WATERSIDE WORKERS’ DEATH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18294, 11 July 1921, Page 2

WATERSIDE WORKERS’ DEATH

“A PURE ACCIDENT.”

NETS SUGGESTED AS A SAFE GUARD.

Mr A. M. Mowlem, S.M., resumed on Saturday the inquiry into the death of a waterside worker named Edward John Knox, who was struck by a falling carcase while loading frozen mutton on the Port Nasier at Port Chalmers on July 4. 'l'ho umommate man s head was terribly crushed, and ho died in the Cottage Hospital. John Charles Braithwaite, foreman stevedore for Messrs 11. L. Taplcy and Co., said ho supervised the fitting uu of the moatloading gear on the Port Napier. The usual method was adopted. There was a wooden chute leading from the wharf through the ’tween decks to a downward chute, which led to a. stage in the hold, and there were chutes from the stage to each end of the hold. These were all secured in the ordinary way. The sides of the chute were about 4£in high and the width ol the bottom 12in inside. The deceased was working in the lower hold. Witness, who was in another hold, heard of the accident within a few minutes. Ho had never known such a thing happen before.

To Mr Adams: Witness had seen a sheep jump cut of the down chute through not being put in properly, but this was a very infrequent occurrence. Witness did not see how a not could ho rigged to urovent accidents. It would be possible to spread' a net underneath the chute, but witness thought it would be in the road and might cause accidents. Witness did not know of anv port whore nets were us. d in that way. They were not used at Bluff when he was there.

To Mr Hanlon: Mr Upson, the Government Inspector of Gear, was down at the ship tiyo or three times every day. Witness did not know if ho saw the . gear working that morning, but ho could have, and ho certainly saw it cither that night or next morning. He did not recommend anv alteration after the accident.

William Willianjs, waterside worker, said deceased was turning the sheep on the I stage. Witness saw the sheep falling, and called out a warning, but it hit deceased | on the right shoulder, and he fell face downward. The only way witness could explain the accident was by a run of sheen coming down the chute. Witness htjd been a waterside worker for eight years and had not scon such an accident before. To Mr Adams: Sheep often fell out of 1 the first chute between the wharf and the j ’tween decks. To Mr-Hanlon: There were five chutes: two from the truck to the porthole, two | from the porthole to the hatch combings, j and one into the lower hold. Tho first | four chutes had a slight slope, but the j last went down at a sloop angle. Mon were stationed at tho beginning of each chute whoso dut}' was to direct the <creases. So long as these men were able i to work regularly there would ho no run i of sheep. At tho time of accident there , was a run of sheep in the chute leading to witness. Witness admitted that the man above could have stopped tho run, there being little slope on the chute. At the time of the accident three or four sheep came down so quickly that witness could not do his work properly. There was no need to call out to the man above him. ! because he was close to witness and could see what was happening; besides, ho mign get a run of sheep from the man above him. Witness had his right hand injured by tho carcase which fell. Tho neck was over tho chute when he turned for it, am’ lie could not Trrevcnt it going over. All tho gear was safe. Harry Stewart Ingram, waterside worker, said ho was working on the stage in the ■ lower hold Deceased was working below him. Witness heard a yell and saw the sheep, which hit deceased, coming down | in mid-air. Witness was taking every j second sheep of those which Williams sent i down. Tho usual gear was used. !

Arthur Ddward .Johns, another waterside | worker, who was working with Ingram, said he saw tho sheep sliding down tho lower chute towards tho stage, with about two feet over the side.

To Mr Adams: It. was then about two ! feet away from Williams. He considered 1 that a light not could be used to prevent such accidents, and should not, interfere with the work if it was properly slung, i It would have to b-3 specially made, as ■ it would have to taper towards Ihe bot tom. 1

To Mr Hanlon: Tho top corners of such a not could Ijo fastened to the stanchions in tlio hatch combings, ami tho ; lower corners to tho stage. Tho coroner said it was plain deceased died as a result of injuries received while he was working in the lower hold of tho Port Napier storing carcases of frozen mutton which were conveyed by a series of chutes from the wharf to tno hold. One had apparently got jammed, amt in some unexplained way iiad been precipitated into tho hold. Deceased was apparently under it and was struck on tho head, receiving such injuries that ho die d. Accord eg I. tho medical evidence death was duo to laceration of the brain caused in the manner ho had described. It was clear that the ordinary methods of loading had been adopted. There was no evidence of negligence in anybody, and no - blamo was attachable to anyone. Ho did not know if there was even a recommendation to make. One of the witnesses had spoken of the, possibility of using nets, and if ho could show that it was possible then no doubt those responsible would adopt, it. The formal verdict; was in accordance with the medical evidence, the coroner adding that deceased’s death was apparently caused by pure accident. Mr Adams stated that there was really more belli ml tho question of nets than appeared from the evidence. He understood that nets were used at some ports to prevent accident- of that kind. It woidd not have been relevant for him to bring evidence to prove this, but it might have a hearing on the question as to whether nets should he used. His instructions were that nets were used at Bluff as a matter of regular practice. The coroner repeated his conviction that, tlio.se in authority would no doubt he quite willing to use nets if it were shown to be practical.