FACTORY WORKERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15895, 21 January 1924, Page 6

FACTORY WORKERS.

GUARDING AGAINST ACCIDENT. A well-known Labour official ; referred in appreciative terms to the efforts of the Labour Department in minimising' preventible accidents ,in factories, or, as he put it, making places where workers arc employed "foci-proof." "There is one thing I must congratulate the Labour Department upon he said, "p.nd that is their ,;-practice of adopting persuasive measures to gain their objective, instead of using what cne prominent Labour leader characterised in the Arbitration Court, 'force majeure' against delinquent employers. It is quite right that the factory-own-ers should adept every possible provision against accident, for even then there are men who ignore their own safety, often with fatal results. Take three recent cases: A worker tried to put a belt on a tight pulley. Ignoring the loose pulley, he succeeded in his object, but his sleeve caught in a projecting nail on the light pulley; it was wound round it, the arm. followed, and he was drawn round the shaft with fatal results. Another man was engaged on some work in a lift well; a rope was suspended from a bJock at the top of the building, and the worker oaught hold of the loose end of the rope and .launched himself inb i the well, falling tc- the boltorn and being' killed. The third ease was that of a man who was removing a heavy piece cf coping on a building. It was to,j heavy for one man to hold, and the man was told to use a rope to relieve him of the weight. Ho ignored the advice, t'r.o coping was detached, and as ho tried to hold it, was precipitated .to the ground and killed." Au offi-er of the Labour Deportment was also asked what view owners of factories took in regard to the warning posters issued by the Department 'Unanimous approval," tie replied. 'We have had most encouraging letters from employers expressing gratitude at the altitude taken up by the Department in this matter."