El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-01
Safety First" Idea Grows
Big Corporations and Men Who Work
For Them United in Promoting
Safety Campaigns.
- By l. rcdePic J. HasE<fu-
BY L rederie J. Has<in-
II AsHINGToN D. C., Sept. l.

| will be eliminated from the mine or
from the great manufacturing plant
! But 1t is possible greatly to reduce
/ the number of accidents and to elimi-
! nate entirely those that are preVenta-
| bic, or that are the result of careless
! methods or faulty machinery.
The mining industry has caused the
| greatest number Of fatal accidents, as
! well as serious injuries. The mining
J operators realize this fact. Last year
| the American Mine Safety association
/ was organized, which will hold it's
! second meeting in Pittsburg on Sep
! TENDER p. At this meeting all of the
! great mining companies of the coun-
7 try will be represented. The object
I of the organization is to increase the
safety of mines, especially coal mines
| by taking every possible precaution to
1 prevent accidents and to provide for the
promptest possible rescue of miners
from a mine in which an accident oc-
ours
Safety for Steel workers.
One Of the most thoroughly organ
lied safety systems in the world is now
! in operation by the United States
branches of this great trust had been
attempting to lessen the number of
accidents for several years The cor
poration itself had a liberal system of
compensation for accidents, but the
work was not systematized. A COM
vided to organize a harmonious safety.
scheme. The members are selected from
the different departments and suffi-
clint funds are provided to carry out
the plans suggested. The committee
has spent over S., 900, 900 since its or
ganiZation. but it has reduced the num-
Der of accidents 43 per cent This
means $500 fewer accidents and
saving to the community Of at least
Campaign of Education Is On.
Care upon the part of the WOrkmen
is essential to the success of every
safety movement A campaign of ed
ucat1On along this line is being con-
Quoted in almost every great Industrial
plant. Lectures are given the men and
demonstrations of the dangers to be
avoided in various parts of the works
are frequent. Notices are printed
walls and in every available place. In
some plants these are changed fire.
Quently- Among the most practical
are: Remember; it is better to cause
delay than an accident" The pre-
vention OF accidents and injuries by
all possible means, is a personal duty
which everyone owes not to himself
alone, but to his fellow Workmen-"
Let every employe be a committee of
one, to prevent some one accident.
Look out for the other man; you might
hurt him" 'sForemen, carelessness is
dangerous; If Workmen insist upon be-
ing careless, discharge them"
In large shops much of the machin-
cry is operated by electric power. So
far as possible the electric wires are
covered, but wherever the slightest
danger of shock is possible a large sign
is displayed One of those much used
is startling enough to be understood
by the most illiterate, foreign work
men, It includes a skull and cross
bones, q clenched hand from which
radiate flames and, between them, the
word, ~elektrika." In some shops this
sign is kept Illuminated by electricity.
The electric illumination over some OF
the entrance gates to the works of the
American Steel Corporation has taken
the form Of the following sentences:
Work for safety.
Think for Safety.
Talk for Safety.
Boost for Safety
Device Which Saves Many
One of the devices which checks
many accidents permits a workman
caught in the machinery instantly to
stop the wheel A wire is stretched
within easy reach, which is connected
with the switches. This enables the
man whose finger or clothing gets
caught in a wheel or cog to stop the
machinery by single jerk of the ell
bow. The invention has already saved
the loss Of many arms and legs.
The United States Bureau of Mines
is entitled to much credit in original
extending into every industry This
bureau, created by congress in 1910,
has originated many of the safety de-
vices now being introduced into the
different mines. 1t conducts an ex-
perimentai mine in Pennsylvania for
the purpose Of testing new methods
and machinery for coal mining, de-
signed to lessen the risk to the miners
Safety explosives have been the sub
ject of special Investigation Over TO-
Of Il -,
alyZing the explosives submitted for
examination.
Has Six Rescue Stations.
The bureau of mines has six rescue
stations located in the parts of the
country where mining accidents are
most likely to occur. 1t has also
eight rescue cars which may be sent
promptly to the scene Of any mining
disaster at the stations and also on
board the cars, mine safety lectures
are delivered and instruction in res
cue and first-aid work given to miners
who desire to take them
Each OF the mine rescue cars con-
tains eight oxygen helmets, a dozen |
safety lamps, a field telephone with
1000 feet of steel wire. a cOllapsible
steel mine cage, pulmotor, and a
generous outfit Of the bandages and |
other appliances used in first-afd-to- |
the-injured work, Each car has had a |
regular itinerary, a stopping at diff
ferent mines and demonstrating its APP
paratus As a result most of the |
larger mines have within a few months |
installed modern rescue apparatus of |
their own. A crew of men, selected |
from volunteers among the miners, IS !
trained by government experts in the I
operation Of the apparatus.
Some features of the training are /
difficult and most uncomfortable for /
the men. taking it, yet they gladly !
undergo the unpleasantness for the |
sake of the rescues it will enable I
them to make. One end of the car is !
fitted up as an air-tight room to be 4
used in training the men in the use /
of the oxygen helmet. This room is I
filled with noxious gases. The min /
ers wearing the helmets remain in it 4
two hours in an atmosphere that with |
out the helmets would kill them Wear /
ing these helmets. a crew can enter /
a mine Immediately after an eXplo-
sion and rescue miners who would be |
past help if they waited for the gases (
following the explosion to clear. The /
helmets were instrumental in resculng /
20 men who otherwise would have
persisted in the Cherry mine disaster
The pulmOter is almost as important
as the helmet in mine disasters II
provides artificial respiration for those
who have become so overcome with
gas as to be incapable of breathing
This instrument was intro