Document m3zN9MXv2Qyzjb13YVNaVe84

o Officers 1934-35^ General Chairman--William ,H. Baker,-J. E. Baker Co., York, Pa. ..... -,Poster Committee Chairman-?H. F. Yotter, The General Crushed Stone Co., Easton, * , P{| *` f *' ' Publicity Committee Chairman--j. R.' Boyd, National Crushed Stone Ass'n., Wash- irigton, D. G, -. . -/ Statistics Committed Chairman--W. W. Adams, U. Sr Bureau of. Mines, Washing ton, D. ,C.' r* . ~~ ' s' V. P. Ahern. National Sand and Gravel Ass'n;," Washington, D. C. . Norman G. Hough; The National Lime Ass'n., Washington, D. C. !Otho M. Graves, The General Crushed- Stone Co.,' Easton,' Pa. -A. Li. Worthen, The Connecticut Quarries Co. Inc., New Haven, Conn,, " .. Officers Elected for 1935-36 General Chairman--Alexander Foster, Jr., Warner Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Vice-Chairman--Russell- Rarev, The Marble Cliff.-Quarries Co., -Columbus, Ohio.-' Secretary and News Letter Editor*-*N. B. Sipe, J-,, E. Baker Co., York, Pa. Poster Committee Chairman--H. F. Yotter, The General Crushed Stone Co., Easton, . *Pa., '. Publicity Committee Chairman--J. R. Boyd, National Crushed Stone Assn., Washing ton, D. C. .3 i? . Statistics Committee Chairman-%ff. W. Adams, U. S. Bureau of Mines, Washing--. ton, D. C. . -* ' 1 -C Members at Large-- Vt P. Ahearn, National Sand and Gravel Assn., Washington, D. C. . William H. Baker, J. E. Baker Co., York, Pa. - O. M. Graves, . The General Crushed^ Stone Co., Easton, Pa. NoRman^G. Hough, The National Lime .Assn., Washington, D. C. A. L. Worthen, The Connecticut Quarries Co., New Haven, Conn. < THURSDAY MORNING SESSION October 17, 1935 ,/S, r * . The'sessions'Vvere called to order by General Chairman William. H. Baker; of . J. E. Baker Company, .York, Pa., who presided. A previous session held jointly with the Cement Section Had been attended by, the delegates on Wednesday. morning, ' and the minutes of that session will be found in. this Volume under the heading "Cement Section'." Chairman Baker traced the progress* of the section, particularly praising the activities, of the standing committee?! ; '/> ' 411 -' V. Dust Hazards in the Quarry Industry ., By J.' WM. FEHNEL s Chemist, Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Metropolitan Life insurance Co., _ New York r, - Quarrying is a special type of mining, the methods of working are the same in some instances. While hazards Jn quarrying and mining have been., recognized - ;-and standards , of operation adopted-for their elimination, me health hazards'have not received great notice., .This is probably due to their slow progress in producing disability or death. . c. . . - The. oldest published data- on the harmfulness of exposure to dust deals .with the mining industry. Some of the "records date back before Christ, and as early as 1556 Agricola1, according to Mavrogordato*. in his Die Re Metallipa, described tiie perilous occupation of miners due to inhalation of dust and . pointed out that permanent injury to the lungs resulted from 'exposure to' certain kinds of dust, but not'to all lands. " In 1780 Ackerman*, quoted by Koelsch, described miners -phthisis as the- most "frequent and specific" mine workers' disease and said that physicians did not agree regarding the true definition of it. The first investigation oHiealth hazardsyjn\the rimhing industry in the United . States was made in 1914-15 fry the United $tati&' Edreau ofc^Mirfes in cooperation with the U. S. Public Health Service dn th|!ljUu*5fo. mitfing^istrict,. Of 93 men examined, 64 showed definite evidence orpulmonary diseased were suffering from non-pulmonary disease, and 26 were seemingly well. A further examination ' of 720 miners made from May 15 to December 31, 1915 showed that 45.7 per cent had silicosis and tuberculosis and 5.3 per cephfrad tuberculosis. A report in 1917* on this study by Lanza, and Childs contained-.the first detailed X-ray studies of silicosis made in the United States. The'operations in this district are principally in shallow mines. , A recent study by the United States Public Health Service* of the exposure to dust in coal mining-showed that 2 per cent of anthracite miners, and their helpers, with less than five y&ars exposure, showed signs qf pneumoniconiosis and that the rate increased to 16 per cent among those with more than fifteen years exposure. These are records for persons., under. 45 years of age. - - Kibbey* reported in 1931 that practically jail miners working in the bituminous coal mines of his company in Alabama had anthracosis demonstrated by X-ray .,and . there was a high mortality rate from tuberculosis among them. -Kibbey does i associate the tuberculosis to inhaled coal dust but rather to a retarded calci metabolism due to deprivation of sunlight ,... The Industrial Health section of the..Metropolitan Life Insurance Company^ ' - cooperation with the. Department of-Industrial Hygiene of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and the'New York Tuberculosis and Health Association, undertook during 1928 a study* of the rock dusts to which are exposed ' rock drillers and other hard rock workers engaged in excavation and subway con- r - struction-in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City. Forty-two per-cent showed Quarry Section .' .... ^ * - v early silicosis and 15 per dent well developed silicosis in the examination of 208 drillers, blasters and-excavators. Evidencetuberculosis, botfuactiveand inactive, wasTound in 9 per cent of the total- examined. The great majority of these workers had ^previously worked in other mining operations, both coal and metal. : Atmospheric dust samples were, taken at eight locations, six of which , were . building foundation excavations and two in subway construction work. The-1 build- ing foundation work is comparable withuquarry .operations as far as . general, methods are concerned^'but the area is more corifihed, so that the^dust (Concentrations may-', be higher. .. .