The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-03-21
Mine-Accident Statistics

The current isue of the Engineering and Mining Journal contains
the following interesting editorial upon Mine Accident Statistics:
1T would not be far wrong to designate Technical Paper No. OF
as the best publication the Bureau OF Mines has issued. Whatever views
one MAJ hold o the proprtty anu desirabfity OF the bureau entering
the metalurgical field, no risht-mnded citizen can object to its efforts
to promote safety and health underground. To collect statistics of &C
cidens to formulate rules and regulations, to distribute information and
urge The adoption of safety methods, is empfaicaIy the business OF the
government and the most legitimate function OF its mining department
"Thi, technical paper, by Albert H. Fay. Is similar to the cor
responding publication covering 1911. but is better. The method Of
treatment and certain topographic features mark an improvement. The
most gratifying change IS the presentation OF accident rates calculated to
the 3oo-day basis. This is a distinct step in advance. The old method
of calculating rates penaized the constant running mines at the ex.
rense OF those worked nterniuendy. Suppose a mine reported 1000
employees and had one accident. but closed down in June after $50 days
of work. On the old basis, this would appear as an accident rate OF l.
Another property with the same number OF employees worked all year
300 DAYS, and had two deaths. The accident rate would appear IS Z,
yet the second property had the same number OF men exposed to risk
for twice the time. On the soo-day basis. the number of employees of
the first property is reduced to 500 so that its death rate appears Is ?
Obviously. this is as it should be. The accident rate thus calculated is
i'll effect based on 100000 shifts OF work. Many OF the tables in this
paper, however, are still calculated on the old basis; " e suggest that
once the w method becomes well understood, the old system might be
wholly discarded with a considerable gain III CearneSS of conception and
value of figures.
The accuracy OF accident and death figures is still far from what
it should be. Not only must the 100000 man-shit basis be adopted, but
greater uniformity is necessary in ascertainine the number of men en-
ployed. This number should be the daily average at work, not the pay
roll average. If the operator could be induced t report the number of
individual days wages paid, the exact number OF man-shifs would then
be had at once.
"Futhcrmore. a better criterion OF the risk existing and the degree
of safety obtained should be had. 1t is, usual now to use the death rates
in comparing year with year, or district with district, and this is the best
criterion available. 1t is far from ideal, however. Certain injuries are
or serious than a death. a mar losing two members, or both eyes.
not only usually leaves his family without support, but becomes himself
a drain on the community. \ better criterion would be had by COM
bining all deaths and other injuries into one figure, each weighted &C
cording to its seriousness. Thus, if a death were assumed as having an
importance OF I, the loss of both legs would be weighted, say at IS the
loss of one leg might be O5; OF a hand, might be o.. With these
weighted figures added, and their sum divided by the total number of
man-shits worked, and multiplied by 100000, the result would be a rate
susceptible of much closer comparison than the rough and ready figures
now available. The exact weighing of each class of accident would re-
qure working out. A genera, but excellent guide, would be the amount
of compensation laws.
Other questions require Qualification. What constitutes a death in
the statistical classification: Suppose a man dies from a injury after a
year " more, is it to be classed as a death or an injury and if a death,
to what year it is to be assigned? Suppose a man dies from blood poison
ing following a cut of minor importance? The division of accidents into
Slight and serious has always been everywhere both arbitrary and vague.
Division on the basis OF inCapacity lasting more than a week, or two or
three, is far from satisfactory. More detailed classification is desirable.
The most serious accidents, as stated. are more serious than deaths. The
Bureau of Mines is more competent than anybody else to introduce these
reforms into the handling OF nine accident statistics and could do no
more useful work.
1T is a pleasure to record on the basis of this report that the
"safety-hrst' campaign is at last bearing fruit. The death rate for 1917
III the metal mines OF this country was AS, reduced to the 5oo-day
basis; in 1912 it was 400 Figured on the same basis, the coal minc
rate for 1911 was 500 and for 1912, $50. Substantial gains like these
are gratifying, but how far we have vet to 90 before attaining the figure
of IS to :, which prevails in Australia!