Denver labor bulletin., 1918-01-12

Medical Department.
During the last fiscal year the Med
ical Departments of the Industrial Ac-
cident Commission and the State Com
pensation Insurance Fund were sep
arated. There were 529 formal opin-
ions rendered in the San Francisco of
flee and 80 in the Los Angeles office.
These figures do not include the
greater number of informal and per
medical examiners appointed by the
medical director in San Francisco and
$50 by the assistant medical director
in Los Angeles. The acceptance of
industrial injury cases by poorly
equipped medical men is deplored and
contract practice" is condemned. A
plea is made for skilled surgery as not
only the best, but also the cheapest for
all concerned.
State Insurance
The continued success of the State
Compensation Insurance Fund is re-
ferred to with pride by the commits
sion. The state insurance commits
sioner now has more power in super
vising companies writing compensa-
ton insurance. A law requires that
companies deposit surety bonds or Sc
curities with the state treasurer to an
amount not less than the loss reserve.
When it was proposed to increase
compensation insurance rates to Cali
fornia employers approximately 81 per
cent, the commission attempted un-
successfully, to have the law amended
so the State Compensation Insurance
Fund could make Independent rates
based upon its lower operating cost.
The Fund has, under the law, to con-
tinue to charge the minimum rate ap-
proved by the insurance commissioner,
but the excess will be returned to the
policyholders in dividends.
The Fund is now doing about % per
cent of the total compensation bust
ness transacted in California and near
lv three times the business done by
its nearest competitor. The Funds
business in 1917 shows an increase of
approximately 40 per cent over the
previous year, and will exceed 81 ,250,-
900. The sum of S26S ,20S.27 has been
paid in refunds to policyholders at date
of this report.
Efforts To Prevent Injuries.
The Safety Department reports the
passage by the 1917 Legislature of bills
providing for the inspection and safe
operation of elevators and boilers. The
Industrial Accident Commission is
vested with power to make inspections
and to issue competency certificates.
Boiler safety orders became effect
i've on January l, 1917. Committees
of employers and employees and the
commissions engineers were engaged
during the year in preparing safety
orders for window cleaning, trench
construction, air pressure tanks, cleo
trical utilization, logging and sawmill
operations. After public hearings,
these safety orders became effective
on January /, 1917, excepting the
safety orders for logging and sawmill
operations, which became effective on
March Is, 1917.
An exhibit of safety devices was in
stalled at the State Fair in Sacra-
mento during September, 1916.
The California Safety News" was
published in January, 1917, and has
been issued monthly since that time
Its columns are replete with safety in
formation, appropriately illustrated,
and the cause of Safety First" has
been advanced as the result Of the
publication.
The commission had a representa-
tive at the Pacific Logging Congress
at Portland, Oregon, in October, 1916.
The invitation to be represented was
founded on a desire to extend safety
activities to the neighboring states of
the racine coast.
The Safety Department inspected
! ,242 places Of employment during the
year. There were 58,97S employees in
these establishments. In addition,
there were made 702 boiler inspec-
tions, 563 inspections of air pressure
tanks, and 800 elevator inspections.
Approximately 5000 insurance inspec-
tions of elevators were handled and
600 elevator plans for new installa-
tions checked up.
The formation of shop committees
was continually urged. All sources of
publicity were utilized and the Safety
Department reports a continuance of
the fullest cooperation on the part of
CALIFORNIA; employers and employees.
The Mining Division was carried on
in cooperation with the Federal gov
ernment, mining engineer of the U.
S. Bureau of Mines continuing to head
the division Practically all the oper-
ating mines, gold dredges, quarries
and construction tunnels in the state
were carefully inspected at least once
during the year. The safety require
mcnts affected the safety Of about 49,
500 men.
Investigations and reports were
made of 3S mine, mill, quarry, dredge
and construction tunnel accidents,
one to seven men. Complaints to the
number of q were received concern
ing alleged unsafe mine conditions.
They were carefully investigated.
Membership in the Safety Bear club
of the miners of the state increased
to 5000.
u. S. Mine Rescue Car No. l visited
mines in the state and gave training
to employees in mine rescue and first
aid work This car operates in Utah,
Nevada and Ca1ifornia