INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS OF HEALTH 



389 



began to look into ways of preventing or reducing the losses due 

 to accidents (see Fig. 170). Now the prevention of accidents 

 has become a recognized part of the business of managing in- 

 dustry. The accident rate is different in different occupations 

 (see Fig. 171) and indicates in many cases an almost inhu- 

 man disregard for the safety and welfare of men and women. 



78 



■58 (•"; ^^ 



1913 1922 



Burns 



102 



166 64 „ 



1913 1922 



Drowning 



25 27 



■■3 ^12 



1913 1922 



Firearms 



154 



1913 1922 



All accidents 



1121 

 It 



1913 1922 



Falls 



1913 1922 



Transportation and other 

 crushing accidents 



Fig. 170. Accidents in the United States and in England and Wales 



In this country all kinds of accidents, including industrial accidents, are more nu- 

 merous in proportion to the population than they are in other countries. The black 

 columns correspond to the fatal accidents per million of population in this country; 

 the white columns to the fatal accidents per million of population in England and 

 Wales, While we see great improvements in both countries during ten years, the 



improvement is greater abroad 



The causes of accidents are numerous, so that it is not pos- 

 sible in every case to attribute the occurrence to a particular 

 person's carelessness. First of all, very few of those in charge 

 of industry have in the past taken special pains to watch every 

 new method, every new machine, to see whether its use is per- 

 fectly safe for the worker ; and, on the other hand, most workers 

 are either too ignorant to ask about the dangers or too anxious 

 to get the jobs to ask any questions at all. As a result heavy 

 and intricate machinery has developed rapidly until it has got 



