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GENERAL HARBOUR REGULATIONS For the year ended 31 st March, 1949, 323 accidents were reported under Regulation 103 of the General Harbour Regulations. These accidents were suffered by persons engaged in the loading and unloading and repair of ships, and one of the accidents was fatal. The number of accidents for the previous year ended 31st March, 1948, was 327. The sole fatal accident reported this year was caused by a fall down a ship's hold. The following is an analysis of the waterfront accidents and their causes : Handling goods .. .. .. .. .. 90 Persons slipping or falling .. .. . . .. 56 Persons struck by swinging or falling loads .. .. 92 Persons stepping on or striking fixed objects .. .. 22 Contact with power-driven machinery .. .. .. 2 Failure of gear .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Not otherwise classified .. .. .. .. .. 45 Total .. .. .. .. .. 323 The General Harbour (Safe Working Load) Regulations 1935 have been amended this year to take powers to require that cargo gear and lifting machinery which has not been inspected by a proper authority during the twelve months preceding the arrival of a ship at a New Zealand port shall be examined by a Surveyor of Ships and shall not be used until he is satisfied that such cargo gear and lifting machinery is in good condition. The principal regulations have also been amended to require preventer guys to be fitted to the derricks in certain cases. The purpose of this amendment is to reduce the risk of injury to persons in the vicinity of cargo gear in the event of guy tackle carrying away during cargo-working operations. The General Harbour Regulations have also been amended in Amendment No. 5 in respect of reducing the existing hazards associated with the loading and discharge of dangerous inflammable and explosive goods carried by sea. Also where a top hatchway of an overseas, ship exceeds 125 lb. in weight such cover shall be lifted by winch or crane or other mechanical means. Additional provisions in the amendment of the General Harbour Regulations give control of certain lifting-gear used in ship-repair work to ensure that such lifting-gear will be sufficient in design and construction and will be maintained in a,safe condition. All of the provisions of Amendment No. 5 of the General Harbour Regulations were authorized by Order in Council upon the recommendations of the Marine Department, which were based on agreements reached by informal conference between the principal parties concerned. EXAMINATION OF LAND ENGINEERS, ENGINE-DRIVERS, CABLE-TRAM DRIVERS, AND ELECTRIC-TRAM DRIVERS Examinations for certificates issued under the Inspection of Machinery Act, 1928, were conducted at intervals during the year by Inspectors of Machinery throughout the country. For the year ended 31st March, 1949, the candidates who presented themselves for examination totalled 626 ; of these, 520 passed and 106 failed, as compared with 509 successful candidates and 42 failures of the previous year. The total number of the candidates who presented themselves for examination during 1948-49 was 621.

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