LOADING OF BEEF

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 75, 29 March 1934, Page 10

LOADING OF BEEF

DANGEROUS HOOKS USED

CORONER'S FINDING

A question, as to the safety of a certain type of hook used for the purpose of loading quarters of chilled beef into ships was involved at an inquest today; into the death of Ernest Douglas Croxton Davis, a waterside worker, who died in hospital on March 21 after receiving severe injuries to his spine through, being struck by a falling quarter of beef at the, Glasgow Wharf on the : previous day. The deceased was assisting in th,B loading of beef into the Port Chalmers when a quarter became, detached from the lifting tackle in mid-air and fell on top of him. Each quarter, of beef was attached to a ring in the loading tackle by means of an S-shaped hook, and was lifted without the use of a net. After hearing the evidence of expert witnesses] .the. 'Coroner. (Mr.- E; Gilbertson) found that the cause of the accident was probably due to the use of an. unsuitable! type of meat hook, the point of the hook being inclined at too flat an angle'in relation to' the shank, j - The foreman in charge, of the "deceased's' gang, .John Lamont Nicholson, said that tliis was the,first season -in which hooks had been used in the loading of chilled-beef. • The hooks were attached to the quarters of beef at "the freezing .works. He was satisfied, that the hook had torn out of the carcass which struckDavis, and that: there had been no carelessness by the men in attaching it to the lifting tackle.. In reply to Mr. P. J. O'Kegan, who appeared for the widow of the deceased, mtness said that the waterside workers would have no objection to loadine chilled beef by means of the usual net slings.. He understood .that the hooka were used to prevent bruising or damaging of the meat by dumping on th 9 SIMILAR MISHAPS. ' The view that the type of hook used o-or loading the beef was quite unsuitable for the purpose was expressed by Ernest Fisher, the crane driver responsible for the lifting of the beef. He said that he had seen six other quarters slip from the hoist, while they were being lifted. Louis Fenton, a gear inspector, said that the type of hook used might be all right in a butcher's shop, but it was no* suitable for loading meat into ships. ■ In reply to Mr. O'Began Fenton sai4 that when he was watching the loaoing operations after the accident ai» other quarter of beef became detache> and fell to the wharf. Ernest Edward Canham, a watersidi worker and union official, who wa* called by Mr. O'Regan, said that th» type of hook used in .this case was uA known on the waterfront before fchfc chilled beef trade began. Witness sail that when the Port Fairey was beinj loaded last year a method of slinginJ known as the gallows method or th* bar system .was used. By this methoi there was little danger. The Coroner, in returning a findin* that the deceased had died from iniuv* ics received, said he was satisfied tharf the quarter of beef had. slipped off th# hook. Evidence had shown that qnar< ters of beef had slipped off on previou* occasions, and it seemed to him thai the hook used was not safe enough.