhood community opinion. day. Now, why is the community opinion im Because the foreman Is so importantJn portant to your company? our present-day labor relations scheme of There afe a great many reasons that ! things; X think it is highly important that could idvance. Take just one, for example, we consider seriously what we can do from the matter of local taxation. How often management's point of view to train, de do people, not related to industry itself in velop, and equip him (o "handle this basket the community and who do not recognize of eggs" that he carries,for us, because our the extent of their own dependence upon in labor relations eggs certainly are in his dustrial institutions, devriop the attitude basket If we don't smooth his path and. that "these big .companies can take it."-AVe 196 28th National Safety Congress know of instances where companies dot go into the community at the end of.the have not been fully appreciated by die com day's work; they have potential'influencing munity have literally been' taxed ont of the powers over not fewer than 250 people in community. In some cases, they have been the community. taxed out of the state. Well, industry is beginning to recognize that those things don't have to happen in any community, if their local public realizes the truth about their operations. Of course, certain companies need to do a little "house* cleaning" and a little "renovating" to pre Yon- don't have to multiply your foreman by very many to see what a large amount of the population can be directly affeded; very quickly affected, by what those twenty-, five men think, fed and say about the com pany where they work. pare to stand the spotlight , of community Now, who mfloences tbem to say what opinion. they say? Not the gebc&al manager up in I think the extent to which the public has been misinformed about the real American industry is rather woeful. But that is being rapidly corrected, I am happy to say, in this country. The public generally is getting , better and better acquainted with how in dustry operates. Community opinion is. important to your company because of its effect upon the labor mind. In your own industrial community, the, front office. They haven't seen him than once or twice in the last year. It.is the man who immediately supervises them on the job, the man with whom they are in constant contact We all know that the foreman is "toe company" to these men. . Each man goes oot. at night prepared to "sell tiie company up the river or down the rivet" according to the'treatment he has hail * *r. which plant is visited first by the best men looking for jobs? Why, of course; it is the <"> A Potential Sales Force . company with the best local reputation every i I think we have "missed a bet" In con time. How valuable it is to a company to - nection with tins potential sales force that enjoy a favorable community opinion that we have in our employees as far as selling will bring voluntarily to its doors the best our company, favorably or unfavorably to type of man to sell the best kind of labor! the community in which we operate. The In many other respects, what the com munity thinks abbot .your industrial enter prise is going- to determine what land of a "break" you will get in many situations foreman has a very, very important part, I say, In determining what kind of a repu tation your company enjoys in the com munity. arising in the community. Now, you say, where-does the foreman fit into this pic ture? In some countries the best minds havegone into tiie military forces. Insome, the be^t minds -have gone into statesmanship: In - Well, let's look at the foreman. Suppose he has twenty-five men under, him. Every one of those-men enjoys a certain sphere of influence, us say, in the community m which he resides.' How wide his sphere of influence is, anyone nay guess. It may be only his family; maybe those are the only ones who take him seriously. But we'xnay assume that he has a sphere of influence of ten or a dozen people in his lodge, in his dub, in the block in which' he lives; the fellows he goes fishing with, the fellows America, ,our best minds have gone into' - tiie' devefopnient of1 tins country and its in dustrial enterprises, business enterprises. In dustry, your company .and mine, represent, in my judgment, as high an order of human organization as modern, civilization has developed, although subject to all the frailties common,, to: human nature; and . subject to all tire pbss3>1e.frictiaus tfaat.de-. velop where human beings; come into con tact with cadi other and do not always "dick." that he associates with outside of working hours. What his. wife says to the neigh bor's wife'about how he is treated at the plant is a factor also. I think that if the general public realized how earnestly thousands and thousands of leaders of industrial enterprises, like you men of industry here, are. trying to meet Let us assume the average man has an these problems and improvi the situation, influence oven ten people That means that we would get a type of response from pub every time ..this foreman's twenty-five men lic opinion which would trad