A QUESTION OF COMFORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1927, Page 11

A QUESTION OF COMFORT.

ELECTRIC AX WORKERS' BEETS LEATHER OR ROPE SLINGS? Electrical workers engaged in overhead work,! according to the electrical workers' award, are required to be supplied witSt quality gloves and life belts/* and.the question was argued in the Arbitration Court yesterday as to whether or not a 1 Jin hemp rope appliance adequately served the latter purpose. In asking for an interpretation of the provision of the award, Inspector 6. P. Grieve said that the rope was popularly known as a rope sling. As far as safety was concerned, the sling was approved by the scaffolding inspector as being perfectly reliable, but it was just a question of comfort of the man using it. It was contended that leather belts were better and intended by the Court, than the slings, which cut into the men if they leaned back when perched on a pole. The union advocate, Mr. M. P. OTieary, maintained that the rope could not be classified as a life-belt under any consideration. It could never be more than a poor substitute for the recognised leather belt. Mr. Justice Frazer said that surely the Department conld get trifling matters like that before the Court adjusted by experts, instead of bringing them to the Court. Decision was reserved.