- ' t jThe dust counts on dry jackhamer ^drilling varied from 53 million to 17.5 billion particles, less than 10 microns in greatest dumber, per cubic foot of air, and the. free silica of the.rock ran from 0 per cent 'to' 84 per cent' In- many instances, ' .workmen engaged at other operations than drilling were exposed to high dust con centrations, as general air samples taken show from 16 to 200 million dust particles per cubic fool of air.. .... In subway tunnel work general air- conditions ranged from 2 to 37 million, mucking from 4 to 270 million and water Leyners drilling at headings from 136 million to 2'billion^ The tests,,on wet drilling were made at two different locations and were taken while 5 wet drills were operating. , So far. we have only mentioned .dust concentrations and free silica, so it is,, interesting to note the-comparison of'particle sizes found with dry. and wet drilling-, . In the one tunnel, there .was little Seepage of water,, so-that-the workings were dry "' and; the particles of dust generated, by wet .'drilling showed 96 per cent less than . 10 "``crbq&an size, 75 per cent less than 5 microns and 50 per cent less than 3 microns. -In-tile other tunnel there was an excess seepage^aecessitating the wearing of bobts"arta the constant operation of pumps. ...Here the<^vgeherated at the heading .( < by the same number of wef drills showed 99* per cent less than 10 microns, 98 per cent less than 5 microns'and 50 per cent less and 1.7 microns. In^.comparison, the particle sizes found in the dust generated by dry drilling with a jackhamer showed . 95 per .cent less than 10 microns? 65 per cent less than 5 microns and 50. per cent ' less;'than'4'microns. - / Later tests 'substantiated the conclusions that wet drilling did not allay the ? ; extremely fine dust but did Substantially lower the total count In a test conducted J in October,-1931 in a tunnel in the Bronx, New York City, seven CPS type axial water feed.drifters were mounted on two. benches at the heading with five on the : upper and two on the lower bench. A water pressure of 75 pounds was maintained and the drilling rate was 100 feet per drill in .'five hours. The dust concentration averaged 47.5 million particles per cubic foot over a 30-minute period of sampling, - In a study of'Underground iron ore mining comparisons were made of wet and dry methods of drilling, and it was found that the reduction of dust was ten to one. - while this appears to be a ..long step, toward the solution of the .dust problem in drilling, nevertheless when we consider, that concentration as high as 5 and 6 billion . particles were found, reduction to'one-tenth of this concentration by wet drilling r ,<is not sufficient, especially when a considerable amount-of free silica is present. "The Ministry of Health of the Welsh Board of Health published a report* on an Investigation Into; the Alleged High Mortality-Rate from Tuberculosis -.of the ' Respiratory System among Slate Quartymen' and>-Slate Workers -in thee -Gwyrfar 4 Rural District,*'''!!! which-, a thorough investigation of working conditions in the V quarries and cutting sheds was,made and living conditions noted. Physical and -' X-ray examinations, were made' and the incidence of tuberculosis. and mortality statistics compared for various types of occupations.' Unfortunately, no determina tions of dust concentrations of the attnospheres. to which' the workmen were' exposed was made, nor were determinations of . the* chemital or petrographical composition of these dusts'made.- It was noted that the mortality-curve for tuberculosis retched its maximum at a late age ahd.it was.concluded that: _ 1. The workers in the slate sheds are "exposed to an injurious dust. 2. The dust concentrations are. hot very great and the workers and quarry managers, together with the local medical .men, do not consider the inhalation .. of the siate dust to be injurious. . H. M. Stationery Office, London, 1927,.Ministry of Health, Welsh Board of Health, Reports on Public Health and Medical Subjects No. 38. O` -.1 sill 414 Twenty-fourth Annual Safety Congress--Rational Safety.Council 3.cTbe living conditions are not responsible for the high death rate from tuber culosis in this district j- A report by Rogers-1***in the New England Journal of Medicine in August, 1932 indicates that slate dust may contain a higher percentage of free silica than1-granite; ' but the tuberculosis rate is not as high inihe slate as in the granite district of Ver mont' J 3 ' -r- : While we have made many comparative studies of mining operations,;in under ground work and also some comparisons with*open cut or typically quarrying opera tions, we have found that general -trSntilatfon plays a very important part in' the control of the dust concentration^ ' rj . ' For instance; -we found that dust concentrations as high as 6 billion-particles Scr icubic foot were, commonly encountered in* drilling underground and we encoun tered in comparison the following dust conditions in quarry work: - Type of Rock - Quarry Operations Dust Concentrations `- Drilling Limestone........................... Jackhamer . ...............................29.5 million particles, less than 10 microns, per cu. foot Cement rock. 1..................... " (wagon type drill). 