Document EXZRMmeDGrknVKJErYD1ObLn

4US 7 zccnty-third Annual Safely Congress--Xational Safety Cunncil In the repair yard> we have augmented our blue flag i>rotcction with lock switclics and flags equipped with a derailing device in nuny instances. Too much stress cannot be placed tqon carefulness at all repair yards. The car repair tracks should lie locked and tlic blue flags placed by a nun or men carefully selected for tins job. When the time for removing the locks and flags to allow the tracks to lie switched or other work iu Ik placed arrives, the. greatest possible care should be taken to warn cvcrylmdy along the rciuir tracks ui the move contemplated, and equal care must be given to the rdockitig and placing of flags when switching is done. _On our road, we do this hv whistling and hy jicrsonal warning to each employee tieforv the engine is allowed to conic onto the track. Any violation of the blue flag rule is severely dealt with, and yet with all our precautions, we have had one fatal injury in the car rcjtair yards during the present year. It lias Ihvii my i-xjiericnce that men arc very seldom injured on any job where flic danger is apparent, tlut is on work that is inherently dangerous. Injuries and hurts generally occur on jobs where one would think, at first glance, no danger was present. It stands to reason tlut if every employee had someone standing over hint to warn him of the hidden dangers ill the work he was doing, no injury would occur. Uni this methxl of preventing accidents is oi course impossible. Substiunioii for Mich a pttKcdmv was built tip to a certain extent in the mind of one employee hv the association of ideas. For instance, if a man would associate safety with Ins hands, and every time lie noticed his hands, think of safety, or every time he thinks ofNsafety, l*k at his tumls. in a short time.such a workman whose work is done by his 1lands, would so establish this thought in his niind tlut as soon as he started to work and his hands came into view Itc would naturally look around to sec what hidden clangers there may Ik* in the vicinity of tlic job he is starting, and in a very short time this process of thought would heenme me chanical. the same as driving an automobile or any other physical effort in which we engage tlut is soiiK*wlut complicated, and in which the movements arc done subconsciously when perfected Falls of Persons and Objects By L. M. GRANGER Tool Room Foreman, Erie Railroad, Homell, N. Y. The sj*eaker said in part: Oi the thousands oi men injured on American Rail roads. every third man lu? received his injuries in connection with a fall or falling 4jcct. Some of the conditions which lead to injuries from falls and falling objects are as follows: Poor condition of floors, platforms ami walks; aisles not kept open: material carelessly piled; ^pnnr ladders and scaffolds: j*oor lighting: nutcrial falling from cranes, cars, engines, trucks, skids, etc.; window glass liccoming loosened by vibra tion of cranes, steam hammers, etc.: |mrly maintained counter shafts, line shafts, pulleys and belts: poor lires n trucks; oil and grease on floor, platforms, cranes, etc.: failure of cables or brakes on traveling cranes; material leaning against walls: firing rivet licads and chips; coal falling from tanks: insecure footing and band bolds; stepping over loose material: slipping on rails: ladders slipping: getting on and off moving locomotives; cars, trucks, turn tables, etc.: throwing material from cars, engines: h*osc clothing, greasy gloves. A modem railnud shop :s a busy place. Exposure to jmssibtc injury menaces the workman from all sides and from aliove and Mow. Tlic traffic density through the main aisles of the shop often equal that of the nuin stmts of our towns. We do not have tlic service of traffic lights or officer# to direct it. In n-r shops we mark the aisles with white lines and strive to keep them open at all times, the power trucks move in prescrilHxl directions and as far as possible follow regular routes. All nutcrial is moved on skids or tote boxes to eliminate excess handling. Skills are carefully loaded under the supervision of foremen to minimize the danger of parts falling or jarring off. Each department has available a hand lift truck with which to move the skids in Safety Section, .-f/\*.-/--Steam Railroad St'etion. XSC 409 or out of the department without wailing for a power truck, which leaves no alibi for having the dc|iatimcnt cluttered up with material un which no work is being done. Each power truck driver tries out his tirakes and horn at the licginning of the day's work. Trucks arc insjKCtcd. greased and oiled at regular intervals and all necessary repairs promptly made. Where tlic bad overhangs the liody of the truck a workman precedes the truck to dear the way. Electric traveling cranes arc carefully inspected and repaired each thirty days by a competent machinist and electrician who give sjtccial attention to brakes, cables, limit switches, lund rails, etc. A record is kepi of these inspections to fix respon sibility for any oversight. l%ach crane cjicraior tries his tirakcs. lioru * and limit switch at the beginning of his trick. Crane o{>crntor will not move crane or h<ttsl load except bv signal from tlte floor nor will lie move any had if the hitch docs not npjenr safe to him. Endless rope slings arc used for moving light nutcrial with smooth surfaces to prevent slipping; endless steel cables ami had chains arc used for liaiidling heavy material. Siiccial slings are provided for handling bundles of flues or units, which wrap, entirely around the bundle to prevent dropping any jurt of the load. All chains used for lifting are annealed each month; the length of chains adjusted ami honks rcsliajtctl if necessary*- A record is kci>t of this msttection. The floor siacc under cranes is illuminated hy flixxl lights, high overhead. Each crane has a sjxit light for use of the operator. Line sliafts, countershafts and overhead belts arc rapidly living eliminated by installation of individual motor-driven machines. Tlut jMirtion which remains in shop is inspected daily. All ladders are equipped with safety strikes. All hose and handle tools arc repaired under sujKTvision oi the tool room and arc ui5|KCtcd when issued. To assist in checking on all these conditions and the enforcement of safety rules, we have a group of our Safe Practice Committee nuke a weekly inspection of the entire property and render a written rcimrt of all physical defects and all violations of rules. This committee has authority to remove from service at once any defective equipment found, also to stop any unsafe practices they observe. They dismiss from (heir minds everything except safety and concentrating on the one object, they accomplish much that might otherwise Ik overlooked. We also lave a coiniuitP'C of supervisors who make a weekly ins|cctim of all departments, whose duty it is to observe and report mi housekeeping conditions and place two prominent signs, one reading "Dirtiest Department in the Shop** and one Mi*lrancst. Department in the Simp.** The unwelcome sign never remains in the same department a second week. With all our precautions, we still have injuries due to falls and falling objects. I have yet to investigate a ease that was not primarily clue to carelessness or thoughtlessness, not always carelessness on the jart of.the victim luit carelessness on somel>ody rise's part. In my opinion three things are essential to safetv: 1. A safe place in which to work. 2. Safe tools and equipment. 3. Intelligent and alert workmen. There is no place in industry fur the careless workman. He is and should Ik eliminated. The employee who is injured through carelessness is a imrkcd nun and had better watch his step. We do not however liclievc in discipline as punish ment for violation of safety rules. Discipline as education is a valuable weapon. Most men will react favorably to a frank discussion of their faults. We of the Safe Practice Committee try to study each nun who is injured or who violates the safety rules through carelessness to determine why Ik failed to think, wlut occupied his mind to the exclusion of his own welfare, how to wake him up, am! consider all methods iair that attain results. If the offender is an old man. we remind hint tlut an accident might end his career of usefulness to his employer, tlut his advanced age would automatically keep him out of further em ployment elsewhere. The fear of a dejn*ndcnt old age haunts every working man beyond fifty years. Tlic middle aged offender is reminded that his carelessness might seriously interfere with his ambitious plans for the education of his children.