to elect to o L 8* S f t - f t STf t ST 8 S B C*< S' H* IL t t JVtt.B <1 a. CV! t> ts, tf sr O o fc tz' a erar w' o.oo n a ft The Human Side of Safety 197 office men who have a fair attitude in that has affected their status and raised appraising industry. them to a place of importance. I think we This whole question of public opinion be have some right,.to expect from the man gins right at home. What the fellow at a- whose status we have partially created, distance thinks about you may not mean that he will recognize that he has some re anything, because he hun't heard of you. sponsibility in his community in the direc What' the fellow next door thinks of you tion of establishing a personal reputation - in your own block nxans a k>h because that,, is not detrimental to his employer. ,y your dog has'.been digging up his tulip outbs,,your kid has been shooting beans at An Interpreter of Business Pacta his window, and you have been rubbing el .Now, for:'the third-point, in the fore bows with him. man's functions. That, I think, is as an That is the way in industry. Your com- - interpreter of business facts and mfornia- . munity is conscious JL your presence and Hon to the men under him. He has an op- ) is'forming ah<opimon of you. That opinion ' porfunity fa the coarse 'of the day's wbrlcr is very important to the future of this in his contacts which come up fa a natural . country. If we are going to maintain in sort of way, over days and over weeks, to - . America democratic processes and demo establish a sounder, and sounder under cratic types. of industrial organisation, it' standing on the part of his men as to some has to be done on the basis of deserving a of the business facts and .problems which favorable community opinion. confront the company and limit many of , ': *-* ^ the-, things it might be able to do for em- A Community Influence * ployees. We can go a step-farther in describing 4 Naturally, the foreman isgoing to be able the foreman's place in the community. I to interpret these things intelligently in his am one who shares a belief with most of day-to-day contacts only if he is first - you, I think, that what a.,man does off formedi He can't sell something that he the job is his own business We have no doesn't Have. We have an obligation to right to interfere with that. I believe, how him. We expect him to stand among his ever, that , that picture , changes when a men as some sort of a leader in more man's status is raised above the level of the ways than technical ways. If he is going ' tables. The. company which has it within to qualify, we take some responsibility for . its power to affect the .status of a man' in givmg Him the' kind of information neces the ranks and. make him foreman, has sary. V ' affected Ids status not only on the job^ "but There is a great deal of "cock-eyed eco has affected his status in the .community: nomics". and misconception abroad regard Believe it ornot, the foreman is a pretty ing many of the things that affect business, important. individual in tire .community in like the theory that unemployment could he which he lives. People look up to him. He solved overnight if we legislated a max is somebody, to the rank and file of the < imum thirty-hour week. The theory is public in your community. He reflects^ that if you haven't enough work to give whether he realizes it or not, favorably or forty hours to everybody, you cut it to unfavorably' upon your company fa the ' thirty and the problem is solved. You never community. heard that proposal, of' course,' without the I koow an industrial town where they have a foreman's dub. The foremen from ooe of the companies there always, come, to' .the meeting "half tight* They almost break up the meeting: They have a swell tiimvbat they are disgusting to the rest' of the men, because that doesn't seem the time or place to celebrate in just that way. They have becooejmoira as "that drunken crowd from such-and-such company* accompanying suggestion that the same pay yrifl be given for thirty hoars that was formerly given for forty. Automatically and immediately, the hourly wage is increased by thirty-three-and-one-third per-cent We . all know What that would do to producing costs and selling'prices, and how it eventu ally would curtail buying and cut down s^es volume and employment volume. Soon someone' would say, "Apparently, that wasn't enough. Better go to twenty-four It. seems , to me that those fellows are hours.