25.4' \ -" " Asbestos.:........................... .> " (28.8 ."'........ . ,, ,, uu ' ^ Mucking operations in general show low dust concentrations, approximating the - general air dustiness of the locality. Conditions are, of course, modified by air cur rents so that while the shoveling operations may not produce a heavy dust, concen tration, drilling operations close by may set up. dust that grossly pollutes the breathing zone of workers engaged in mucking. _ -r Normally the dust concentrations in quarry operations, are'dependent upon the worker. In few instances is the worker required to remain exposed to .a heavy dust v concentration/and then only .for a short period of time. It is usually, possible for him to work: in a position away from the direction of the air currents carrying the dust clouds. This is especially true where the drill 'is of the- mounted- type. In case of hand jackhamer drilling, the operator is required `to bear down with bis full weight in order to supply the required feed to the drill. Here the rate of drilling is more or. less dependent on the physical characteristics of the man and - often the contractor picks only the heayier men for this work. With mounted drills, the weight applied or the feed is constant and the rate of drilling is not only - more regularly progressive but also the operator is mot required to' be constantly exposed to the arising dust cloud. ,, Tests on mucking show that the dust generated is dependent upon: 1. the fine ness of the material; 2. the dryness of the material; 3. the rate and method of handling. In recent studies in theuron mines in- upper Michigan with mechanical scraping - of relatively wet material, the dust in the breathing zone of ..the tugger operator closely approximated the general air of the mirje area. In quarry and building foundation work the same conditionsheld, but>iri most instances the dust concen trations of the general air were-Hoo high for safe breathing over'a period-of time. A-test run recently" of hand , shoveling, in a dry mine indicated that" greater dust concentrations were generated .when the material was thrown from' the shovel into tiie car. Samples taken with-two men shoveling showed an average dust con centration of 83 million particles, but on applying suction to the. top end of the car to entrap: and remove the arisingdust, the dust concentration was reduced to 8 million particles. Crushing, operations are usually associated with qtiarry operations. These oper ations/ together with screening or' sizing,.of materials, are usually done oh the dry material. Usually the crushing and screening plants are mechanical, requiring only * Rogers, Edward T., Silicosis or Pneumoconiosis in Vermont. Granite Cutters and 'Slate . Workew, New England Journal Medicine, Aug.M, 1932, Vol 207, pp. 203-206. **The_American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, .Technical Publication No. - 637, Control of Dost in Mines, Feb. 3935, N. V. G ... a ft for; j gen esp< abb wit! me* roo sili* con -the 1 as sail ' of ' ant : dut enl - be ,its -the an* Co . mi be the ms ss-wt 'f*.' Quarry Section MJk . a few employees" at statidns and more often, only intermittent attention is necessary .. for'the oiling of the machinery. - ` 3 ' * -. , : In some cases . the screening operations are `done wet and the resulting dust . . i generated is greatly reduced over the same operation done on .dry material and espe&^y,-as ip. common practice, with no covers over the screens. ' In. a survey of .a silica grinding plant, .the- following dust concentrations were obtained:'-'V. ` >. * ,. TotalCount in Millions bf. Particles, less than 10 microns, Location of Sampling ^ * per cu. ft-air sampled v;*' ' Crusher room.............................. ...................... . 4.25' Grinding room ;........ ....................................... 9.52 Bagging'room -........... i........... ............................................. 69.33 ~ ^ ; . These, tests were taken m the summer and there `was good general ventilation with all doors and windows open. The crusher and grinding room operations.were ' mechanical, requiring the attention of one oiler - intermittently, hut the..bagging room had two men at the two baggingsmachines and two men trucking the' bagged - silica-into a car for^ shipment. .These four men were exposed to the highest dust concentration in. the whole plant ; A similar study of a feldspar mill operating with open vibrator screens showed, the following 'concentrations: ... `^ ~ Total,Count in Millions of J. Particles.less than 10 microns. Location of Sampling per cu. ft. air sampled -At roughing'roll,.'........................................ 2,656 .'At-roll crusher........... :......... ...............................................`.1,589 At screens (feeder, end).......................... ......................... . 4,652 At. screens (take-off end)......... ... ........................ v........... 8,885 * ., Samples taken in a wet lllimestone screening plant showed '0.91 million- particles Las tiie general air dustiness. - This limestone.,wad-burned to make-caustic lime and samples taken' at the kilns showed: \ f/ Charging- floor........ ................................................ 2.5 million particles Bottom of kilns..^r..r....v?.................................. 1.7 " .& (discharge of kilns) " ' , S.uniming up, our experience gained over a' number of years by making surveys of'varied industries, we4iave definitely-concluded that: . , 1., Dust .is principally produced by mechanical operations and in the mining Bnd quarrying industries, drilling operations are the chief .dust producers. .. 2. Employees at other 'operations than drilling are often exposed to a high' dust concentration'due to pollution by1 dust generated by the drills. ; . It is, therefore, logical to conclude that, the proper way to eliminate dust is to entrap and remove it at its source.... While wet`drilling may, in certain instances, - be effective, the use of water offers other difficulties, especially in freezing weather. ... The effectiveness of theJKelley Trap has been demonstrated experimentally and.. jts ..adaption to drilling operations in its first`commercial use on .the foundation of -the Metropolitan,-..Life Insurance Company's Home Office'-Building -at 24th . Street and 4th Avenue, New York City", was successful. . A series of later tests conducted.in the Balmat mine of the Sf. Joseph Lead, Company11 showed the practicability and efficiency .pf the Kelley system under severe: minings conditions. . ; . . ^ . --`"v , - The duit health hazards of the quarry industry' are'such that, they can. readily be eliminated by efficient and economical~ measures. W-r.\>. ."Hatch, Theodore, Kelley, George S.T Fehnel,'J. Wm, Control of the Silicosis Hazard in ' the Hard Rock Industries, It An Investigation of the. Kelley. Dust Trap for Use with Pneti- _ matte Rock Drills -of. the "Jackhamer" Type, Journal of Industrial Hygiene, yeb. 1932. . if - V.** ... i* ' .. ' \ ' '* . V I 416 Twenty-fourth AnnualSafety Congress--National Safety Council /**, . . {*'*' ' -* * ' Some Phases of Accident Prevention By H. F. YOTTER ' 4\ Insurance Supervisor and Safety Engineer, The General Crushed Stone Co., . New York City . ' s': O . =-(- Accident prevention is primarily a matter of organization and education, but existing dangerous conditions must be made safe before we can reasonably expect tbe cooperation oof the employees.. Safguarding must not only, prevditthe accident for which it is designed but it must serve its purpose without unnecessary- interference with the proper performance of die work. If not practical, it is a hindrance, rather than a help, in preventing - .accidents. Whenever practicable, }t is advisable to enlist the aid of the man on the job in planning.guards. If the workman feels that he has had an active part, even though minor, in the provision of a safeguard for his protection he takes a keener interest in its use.. He comes to look upon it as his guard. Safety suggestions from workers should be encouraged, for in thismanner their, interest is .increased and their initia tive stimulated. r \ It is possible to make nearly perfect safety devices, but human frailty does not permit of- perfect control of the human element - You can probably recall instances where men of 'long experience and with good safety records, in a moment of thought lessness, suffered injury through taking ridiculous chances. At one of our plants.-we had a man of more than usual intelligence who was assisting in rivetting- a truck body. Thismah had been witffuSfor twenty years and up to the time of this'inddent had an excellent safety record^/The dolly fell out of me rivetting hammer, which was being operated by a fellow workman, and this operator laid- down the machine and walked away. The hglper picked up the hammer and,' out of curiosity, looked - into it to ascertain-, whether the piston also , had fallen out In doing so he touched the trigger. The injury, fortunatdy, was not . serious but had be shut off the air at a valve located several feet away the injury would have been avoided. The employer is morally obligated to see that his employees are taught the haz-: ards of their occupation and to make sure that they are alert in their efforts to avoid' accidents. Notwithstanding tins responsibility, it is probably true-that there are still many plants where acddentsare caused -by the neglect of the employer to properly acquaint both new and old? workers withtthe dangers of their particular duties. In each accident prevention activity management must lead the way in a manner that, will-convince the workers of its sincerity. We'are reminded of the warning given to his men by an old lumberjack--'Boys, O when you hear the crack of timber look out for yourselves.' When one of these big trees com.es down you must be somewhere else, and be there quick.. Use your heads and use them fast." In our allied industries the failure of mechanical and human .