The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-11-22
GOOD ACCIDENT PREVENTION
AMENDMENT PROPOSED TO THE
INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE ACT
Would Save Much Expense to Employers and Prevent Much
Suffering BY Employees in Hazardous Industries

A Joint committee of employers
and workingmen under the Wash
ington Industrial Insurance Act, in
session at Olympia, Friday, Novem-
ber 8, unanimously decided upon the
main features of an amendment to
the law to provide for specific pre-
vention work in the different indus
tries.
" This is a good piece of news for
the people who are engaged in
the hazardous industries of the
state, for accident prevention is the
biggest feature of the industrial
insurance problem. Chairman H. L..
Hughes of the Industrial Insurance
Commission says that if the plan
outlined is adopted it will result in
reducing accidents from so to 80 per
cent, and will be the biggest thing
ever done in this State in the way
of labor legislation.
This committee, which consisted
Of seven employers and seven en-
ploees, was appointed by the Indus
trial Insurance Commission, in
pliance with a motion adopted at
special conference held in Seattle,
September 4, for the purpose of dis
cussing ways and means of accident
prevention work under the compen-
sation act. The committee met in
the senate chamber of the capitol
building early Friday afternoon and
was called to order by Chairman H.
L. Hughes of the commission, who
gave them an outline of the prob
lem from the standpoint of the COM
missions experience in dealing with
the question. The Committee was
then asked to organize by the elec-
ton of its own officers. Paul E.
Page, of the Page Lumber Co., Ea-
gle Gorge, was elected chairman,
and William Short, of Seattle, pres
idant Of the Washinfton State Fed
ertion of Labor, was made secre-
tary. Other members of the COM
mitteee present were:
Employers: E. P. Blake, Seattle,
Simpson Lopfiny Co.; ]. P. McGold-
rick, Goldrick Lumber Co., Spokane;
Clarence Parker, who represented
William Howarth, of the Everett
Pulp and Paper Co., who was un-
able to be present; Charles F. Sc
christ, Lehigh Portland Cement Co.,
Spokane; and j. f. Morgan, North
west Improvement Co., Roslyn.
Employees: Clair Covert, Aber-
deem; J. H. Voltas, Raymond; T. F.
Burns, Tacoma; L. L. Clifford, Bel
L. F. Lawrence, Spokane;
Phillips Morrison, of the Seaborn
Shipbuilding Co., and L. Persons,
of Tacoma, were unaple to attend
the committee.
The entire afternoon was spent in
discussing the various phases of the
problem, and at the night session
q unanimous agreement was reached
upon the main features that are to
be written into the bill. The COM
mittee was also unanimous in its
desire to have the bill written into
proper legal form by Hon. Harold
Preston, who wrote the original
compensation act and also the first
aid law adopted by the last legisla-
ture. Chairman Page and Secre-
tary Short were delegated to act
for the committee in aiding Mr..
Preston by presenting to him the
ideas of the committee.
Following are the features of the
proposed act as agreed upon by the
committee:
Accident Prevention
For the purpose of accident pre-
vention under the Washington Work
mems Compensation Act, there shall
be PROMULGATED by the Industrial
Insurance Department, standards of
safety covering (a) standard safe
guards for machines. mechanical de-
vices, PAGES of employment used in
the operation of plants coming with
in the scope of the workmen's COM
peasation act; (b) standards of
phyaical condition of plants and
places of hazardous employments;
(c) standards of education in safe
ty fer employees.
To this purpose the Industrial In
surance Commission shall be en-
with authority to call to-
gether committees, to consist of en-
ployers and employees in eact of
the classes under the act, whose
duty It shall, be upon proper public
hearings, to report to the commits
sion their findings for the estab-