*' You can carry that-right down to overlooking an obligation to the company the.ground, if you want to. 198 28th National Safety Congress , There is a lot of "cock-eyed" information the man below him takes his cue from him. about some of these over-simplified solu Therefore; we have to have top executives tions of these tremendously complicated of management participating in some way in economic problems of industry. There is the the development program; question of whether or not unemployment. is the result of labor-saving machines. We can't go into that because time doesn't per mit, but there is a lot of information that should be disseminated to foremen on that subject; because a lot of foremen themselves think that unemployment throughout' the country. has been caused by labor saving devices, without realizing that they have always created, overall, more jobs than they have eliminated. We have the problem of the old-timer foreman, add the question of what we .can do to revamp his approach to problems in the light of today's conditions. That is a serious problem. Yon have a lot of talent tied op in men who are not quite seeing this new approach to things; We can't afford to throw them into the discard until we have done everything possible to revamp the point of- view of these men and open their minds to some of these newer attitudes and We need to interpret to our foreman a tactics. great deal of common sense, every-day busi ness information, if we are to expect him The Young Foreman to do the same with the men down the j line. ,, Then, we have the younger foreman who Foreman Training Methods is inexperienced, hut who can gather ex perience much more rapidly if we will do I have touched on three great fields of activity in which every foreman in industry necessarily must function. We have to equip him to function effectively. That calls for something to bring to him the benefits of the experiences -of others. That is a process of education. Education is.only profiting by the experience of others. We have to do some definite, planned method of "raisingthe foreman's, sights" to a level which will permit him to effectively perform those functions. He doesn't get it automatically. A lot of information has to come from that for the younger foreman, and we have to be looking foreward, also, to the man who is going to be a foreman tomorrow. Yon must develop in your program some help for the^sub-foreman, the assistant, the management Management has fallen down fellow who' will step into the foreman's very widely, I am afraid, in getting inter shoes. pretations of all of these things to the fore If we get the picture of what the fore man. man's functions and potentialities are; we I have been .asked to discuss foreman shall find effective ways of doing the jab training methodk I am not going to go to fit onr own situation, so far as details into the details of the methods. I think it of training are concerned. is much more important-to get a picture of * what the foreman's job is, and find, then, We have said a lot about foremen and the most effective ways in your own 'or their functions, but the foreman cannot ganization to develop onr foremen!. Execu function any more effectively than manage tives must be sure to get across to the . ment mates it possible for him'to function. foreman the necessary information and Water will never ride above the level from background with which to go ahead and do which ;t flows. We can't expect foreman- this job in the way that it has to be done. ship to rise to any higher level than the : Here are a few joints about any training program of the foreman that I think are information upon whidi the foreman has to mate his decisions. important You must have participation of I might agree very much with that famous the executives up the line in one way or preacher, Henry Ward Beedier, who once another. - If they are not back of the pro was supposed to have said to the janitor* of gram, and in some way participating, the his church* "If the congregation sleeps, go foreman isn't going to take it seriously. The ' to the pulpit and wake the. preacher." If foreman takes his cue from the man above the foreman is asleep at the switch, let's go him and what he is interested in, just as to management and.wake the management. '1. , y The Human Side of Safety FRIDAY MORNING SESSION October 20,1939 199. . Merchandising Safety By ROY H. WARMEE Sales Manager, Philadelphia Coke Company, Philadelphia, Pa. Salesmanship is the greatest profession in the world! I see a question mark on your faces and perhaps rightfully so, for to this audience,; safety is the greatest profession in . the world,) and that I can't deny. The earliest train, the first typewriter, the cotton gin, the aeroplane, the radio, the automobile--yes, every new idea has to be sold to men against overwhelming odds of doubt and resistance before they can revo However, we are not so far apart except lutionize our lives. that safety is a thing to be sold and, there fore. must be put' across in the maimer of all good selling--with dramatization, show manship, personality and' alt die media at the command of a. modem sales depart ment This I shall attempt to prove. - And so it is with safety. It, too, has to be sold. But after all, selling is so simple ; it Is only bringing people to see as you see, to feel as you fed, and to act as you would have them act The formula is simple; only the method or technique is Salesmanship is vital in every phase of controversial. life. Every successful man has been and is Now, how can we accomplish all this? a good salesman. - There is no short, easy lesson. There never c: When a baby yells, he sells his mother an is except using the dements in good sales idea. A. fellow falls in love with a girl manship--persuasion, appeal to human mo and the