H.—ls.

however, should prove to be economical and reliable steam-generators. Coal fuel burnt on powerdriven chain-grate stokers will be used. In design, materials, construction, and tests these boilers have wholly conformed to the Department's requirements, and have been certificated for the designed working pressure of 450 lb. per square inch. Machinery. The following statement shows the number of inspections of machines, machinery plants, lifts, cranes, hoists, and tractors, the corresponding figures for the previous year being shown in parentheses : — Machines not driven by steam power ; plants 10,721 (9,897) .. 72,123 (68,583) Machines driven by steam power ; plants 2,385 (2,491) .. 11,391 (11,763) Electric-power supply stations .. .. .. .. 134 (137) Lifts 3,318 (3,146) Cranes . . . . .. . . .. • • • • 460 (466) • Hoists .. .. .. .. •• •• •• 1,516 (1,461) Tractors .. .. .. . • •• • • 367 (287) Total inspections .. .. .. .. .. 89, 309 (85,843) The number of inspections show an increase of 3,466 over the previous year. Included in the inspections are fifty-five lifts and thirty-eight cranes inspected for the first time. The plans of these new machines were first examined by the Head Office staff for the purpose of computing the allowable safe working-loads. Accidents reported in connection with boilers and machinery inspected by the Department during the year numbered 157, of which 5 were fatal and 152 non-fatal accidents. The corresponding figures for the previous year were 3 fatal and 126 non-fatal accidents. The total number of boilers and machines of all classes inspected during the year was 98,994, and the ratio of the number of accidents to the number of boilers and machines is Ito 630. In each case the circumstances of the accident, including all contributory factors, and the safeguards and the condition of the machine were fully investigated, and, where practicable, improvements to the machine or to the safeguards or to the conditions under which the machine was being worked were efiected in order to prevent a repetition of similar accidents. The importance of improved guards for particular classes of machines were stressed, and circular instructions were issued to the staff during the year in respect to the guarding of powerdriven wool-cramps, power guillotines, and circular saws. The fatal accidents were connected with a defective quarry-winch brake, a power-transmission belt, a log-hauling winch, a power-shaft, and a pipe-moulding machine. The following are brief summaries of each fatal accident compiled from the reports : — (1) On 27th June, 1938, a truck ran away on an incline in a quarry at Pakakura and one of the quarry workmen was struck by the truck and fatally injured. Loads on the incline are handled by an electrically-driven winch and lowered by means of a brake attached to the winch-drum. A loose bolt in the brake gear rendered the brake ineffective at the time of the accident and was the cause of the runaway. The design of the bolt attachments have since been improved, for the purpose of preventing a similar accident. (2) Transmission machinery was the cause of a fatal accident at the coal-screening plant of the Glen Afton Collieries, Ltd., on the 7th July, 1938. There is no clear evidence as to what actually occurred, but. it is assumed that the injured person tried to pass through a hole in a wall through which a running belt operated. The clearance was not sufficient to enable him to do this with safety, and he was caught by the belt and fatally injured. The opening has now been reduced by suitable boarding, and the minimum clearance for the belt is now provided. (3) Machinery which had only been in operation fourteen days and had neither been inspected nor certificated by the Department was responsible for the death of its owner at Waipu on the Bth November, 1938. A motor-car engine had been adapted for driving a log-hauling winch. Gear-wheels were quite exposed, and when the operator-owner leaned over the machinery to adjust the running engine his arm was caught between toothed wheels, with fatal results. The log-hauler was sold by an Auckland machinery-merchant, who was prosecuted for failing to notify the Inspector of the district of the sale as required by section 39 of the Inspection of Machinery Act. (4) On the 21st November, 1938, an attendant was killed while oiling running machinery in a large sawmill at Ruatapu, Westland. He was attending to shafting bearings when some loose clothing was caught by the shaft. He was drawn round by the shaft and thrown violently to the ground some 8 ft. below. There is a departmental notice in the works drawing attention to the dangerous practice of oiling bearings near revolving shafting, but apparently the deceased had not heeded the warning. Oiling is now done when the machinery is stopped. (5) The last fatal accident reported during the year occurred with a concrete-pipe-moulding machine in a works at Christchurch. Concrete is placed in a cylindrical sheet-iron mould which is spun on rollers at a fairly high speed for the purpose of forming the pipe. During spinning operations a mould jumped the driving rollers, broke into pieces, and a portion struck an attendant, who received injuries from which he died. The cause of the mould leaving the machine was either that it was out of balance due to uneven spreading of the concrete or to failure of a securing-bolt. The design and materials of the mould have now been improved. One hundred and fifty-two non-fatal accidents connected with inspected boilers and machinery were reported and investigated during the year. In no less than 120 cases, or 79 per cent, of the accidents reported, the injuries received were to fingers or hands. Many of the machines were adequately guarded and practical additions to the safety equipment could not be made. Fortunately, accidents

13