SKULL AND CROSS-BONES

NZ Truth, Issue 1017, 23 May 1925, Page 5

SKULL AND CROSS-BONES

Power Board Warns Its Men

"Behold the Fowl of the Air."

Since "Truth" took* up the "safetyy first" question m the matter of electrical lines, electrical linesmen, and the general public, the ManawatuOroua Power Board has been unfortunate m having a couple of accidents, one fatal.

It does not follow that that Board or its staff is to blame. From what "Truth" can learn, the ManawatuOroua Board should be one of the last to have such misfortunes.

There has been no lack either of prevision 08 of provision m the way of precautions.

Accidents have been caused by disobedience of the Board's orders. Some people may say: "Disobedience of orders does not acquit a board. A board should see that its orders are obeyed." But insistence on obedience is not always possible. What the public has a right to expect is ali reasonable precautions to see that

(Chairman of the Poverty. Bay Rugby Union). "The post of honor shall be mine." —Gay. ■■, : . . , . ;

rirders are obeyed. And there is no evidence of failure m this respect.

One of the Board's "safety- first" efforts is a booklet coloured red for danger, and having for its crest" a skull and cross-bones. Inside are black type warnings, also a yellow paper inset full of information and inhibition. Each employee must carry a booklet. * When "Truth 1 ' told of the bittern that caused a break m certain. Waikato lines (with faftal \ result) ■ some people hesitated to believe that a bird could be to blame. -But here is another, case of bird-interference, told m a letter signed by New Zealand's Chief Electrical Engineer, Mr, F. 'P. M. Kissel, who has issued a special communication on ; safety precautions:

"A gang of men were .. working on a 3,300 volt line 'which had been killed by removing the plug fuses. Before commencing operations •on the line, the usual precautions of earthing the line had been taken. When the work had been completed .. the gang went back to replace the fuses, and found that a dead starling >was suspended from one wire; adjacent to the plug fuse, by its claw, the other leg having been burnt off. It is evident that the bird had alighted' on one wire, and had stepped, across to the other, the wires at this point being sepa-; rated only by about two inches. This closed the circuit until one leg was burned off and livened up the line. Fortunately the lines were earthed and no one was injured."

But if they had not been earthed! The instruction to earth lines when under repair is absolute; yet sometimes—despite supervision— is ,honoured morp m the breach than m the observance.. '