first dung he- does and continues tives and emotions, continuous education and to do during the period of the courtship suggestion, training and enforcement of rules \ is to sell her the idea that he is the biggest and regulations. ; bargain in her life If he's a good salesman, Ripley defines salesmanship as the "Power he gets away.with it; if, not, he rings up to persuade plenty of people to pleasurably "No Sale" on the cash register of romance and permanently purchase your product at ' and in comes another man--a competitor-- a profit"* to do a bigger and better job of salesman Analyzing tins, we get an excellent idea ship. . Of. what selling really is and the technique No. man has yet gotten a wife unless his -to follow, to get-the results we are after. courtship and proposal contained all the de Persuasion, after alibis the best of all known ments of good salesmanship--drama, show methods to induce response and favorable manship and personality. In other words, action, with the least amount of friction. candy,, flowers, honeyed words, best .man It obviates argument; it implied reason; it ners', best Sunday clothes, best disposition, nullifies ego; it draws but unselfishness-- promises' and guarantees.. In fact, salesman all of which is sound selling. ship must never cease; even after marriage, The other word I like in that definition if it is to' be filled with happiness and few is "Power." Power to persuade, eta, that misunderstandings. indefinable; unseen force, much like the' The first steamboat-^and speaking about steam in the cylinder that moves the giant, steamboats, I ran into this little jingle the but is unseen, and as soon as we have seen, other day: . it, it has spent itself^^l fe no longer power. Robert Fulton years ago It is expressed u/^propk" in the form of a Said he'd make the steamboats go, personality; in advertising, with color and And.he stuck to it " illustrations. We find it in words and Robert's friends began to jolly. . phrases properly blended in the appeals to Called the steamboat Fultoii's folly,. 1 reason, the five senses of men and their But the darn thing went, by golly?-- emotions. He stuck to it In the word profit we mean benefits to the ') 200 j 28th National Safety Congress individual through purchase or acceptance fears that beset the great majority of pro and, of course, in material goods and serv spective customers. ices; profit to the sella- for effort ex They have not been alone in this prob pended and services rendered. lem, for this thing called safety has been the Father Raphael McCarthy, of Marquette problem of every coal man, gas man, elec ' University, said "It is a sound principle of trician, plumber and countless more, and it mass psychology that the' public, will offer was the stock-in-trade of the old lightning resistance to an order or injunction if there rod salesman. is a suspicion that the injunction is based "Is it safe?" is a common query in every on selfish reason?* body's heart, hut unfortunately not In every This bit of sound advice should be in body's head. That's the difference. every salesman's handbook or manual. In Watching tiny infants grow, you see the' the common language of the modem sales instinct.of safety and caution and fear. And world, we' call this selling benefits, which what about the rest of raturc? Isn't safety makes the "I" in the salesman subservient a prime instinct? I remember a school to the "YOU" in the prospect * ' teacher who told the class "Let your head - When we build a sale, we strive to get rule--not your heart" Or maybe it would across these five important things and I have been' better said, from the viewpoint name them only because every sound safety 'of the professional safety man--"Let your program must have. these -<am* tilings in head rule your heart" But the trouble with it: (1) Yes Responses--create desire to that Is that , everybody hasn't got the right do or to have, stating benefits to be derived kind of head, so that's where education and by purchase or acceptance; (2) answer and training, and even penalties most set in. overcome all objections which are common We are apparently given instincts by na to all of us and in everything we try to ture, but whiit to do with them seems to sell; and (3) dose with a cadi to action, have been lost in otrr complex civilization. meaning "Do it now." They are the products of our. brains where Another slant on selling is to sell, as El mer Wheeler puts it, "Not the steak but the sizzle." Another way of saying it-- "Not tile cigar, but the aroma." After all is said and donej we sell cosmetics for we create destructive forces; releasing great energies which can be for good or for 01,. and they can only be controlled by the same brain that conceived; and brought them into being. beauty, fuel for comfort, insurance for pro . In our hearts we love an automobile, but tection, and people buy pleasures, security, we have to rnn it with our heads. We may certainty, comfort, convenience, peace of even boy'it to satisfy our pride; which is mind and health; women bny for style and an emotion; bat we must operate it with are slaves of fashion