The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-04-29
MANUFACTURERS CARELESS
Long Exemption from Accidents Cause
Men in Industrial Lines to Fail in
Doing Their Part to Safe Guard the
Machinery Against Accidents.

"While inspecting woodworking
plant Wisconsin industrial commits
sion deputy found square headed
jointer. He ordered the installation
of a safety head The owner said:
4 have no employees; this plant belongs
to me and my brother and no one else
is allowed to use this jointer. 1t
has been in just that condition for over
twenty years, and neither of us has re-
ceived a scratch from it. We will
not install circular head until we
have to-
In less than ten days after this
conversation this same man was caught
in the jointer knives, and four fingers
were cut off. He then complained be-
cause the deputy had not forced him to
employ round head Immediately.
This is only one Of several instances
related in new pamphlet issued by
the Wisconsin industrial commission
under the title Wisconsin IS Move
ment for Industrial Safety"
The pamphlet is issued in response to
a growing demand for information
about the state IS work in the reduction
of industrial accidents. The bulletin
not only relates the results of the
safety campaign which began in 1911,
but goes into the philosophy and theory
behind the Wisconsin safety move
ment. The subject is not treated ex-
clusively from Wisconsin standpoint,
but is looked at in its national spirit.
Quotations from prominent writer's on
the subject are scattered through the
sixteen pages of the pamphlet.
During the year 1914" says the
bulletin, "about twelve thousand acct
dents causing disability of more than
one week occurred in the ten thousand
factories and workshops of Wisconsin
Tn this one year one hundred and sixty
three men were killed. The toll Of
industry upon human lives, human re-
sources and happiness is appalling.
Our problem is to reduce the losses and
suffering due to accidents. The size of
the establishment or the nature of the
industry is Of little significance. All
factories may cause accidents. The
hazard differs only in degree. To pro-
tect our workmen, each place and each
danger point in each place must be
safeguarded. The single unguarded
belt of thousand may be the cause Of
manning or killing man; the fact that
an unguarded set screw has not caused
a single injury during a hundred years
is no security that it will never entan-
gle the clothes of an unfortunate vic
tim, wind him around the shaft and add
one more to the list of fatal accidents
"To the factory owner who has been
in business twenty years and has never
had an accident on that harmless lit
tie gear, an order to guard it seems
ridiculous and absurd. But during the
past year those same little gears killed
one man, caused two men to lose a
hand, five to lose an arm, one to lose
foot, thirty Five to lose fingers, and in
jured seventy-three less seriously.
" Many of the large employers have
adopted proper means of educating
their employees and instructing them in
accident prevention. The education of
Misunderstanding them to be care
full, and arousing their interest in the
safety movement-has achieved mar
Vicious results. 1t has brought about
great reductions of accident wherever
employed. One manufacturer in Wis
consin reduced his accidents seventy
five per cent the first year, and two
thirds of this reduction he attributes
directly to the educating of his men.
Reductions ranging from thirty per
cent to sixty per cent experienced dur
ing the first few years of safety work,
are common
The bulletin tells in detail the
methods of shop organization for the
prevention of accidents and gives
figures showing the gratifying results
obtained from such organizations.