--equipment is not usually preceded by as-.much warning as tbe cracking of timber before it falls, and our workmen must consequently foresee tbe dangers attendant on their work to avoid injury. > In educating the workers it is highly desirable to teach theni to be habitually careful? Workers should become imbued, with the safety habit While this habit may not .be so easy to acquire as some others,* it is infinitely more worth while. The best safety device is a safe workman, and the safety device in. a man'IJiead is of greater value than the guard on the machine he is operating. The best results in safety education are-vobfained by personal contact Super visors. of safety who have many operating units under their direction do not have this personal contact with the rank and' file. Under these circumstances the duties of - teaching the men how to avoid being injured devolve all thei^mofe heavily on the. foremen in direct charge of operation. . . ~ ' Accident .prevention should be made the responsibility of the foremen, just as they are held accountable for quantity, Quality and cost of production. Safety bears' a dose relation to each of these o^erating^phases. When the. foreman is- convinced of the value of safety and is enthusiastic , in preventing the men under his supervision - from bring hui& considerable-progress has been a&omplishecL Because of his close Quarry Section ' , contact with, the men, the. foreman is in d position to. notice the hazards of theWork j and determine.the direct and-.Indirect; causes ofaccidents. , " rj?' w . A1 careful, study-of working conditions, a thorough analysis of accidents. 'and a starching iriquiry'into potential causes of accidents will give an accurate picture-of the' hazards to which workmen are exposed and .enable us to determine theproper . ' means (<A. eliminating them. No remedy''can .be effective which is based upon a . wrong diagnosis. ` It .is. manifestly? of great importance that w? profit' by those; acci-. " .dents which do not involve injury, as the'difference between an accident without .injury and one causing injury is.sometimes only a matter of a fraction of a second er a'fraction of-an inch." Each "narrow~escape"-is well worth investigating.. - .... -If-the.foreman is an effective leader and holds the respect of his men, he is in an " -excellent position to-influence'them to acquire the.habijE of .working carefully. ' Foremen are seldom .eyewitnesses to injuries. It is ^therefore imperative that they should attempt to . foresee an accident, in the making. Too frequently, .they fail to see a workman ..doing something which their ^experience ought .to tell them,will,'if . repeated eventually result in an injury, and such an unsafe practice should be stopped . ... before, not after, an injury occurs: Accidents cannot be effectively or appreciably, reduced until every man on thejob knows exactly what he is doing, why he is-doing it. a scertain way,-and the party's . ." his (efforts play in the whole plan.' . ,, . . v/; The average worker is inclined to follow his own judgment con matters affecting his safety. He must therefore be thorpughly educated in accident prevdition so that . his judgment will be sound. He must coine to realize/that hazards do exists that he and his fellow workmen are exposed to,.-them, and .that it is. highly^imppFtant .that ; he habitually-'exercise caution if: be and these fellow workers are to avoid injury^' . A workman-must be safety conscious to. the .point where, if. confronted, with a. dangerous situation, he will instantly recognize -the risk involved. Some-men comer, to believe that they are immune from-'injury. This attitude is very dangerous' and management must-recognize it as a serious problem. . --. The'human mind generally is- not freely receptive of new thoughts suggested by - others, and this natural resistance must be overcome. When a new idea is,broached; . - , particularly if it involves a change in a man's method of working, he challenges it in his own mind. It is therefore necessary that the merit of- the suggestionsfbe made, dear to' him. ^ Accident prevention is an essential part of good management. During recent ' O yeara^me^standards of every. phase of modern industry have, been constantly rising; This change has necessitated greater effidency in the production of our product and consequent closer attention- to protecting workmen against injury. ...The strenuous competition 3n business today calls; fojythe highest .degree of effidency,'-and industrial aeddents so impair effidency that"they cannot be ignored.-^ - The lowered morale-pf employees due to reduced wages and the uncertainfcrrof. employment'during'the past few years has caused them to be nervous andhasftakeqj'j , their minds off their work. The problem, of making ends meet on reduced income^ and other family troubles have created worries which follow'the worker to his job; reduce his interest iri hjvwork and his alertness, until his mental condition is often a real aeddent-hazard. Recent conditions ...of business have also resulted in greater labor turnover, and any period of new hiring meads at least a temporary increase in ' , the aeddent rate. . - ^a In many instances this depression in business activities has resulted in a let-down in supervising. Foremen who usually did^only supervisory work have been required to.work as well as supervise in an.effort to reduce overhead.. This method of cutting costs is question._ab_ le from an_ae. d' dent 'p_re_viention. po_in t of view* '...1.. own working conditions. Without this application to conditions with-which the man actually comes in contact,'the forcefulness and effectiveness .of the poster is.-largely . lost. ^ . Since the last 'annum Congress,^ the National Safety' Gouncil. has issued. 