WATERSIDE ACCIDENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17341, 14 June 1918, Page 7

WATERSIDE ACCIDENTS

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. EVIDENCE BY OFFICIALS. The inquiry into the causes of aotidents on tne watetronts of the dominion was resumed yesterday by the oonunussion under the presidency of the Hon. T. M. Wilford (Minister of Marine). Robort John lroy, waterside worker for 10 years, mostly at Port Chalmers, said ho had had about 15 years' sea experience in steam. He had seen ongino shaits, etc., removed, but he had never seen the gear H?, |®' removing tho machinery inspected. •lhe lifts wero up to 50 tons. He had seen chains carry away, and accidents miraculously avoided. Ho was referring to Port Chalmers, lho gear used in the stokehold was rather obsolete, but it was not bad if it were renewed regularly. He thought it was sate to work in a boiler, when steam was up in the other boilers, provided the valves wore securely locked. It was safe to paint a funnel while steam was being exhausted into the atmosphere, provided proper precautionary measures wero observed. Witness also gave evidence in respect to cleaning bilges into which benzino had drained from leaky cargo, in reference to removing steamer propellers in dock, «uid painting hulls in docJv. His sea experience was in the stokehold and tho ongino room. Tho 50-ton lifts he referred to were shafts, to which which three 10-ton chain blocks were used. For heavy lifts wire slings were used. Some sling chains were used, hut they were never annealed, nor were the chain-falls of chain blocks annealed. Painting a ship's side in doclv was more risky than painting the outf M.. a h'ffh building, because, unlike a bunding, the ship's sideu mostly had an overhang. Robert (j psom said he had been a watersider at Port Chalmers for 13 years, anil he had previous sea experience in sail and steam. Tile gear used at Port, was not satisfactory, and ho thought an inspector should round daily while ships were working, witness gave evidence on numerous details of waterfront work, and described how in his opinion, improvements could bo effected with a view to securing a greater measure sa f e ty- The inspector stationed at Port Chalmers had not sufficient time available t®. ,9° c ' ai b' inspection of working gear in addition to his present duties. Ho had not seen the cargo gear inspected while the ship was at sea. He would not contradict any witness who said so, but he had not seen it. The gear should be overhauled at least onoo a month. Captain M'Arthur said the commission had evidence that the gear was overhauled ° n< \° . n!ollt, h, and in gome cases oftener. Archibald Campbell, waterside worker, and secretary of the local union, said ho had 15 years' experience on the Port Chalniers waterfront in all classes of tho work. Ho kept a record of accidents likely to come before the Arbitration Court, but not of minor accidents. In going round he often heard complaints of defective gear, and he took action to have it remedied. In ins upnuon, an inspector should he appointed Having power m respect to all uepartments oi waterfront work. On a steamer at present in port wooden plugs were used to prevent the steam leaving lrom tne cylinder ot one of the winches. On an oversea steamer recently he saw cargo for a day and a-haif lowered down a natchway space of Oft. Delects wero usually remedied promptly when attention was called to them. William Barber, waterside worker at Blutt, said ho had come to Dunecun to give evidence before the commissoin. He Jiad been a waterside worker for lb years, pieceded by a similar period oi sea experience as a captain. They worked at iilutf witn wooden tip tubs discharging guano, and the gear was unsatisiactory. He submitted to the commission plans illustrating ueiects complained of. Nobody officially uispected tho gear in use at Jilutf. a man who Had ueen a bos'un anu a rigger was tliu ngnt sort of man to be an inspector oi gear and stevedoring work, lhe water biders at 131 utt had to inspect the gear them selves. He had seen two steps mining iiorn a iiold ladder, ana snips' wincties, aner tno snips came from tne north were an poor order. iiatch landings should be 4in wide, and nets should certamly be used m iiatcnways when iiatches were nut on or removed, l'he hgnung at tue waterli ont was mierior, and deiective electric clusters were used in vessels' holds. Xhert had been no accidents lately. A shackle tallied away on one oversea steamer, witD tne result tuat the derrick fell down ano severely injured a m:in James iH'Uregor Wiilrie, resident engi lieer, Otago Harbour .board, said he had lio sea. experience, lhe iiarbour Board liad provided ligntmg at bam tne dry docks •u fort Chalmers, and witness produced plans showing the ligrting scheme in detail. At the big dock seven poles were arranged round the dock, every pole carrying a 400 candle-power ngnt at top and a oU candle-power lower down, working independently. On the dock sides there were other lignts. The service was very effective, and Waipori power oi power from the board s plant could be used for illumination. J. he lighting was ample. This lighting wa; nor, generally fully used by ships in dock, but as aways available at an Hour's notict ut stated charges. Ten clusters could tc furnished, and 30 standard lights along tne dock. 'lhe lighting was available tc any snip which wisued to use it. At Dunedin wharves 400 candle-power lights were Carried round the wharves, with smaller lights wherever required. The war had interfered with the board's work in the matter of labour and material. There were an electric and other crancs at Dunedin and an electric crane at Port. l'he Government inspector inspected tlie cranes regularly. The board did no cargo handhug Whatever. The wooden foundation ot tho sheer-legs at Port Chalmers waf being repaired. The Government inspectoi inspected the sheer-legs and electric crane lit, tort Chalmers. Witness thought a Government inspector should inspect the board s other gear, but he did not know if that was done. It would be in the righl direction for the commission to recommenc that all gear on ships, hulks, and on har hour board property should be inspected by Government inspectors. Captain George Thomson (harbour master' agreed that a change, so that all gear oi ships, hulks, and of harbour boards bo in spectcd by a oompctent Government in spector, should bo made. A good wire splice did not weaken a wire. iho splice should be about 6ft or 7ft in length. Wm. Geo. Smith (in charge of tho Union Company s industrial elepartment) said his company kept a record of all accidents ir iw servioe on the waterfront. Last yeaj it had 19 accidents at oargo in Dunedin, which showed ono accident to every 123{ ?A C oi7c Cln P' o^ or ono accident to everv 10,876 tons of cargo handled. At Porl Chalmers the oompany had two accidents at cargo, representing one accident to every 6031 men employed, or one accideni to every 25,232 tons handled. There were I* accidents at the "repairs" works a! °" Chalniers, representing one accident t< every 559 men employed. Keith Ram say had no accidents last year. H. L lapicy and Co. had seven accidents on tin Canterbury Steam Slupping Company'! aniers Dunedin, the percentage o accidents to men employed being .0017 ane to tons handled .0002. John Mill and Co. wno stevedored for several companies ant received cargo for tho Harbour Boaxd uin lo accidents, this being an average o one accident per 154- men employed, o one accident per 5434 tons handled. Th, baaw, savill Company had three accidents . one to every 3340 men employed, or om accident to every 11,939 tons handled. Wit ne M quoted statistics to show that th< in - stroct ra 'lway accident; in Great Britain was greater than the per cent age or accidents on the waterfronts o the domin ion. All accidents, however slight were reported to the company. It was th< company s practice to insure outside Tin list of accidents did not cover the' mei onipu-.yr.-u by Ste-veuson and Cook, or .Millei (>pto/n Thomas Basiro (wharfinger for th. Cnion Company for tho past 20 years a Port Owners) said he employed all carc, and labour. He had authority to tc niedy -defective gear at once, and it was fe nis advantage to have tho gear in goo. order. A man who reported faulty gear wa not victimised. Tho company supphod coa baskets, whw.ti wore repaired regularly, bom stropped with disused boat falls. The pre Bont inspection of gear was fairly complete and tho inspectors' instructions wero oarriei out. Ho could not say he know of an reeffrot accidents through defective gear. H always kept an eye on tho gear, and a experienced man could see derfocts at glance. During the past 20 years no acci dents which came undor his immediiit notice wero preventiblo accidents. Not r mauy searrwn worked now on the watei front as. say. 20 yoars ago, when thoy wer practically all seamen. A long splice pre perly put in did not weaken a wire rop. The lighting on tho railway wharves wa not what 't might be. The Government, in speetors went about ships at other than th annual inspection timo, but he did not, knoi what they did. landing platforms for cot baskets were, roughly. Bft by 2ft, 9in. 1 might. l>o bettor if coal wore discharge otherwise than by moans of bull-rope; Winch brakes .voro not used in workin cargo. «nd he had not soen brakes use with hoary lifta. Qntbmd running gee

