Abnormal Number of Accidents

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 7, 20 March 1911, Page 16

Abnormal Number of Accidents

The two recent fatal accidents on tlie Wellington wharves once again emphasise the dangerous calling of the Waterside Worker. The number of accidents of various kinds to men employed oil the wharves this summer has been quite abnormal, and. has given rise to very serious thought. The total .number of men belonging to the union who have been incapacitated in some form or another during the last twelve months whilst at their work is computed by the assistant secretary, Mr G. G. Farland, from reliable information in possession of the union, at not less than 250, some slightly, others seriously. ''Mining/" »aid Mr Farland to a "Worker" repTesenitative, "is generally regarded as a hazardous calling, but I venture to say that work on the wharves is as dangerous. It is not an easy matter to assign a definite cause for all these accidents, for they may be dtie to defective gear or pitre misadventure, but it is felt that the time has arrived when some inquiry should be conducted by the Marine Department into this matter, with a view to recommending, if necessary, improved gear and safer conditions of work, such a commission to have full power to call evidence. Protection to Other Workers. Under the present labour laws, p:roteetio.li is afforded to those engaged in the construction of buildings, with special attention given to men on scaffolding. Why not, then, extend this inspection to the wharves: . There are now almost 1500 men daily working cargo here, ana surely they are entitled, to some protection in this respect. It seems to us a strange anomaly that the Waterside Worker should not be protected in a similar manner. In reply to a deputation from the Waterside W orbers' Conference in 1908, the Minister of Labour said he vvouid take action in this direction, but nothing 'has been done yet. A Casualty Ward. "There is, too, urgent necessity for the establishment of a casualty ward somewhere on the wharves. This is now provided at liyttelton, and could well be done here. It would be a humane undertaking-. The need of sueli a ward was strongly exemplified recently in one case, where a man who met with an injury whilst working on, a hulk in the stream lay on a hot day for a period of about an hour and a half until he could be brought ashore and a doctor summoned. The injuries the man received he still carries with him. With a casualty ward on the wharf he could have been speedily treated. In a fast expanding port like Wellington, which every year requires more men. to work the cargoes, the need of such a ward becomes more and more apparent. Causes of Accidents. "The causes of accidents are numerous. There is, for instance, the coal department. In some vessels several gangs of men are required to woirk together very closely, with the result that often it is not possible for a man to get out of the way of a falling basket. In some cases the beams used for sustaining the hatches are left on during the course of discharging - coal, and the baskets, catching on these beams, often send lumps of coal on to men working beneath. The unitooi officials have made representations on €his point, but the companies concerned have not yet seen their way to remove these obstacles, and so prevent unnecessary risk to life and limb. Another thing is the height of the hatch combings. Unfortunately, vessels registered outside the Dominion don't come under the jurisdiction of the Marine Department here. A striking , instance occurred recently when the union drew attention to a winch which was being xised on board one of the vessels trading regularly to this port. The

clutches on this winch were "held in place by two pieces, of batten tied on with, rope yarns. The wire getting loose frayed the rope yarns, one of the clutches coming: out a sßng of 15 cwt went down the hold, where men were working. No one, fortunately, was in the immediate vicinity at the time. The captain of the vessel, on representations being made, promised to attend to the defective gear, but on the vessel's return it was seen that nothing whatever had been done in the matter. Dumping on the Wharves. "Another cause of accident is the prevalent custom of dumping cargoes direct on to the wharves from the holds of vessels. Under the old system a handy sling of 12 cwt. was deposited on to trucks. Under the new system of filling up slings with probably about two tons of cargo and dumping it on the wharf, men. working under the slings run the risk of getting a stray package on their heads. The same may be said in the case of men working at shoots whilst butter is being discharged from the coastal vessels to the Home boats. Strange to say, two men the other day were injured by the same box of butter on the Glasgow wharf. The company concerned, 1 am glad to say, has since relinquished the practice. Apart from Government action in this matter, which i;; very necessary, we contend that the sarae protection should be given to water, side workers a≤ is now afforded to miners. An Ambulance. "There should be an ambulance at the waterside ready for any emergency, beoo.use it will be admitted that the majority of accidents which occur in this city take place on the water front. We readily admit that the Harbour Board is a good employer so far as accidents are concerned. They pay attention to the injured, sending them in all cases to a doctor and paying the initial expenses. The same cannot be said of some companies. In one recent case a man injured on a Home vessel had himself to foot the bill incurred in being conveyed to the hospital. It would seem that the time has arrived when an inspector sbould be in constant attendance on the wharves to see that the gear and machinery in use is in proper condition/