756 ' 'different safety posters..: In-go^&r as possible, these posters have been designed%o . meet' the need for bulletin noard material and are aimedatthe outstanding Common (T>, \C ' ,, causes of accidents. During the year the demand for these posters has. reached the highest total figure' in the history of the Council: over thta million posters have, been used- in the fight against accidents. Over 70 per cent' of these4 posters are suitable for use by members of our Quarry Section. - `. <? ' V What the Worker Thinks About Safety By GLENN L. GARDINER Assistant to the President*. Forstmann Woolen Company, Passaic, N. J: ' What die worker thinks determines what he does. * If we were to ask a number of people their opinion as to what the worker thinks about safety, we-would get an -interesting variety-of replies. Some-would say, "That's just tiie trouble--the worker doesn't think about safety I'' Another reply would be, "The worker is indifferent to the whole subject" Some people believe ^that the C . worker feels that "accidents are bound to happen, so why make a fuss about it" The reaction of some would be that-the worker; thinks, "My own safety is my own lookout, and no one needs to be tiling me to watch my step."' Others have the . opinion that the attitude of the average worker is one of bravado--he thinks, "Why be chicken-hearted about the dangers of the job?" Some workers have a supersti tious attitude toward safety. They say, "When it's your time^to get knocked off,-you just get knodced'off. When your number is up, you're going to get hurt--if it's your t: unlucky day, nothing, can prevent an accident"' . * ^ ' Then we also know that there are. many workers, particularly in those organiza- tions where intelligent accident prevention work has been carried out, who thoroughly i `1 Believe that "it can be done"--that accidents can be prevented. Certainly the records of successful companies proVe that where an- effective job has been done in correcting the thinking of, workers regarding safety, accidents can.be reduced, to the-vanishing point . . . C -- What the Worker Thinks About Safety Rules What the worker thinks about safety rules and regulations depends a great deal upon.how strictly safety rules are enforced. The reason that so many workers lose respect for safety rules, is that often safety rules are not enforced with the same degree of rigidhynyith which, other rules of worker conduct- are enforced. ' Safety^rules must also be sensible ind practical. A. fundamental principle tp follow, is to make no mbre rti&s than ^are.absolutely necessary,'and then enforce them without compromise. Some-safety'rules may unnecessarily hamper a^worker's productivity and interfere with his earnings. Such rules should be carefully con sidered. To be thought ^ell of, safety rides must be properly'""sold.'' to workers. The . reasons backrpf the rules should bis thoroughly explained. The worker should clearly understood that the purpose of such rules is, to safeguard his life mid health. -* ~ The attitude of .the worker's supervisor, the manner In which -he carries out safety rules and standard practices,'will determine what the attitude of the worker will be. The foreman who enforces safety rules apologetically and says, *Tm sorry, but this is a safety rule that the .company says I've got to enforce. I know it's a nuisance, but I've been given my orders and I nave to cany them out," cannot expect to convince.- Ws -workers, that safety is essential. a- ' 'The foreman must indicate that he himself is sold'bn safety regulatibns, or be 1 cannot expect his workers to respect them. r * What .the Worker Thinks About Safety Committees c. In my opinion a large proportion of workers think that safety committees are "a lot of eye-wash." Most workers do not" want to :be- bothered by membership on them. - One .of the reasons for this rather prevalent-lack of respect is the fact (hat so many safety committees have been set up and'then allowed to die without activityand without accomplishment With all due respect to companies^writing compensa- * 5 -Xj o A** Quarry Section 0 o 4l9 tidn insurance, their representative^ have'been responsible in. many instances for-, the attitude of indifference on the. part, of workers toward safety committees.' Mo'st of - us have; had the experience of being called upon by the representative of such; an. insurance company. Wo have been, told that "You can get.a certain percentage . reduction 09. your, rate if you will set up,.a safety committee and .hold regular meet* ings of the" committee." And often, mis statement has been made with a wink, which-indicates that you can take the safety committee'as* seriously as you see fit, just so long,as you set it up and mdke.it appear to be functioning.^ .: # Safety committees can, perform a vital ..and-useful functionin' an/ program of accident prevention. It is one^.of the most' difficult safety activities to keep function* r ing effectively, however. Real work must be given the committee to da Safety'1 committees' should have some authority. Their suggestions should be acted upon. ' promptly and^thorm^dy. No safety"'committee Will amount to anything unless it has'vital work to do, is held responsible for. that:-work, and is given credit for its_ accomplishment , u *> Therefore, if you want .safety committees to do the job they are capable of doing, do hot embark upon a safety committee set-up unless you are'prepared to go all the Way. It is also proper to rotate frequently the membership of safety commit tees so that many workers will have an opportunity to participate in their activity.; C' '' ' R -if - '' '' s* What , the Worker Thinks Ahout Safety Posters A worker thinks, nothing about safety posters unless the posters make him think,} \ The trouble with many safety posters is that they do not stimulate active think ing. Granted;.