should be overhauled every six months, and every two months all guis, etc., should be oiled. Bull-roping into trucks wns not dangerous with competent men at the winch and bull-rope. Captain j.S. Corbott(superintendingstevedore for J. Mill and Co.) said ho never had any difficulty in getting jx<-ar. He had found only minor defects in gear when ships camo in from sea. liea.v was regularly overhauled. 110 knew of no accidents in the last year through defective gear, nor of gear carrying away. It wa shard to account for some accidents. Witness liad a suggestion for putting on or off beams or hatches, and on request illustrated it to the commission. Ho had not seen any insanitary holds, and his firm cleaned out holds before stowing cargo. The lighting of the wharves at Port Chalmers was not good. Ho knew of no accidents through big slings, but complaints about big slings might bo heard any where. Ono gang discharged about 12 tons of general cargo an hour into railway trucks at Port Chalmers, and about 15 tons an hour on tho Dunedin wharf. He did not think tho men were working slower than before. Many of tho former hands had gone away or taken other work. Stephen Barber (wharfinger for the Union Company at Dunedin) said that gear was provided for every ship. Not much gear was kept at Dunedin. Tho coal baskets were picked out for every job. Witness saw Government inspectors down to almost every ship. Pie did not think a net in the hatchways would he workable. He had never known a T-iron to come adrift, but was very favourably impressed with the model T-iron in the possession of the commission. The iighting at tho Dunedin wharves was good, and tho Harbour Board was farther improving it. John Edward Galbraith (superintending I stevedore for the Shaw, Savill Co. at Dun- \ edin and Port Chalmers) said the cargo j gear of Home steamers was thoroughly examined on tho passage out. There was plenty of gear, all of which was supplied to the slups in England. The most capable hands attended the hatches. Tho men themselves wero responsible for big slings, which really delayed work. lie had noticed Government inspectors on board, but he doubted their authority, as the gear was passed by the British Board of Trade. Chain slings were used for iron, and these slings wero regularly annealed. The lighting on tho wharves at Port Chalmers was very bad. Tho company had an accident a number of years ago in the wool shed through tho band on a wool dump breaking. He never saw a stud carry away. Tho "White Star ships had to renew tho boat-falls every voyage, and as the rope was as good as ever it was used for slings. He thought an inspector of gear should hold a captain's certificate, even if such a man ■ were a waterside worker. A waterside worker was likely to be biassed if made an inspector, but from witness's experience he did not think a Union Company captain would be biassed to that company if made an inspector. Charles Braithwaite (foreman stevedore for the Shaw, Savill Co.) said ho had no trouble in getting gear. Sometimes the f -mon complained of defects, and these wero remedied where necessary. A man did not suffer for pointing out defects. /The commission fdjourned at 5 p.m. to sit this (Friday) morning at 10 o'clock.