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National Safety Council Meeting 



With a|i|.r<>xiiiiali'ly :.',(lim .I.U'jjati's pri'suiit, iiifliKliiiK sevoral 

 liiimlreii from Iho IuihIht and wouilworkiii); iiuliiHtrioM, tlio most 

 important and most fruitful (•(lavcntion of the National Safety 

 '•uncil oamo to a close in St. Louis, Mo., September 18, tliat is, 



I'.ir as tlic lumber industry is eoncerned. 



I'wo sectional meetings were set aside for the discussion of the 



i^es and remedies of accidents in the lumber, lo(;i^n(r and \voo<l- 



rking fields exclusively. In addition a (;reat many imi>ers deliv- 

 ' i I at the general sessions and any number of talks at the daily 

 riiinid table contained meat for the lumber, logging or woodworking 

 ]ilant manager who is anxious to increase the cniciency of his plant 

 and conserve his man power, or woman power, for that matter, 

 through the employment of safety mefhoils. 



The slogan of "Safety for Kconomy" of former years was sup- 

 planted this year by "Safety for Patriotism." That was the point 

 of all talks. Though the experiences recounted by the majority 

 of safety engineers present indicated that the so-called "dollars 

 and cents basis" was the easiest on which to "sell the safety idea 

 to the big boss," it was made clear (hat more recently the patriotic 

 appeal was having great success. 



ronsiderable attention was given to the safety problems pre- 

 sented by the entrance of women into industry. The chief points 

 brought out in this connection were that plants replacing workmen 

 by women should be resurveyed for safety work, as new hazards 

 were created by this wartime necessity, and that there should bo 

 matrons and women employment supervisors to deal with female 

 help. 



The social features of the convention culminated in a banquet 

 Wednesday night, sumptuous both as to food and entertainment, 

 but dry. The program listed a telephonic address by President 

 Wilson. Instead, the president sent telegraphic greetings com- 

 mending the good work of those behind the safety movement. 



At the opening session of the convention Monday telegrams were 

 read from Director General McAdoo of Kailroads, Secretary of 

 Interior Lane, Charles M. Schwab of the Emergency Fleet Corpora- 

 tion, and Harry Wheeler, president of the Chamber of Commerce of 

 the United States, all of whom, though scheduled for addresses, 

 were unable to appear because of the press of war work. Each, 

 however, endorsed the movement. 



Two noteworthy addresses were delivered at this session, one by 

 David Van Schaack, president of the National Safety Council, in 

 which he outlined the council's program for the coming year, and 

 another by H. W. Forster, general manager of the Independence 

 Bureau of Safety Engineers, Philadelphia, on "Safety in Warfare." 



President Schaack announced that in the ensuing year for the 

 first time aafe-practices pamphlets would be prepared for the various 

 sections, one each month. It is probable, in view of the important 

 part being played by the lumber industry in war work, that a safe- 

 practices booklet for the lumber, logging and woodworking sections 

 will be among the earliest prepared. 



The president also discussed plans for introducing courses in 

 safety work in the curriculum of about 200 colleges and univer- 

 sities. He pointed to the fact that England and Japan were build- 

 ing safety organizations on the plan of the American council, and 

 that the Russian embassy had asked the council for advice on inau- 

 gurating such an organization there. For the finance committee 

 he said that last year a safety council dollar no doubt was the 

 hardest worked dollar in existence. 



At the meeting of the logging, lumber and woodworking section, 

 that part of the safety council reorganized itself for the ensuing 

 year. F. F. Fish of Chicago, secretary of the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association, was elected chairman of the section to suc- 

 ceed E. K. Prichett of the Haskelite Manufacturing Company, 

 Grand Rapids, Mich., and J. E. Rhodes, secretary-manager of the 

 Southern Pine Association, was chosen vice-chairman to succeed 



I', (i. Lovett ot the Furniture Manufacturers' Safety .\ssoeiali..ii 

 of Woodstock, Onl., Canada. Neither Mr. Prichett nor Mr. Lovett 

 was able to attend the convention. F. A. Barker of the Lumber- 

 men's Mutual CaHualty Company, Chicago, was reelected secre- 

 tary of the section. 