*it is hot easy to-make safety posters which register with equal effec- tiveness with every worker who looks at them. - Different workers are appealed to/ ~ by. different types of posters; ' ! , '> ^ Safety posters are safety advertising and must be judged by advertising stand- ards and the principles ?of advertising psychology. There are two time-honored' definitions of. advertising, that may well , apply to safety publicity. The first is that... the functional advertising is."to deliver an unbroken series of favorable 7impres- .v sions" for a product or an idea.'V;The second is that)"advertising is the artofeausing . others to KNpW, to REMEMBER and TO DQi" Is short, the job is to make 3 the worker know safety, remember safety and do the safe (thing always. _ Almost as long as-the safety movement has been under way therfr'has been, argu ment over the "gruesome" 'type of poster. I am one of those who' believe .that the type of safety poster which makes a*worker .think most actively is the'poster which pictures for him possible Consequences of indifference carelessness or thoughtlessness relative to the hqz&rds'of his'job. One1 of the best proofs of the effectiveness of the' "gruesome," I believe, is the recent article entitled "And Sudden'Death" by J. ^ Furnas in the August "Readers .Digest." The-article painted the. gruesome, side of automobile accidents; it was gruesome almost to the ppint of.nausea. But I firmly o. believe that ,it has been more effective-in "awakening public opinion to the "necessity , of greater automobile safety than* all the statistics, newspaper articles and other' forms of publicity put together./1 am= told that the'sale of reprints of'this article'has . exceeded a million and a half copies. To be effective; safety posters must have a clean-cut,-worth-while, safety, message.. ' in. the form of reminder; suggestion, warning, information, or instruction that wilt, help prevent accidents. The poster that does not capture the attention and aid in developing what-we'call safety-mindedness might better be consigned to the waste basket .. x - ", ... *. ,. t> ' ' - v '<$ The worker will think uttle or- nothiing of .safety posters unless they are'fre quently changed. They should also be posted prominently at accident-ppssikle points, : so that'they strike the worker's line'of vision, and so that he cannot .escape theo message which`vthey hurl at him. i V 1 ' O, * i. What the Worker; Thinks About First-Aid - o / . i . " I am quite sure that the average worker does not think enough about first aid. : - Accident statistics indicate that 15 per cent of all compensation cases vare hifectiok - cas$s.Tfiere ate more than 100,000 such cases annually, causing the^loss pf-a week, or'more from-work, and costing^more than 25 'million dollama year in* compensa* o 420 Twenty-fourthAnnual Safety Congress-r-National Safety-Council tion. The key to reducing this type .of Injury is the education of worker^ to. think7more s---e--r--io<u-s* ly* aboutiLth.e >-i-m----p---o---r-ta-n---c--e--*"* of getti_n__gf^ir.1st.!aJid treatment of minor injuries which may lead to serious infection. n. - * '\ ,, o Why do workers so often neglect first aid?. This question has several answers. Many workers just do not" want to be bothered about having a slight sdratch or cut fixed up. They have had many' such-slight injuries before and always recovered without serious consequences. Then, some workers do not want to lose time from ' their jobs to get first aid, particularly if they are working on a piece-work basis. Many regard it.as being "sjssy" to go to the trouble of having a scratch, dressed. . Some workers fear that the -reporting of these slights injuries may build up a bad record for them. ^Others do not get. first aid attention because, they do not want fellow workers to make fun .of them for taking'seriously so slight an injury. -All this makes us realize the importance of . combating such.'mistaken viewpoints "by continuous educational effort to impress upon workers' the"commdnsense impor tance of. getting first aid treatment , Rather strict rules and regulations should be. in. effect with reference to getting- first aid treatment Workers should be made to understand that theneglect of slight'' injuries places them in a much less favorable light in the..eyes of the foreman and: the. managementethan a record indicating that they have called at thi first aid-room on frequent7occasions to.be treated for injuries. There is no more effective medium for the education of workers on the importance of fir&i aid than well conceived . posters showing the'disastrous results, of neglecting slight injuries. . {- What the Worked Thinks' About the Safety. Engineer Probably the worker thinks little about the."safety engineer",~until he happens to get hurt and the safety eiigitieer questions him as to how it happened. It seems to me-'that the real function of a safety, engineer., is not to