SAWMILL ACCIDENT.

Grey River Argus, 18 January 1922, Page 6

SAWMILL ACCIDENT.

NARROW ESCAPE FROM FATALITY DANGER OF UNPROTECTED BELTS An accident that, except for the fortunate intervention of a fellow worker, would have ended fatally, occurred at Runanga yesterday to Mr, Charles Kennedy. It occurred at the ■ State Mine Sawmill, which is leased I by the Mines Department to Mr Iles-, Inn, and it served once more to demonstrate the danger of leaving belts unprotected and using primitive methods of handling machinery. Mr Kennedy was engaged in putting some resin oiil the main driving belt, which was run- ( ning wthout any protection. Using a I stick to put on the resin, lie man was j drawn into the belting through the i stick adhering to it, and he was carried i right up to the fly-wheel. Mr Heslin ; bmself happened to notice the accident, I and it was only his promptitude in stopping the engine at once that pre-' vented Kennedy being killed by the fly- I wheel. As it was, he received serious* injury, his head being badly lasccrated, and his body severely bruised, while he was rendered unconscious. Dr Bruce Roy was summoned, and treated the sufferer, whom his fellow workers at first feared had been killed. The accident should be a further lesson as to the absolute need for adequate means of life protection where machinery is ill use. At the latest, Mr Kennedy was doing as well as could be expected.