because of pride. We our eyes Mfy opened, oar ears keenly at buy for gain, prestige and fulfillment of tuned and our hands and feet alert to 'the inner desires, all of which, when, summed impulses sent by a rational brain." up, means we buy for happiness, pleasure A case in point is stated by Prof; Fred and success. erick Lund, of the Psychology Department These are what we call buying motives. of Temple University, who said: "The chief THqt are, in fact, more than that They cause of street injuries to playing children are human reactions to human needs and is not motherly negiect, but lack of play desires. ground facilities." No mother wilfully neg Now, the fortunate thing is that safety itself is a baric buying motive; which should mean that the selling of safety should find a ready response.in all of us; and to a large degree I think it does. For instance; lects her brines; her heart does not permit it; but' it tabes the brains of men to pro-'. tect them by providing playgrounds, a job which rightfully belongs to the safetyminded men of every community. . tires are sold on a safety basis, removing ^All this indicates that in our selling of the fear against blow-outs and accidents. safety is the all-important thing of mind- Some investments are sold as safe tilings training; which, of course; is a complete to buy. Aeroplanes still lave the problem subject by itself. Training' is also* selling of selling people the idea that they are good habits for bad, right thinking for a safe way to travel, thus removing the wrong, and the reasons for it all The Human Side of Safety 201 Up to this point, I have triedto prove not been the- case of. the National Safety tint safely is a thing to he sold or mer Council. You have; however, been aided chandised, as the topic indicates; it needs in no small way by many other groups and to be sold like everything else. Everything businesses that have used* the safety theme -is sold and should' have a technique which, as a part of their merchandising programs. when employed, in die most .effective way, Three years ago Montgomery Wardcom- induces action and-'gets . the best- results. ... bined merchandising and public education in Now in business, it is our duty to create safe driving, with a motor code that traveled impressions, everlasting impressions both in the country. An advance man preceded the the .salesman himself and in the customer. show to meet, city' officials, editors. Boy . To do this, we must dig up the facts to Scout leaders and other civic leaders, to make a complete story and we most present solicit their cooperation. When they arrived them with headline and color and repeat . in town a safety show wa$> put on. In them over and over again with only an oc Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Walter A. Scott casional change of dress. Repetition is the summed.ap the attitude of the civic author jsoie technique of effective training, result-: ities': *T believe tint this show, with its vrag first in conscious action .and later in colorful performances, will do more to im sub-conscious or reflex action. press the minds of the public than thou In the 'selling and the training; empha sands of printed words." - sis must be put on the impressions given Do ybu recall what I said about show through the medium of the eyes, for the manship and eye appeal? Montgomery Ward pgrchologists tell us the human eye is twenty was performing a public service, acquiring times stronger in its impressions than the good-will and at the- same time selling its ear. That's , why we have blackboards, in merchandise. ' school, posters on the highway, movies, cat alogs, descriptive., literature with illustra In and. about Philadelphia for the past tions, and displays. two school years, we very effectively have dramatized and lionized a little Scotch Ter- .. jh*.business we seek to; make purchases., rior, called "Knee-Hi," under the direction from us a habit This is idsb. the function of Dr. George.E.' Branson and the spon of a safety program, for safely should sorship of Philadelphia's newspaper The \ become a habit--a definite part of - good Evening Bulletin. Thatdog is probably bet ' workmanship and every move that we rnitice. ter known and has more tittle friends than Now, those of ns in professional selling any dog in history. He has given hundreds realize only too well tint sales , education, of safety demonstrations in the Public whether it be to the salesman himself or the Schools and before civic associations inter . public at huge; is not a one impression, one ested in street and highway safety. A typical time affair, bat that it is repetition, repe headline in the- paper read "Knee-Hi breaks tition, rehearsal, rehearsal, constantly striv- up street football." And one one of his . ing to, create unforgettable impressions on many visits to the classrooms he found three ' the minds Of men. tittle men on thebladcboard of the second This, too, is the safety job. Personally,' grade in Red, Yellow and Green named I think* you have done a grand job to "Three Good Friends." Under each was date, mindful, however that much remains written - to be