WATERSIDE MISHAPS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 209, 23 May 1918, Page 8

WATERSIDE MISHAPS

THE COMMISSION WELLINGTON SESSION OPENED ' A VOLUME OF EVIDENCE i'he Waterside Accidents Commission opened its Wellington^session yesterday. The Hon. T. M. Wilford,, Minister of Marine, is chairman of the commission, and the other members sitting with him art Captain A. M'Arthur (representing sbjipownjers), Mr. J, Mairentoanks (representing Harbour Boards), Messrs. L. Glover and J. Roberts (representing the Waterside Workers' Union).

Captain P. A. Petersen, marine superintendent for Messrs. Richardson and Co., shipowners, Port Ahuriri, stated that a record was kept by the company of all accidents affecting it. In the lost two years no accidents had-bo;n caused through defective gear. The company's instructions were very strict, and the captain was held responsible. The inspectors were almost over the mark in the caTe they took. Men were not victimised for reporting defects in gear; such reports were welcomed. They used 2V\n. Manila, rope, and tho average lift was 12 to 15cwt. He did not think that more than SO per cent, of the waterside workers wore safiors They did not use volatile oils at night, and. they used eleotrio torches when they had benzino in the hold or on deck. At Akitio an explosion had occurred on one of the cargo VESsels through someone striking a match in the hold.

Witness was asked: What is your idea of some general control by one authority? . ; He answered: It is my pnvato opinion that.'if one gear is overhauled by tho Government then all gear for the same trade should be overhauled by the Government. The chairman.;. That is whether it is 6hips, hulks, or Harbour Board? Witness: Yes. Robert Stay Walton,.master manner, local marine superintendent for tho Union Company, who had occupied tho position for a year in Wellington and in Lyttelton for aboiit two years, was called by Captain M'Arthur. He said that he kept a record of all accidents which were reported to him. In the case of every accident it was expected of the officers that the matter _ would be reported, no matter how trivial the mishap. If the man was incapacitated the matter of compensation arose.

Captain M'Arthur: When you are inquiring into the cause of nn accident do vou inquire of a man's mates? , Witness: Yes, they are tho witnesses. Cnptain M'Arthur: HaTe you any system for overhauling gear? What supervision? "Accidents Will Happen." Witness answered that there were tho annual inspections and constant supervision in various ways. The men themsolves were frequently overhauling gear. The chuirman: Tho idea of the commission is not that accidents can be prevented. Accidents will happen, but we are trying to see if we can do something in the way of preventable ffccidents~ say a loose wheel of a trolley. Witness said a man would be oxpected to report a thing of that kind, and would, bo reckoned a valuable man it he did so. Still, the other day a man moved the union to send the Inspector of Machinery along to a place where the only thing necessary was the shifting of a nut half a turn. That man was not reckoned good, because his complaint was frivolous. Captain M'Arthur: Thore was a feeling ; in Auckland that the men had been vie--1 timised. j The chairman: I think we should make it clear that although the feeling was in the men there was no singlo instance of it given to the commission. Mr. Marchbanks: Havo you any cases of slings carrying away? Witness: I know of none. Mr. Marchbanks: Do you know of any, wire ropes carrying away? '• Witness: I know of none personally, but have heard of two. Mr. Marchbanks: Have you had any complaints about winches on your hulks? Witness: In the last twelve months none at all.

Questioned by Mr. Marchbanks, witness answered that in his opinion nets were not workable, and were, a danger.

Mr. Roberts: Has it ever been reported to you that naked lights havo been' used in working cargo, including benzino? Witness: Not in the last twelvemonths. Mr. Glover questioned witness about the hatchway on a certain vessel, and witness said that ho would conaouin anything in the .nature oi what was suggested by Mr. Glover as- being a practice un that' vessel.

Mr. Glover: Well, you can go down and find it now. Tho ship is in nort. Witness added that he approved of a net under hatches if properly used. In shipping and unshipping beams'he believed in a system of a bridle shackled oh to each end. The / chairman: How many men on an average are employed on tho wharf? Witness: About 1100 a day. The chairman: About what proportion are sailors? Witness: About 30 to 35 per cent. The chairman: Inspectors of 6hip gear have no power to inspect gear on hulks. Do you think it would bo advisable they should havo the power? Witness: Certainly. The Control of Inspection. Tho cha;m.<f,): Do you favour a general control of inspection? Witness: I should think that the simplest way would be to remedy the oversight wneroby inspection was not extended to huifcs, and the , harbour boards could have their own representative throughout New Zealand. , Frank Jeiiey, superintendent of stevedores for the New Zealand Shipping Company for nine years and previously an engineer in tho Union Company, said that in the last couple of years he knew of no accidents to any- of tho men through defective, gear. The company used ajin. i-opo for slings and gear. They did not speed up on the company's vessels.

