Document zzYp6pDeNqJoRxpKoMKMEne8g

398 Tzecnty-third Animal Safely Congress--National Safety Council connection therewith, vet the duties and responsibilities oi safety officers do not appear to include opiating conditions and practices which vitally affect the sate handling of trains and the maintenance f the track and cquijnncnt involved.. In the case oi each of the accidents to which I have referred, there was not a single recognized safety officer presort at the investigations. In connection with the ism-observance <>i rules which was involved in some of the accidents 1 lave mentioned, there is one matter which I desire particularly to call to your attention. Frequently an investigation indicates that employees have been doing or have Jetii failing to do certain things hi violation oi the rules until it develops into an established practice and this practice finally results hi an accident. C'ndcr these circumstances the employee usually is held at fault. Rules and instruc tions governing the operation of trams arc based on years of cxi*cricncc and arc the result oi careful deliberations of the best minds among experienced railroad oper ating officers: yet there arc occasions when these important rules arc not enforced, violations lwing overlooked as a matter of expediency. An otwrating officer assumes a grave responsibility if in bis desire t cxjieilitc the movement of traffic he permits violations of the rules to go imcorrcctcd. The rule* of various railroad* differ, but all of them have the same ultimate object in view, namely to insure that signals are displayed hchind a train to provide adequate ]irotccti<m. In many instances how ever, it is* common knowledge licit in order to avoid delay the flagman is not ex pected or required to comply with the rules. On some roads the flagman starts lack promptly and continues *for a proper distance or until recalled. Hut on others he loiters around the rear end or is not expected to go liack any great distance: when those things arc oliscrved frequently the natural inference is that tile employees are reflecting the attitude of those charged with enforcement of rules on the iarticular railroad involved. Another example of rule* being frequently overlooked lias to do with speed. I venture to say tliat violations oi sjiccd restrictions or rules governing speed arc among the most common rule violations on. flic railroads of this country. Out of 87 accidents investigated by the Iturcan during the fiscal year ended June JO. 1934. excessive spectl was involved directly or Indirectly in at least 17 eases. To avoid accidents, there arc two essential principles to be kepi in mind: fn>t. rigid enforcement of and nlicdicnce to rules so tliat as a result of instruction, train ing and practice tlie employee will, in ease of emergency, instinctively do the right thing: and secondly, thorongh investigation of all accidents for the |mrposc of ascertaining not only the immediate causes Inrt also the underlying factors lending up to the immediate causes, and then applying the proper remedies or preventive measures. Report of Committee on Train Service Accidents By D. G. PHILLIPS Superintendent of Safety, Wabash Railway, St. Loots, Mo. The speaker said in part: Oitt record of train service accidents shows that in 19JJ a total of -4.598 persons were killed and 15.107 person* injured. Confining the figures to employees on duty, we find that a total of 329 were killed and 6.032 were injured. Of these 209 trainmen were among the killed and 120 were other em ployee fatalities. And among tlie injured. 5.468 were trainmen and 564 other em ployees on duty. The relative importance of traiu service accidents as compared with accidents of all classes becomes evident wlten vnu note that out of a total of 500 employees killed on dutv in 1933. oi these 329 were classed as train service accidents, while of the 15.583 employees injured in 1933. 6.032 were injured in train service accidents. When major injuries alone arc considered, tlie proportion of those injured in train service accidents is much higher. Another thing that makes the matter of train service accidents of great importance is that nearly all of these accident# arc pre ventable: in other words, hundred# of employee# arc killed and thousands injured unnecessarily. The causes of accidents of this class and the remedies to prevent accidents of Safety Section. AHA--Steam Railroad Section, NSC 399 this class are just what they were a year ago. and just what they were four years ago. The task before us therefore is not to discover causes of accidents and* not to discover what the remedy is. for these lave liotli been made apparent years ago. The important thing before us. then. is what to do. or ratlicr how to get the remedy applied. Let us look, then, at some of the outstanding types of these accidents. . Cotillion or uncoupling cars or locomotives. The Interstate 'Commerce Cmn* mission figures show that in 1933, 12 persons were killed and 246 injured; and tliat of these 9 trainmen were killed and 238 injured, and 3 other employees were killed and 8 other employees injured. This type of accident is the one in which speed seems to be accountable for most of the injuries hut in reality they are tlie result of violation of rules. Those in su|>crvisory capacity should see to it that men in this class of service, as well as all others, fully understand that a request for work to fie done in less time is not in anv wav to lie considered as itcmusskm or invitation to violate safety rules to accomplish the task. Operating hand brakes. Of the 15 |>ersoiis killed and 514 persons injured in 1933 _whi1c rq>crating hand Iwakes, all were employees on duty. All those killed and 511 of the injured were trainmen. While there was an increase of 25 per cent in fatalities when compared with 1932. the mmilicr injured decreased 13 per cent. There has been a steady improvement in the total muniicr of casualties, the figures for 1933 showing a reduction of 55 tier cent under 1930. In studying the causes of these accidents, we find considerable evidence of lack of forethought and care on the part of the men. It is recommended that a definite educational tirngram lie instituted with con centration cm the following suggested subjects: the im|Miriancc of first sizing up the jolt quickly and thoroughly fn*m all angles; the different 1yi>e* of hand brakes, method of operation: brake clubs, examination for strength ami proper use of; positkm of feet on brake platforms and mani|mlatum of the pawl: inqiortancc of secure footing, particularly in winter; inqMirtancc of having a firm grip; precautions taken with lirakcs that arc set too tightly; precautions to l>c taken when on a movfng car or on a standing car. . Getting on or off ears or locomotives. The total number of (icrsons killed in this mamter in 1933 was 516. while the total injured was 3.785. Of these 15 ctn- |doyccs were killed while on dirty and 1345 injured: II of the killed were trainmen and 1.266 injured, while other employees killctl nmnliered 4 ami 79 injured. This tabulation shows prepress. Wltcn cnhqarcd with 1930 the total casualties to employees no duty ilccrcased 52 per cent including a reduction of `67 iht cent in fatalities. There was a decrease of 19. or 56 per cent, in the numlicr killctl and a decrease of 204. or 13 per cent, in those injured as compared with 1932. The chief causes of accidents tinder this classification arc Calling, either due to slipping or tripping, getting on r off cars or locomotives while in motion, and stepping down on inicvm roadbed or wi ototructions. * Many of these accidents occurred at night or during inclement weallier and some were due to defective equipment. Most railroads have safety rules in effect which, it complied with, would have prevented a great many of these accidents. The greatest progress can he made hr rigidly enforcing the rules and applying suitable discipline in individual cases of rule violations. Operating* locomotives. In 1933, 5 persons were killed and 834 iiersons injured while operating locomotives, all of them being employees on dutv. Accidents tinder this classification arc generally due to the failure of cnginemcn to comply with the operating rules of the railroad, as well as the safety regulations established for tlicir protection. Many improvements can he tnailc in* the method of cleaning fires. Iiamfiing coal, as well as the methods of using fire tools, and it Is recommended that safety officers give {articular attention to this subject. One of the outstanding causes of serious and fatal injuries under this classification is the faking of water at water plugs in all kinds of weather, and in a great number of instances the inefficiency of operation is due to the tack of projier maintenance of these water plugs. Tlie unexpected movement of tlie locomotive plays its part in the serious phase of Injuries under this cause, and proper cooperation hv the men on the locomotive is essential to eliminate this type of accident. The operation of stokers and power reverse gears, squirt hose and other me-