The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-09-02
EFFICIENTLY OF LABOR
IN MINING OPERATIONS
A PRACTICAL DISCUSSION OF UN-
DEReRoUND PROBLEMS AND
SOLUTION.

By Arthur l.. Murray. surgeon u. s
Bureau of Mines. Safety Division
During recent months much criti-
cism as to the efficiency of mine labor
has been heard from various sections
of the country. No doubt much oil
this criticism has been we'll founded
The present lack of efficiency and OF
stability is due primarily to a spirit OF
restlessness and partial irresponsible
ity engendered during the transition
from war conditions to peace time con-
ditions. This spirit or unrest not only
among the laboring classes but in
every branch of the human family fol-
lowing a period of intense nervous
tension in a nation appears to be a
natural sequence of war and beyond
the control of man. This condition
will gradually disappear, and the ma
jority of our people will again assume
their natural order of living. but la
Dor will for a considerable period be
sensitive to these influences, whether
they be eXerted for good or for evil
Employers of labor should take cog
nizance of this fact and bend every
effort towards the development of
measures that promote efficiency and
permanence of the working force
Labor efficiency depends upon many
and varied factors. Some of these
factors as applied to mine labor are
briefly enumerated in the following
paragraphs:
Selection and Placement of Man
Power.
In the selection of men the two
main considerations are physical abil-
ity and adaptability The laws of
mechanics should be applied in the
selection of men as in the selection OF
machinery If a machine is required
for a certain class of work, the type
of machine known to be mechanically
fit for such work is selected. Like
wise, men should be selected with re-
gard to their physical and tempera-
mental fitness for the kind of work ex-
pected of them
Every man employed by a mining
company should be given a physical
examination before employment Such |
an examination will furnish an index
by which the men may be placed in |
positions where they can do the work |
they are physically capable Of The |
employer and the employee are there
by mutually protected. Men with
known or unknown physical defects
that are not facilitating may, through
being placed at work which exerts a
particular strain on the parts affected,
become temporarily or permanently
debilitated. In many instances the
employer has to pay compensation,
which would have been avoided had
these men been placed at work not
conducive to aggravating the original
defects.
Records kept of pre- employment
physical examinations by firms en-
ploying large numbers of men show !
very low rejection rate. The physical
defects found are often subject to cor
rectiOn and the friendly advice given
by examining physicians when taken
advantage of. frequently leads to the Z
restoration of normal physical condi- Z
ton. The reports of one large corpor-
alton employing thousands of men ,
show that on original examination z
per cent of those applying for work '
were found physically unfit but by ?
simple operations or other corrective +
measures rs per cent of those rejected
on original examination were sufi- Z
GENTLY restored to normal to warrant i,
their employment thus the total net q
reflections amounted to less than two q
per cent of all those applying for work h
Utah Hosting Engineers Examined.
Recently the writer of this paper 8
had occasion to pass upon the physi- i,
cal examination of metal mine hoist l.
ing engineers applying for certificates c
in the state of Utah. Among the fl
applicants the examina-
tons showed twenty cases with defec- =
tive vision, three cases with hernia, =,
four cases with minor deformities of
the limbs and two cases with consti-
tutional diseases but only two of the o
applicants were rejected. All the other
cases through simple treatment or Il
fitted glasses or trusses were {
reclaimed so as to safely m
follow their calling. p
Many men are wrongly placed at y,
work for which they are not fitted 81
through previous training or employ
nent. By carefully carding at the time
If employment the lines of work with A
which a man is familiar and has had b
experience. a permanent record of the -
working force is always at hand. The +,
original placing of the men employed Iii
an be governed by their past expert 81
nee as shown by their card records. n n
Also. if at any time men for a special H
inc of work are required. the card in Jo
lex may afford an opportunity to To- Jo
a0e the men neeueu aiming lie niiHo JU
orce. Ju
So far as possible men should be Sc X
,o+oa Co.. .hoir ..ohili4,, E.ao,,o,,+ Ii
~ LC
aDor turnover is cosby IN many ways LIE
he cost of breaking new men in, the NJ
isrunting of mine crews tbe increas- NJ
!, I,. - = .--,.-- -, -, NJ
oiiioe WIN VI Openins anu oiosi"s Nj