Document 85o3qem4o2G3wO71N0vN2vVQo

326 Tnmiy-sccond Congress--Xalional Safety Council General Chairman Thomas E. Uebt(oot Koppers Coal Company. Pittsburgh. Pa_ who rretided Chairman IJghtfoot then introduced the first speaker. Report of the Secretary By DANIEL HARRINGTON United States Boren of Mines, Washington, D. C- Thc streaker said in pan; For the first eight months of the present year the tames ot the United States have tad the longest consecutive freedom from major explosion disasters in the past 50 or nmre years. Seven persons were killed and one Injured in an explosion to a hhuminoos coal mine in Pennsylvania on the morning ot September 11. 1933. this lwing the first major explosion in any mine, ccol or metal, in the United States since December 23, 1932. There is no record of any continuing period of immunity from major disasters m our mines even approximately this in kngih. The first eight months of 1933 show a tower fatality rate in the coal mines of the United States than for the same period of 1932 or for the fall year 1932. Bat 627 persons were kfTled in the coal mines of the country to September 1. 1933. in the productinn of slightly less than 2401000,000 tons of coal, the fatality per million tons being only 2.62: for the first eight months of 1932. there were 684 killed in the production of aboat 2163)003100 tons of coal, with a fatality rate of 3.17 per tnOlioa tons produced. It is noticeable that there were fifty-seven fewer deaths in the first eight months of 1933 than in the first eight months of 1932 and there was an increase of about 24.000.000 tons in the 1933 period. Tentative figures available as to coal mine fatalittes m 1932, placed the total at 1.166 against 1.463 in 1931. West Virginia had the largest number of fatalities, 263. a decided improvement over the 351 ior 1931. Pennsylvania anthracite came second with 245 fatalities, also a modi better showing than the 3&3 of the previous year. Pennsylvania Intuminons was third with 158 or considerably fewer than the 210 in 1931. .Fourth place went to Illinois with 114. an increase over the 92 of 1931, and fifth place to Kentucky' with 101. a slight decrease from the 110 of the previous year. The health and safety of the approximately 13)00.000 persons in the United States engaged in the miring and quarrying industries unquestionably arc improving dcring recent years m spite of the numerous unsatisfadcry conditions now confronting those industries. (I* Safety By CHARLES E. BOCKUS President, Qmchfield Coal Corps and President, National Coal Assn, New York City The speaker said in part: At a time when the selling price of a product is less than cost. when red figures show up month after month, and that has been tltc unfortunate history of a -great majority of the coal producers for the past three years, it is not hard to curtail the amounts paid for safety work. I my it with real pride, however, that in many of the companies this temptation has been resisted. Nor should we forget that in periods like the recent past when mines are operated only one or two days in the week, the most careful inspection is of the highest importance, both as regards top conditions and ventilation. Increase in mechanization lias helped redoes Mining Section 327 certain classes of accidents. The working of men in groups under direct supervision is undoubtedly the reason for this. On the other side of the picture, you will find experienced miners who state that the amount of noise from conveyors or loaders is a handicap. Mechanization should be coupled with intensive inspection of the top at all times. How much do coal mine accidents cost? First, the actual cost to tlw operating company in iraynicitu made wider Em ployers* Liability or Compoisation Law* or m damage to property. Tint item put first, not because it is either the larges* or the rav*st important, hut merely liecause it is the easiest to measure with the yardstick of business--dollar* and cents. Second, the loss of wage* directly due to the enforced idleness of those who have been injured. Tint can be determined with relative accuracy by those employees who keep careful records and follow up their accident cases to the end. But even in those circumstances there has to be some estimating, for a man. after a severe injury, may have to return to employment m some position not compensated for so well as was the place he held before. This, measured in "cash loss** b the largest item of the .four. Third, the loss, and it is a serious one. that comes from the shattering of the morale of any organization where there are frequent injuries to the workers, and the effect h particularly marked after a fatality. Fourth, the loss of effectiveness of any worker who lias suffered a serious accident. A man who has passed His youth say be discharged from the hospital as recovered completely from damage done; but it is only in exceptional ease* that he can ever be really restored to the physical and mental condition he enjoyed before his injury. I know of no way the losses under the last two headings can l*e even approximated. 1ml they arc actual and material. Last year accidents cost our company directly more titan did the salaries of all our mine foremen and their assistants: more than the total expense under cHIkt of the hems, hoisting and loading, or ventilation and drainage. Please do not misunderstand me: by cost I mean what was paid out m 1932 irrespective of the year in which the accident occurred. But our cost of accidents that happened in 1932 was of itself more than the charges for ventilation and drainage. What it cost our employees under my divisions, two. three and four, is a question. I am sure of this: Under all the headings I have mentioned, llie Imrden was far more than double the direct expense to (he employer. Greetings from South Africa By J. w. STRAW Safety Inspector, Roan Antelope Copper Mines, Ltd.. Luanshya. Northern Rhodesia, Africa Mr. Straw made a short extemporaneous talk without' manuscript, and unfortu nately no adequate record of his remarks is available. In many respects his talk was a personal one. He commended the work of the National Safety Council and empha sized the profit which his company has received from material and service rendered by that organization. Suggestions hy the Council have been widely used in tlte organization of accident prevention campaigns on the properties of the Roan Amdope Copper Mines, and have been very instrumental in keeping down the accident tolL