Document gbZ8J5jgOj6e1y09a38gxvkDJ

440 Tut-ntx-sctoad Congress--National Safety Council The opening nnica as called to order by Chairman Charles E. Hill, General Safety Agent, Ke* York Central Lines, Kev York City. The invocation eras given by the Very Reverend Gerald Grattea Moore, Dean o( St Ldx'i Pro-Cathedral, of Evanston, IQ. The report of J. C Caviston, Secretary o! the Association, was presented; and the chairman then called upon the first speaker. Report of the Committee on .Education By L. G. BENTLEY General Safety Agent, Chesapeake ft Ohio Railway, Richmond, Va. After presenting figures oo the distribution of dtaestinal literature under the scpcivision of his committee, the speaker said m part: The committee on education bdteves Out in piodaring edwaticml natter for the consumption of the men back home there an three kinds of ideas that can be panned There is the inspirational, ttfctth pots the emods of men to work oo their moral responsibilities far the safety of their fe&ow men; there is the informative, which tells the men over the country how the work is progressing: and there is the educational, wttidi gets right down tato die heart of accident causes and remedies and seeks to plant in the minds of those who direct and those who work a knowledge of the manner m which they can prevail men from getting hurt. It has been said that the day of the inspirational appeal h past, that safety todv ts altogether a matter of supervision ami obedience to rules. Is this true? Is the day of sentimental appeal gone? Have we forgotten that man b his brother's keeper? The answer to these questions seems to be conclusive, when we find that during the last year oar distribution of insptraihsnl posters greatly exceeded in volume the distribution of any other type of educational nattrial Although both our informatire posters cad our strictly educational posters were well received, the inspira tional posters led all the rest. But arc v doing aU that we an with these products? Do yea know that there arc 43QJDQ0 miles ol track <m tn railroads and that we sold but 2JOOO copses of oar educational poster entitled "A Bum Stroke,** or one poster for 215 miles of rails? On the very best distribution that wore able to effect, c cold only one for 4J tales of tmL A man woold have to travel a tong way to see such a pester. If 1 were the eacenthe of a raQroad, what would be my attitude toward the safely of my men? Would it be active or passive? Are you, Mr. President, satisfied to delegate the authority of carrying on the safety work to your snbordhatca, and then withdraw your active evidences of interest? Nothing is more discounting to the man who is out in the field striving to accomplish, than to know that the btg boss has a passive attitude toward his work. I think the safety work on any railroad is as operating feature. Safety is opera tion. If there is an accident it is a criticism of the operation of that organization. Thwefore. the safety department of a railroad, in my opinion, should be actively and closely associated with the operating head of (be railroad; and by the same token, h teems to me (tat the reporting oi accidents to the Interstate Commerce Com* mission should be done by the operating head of the railroad. They are his --t*. and if he is required to report them to the Interstate Commerce Gommissfen, he most know all that is to he known about those accidents, how they occurred, trfcit might have been done to prevent them, and whether or not they are proper to be reported to the Commission. Safety Section AKA---Steam Railroad Section NSC 441 Report of Committee on Prevention of Highway Crossing Accidents By H. A- ROWE Manager, nt*1"* Department. Delaware. Lackawanna ft Western Railroad, Hew York City The speaker said in part: Your committee has the satisfaction of once more reporting a definite doerease in the nombo of railroad highway crossing accidents. and injuries throughout the nation for the calendar year 1922. this bring the fourth consecutive year of recessions from the peak yor of 192E, The record U as follows: 1932. 2,499 accidents, 1,536 fatalities, and 3,989 uynries; as compared with the year 1928. 5.800 acridoils, 2JS& fatalities, and 6J6& injuries. The reduction therefore, m accident* was 22 per cent, in fatalities 4Q pr cent, and m injorie*, 4Q per cent. The problem of the prevention of rafttad highway crossing accidents where dwdde or multiple tracks are concerned seems to be growing m importance. In the month from the first week in March to the first week in April. 1933. three crossing accident* occurred in widely divergent sections oi our country. In each of these cases, seven persons were killed. AH three tragedies happened oq doable trucks. These tragedies arc indicative that the present signal system at highway crossings does not convey to the public tmnd a proper understanding of the situation. There appears to be necessity that signal systems should speak the language of motorist* rather than be regarded strictly as a railroad engineering' project The consensu* of opinion of members of this and preceding committees of your section, studying the same subject, is that approximately 95 per cent of all railroad ermriag accidents are preventable by the driver of Che motor vehicle. This mdkntes definitely the neemsfry of education of the individual driver. Your committee unanimously presents the following recommendations: That particular stress be laid upon the necessity of giving adejmte and timely warning to the public of the oppvtncfi of trains to a highway crossing by sounding of the crossing whistle and (he ringing of engine bell; That the warning from engine should be continued tml3 the crossing is definitely reached; That suitable standardized methods of protection be employed where necessary at crossings to fatifitsCe uniformity and public understanding thereof; That crossings be periotfically inspected and continuously nrintiked in sound trarabk condition. Address by the Chairman By CHARLES EL HILL General Safety Agent. New York Central Lises, New York City The speaker sahl tn part: During the five-year period ending with 1913 and immediately prior to (he general adaption of organized safety on American railroads, the employee casualty ratio Increased at an alarming rate. In 1914 the oiualty rate began to drop and (here has never been a yor since this downward trend in accident frequency started when the casualty rate was as high or even approached (hat of 1913.