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The reporting of minor accidents is very desirable. It is often merely a matter of chance that tiZs°n ? W , aS I n ° t f S6rI T S " ne ' The va g ar ies of accidents should be well known, but it is somelrnes not appreciated that a valuable lesson as to how a serious accident may be safeguarded can often be learned from an investigation into the causes of a minor accident. adem la °Jlv S pm an T dre , d and seven of the accidents occurred with machines considered to be Dlanerf w safeguards. In many instances the guarding of such machines as saws, ThesemaSl I T f^ 6r wood - wor k ln g machines and presses could not be improved. 7 be considered dangerous, and only experience and extreme care on the part of the where accident Jrl amde Jl ts - FOT tunate ly, the safeguards fitted will prevent serious accidents, and nei cLf nff i are generally of a minor nature. One hundred of the accidents, or 77 nf rt!» Il ™ mber re P ort ed, were connected with injuries to the fingers or hands. In a number ot these cases thoughtlessness or inattention on the part of the workers were contributing factors. . n ymber of young persons injured by machinery during the year ending 31st March 1937 was again high no less than thirty-nine, or 30 per cent, of the total number of victims, being young thev w P rf el^ te ® n / ears of a f and under. Many of these had been operating the machines at which inexWnr. • v' Ver {, siort P® nods and the Wgt rate is no doubt due to their youth and to inexperience m working with power-driven machinery. shaftfnJn/tri' planerS ( n )> Papers moulders, and other wood-working machinery (14), belts and crane™! machinery (14), presses (12), metal-working machines (8), textile machinery (6), hi f !if ( mmcer ® (?)' Pnnting-machines (3), guillotines (2), and power mangles (2) were responsible for the majority of the non-fatal accidents. New Zealand's Standards. CommS P e b nT+L r *P resented on the Mechanical Engineering Divisional Committee of the New Zealand Standards Institute, Approximately sixty standard specifications were examined up to the 31st March. y ' spline,amons Prosecutions. Art Le S al proeeedmgs which were taken during the year for breaches of the Inspection of Machinery Act and those which were successful include seven prosecutions taken under section 16 (working machinery not adequately guarded) one under section 15 (working a lift when in charge of a boy not h 6en y earB ,° f 0116 ™ der sect]on 38 (working machinery in respect of which a certificate and * °ne under section 64 (employing an engine-driver not properly certificated and acting as engine-driver without a certificate). Staff. nf sSt 7 + 6ar r, u W l? n 'T° 1 f Invercar g il1 ' was transferred to the stag of the Senior Surveyor of Ships, Wellington. Mr S. N. Johnston was transferred from Wellington to the position of Senior Inspector of Machinery and Senior Surveyor of Ships, Christchurch. Mr. Lidgett, of Hamilton, resigned Mr T P V ' artm ' J ns Peotor of Machinery, Queensland, was appointed to fill the vacancy. M M +? fcransfe 7 6 / °m Auckland to Greymouth to have charge of the West Coast district. Mr. Mowatt was transferred from Greymouth to Invercargill. Mr. Parker whose appointment was Zl; J, f ? ar co l nmenc ® d d ! l t 6S at Wellington on the Ist April. Mr. Townsend assumed the position of Senior Inspector of Machinery and Senior Surveyor of Ships, Auckland, at the end of Wellingtoif H ' appointed Ins P ect °r of Machinery and Surveyor of Ships, n/r Arrangements were made for pending transfers arising out of the retirement early in 1937-38 of Mr. 1). .Bell, Inspector of Machinery and Surveyor of Ships, Dunedin. Examinations of Land Engineers, Engine-drivers, and Electric Tram-drivers. These examinations were held at the various offices of the Inspectors of Machinery throughout the Dominion at the regular intervals provided for in the regulations. In addition, a few special examinations were granted, but the holding of special examinations is not encouraged, as it is considered that the regular examinations are of sufficient frequency, and except in very exceptional circumstances candidates are expected to arrange that they may attend the scheduled examinations. _ the tull list of places where the examinations were held is shown in an appended return, as also is the number of candidates examined at each place. The classes of certificates for which examinations were nela were :— Extra First-class Stationary Engineer. First-class Engine-driver. Second-clans Engine-driver. Steam-winding-engine Driver. Electric-winding-engine Driver. Locomotive-engine Driver. Traction-engine Driver. Locomotive and Traction Engine Driver. Electric-tram Driver. Electric-tram Driver (One-man car). U* The total number of candidates examined was 565. Of this number, 420 were successful and includesl2oV exa 7 natl ° n , s - Fom hundred and eighty-three certificates were issued, which includes 420 to successful candidates m their examinations, the remainder being replacements and issues under the provisions of sections 53, 59, and 62 of the Inspection of Machinery Act, 1928,.

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