attempt per sonally to prevent all the accidents that may `happen In .the organization. His real function should be that of a safety adviser and helper to get the entire supervisory organization safety^conscious th begin with, and then to help them to bring this same attitude toward accident prevention to the workers-under their supervision. I should prefer to'.think of the safety engineer as a foremen^ "safetjrfduow-up man." The real responsibility for preventing accidents should be-put squarely tip to the super visors themselves, .The safety engineer should function as a helper to-them. Their safety suggestions and requisitions should be ma^de to him and then it should be his routine duty to see that, these suggestions are carried through promptly and effectively. He should furnish7the technical guidance, the facts and the analyses-of accidents, and all of the information the- supervisors should use to sell'safety to their workers. One reason why the average foreman does not take more interest in safety is that he does not have-the time nor take the time forfait .the details that go with safety work. This is. where the safety engineer can do- a job,-'and prove his-true.worth. ^ /'.What the WprkerThinks About His' Foreman **,,* V-. The foremans safety attitude determines the attitude of his -workers toward. ilaail 'Am 3a**!?A- 1 - -- mimm Am alas. will think of safety only when there are no other things to think about The foreman who does not recognize-that safety is-the RIGHT-WAY OF DOING A JOB,"has <mnisesSeAd4 4thl*aek targefibt. t An accident iis just a MISTAKE I Many a' foremai found impossible to transfer the spirit of cooperatiorPfrom accident prevention work to the other func tions of tiie department A group of workers who have learned to cooperate on safety matters can more easily be led to cooperate in getting out the work and in^getting- out quality work. _ . .... - If afforemari will take .safety seriously,, he can make his safety activities the foundation fpflthe building of a great deal of worker good-will, if he approaches safety always with the-idea .that he is working for the welfare of his workers;-' it is inevitable that his workers will appreciate this spirit and return to him many times O o r'-v O: .> QuSry Section Workers will respect a foreman much more.jfhe takes safety seriously. The . foreman wlho is slip-shod <and apologetic abput his Ealf-hearted enforcement of safety regulations, may thirjk .that he is being *'a good fellow""'witlf his workers, but they;. , do not so regard him. . In their hearts they feel that he is an undependable, fellow ` who is not Uving up to his responsibilities^ ... , ' Particularly important-is the impression that the foreman makesaoo. the newo- -> worker.. There is mo better time for the foreman to impress a man with the impor tance of safety than whi he .is learning the job. "The development^pf safe , working habits right mom the outset is a vital feature of good safety work. c-y -. - -o ,,5*>- ' . .. . . . & What .the Worker Thinks About His Company's Safety Program ; .........t a J A company'that sponsors and keeps alive an effective accident prevention program . reveals, a sincere interest in ..the welfare of itsuworkefs. Do not let anyone tell you- that workers do not appreciate such amattitude in the company they worker. This, . appreciation may not be shown in' many tangible ways, but its value is there never-- theless?;* o- V a* Let us not forget either that what- the workei^thinks about safety is generally -- a "direct reflection of what the top management .thinks. When he sees management-' . conscientiously endeavoring to provide safe conditions, safe equipment, and. the-best _ obtainable safety devices and, protective appliances, 'together with competent super- " vision that is-ever ;watchfuI, to prevent accidents, he knows-.that-management is sincere and .deserves jus hearty cooperation, which he .then freely gives. Today, as never bfefore, we need to find ways and means to stimulate good will' drifh <our workers. Safety furnishes a non-controversial avenue of approach to the worker's -heart.. An active program; of accident prevention helps'to heal sores of the \ mind aswell^as the flesh.. If"you do jnot believe that workers think well about a company's, safety program when conscientiously and-effectively carried out,-just listen - to the conversation of workers employed in an organization where no attention is . -paid .to their safety.0 <> & . > - The good -will value of active safety work stands at a higher level1- today titan - at .any other time in . the whole history of industry,---=0 . % . :A O- -i -!**-. .o O'* Thought and'Action "15: C;> - We know that more than 80 per cent of the accidents of industry are preventable q only by thejworkers' own safe thinking and safe habits. Most accidents among workers happen to those who. are not thinking. SMany of the. accidents ascribed to "carelessness" are rather due to thoughtlessness or lack of. thinkmi.- , ' ' f " `- To influence the actionuof people we-must first influence their thinking. -The key to safe thinking and. safe working habits is the repetition of, impressions upon tiie mind of the worker--impressions which bring to him a,, realization .ofhis reSp0n_ = > ' sibility for His own safety--impressions which'cause-him to KNOW, to REMEM--,- BER, and to DO! '- ' * ' 'adjournment A A' ' * Q o o .^ \ t .. o