Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-02
TAKE MANY CHANCES
Workmen Ignore the PeriIs of
Machinery.
RUN RISKS TO SAVE TIME
Report on installation of Safety
Devices.
EVER vIGILANT FOR DANGER
Experience of D. S. Dyer, Chief In
spector of American Steel
and Wire Company.
EVER vIGILANT FOR DANGER

y report has been contributed to the
Smithsonian annual by David 5. Dyer.
chief inspector of the American Steel and
Wire Company, on the safety appliances
used by the United states Steel Corpora
ton. Mr.. Dyer does not take any high
moral ground on the system of protect
ing the worknen, but simply says it is
a business arrangement that pays and
that the details Of the work are valuable
as giving the men more OF a personal in
terest in the maintenance OF safety de-
vices.
The report also gives some instances
of accidents that did happen and that
might have happened in connection with
the various plants, showing that there
was no such thing possible as giving
fair average of accidents.
Mr. Dyer says that the inspection work
Of the steel corporation has grown I'M
mensely in recent years. but that the
problems of protection are so varied in
tho different plants that the safety sys-
lem is largely autonomous. There are
general inspectors Of safety appliances
for the whole company. but in addition
there are individual inspectors for each
plant. These are supplemented by two
organizations in each plant, one fore
mems inspection committee and the other
"a workmens inspection committee.
Human Element Most Troublesome.
The foreman and the workmen are
both familiar with the local conditions
and the workmen frequently can point
out needed safety appliances that would
escape the eye of an outsider. At the
same time 1t is with the human ele-
ment among the men that the company
finds the most trouble. Men familiar
with machinery grow callous to it's
nv,1 MON N n
at are entirely unnecessary.
Mr. Dyer tells of visiting one wire
plant where there had been serious
accident to a wire drawer through
hot rod driving through wire screen
One of the workmen taking the inspec-
tor to the scene of the accident thread
ed his way among maze OF pipes
where hot rods were travelling at the
have avoided this danger spot by
short detour but did not and apologlZed
to Mr.. Dyer for hurrying him along, as
he said that sometimes one or the rous
would Jump from a pipe.
Nearly all of the steam plants have
governors on the steam engines so that
the engine cannot race and cause the
ny wheel to explode Yet in ten out OF
had put the governors out of commits
sion, their excuse being that no accl-
dent from this cause had ever occurred
yet"
Work of Safety Committees.
The work of the safety committees con-
sists in protecting every part OF the ma
chinery that can be protected and seeing
that other workmen leave the protective
devices in place. On nearly all the iathes
gears are now housed in what would have
been left exposed ten years ago. fianer
beds are hooded, stairways arranged to
reach cutoff valves among the steam
pipes and electric cranes are provided not
only with foot boards for the men TO walk
warning brushes" carried in front OF
the crane itself to shove foot or hand
out Of the way If a workman has 1t III
the track Of the advancing crane:
One instance is given showing how the
rules Of chance govern accidents. MT.
Dyer says he was talking with the chief
electrician of one plant and found that
some of the electric cranes were equipped
with safety brushes and others were not
The electrician promised TO supply tne
omission las soon as possible. Before
the installation could be made. however,
a workman had his arm cut of by one OF
the unprotected cranes, an accident that
would have been practically Impossible
had brush been installed.
One of the common safety devices is a
push button by which machine can be
stopped instantly instead OF going clear
to the enoine and cutting OF the power.
There was one plant where there were no
such buttons. and mechanically il was
ra-Eer difhcult to install them.
\ system was finally devised. however,
a-d within week after il was installed
q rorkman was caught by the clothes in
- { the machines. He was being drawn
u " at would have been certain
...fi 81 - = fe IpW-workman showed the
o.. and stopped the machine. Had
t:,. u~h but on not been there the work
ee would have had 10 go to the base
to cut off the power and then 1t
would ave been too late.