WATERSIDE WORKERS’ DEATH

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 37

WATERSIDE WORKERS’ DEATH

“A PURE ACCIDENT.” NETS SUGGESTED AS A SAFEGUARD. 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 failing carcase while loading frozen mutton cq the Port Napier at Port Chalmers on July 4. The unlortunate man’s head was terribly crushed, and. he died in the Cottage Hospital. John Charles Braithwaite, foreman stevedore for Messrs H. L. Tapley and Co., said he supervised the fitting up of the meatloading 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 44in high and the width of the bottom 12in inside. The deceased was working in the lower hold. Witness, who was in another hold, hoard of the accident within a, few minutes. He had never known such a thing happen before. To Mr Adams: Witness had seen a sheep jump out. of the down chute through cot being put in properly, but this was a very infrequent occurrence. Witness did not. see how a net could be rigged to prevent 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 any port where nets were used 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 two or three times every day. Witness did not know if he saw the gear working that morning, but, he could have, and he certainly saw it either that night or next morning. He did not recommend any alteration after the accident. William Williams, waterside worker, said deceased was turning the sheep on t Ire 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 sheep coniine down the chute. Witness had been a waterside worker for eight years and had not seen such a.n accident before. To Mr Adams: Sheen often fell out of the first, chute between the wharf and the ’tween decks. To Mr Hanlon: There were five chutes: two from the truck to the porthole, two from the porthole to the batch combings, and one into the lower lyald. The first four chutes had a slight slope, but the last went down at a steep angle. Men were stationed at the beginning of each chute whose duty was to direct the carcases. So- long as these men were able to work regularly there would be no run of sheep. At the time of accident there was a run of sheep in the chute leading to witness. Witness admitted that the man above could have stopped the 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 t.o need to call out to the man above him, because lie was close to witness and could see what was happening; besides, he might get a run of sheep from the man above him. Witness had his right hand injured by the carcase which fell. The neck was over the chute when he turned for it, anti he could not prevent it going over. All the gear was safe. Harry Stewart Ingram, waterside worker, said he was working on the stage in the lower hold. Deceased was working below him. Witness heard a yell and saw the sheep, which iiit deceased, coming down in mid-air. Witness was taking- every second sheep of those which Williams scut down. The usual gear was used. Arthur Edward Johns, another waterside worker, who was working with Ingram, said he saw the sheep sliding down the lower chute towards the stage, with about two feet over the side. To Mr Adams: It was then about two feet away from Williams. He considered that a light net. could bo used to preient such accidents, and should not interfere with the work if it was properly slung. It would have to be specially made, as it would have to taper towards the bottom. To Mr Hanlon : The top corners of such a net could be fastened to the stanchions in the hatch combings, and ihe lower corners to the stage. The coroner said it. was plain deceased died as a result of injuries received while he was working in the lower hold of the

J Port Napier storing carcases of frozen I mutton which were conveyed by a series ' of.chutes from the wharf to tlie hold. One had apparently got jammed, and in some unexplained way had been precipitated into the hold. Deceased was apparently under it and was struck on the head, receiving I such injuries that he died. Accord.ug c | the medical evidence death was due to laceration of the brain caused in the manner jhe had described. It was clear than the | ordinary ■ methods of loading had been ! adopted, there was no evidence of neglii gence in anybody, and no blame was i attachable to anyone. He did not know j if there was even a recommendation to | make. One of the witnesses had spoken | of the possibility of. using nets, and if | he could shothat it was possible then no doubt those responsible would adopt it. The normal verdict, was in accordance with the medical evidence, the coroner adding that deceased’s death was apparently caused by pure accident. Mr Adams silted that there was really more behind the question of nets than appeared from the evidence. lie understood that nets were used at some ports to pre- | vc, ut: accidents of that kind, ft would not j have been relevant for him to bring evi- ! deuce to prove this, but it might have a | bearing on the question ae to whether nets ! should be used. His instructions were that nets were used at Bluff as a matter of regular practice. The coroner repeated his conviction that those in authority would no doubt be quite | willing to use nets if it were shown to be practical.