FACTORY ACCIDENTS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4643, 28 December 1923, Page 1

FACTORY ACCIDENTS.

D E I’ABTMEATAU PRECAUTIONS* PROVISION FOR FIRST-AID. The Labour Department is anxious that everything that is humanly possible shall be done to prevent accidents and to reduce the danger to life and limb to a minimum. This object, states the Department in a circular recently issued, can be attained only by the intelligent cooperation of employers and workers. Tt is the experience of inspectors that employers generally are willing to adopt reasonable methods of guarding against accidents, but too often it is found that'when precautionary measures have been adopted they are, not rigidly enforced, or after a time they are entirely relaxed, with disastrous results if an accident occurs. A special committee of experts appointed in Great Britain to inquire into industrial health and efficiency estimated that from 25 to 40 per cent, of all industrial accidents arc preventable if all practical means are taken. In America it has been estimated that, roughly, 30 per cent, of accident are due to illness or imperfections in machines or in guarding dangerous parts; that 60 per cent, are due to apathy and lack of appreciation of danger on the part of operatives, and only 10 per cent, to wholly unprevcntable causes. Whatever the percentages may be, there is no doubt that a large proportion is preventable. A case in point occurred in a factory in New Zealand recently. A worker was engaged on a ladder cleaning overhead shafting whilst the machinery was in motion. He used a long piece of scrim and emery-paper. The scrim wound around the shafting anl caught his arm, severing it at the elbow joint. With a proper ap- . pr-dation of danger such an accident ought not to have happened. Many accidents occur through ignorance or apathy—"familiarity breeds ■ contempt.’’ The posting of notices in bold -type calling the attention of workers to dangers might with advantage be adopted. While the methods of prevention may, however, be perfect and complete, says the Department, a certain number of accidents will always occur, and provision is therefore mads in the regulations to the Factories Act that the inspector may require the occupier of any factory to provide such first-aid appliances for use in case of accident as he considers necessary. Employers should in all cases, whether machinery is used or not make provision for first aid to workers suffering even minor injuries. It is advisable to have in each establishment one or two persons who kimw how to render first-aid*, and much assistance could be given ,if employers would grant facilities or encourage certain of their employees to 'Wain such a knowledge as is afforded by the St. John’s Ambulance Association or similar organisations. First-aid appliances approved by the Health Department should be on hand at all times in every factory or place where persons are employed. The Department is also circulating a number’ of posters to be exhibited in factories.