Health Factors In Industries On West Coast

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 March 1949, Page 3

Health Factors In Industries On West Coast

“Miners and timber-workers are the commandoes of industry—statistics prove that to be the case and for that reason I have been extremely interested in your mines and mills.” said Dr T. O. Garland, director of industrial hygiene for New Zealand, at the conclusion of his West Coast visit on Saturday. Dr Garland added that accident statistics proved that sawmill workers and miners had higher casualties than any other groups of occupational diseases. It followed that there must be a great deal to learn in making both classes of employment safer for the workers. Explaining that coal mines did not come directly within the scope of his activities and that his visits to West Coast mines had been made by courtesy of the Mines Department, Dr Garland declined to answer questions on his impressions of the mines. Asked how the health facilities at the West Coast mines, such as the bath-houses, compared with those in England, where he held important positions prior to His appointment to the staff of the Dominion Department of Health, Dr Garland smiled and replied, “That also is a difficult question. Some of the mines in England are very good, and some are very bad. It is hard to make comparisons.”

Dr Garland was also non-commit-tal when asked whether he had seen anything during his West Coast tour which would require attention by his particular branch of the /department. He indicated that Dr D. P. Kennedy, nvedical inspector of factories for Canterbury and Westland, who accompanied him on the tour, would do any follow-up work which was necessary. During their week in the Grey district, Drs Garland and Kennedy visited several factories as well as mines, sawmills and the Waiuta gold mines. They addressed meetings at Runanga, Wallsend and Greymouth, the most successful meeting probably being that at Runanga, where there was an attendance of over 100. Dr Garland left yesterday for Westport and will spend this week in the Buller district.