Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-28
TO MAKE MINES SAFER
BY UN|FY|NG METHODS
Convention of Safety Associa-
ton will Be Held in Pitts
burgh in September.

The pressing need Of uniformity in mine
accident prevention and rescue work has
been brought to the attention OF mine
operators. mining engineers and mine sur
geons throughout the country. and efforts
will be made at a meeting In Pittsburgh
September %, % and "a to make moro
uniform the work in this line. The meet
ing. 1t is expected. will be attended by
mine operators and others from all parts
of the country-members Of the American
Mine Safety Association.
In 1911 1908 men were killed in the
mines and quarries of the United States
and 63 ,3O1 were injured. Those at the
conference will seek means OF prevent
record. Since the Inauguration Of the
safety first movement about five years
ago large numbers Of the mines have been
equipped with rescue crews to save lie
following disasters. and In the develop
ment of this work has grown up q con-
fusion of methods. The purpose OF this
particular meeting is to discuss the va
rious methods and decide upon the best.
To Witness an Explosion.
Tho Pittsburgh meeting will be opened
with a mine-rescue and first-aid contest
in Arsenal Park. Pittsburgh. The follow
ing day those attending the conference
will visit the experimental mine at Bruce
ton, Pa, where they will be permitted to
witness a coal dust explosion, A visit to
the experiment station Of the bureau of
mines. at Pittsburgh, has been planned
for the last day of the meeting.
In the hope of reducing the number
OF these accidents and shortening the
period of disability Of the injured"
said H. NJ. Wilson Of the bureau of
mines, lit was felt that there should
be greater uniformity in the methods
of conducting rescue operations in
mines after explosions, fires or other
disasters and to give first aid to the
injured. $50 1870 ------
have in recent years been passed IN
fifteen states, of which ten were enact
ed in the year 1911 alone. The rapid
spread of legislation compelling en-
ployers ITO care for injured workmen
clearly shows the Importance to the
employer of reducing the liabilities by
every means at his disposal. These
are of two kinds. namely, safety or pre-
ventive measures and protective or
rescue and first-aid methods.
Economy for Operators.
Mine operators now realize that it
is more expensive to restore wrecked
mines, more costly to fight damage
suits through the courts and less
profitable to pay regulated liability
charges or even workmen's compensa-
ton than it is to bear the cost involved
in reducing these charges by means of
diminishing the number of accidents
and the duration of the resulting disa-
bility by the adoption of improved
safety, rescue and first-aid methods.
Since SIS per cent of all industrial
accidents are shown by statistics to be
due to negligence. carelessness or lack
of knowledge of employers or employees
the vital necessity of learning every
thing possible about the causes and
means of preventing these accidents
must be evident to every man con-
cerned in mining. To the operators it
spells business success or failure: to
the miner, life or the physical ability
to work and support a family"