LOGGING ACCIDENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 81, 15 June 1945, Page 5

LOGGING ACCIDENT

THE MATAHINA FATALITY EVIDENCE AT INQUEST The inquest into the death of Himone Taylor, aged 42 of Te Teko, an employee of the Uepango Sawmilling Company Ltd. ? at Matahina who was the victim of an accident while loading logs on May was held on Saturday in the Whakatane Courthouse befor% the District Mr C. S. Armstrong. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned. In evidence. Pipi Schooner a bush- ' . ■> man employed by the same company stated that it was his job to operate the winch which was used for loading the logs on to the lorry, j At 7 a.m. on May 3 he had been . 9 j working with Taylor who was on thej skids, loading logs. He started the winch and the log began to move. At that moment, the engine driving the winch stalled. He. left his position and went back to restart the engine. He was in the act of doing this when he looked over towards the skids and saw one of the workmen holding Taylor up. Just before he went to restart the engine he had seen Taylor standing on the skids on top of one of the logs but he did not see him jump down between the logs. The winch was a friction winch, operated by a six horse-power petrol engine and belt driven. It had no brake. The method used in loading was to take turns of the wire rope round the log to be moved, and then start, the winch. In answer to a question from Mr Fawcett (representing the family), Schooner stated that the skids were practically level. Cross- examined by Mr Otley (representing the company) witness said that after he had seen Taylor standing on the back he had turned round to restart the engine. Under those conditions it was most unusual for a workman to do such a thing. Edward Alexander Wicliman a

tractor driver employed by the company, stated that at the time hej was getting his tractor ready to start work. He saw Taylor take a couple of turns of the rope round the log which took a half-turn towards the truck. The engine stalled and the winch stopped. At that moment Taylor jumped down between the log they were loading and the next log on the skids. As he did so, witness could see the danger and called out to him to stop. The log being loaded took a half-turn back towards the skid and crushed Taylor against the log behind it. He could see deceased, was badly crushed about the hips and was immediately removed to tfre Whakatane Hospital.

Apparently Taylor got down between the logs with the intention of putting' a chock behind the log they were loading. This was an extremely dangerous thing to do as there was nothing to stop the log from rolling back the half-turn it had been moved by the winch. He was quite certain Taylor did not slip down between the logs but deliberately jumped. Taylor was an experienced man in loading logs ? and he [was taking an unnecessary ris'k. | Cross examined by Mr Qtlcy, witness stated that the warning he gave was in plenty of time to stop Taylor getting down*had he heeded it. This evidence was corroborated by Richard John Alexander a foreman employed by the company. Evidence was also given by Dr. Dawaoii as to the extent of Taylor's injuries when he was admitted at 9.30 a.m. on the morning of the accident. He was operated upon and for the next four days his condition was relatively good. During the following three daj T S } however it deteriorated and the man died while undergoing a second operation which was found necessary on May 11.