The first meeting of the section was presided over by Mr. Barker. 

 Several papers and talks had places on the program. 



Lumber Yard Safety 

 The paper on " Yanl Accidents and Their Prevention," by Julius 

 Seidel of the Julius Seidel Lumber Comi)any, St. Louis, presented 

 details of measures taken by him to make his lumber yards health- 

 ful and as nearly safe as possible. He recounted the years during 

 which his plans were develoidng and being i)ut into practice; for 

 when he first entered the lumber business as a boy it was not cus- 

 tomary to pay much attention to the workmen's safety or comfort. 

 They were supposed to take care of themselves. Great changes 

 have since taken place. 



Mr. Seidel outlined the following features of his plan and policy 

 of securing safety about his lumber yard: 



The pu1)llc must lie snfoKuariled. Klre hazard and unsanitary con- 

 ditions must not become n peril to persons who live near the yard or 

 have oi-caslon to pass near. 



Lumber shells should have balconies with safety rails and secure lad- 

 ders to Ic.snen the risk of workmen whose duties take them there. 



The sheds should be built In a way to secure plenty ot fresh air and 

 adequate light for the workmen. 



Heavy timbers, and to a certain extent all lumber, should be handled 

 by cranes and other mechanical appliances to spare the workman's mus- 

 cles and make his position more safe and comfortable. 



The humanizing Idea should have a place In a lumber yard. Workmen 

 are human beings and should be treatcil as such. Provision should be 

 made for their shelter from cold, rain, and snow. 



The office ot the lumber yard should be sanitary, comfortable, and of 

 pleasing appearance, for that is the business nerve cen'ter from which all 

 the operations arc directed. 



Other Papers 

 Several other carefully prepared papers were read before the 

 meeting, among them being "Why Accidents Occur in Logging," 

 by R. L. Weathersby of the Kirby Lumber Company, Silsby, Texas; 

 "Infections and Blood Poison in the Woodworking Industry," by 

 Dr. Leroy P. Kuhn, surgeon for the Lumbermen 's Mutual Casualty 

 Company, Chicago; "Hazards Connected with Employment of 

 Women Operators in the Woodworking Industries;" "New Ideas 

 and Methods to Keep Employes Interested in Safety Work," by 

 Lee Dunlap, chief factory inspector of Missouri. 



Perhaps among the most important announcements made at thL«, 

 session was the statement by Mr. Barker that the National Safety 

 Council was working on a plan which might make it unnecessary 

 for individual manufacturers to equip machines with safety guards 

 and appliances. It was also brought out at the general sessions of 

 the convention that the council was endeavoring to induce the 

 manufacturers of all sorts of machinery to consider the matter 

 of safety in designing the machine and building in the machine 

 originally features that would make guards unnecessary. 



B. H. Smith of the Long-Bell Lumber Company, Longville, La., 

 emphasized the statement that safety was a matter of education 

 of the employes by foremen and managers of the mills. He said 

 that the mere installation of safety devices did not mean there 

 would be no accidents. "The way to prevent accidents is to educate 

 employes," he said. 



The section decided to broaden the scope of 'its work by electing 

 an executive committee, and those selected were: B. J. Hoage, 

 safety engineer of the Associated Lumber Industries, Tacoma, 

 Wash.; Thomas Wilson, inspector Industrial Accident Prevention 

 Association, Ottawa, Ont.; F. D. Campau, secretary and attorney, 

 Furniture Mutual Insurance Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., and 

 E. B. Saunders, assistant to the president, Simonds Manufacturing 

 Company, Fitchbnrg, Mass. 



—19— 



