Most Industrial Mishaps Occur After “Smoko”

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28322, 6 July 1957, Page 4

Most Industrial Mishaps Occur After “Smoko”

The banning of “smoko,” particularly on Monday, might- be a way, however drastic, of preventing a large number of industrial accidents. Whatever the reaction of workers to such a proposal, the report on industrial accidents in New Zealand in 1955, released by the Department of Statistics, shows that most accidents occur between 10.29 a.m. and 11.29 a.m., and 2.29 p.m. and 3.29 p.m. Though it does not necessarily follow from the department’s figures that “smoko” is a prime cause of the peak number of accidents in those two hours, the suggestion that it may be is reinforced by the fact that the day after the week-end break is the worst.

On Monday, 19.7 per cent, of all accidents occur. Tuesday, with 19.4 per cent., Wednesday with 18 per cent, and Thursday with 18.3 per cent, are not much better, but by Friday, when 16.6 per cent, occur, workers have presumably regained the mastery of themselves and their equipment impaired during the week-end. The total number of industrial accidents increased in 1955 from 39.523 in 1953 and 40,581 in 1954 to 42,038. The average number of days lost as a result of each accident was 72 and the severity rate—the hours lost for each 100,000 manhours worked—increased from 1380 in 1954 to 1394 in 1955. More than one-third of all

accidents occured to persons in manufacturing industries. The most common injuries received were those to fingers or thumbs, and there were more than 12,000 sprains or strains. Strangely, 11 persons got poisoned in the Post and Telegraph Department. The total compensation paid for all accidents was £1,974,281 in 1955 as compared with £1,880,882 in 1954 (average .compensation was £47).

In the 42,038 accidents only 63 persons were killed, though six suffered permanent total disability and 976 permanent partial disability. Of the 63 who were killed 38 were married and 22 single, and three others. Of the six totally disabled, five were married and one single. An important limitation in the statistics, says the report, are that they are derived from claims made under the Workers’ Compensatiort Act and necessarily exclude accidents to working proprietors and similar persons not insurable under the act. This limits the scope of the statistics in the farming industry particularly.