H.—ls.

A safety poster printed in two colours drawing attention to the hazards of the power-driven saw was widely circulated among machinery owners last year. Other machines at which numerous accidents occurred included power presses (9), transmission machinery (11), and butchers' mincers (3). Thirty per cent, of the victims of machinery accidents were young and generally inexperienced persons of eighteen years of age or less. It is intended to issue each year new safety posters for distribution to machinery-owners. Two new posters will be circulated this year, and also one which has been revised. Safety posters are recognized as valuable aids towards the elimination of that class of accident which is caused by failure of the personal factor such as carelessness. Unfortunately, this is the primary cause of most of the accidents herein reported. The following table shows the number of accidents, both fatal and non-fatal, which occurred during the year. The various machines at which the accidents occurred are mentioned, together with the leading industries in which they are engaged : —

New Zealand Standards. The Department was represented during the year on the Mechanical Engineering Divisional Committee, the Executive Committee, and the Fire-extinguishers Sub-Committee of the New Zealand Standards Institute. Numbers of specifications were examined and written comments furnished. In association with the Institute and with the approval of Cabinet, a Bill dealing with the certification of welders is being prepared for presentation to Parliament this session. New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, 1939-40. Full effect has been given to the Ministerial direction that the pavilion of the Marine Department in the Government Court of the Centennial Exhibition should be worthy both of this great enterprise and of the historic occasion which it celebrated. In planning the form which the exhibit of the Survey of Ships and Inspection of Machinery Branches should take it was decided that safety of life at sea and safety in industry should be the collateral dominating themes. At the same time care was taken to provide something of popular interest to attract the large body of visitors who would not be concerned with the specialized technical aspects of shipping and industry. In the Inspection of Machinery Section a floor space of 70 ft. by 19 ft. was fully occupied by fullsize power-driven machines selected to lay strong emphasis on the necessity for effectual safety devices and guards to prevent accidents. Many of the machines were arranged as working exhibits, and the public were afforded the opportunity to operate them to test the efficiency of some of the safety devices with which the modern machine is fitted. Valuable aid to the Department's work was afforded by the specially-lighted display of multi-coloured posters on industrial safety. The general plan of the Survey of Ships Section took the form of a display of models showing the progress of n aval architecture jmd marine engineering during the past century, and of full-scale mechanical, electrical, and other devices and equipment embodied in the modern merchant ship to promote safety both in navigation and propulsion and in handling cargo. The fioor space available for this purpose was 90 ft. by 10 ft. Technical officers of the Department were available during busy periods of the Exhibition to explain the exhibits to the public. It is desired to acknowledge with gratitude the generosity of the many companies and individuals who lent valuable items for display in the Department's pavilion.

2—H. 15.

9

TS . SQ » "ffl § ? * f| I | -I I s • § $ J 1 Machines. || | | g| | | || | | £ i| * | I 1« I I I-a ! J i «8 r® /S J" 1 b3 a •? i? ° ,s ° H fH Circular saws . . . . 24 .. .. .. 1 1 .. 26 Other saws .. .. 4 .. .. ,. 4 Planers (wood) .. .. 10 .. .. .. 10 Shapers and moulders . . 6 . . .. .. 6 Power presses .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 2 1 9 Guillotines .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. 2 Laundry mangles .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1 Butchers' mincers .. .. .. .. 3 .. .. .. 3 Lifts .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 3 Cranes and hoists .. .. .. .. 1 1 Belting .. .. .. 3 1 1 .. .. .. .. 1 1 3 10 Shafting .. .. 1 .. .. 1 2 Gearing .. .. .. .. .. 2 2 Boilers and pressure vessels .. .. 1 .. .. .. 3 4 Others .. .. 3 10 3 1 7 1 .. 8 2 15 50 Total (industries) ..51 11 5 2 13 2 3 11 6 29 133