done; and yon are not or never "Don't dare move," says Mister Red. will be finished, for new generations come - "Stop and wait awhile instead." and new and more difficult problems develop "Careful," whispers Mister Yellow. daffy.. * He's a friendly kind of fellow. In tint respect your job. is no different Mister Green says, "Httny, do, from that of any manufacturer who has . While no cars are coming through." goods to sell er any institution that has. services to render. They must keep ever lastingly at it Business history is repteie with failures because they ceased merchan dising and advertising and apparently were content to. rest on past successes. This is true merchandising: It appeals, it teaches, it leaves a strong impression on formative minds. I know from my own personal experience in my own home that Knee-Hi has created an unforgettable im pression. on .the young minds of Phila This, from my personal observations, has delphia; Would that it were so easy to 202 28th National Safety Congress impress the adult mind. - In a recent simple safety rules that must he mem- editorial, "A - Word to Adults," - the orifod. AH candidates leant and obty.fooe- same Evening Bulletin wrote 'The schools rules. Thy tots have even come into busy .have done a good job. of educating the editorial offices solemnly toxedtetbe rules.' younger generation, how to conduct itself vBuf best of all, they put foem mto .practice. n a high-speed motorized age, at. least Today there are 135*000 pledged members so far as walking is concerned, but the and Cleveland safety leaders say that the parents and the grandparents haven't learned campaign has been a potent factor in cutting any too.well the lessons brought home by down the. child accident and fatality figures the youngsters. It's time for Daddy and in that city. Mother to do a little studying." I think Congratulations, Cleveland Pressl You we. would be ungrateful if we did not salute the Evening Bulletin for its great contri bution to Safety. And while we are passing out our bouquets.1 am told that Knee-Hi are; as you said. in. the dosing lines of that"ad," "More-than a newspaper"--you are a power--gentex,to do good; is now in Washington, D. C under the 'And then there is foe Shell CHI Com sponsorship of the Washington Post. pany's crusade against screw drivers, with their "Share the Road" emblems, which Another neat little tut of safety merchan when observed reduces stop and go driving dising was put out by the Stanley Theatre 25 for cent. Thdr emblcm has on Tt flags of Philadelphia in the, form of an "ad" t arranged in maritime code meaning "I am which read "REMEMBER I Only Angels giving way." have Wings'*; and illustrated, thereon was a drawing of a traffic light, with tinder it the words, "Don't race against the . lights and don't try to dodge automobiles even though you're in a hurry to see *On!y Angels have Wings."* Clever!. All of this, every day in every day, is serving its purpose of selling safety and doing so with unfailing effect It can't fail. Only, let's encourage more of it It keeps the message of safety constantly before us in a diversified and clever way. It offsets Not many months ago I was impressed bad habits with good habits; it appeals to by an "ad" In Printer's Ink monthly. On the public through one of the great human dte .top of foe page was a drawing of a buying motives or response' motives--safety. boy about twelve with Ids arms stretched out and behind him were a group of gay, laughing, romping children on. their way to school. Beneath the picture was a- jumble of fascinating letters and groups, of letters/ that didn't nuke sense nor were they even pronounceable. Curiosity was aroused and Selling is telling; and telling is selling; so that everybody can see and hear, and retelling so that everybody hull come to know and not forget, telling so that' it first becomes a part of their conscious mind and later sub-consdous in action. I wrote to the Cleveland Press for the code which, when applied, spelled out "I always obey the safety rules." Have faith in your product, the same as every good salesman must have. See the job as , a selling job, the same as every salesman most do; and if what yon have I also learned from that letter that "Bizzy faithin and what you sell adds to the Bear," a comic strip character of their, comfort; the convenience, the happiness and paper, steps out of his role with the'be the pleasure of mankind, do not lose hope, ginning of each school year tojpreach and hut instead' keep everlastingly at it As play at safety. Membership in the "Bizzy. with Fulton's steamer, let it be said, "He Bear Safety Club" carries with it rights stock to it" and privileges that are. dear to every child. A certificate of membership, a secret code, a paw shake or secret grip, ail lend mysti cism andichantmmt to the idea. In dosing, this seems apropos--"Mary, why does Johnnie have to. be told 20 times before he obeys?" T don't know, I guess 19 isn't'enough." And so it is with mer But there Is a serious side as well--six chandising safety, and so it ever will be. . ADJOURNMENT a a .ig s s s & S ! . s f& s ffg IS M .-- ' p*