The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-29
FINANCIAL LOSS FROM
ACCIDENTS

The Pennsylvania Department of La
Dor and Industry has recently made
public the results obtained from the
which were received by that Depart.
ment during 1914. During that year,
there were reported to the Department
49, ,l26 accidents, of which 219 were
fatal, and approximately $4,000 were
of minor seriousness, This, however,
does not represent all of the accidents
which have occurred in this State dur
ing the past year, as accidents which
occasion loss of time of less than two
days were not reported, and also does
not include those accidents which are
reported to the Department of Mines or
to the Public Service Commission.
A study of the data given by these
reports shows that $1,04S,503.96 in
wages were lost by the employees as a
result of these industrial accidents
This does not represent the total loss
due to accidents, as it does not include
the loss to the employers. Whenever
an accident occurs, considerable time
is lost by all the members of that shop
or department, due to the excitement
of the accident itself. 1t is also neces-
sary to replace the injured person, who
may be skilled in his particular line,
by some one who is less experienced
In this way, the organization of the es-
tablishment is disrupted, production is
lessened, and costs are increased. Many
manufacturers claim that the monetary
loss to the industry is almost rs great
as that to the injured man himself.
Accordingly, it may justly be as
sumed that industrial accidents cause a
loss of over two million dollars yearly
in this State.
The total number of days lost by the
injured persons was 426,S24. This
represents an average loss of time for
each person injured of approximately
IL days. The reports reveal the fact
that 64,076 persons were actually de-
pendent upon the wage.earners injured
for their livelihood; so that, in real
ity, the income of 100000 persons was
temporarily affected by these reported
accidents. In other words, one person
out of every n living in this Common
wealth has been directly affected by
these accidents. To what extent other
people are affected by these and ordi-
nary accidents occurring daily, is in
calculable.
A study of accident prevention
work by the Department has disclosed
the fact that approximately so per
cent. of accidents can be avoided, if
accident prevention campaigns are
inaugurated. Accordingly, during the
past year, the Department has en-
deavored to see that all dangerous
places are guarded and that all dan.
gerous conditions are. corrected.
Some of the more important things
which have been accomplished during
the year by the Inspectors of the De-
partment may be briefly summarized as
follows:
Instructions were given for the re-
moval of approximately 5000 set
screws; for the installation of approx
mately $4,000 guards for the install
lation of approximately 400 toilets;
for the installation of approximately
275 dressing rooms for women; ap-
proXimately 5000 instructions we're is
sued regarding sanitation. In all, over
$4,000 inspections were made in vari
Gus establishments throughout the
State, and the improvements and cor
reetions as a result of these inspections
surely will prove of great value for the
coming year:
During the past year the Industrial
Board has been extremely busy form
ulating standard rules and regulations
concerning the guarding of machinery
and all dangerous places. On February
l the following standards became eff
fective:
No. Power transmission machin-
cry.
No. 2-Standard ratings and toe
boards.
No. S-Stationary steam engines.
No. machine tools.
No. 5-Forging, stamping and shear
ing machinery.
No. 6-Polishing and grinding ma
chinery, including blowers and ex-
hausters for the same.
No. 7-Compressed air apparatus.
No. S-Wood working machinery.
No. 9-On February Is, standards
relating to bakeshops also became OPP
erative.
These standards have been prepared