Mr. Mnrchbanks: Do you get as much work per man done as you did three or four years ago? Witness: No. To Mr. Marchbanks: Reports of defective gear were welcomed, but in many cases the complaints were trivial. Mr.,Marchbanks: What is the greatest weight you carry on your 3t-inch siillgS? . Witness: I suppose up to 18cwt. Mr. Marchbauks: Wnat do you use for a heavier lift? Witness: "Wires." For a four or five-ton lift they would, use chains. He did not mink that brakes were necestaiw on winched. Mr. Glover questioned the witness as to the building-up of barrels for quicker •lifting. Mr. Glover-interred that thin was a system oi speeding-up, but tho witness aid not agree. Mr. Glover: Well, if a banrol can be hoisted in 2} minutes in the ordinary way, but in 2 minutes if it is built up, wouldn't you call that quicker loading? The chairman: That is self-evident. Can you suggest anything to minimiso accidents on the waterfront ? witness was asked. Witness: A largo number of the accidents I havo before me were through the men's own faint. The' chairman: Do you mean that it was the men's fault or Witness: No. 1 mean accidents that must be expected owing to the hazardous nature of the work.

To Mr. Roberts: Muny accidents came through men beiny inexperienced in handling beet'. A man might be a good general cargo man, and not be good at Handling beef. Mr. Roberts; Would ynu bo surprised to know that many of the accidents are to most experienced men? Witness said that it was the inexperieucod men who caused the mishaps to the experienced men. Honry Archer, senior foreman with the Shaw, Savill Company at Wellington for Hi years, said that he had had l(i years' sea experience, and was a certified A. 13. Defective gear was done away with. The Men of To-day and of Yesterday. Mr. Marchbanks: Havo you had any co«- of n sling partiue under a loadP Witness: Not' with the loads put on at present.

Mr. Marchbanks: What are you lifting? Witness: Twelve hundredweight.. Mr. Glover: Is it a, fact that (he num. ber of quarters of beef carried in the trucks now is greater than five nr six veal's ago? Witness: Well, no. You can only fill a truck. Witness mentioned that the men nowadays were not as able for the work as thev used to be. Mr. Glover: Do you not think that that can be attributed to the more ablebodied men having been taken away for the war? Witness: Yes, tbero was a good class of men here at the start of the war. Witness said that nets under hatches might bo useful in preventing accidents. Albert Jules Archer, a member of the firm of ,Gannaway and Co., said that ho had experience of tho Wellington watoriront since 1910, had been at sea, and had a master's certificate. His experience here was mostly stevedoring. He found no difficulty in getting defective gear replaced. Captain M'Arthur: I take it many of your more efficient men are now away? AVitness: Yes; but it is not altogether inefficiency. Many of the men aro not physically capable. They are willing enough. But in the old days two .men would lift a quartor of beef and carry it round the hold. On one of the last boats which loaded here I saw four men on to a quarter of beef, and they could not lift it.

Witness said, also, that men were free to mention any faults they observed. He did not think that brakes on winches were much use. Mr. Roberts: Can you mention any case where men have pointed out defective gear and you have not thanked thorn for itP AVitness. No. Mr. Roberts pursued this line of questioning, and mentioned tho names of two crane-drivors, O'Connor and Olsen. Witness: The matter was taken entirely out 'of my hands. . . . You havo been misinformed. Mr. Roberts: Personally, I say No. Witness said that nn one occasion when ho was assistant to Mr. Jelley. O'Connor had said that a crane would not work. Witness had then worked tho crane for' an hour. He did riot know what the settlement of the affair was but he thought that the men left. Mr. Roberts: Didn't you havo to put on two men afterwards to drivo that crane? Witness: Yes; but I think I offered to put on two men before. Mr. Glover: Do you consider it safe for the engine to run down nlougeide a ship while the vessel is being worked? Witness: I do not. Mr. Glovor: Do you suggest that that should not bo permitted? Witnoss said that- there should bo a safety appliance for 6park-catching. Mr. Glover: Do you approve of a net under a hatch P

Witness: Yes, I rather apprqvo of it in certain circumstances. Holds and Wharves Badly Lit. John Currie, labour foreman for the Union Company for about seventeen yeara, said that not more than 20 per cent, of the ivatersiders now were sailors. Captain M'Arthur: The percentage was, I suppose, greater some years ago? Witness: When I came here first I should say there was 75 per cont. of sailors. Captain IT Arthur; Do you over see tho inspectors thore? Witness: Every day. . . . They are very particular, too. i try to bluff them, but they attend to their work., Captain M'Artnur: You think, then, that they attend to their duties ? Witness: They could not do more. Questioned as to> tho lighting of tho holds, witness said: "I am sorry \a say that the holds are not sufficiently lighted, and what is more, tho Harbour Board is worse. You go along to a berth and you find half the lights out." Captain M'Arthur. But taken on the whole tho wharves nro very .well lit? Witness: Oh, no! I can give you the case of the , which camo in the other night. There aro supposed to bo iivo lights aud three of them were out. Mr. Marchbanks said that there had boen trouble with gas lighting, but tho electric lighting had proved satisfactory. Tarauaki Streofc Wharf was now electrified. Witness expressed tho opinion that a brako was needed on winches. Mr. Marchbanks: Is it n common thing for a sling to carry away?

Witness: No. That happens very seldom. John Fisher, repair superintendent for the Uniou C'ompny, said that so far there had been no difficulty in getting wiro ropo, but advice was now to hand that no more was coming; into the country. Matthew Barr, foreman engineer for the Union Company in Wellington, said that it was his business to overhaul winches. ' Ho found tho winches on the hulks in good order. Mr. Roberts: Do you think Hint if the inspection of machinery was under one head—say the Marino Department—it would bo hotter for all concerned? Witness: No. I don't sea that it would. The commission adjourned toll 10 a.m. to-day.