Flax Mill Accidents.

Manawatu Herald, Issue III, 4 February 1890, Page 2

Flax Mill Accidents.

Ah time wears on, accidents in connection -with the working of the hemp mills in the district are becoming more frequent. A great many accid-nts are-uu-eto the carelessness of the hands ongHged, but some of them show wa nt of attention on th« part of the owners We think hempmillers should post in a conspicuous plr,ce in th« mill, strict instructions as to care in using and also in the testing of the plant. The last paiD^ul acc i en t at the Ec'ipse mill occurred from a feeling of too great confidence on the part of the sufferer, but though it seems taken for granted that a great many do, what he attempted to do, often, and without d mage, yet the slightest miscalculation, or a slip, ig likely to cause lifelong injury. We therefore think it should be most distinctly 1 1 id down thar, no belting should be interfered with whilst in motion, and that, to save the miller from any lability, he should be able to point to his c ear instructions to ilut effect. Belting is not the o ily danger threatening the workers, it is not long ago that a lad got hurt whi st feeding fie tripper, owing to the flywheel bursting and flying in pieces. Every oue in this casejsaid that the iron wheel looked sound, but that t'.ere was a flaw in the casting. It is evident then that lo .ks go for notkiag, and a wrinkle should be taken from the railway, where all th- rolling stock wheels ure aount'ed with a hammer, and by that uaeuisa flaw undiscernible is discovered. Before work is st -rted it wou d be an easy job to test the ironwork in this monner. Scutchers ha\e also ent themselves to do damage, which even a casual slighc inspection of them would have »rerented. The beaters of the scutcher are general y made of wood and faced with iron, but the fr ction on the wooden bars is so great they speedily become worn hrough, and it has been from their becoming so. and snapping that has caused the soutcher to be knoc<ed to pieces. Th • on- end of the bar drops down and catches somewhere, and the speed of the revol ition of the drum being so great, forces th« broken bar into lhe casing and thus tears everything to bits, pieces flying long distances. A scutcher looked to, even|once a week would sa e anytin g like this b ing- =i ely to happen . lo, experienced millers these facts are well known, but so many now are dressing fl ay , w ho b ave had no previous experiett with machinery, that the suggestions may be useful anyhowl we think, once again, that the millers should meet and draw up a code of regulations for us* at the mil s. Unless some such steps are take >, it will not be lonj? before some miller suffers by th© neglect. J