The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-17
Gearing of Certain Machinery At Steel Plant Now Cop-
 cred By Shields
ILlUSTRAT ONS SEEN IN
 Ac(OMP. NY NJ PLATES
iron Gratings Placed in Floor of Cast House at Blast Furnace to Pre- vent Any One From FaII-
 ing ThreuEh.

In recent issue of The Age-Herald views of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company's Red mountain section were presented showing important fea- lures of the welfare work with which the company Is now concerned;' and today, on this page and the next, some H. lustrations of the Ensley section are given. Along with the rebuilding of the blast furnaces and the great steel plant the Tennessee company has introduced many devices for safeguarding life and limb. All large and progressive operating companies nre devoting almost as much attention to the class of work referred to as they are to new and improved con struction itself, and the Tennessee corn- pany Is keeping well abreast of the times in this respect as in all others. Workers in metals have always en- countered a certain element of danger and in the very nature of things the time will never come when this clement will | membered what vast army of wage earners find employment In mines. fur naces and mills the wonder is that fatal accidents have not been more numerous But as few as the accidents have been. I comparatively speaking. it is felt by ths officials of the big iron and steel con,- panies that no effort should be spared to minimize all human risks in their operations.
 At the Ensley furnaces and steel plant the best modern safeguard ing methods are in evidence. Plate No 1 on this page gives a view of the cast house at No. blast fur mace, where iron gratines have been placed in the floor for the purpose of pre- venting employees from falling through. As can be readily understood. railings at these points would be objectionable. for in case of accident the men could not quick l ly and safely run away. The placing of | vertical stands over the square openings
 
 any one breaking leg by putting his foot in the hole.
 Plate No f. showing the method of blocking guard rails used in the yards of the Tennessee company and the Birming ham Southern railway, will interest a great many people This blocking device should prevent employees and other per sons from getting their feet caught be- tween the guard rail and track and thus make practically impossible those acci- dents that often occur from the absence of such device.
 At the Ensley steel plant shields have been placed over gearing wherever feasi- ble and what might strike visitor with especial interest is the safeguarding de- vice seen in view No. 5, which presents the method of shielding the hot saws required to run at a very high speed, and which are used for cutting rails into spec flied lengths
 | Plate No 6 shows the unprotected wheels Of the bandsaw, located in the template shop, while plate No. 2 shows how the bandsaw wheels can be well pro- tected so as to prevent injury to em- ployes should the saw happen to break. | These and the other cuts in this sec 1 ton will help to give the public some idea of what the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company is doing in the way of bettering the condition of It's operatives. Il,t these safeguarding devices like the work | men thernse1yAe