The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-08-05
.SHTNGIE SAW
7 GUARDS ARE A
BIG SUCCESS

/ saws against the hazard OF dCCl-
dents, which have caused the loss
of fingers and hands to so many
hundreds of single sawyers IN
this State, and at the cost Of large
| sums of money to the industries for
compensation. is announced as an
accomplishment of the Safety Dlvls-
ion of the Department of Labor and
| Industries.
The manner in which this con-
structive work has been accom-
plished has been told in detail by
II. L. Hughes, State Supervisor of
Safety, in a special report to the
Director of the Department of La
Dor and Industries. The report
says:
at is with great satisfaction that
| have to report to you that at last
shingle saw guards have been dem
onstrated to be complete success
| in this state and that the Division
of Safety is now in position to
enforce the safeguarding of this
prolific source of industrial acct
dents.
From October /, 1911, to July
/, 1921, there were 1909 non-fatal
injuries, and nine fatal injuries in
the single industry of this state.
These injuries cost the Insurance
Fund 5000, 567.38, while double that
amount would not compensate the
injured men for their wage loss,
surgical and hospital expense. The
loss in disabilities resulting from
amputated fingers and hands would
| be beyond compensation from mon
tary standpoint.
"At least one-third of all this
cost was due to the injuries sus-
tanned on the single saw itself,
and the loss of one or more fin
ger has become the badge of the
industry among the single sawyers
of the state.
During all the years that the
Industrial Insurance Act has been
on the statute books of this state
there has been a persistent agita-
ton on the part of those who
had to do with its administration
for some practical means Of safe
guarding single saws. Strange as
it may seem, the men who follow
this hazardous employment were
the most strenuous opponents of a
single saw guard, and stout in
their insistence that such a guard
could not be made practical but
the propaganda for the use of
guards finally had it's effect and
during the past two or three years
quite a considerable number of the
men who follow the industry have
taken an interest in solving the
problem.
"a single mill which burned
here in Olympia about two and one
half years ago, when rebuilt, was
equipped throughout with overhead
guards on each of its main single
saws. This mill has six machines
running two shifts in each twenty
four hours, and in the two years
) and two months that the guards
have been on these saws there have
been no injuries due to accidents
! on the saws.
! I'm the meantime there have been
: three concerns in the state who
: have interested themselves in the
) manufacture of overhead guards
) for these saws. The guards have
|
objections met and overcome, until
today they are an unqualified sue
cess. Recently, upon the request
of the State Safety Division, one
guard from each of the three man.
) ufacturers was installed in one of
the large single mills at Seattle
} for the purpose of demonstrating
their relative merits and general
practicability. The saws were in
use in this mill for practically one
week previous to the days of the
official demonstration. Each of the
three guards was SO successful that
on the day of the demonstration it
was found that the sawyer in charge
OF each of the respective guards
had become the champion of that
particular guard and was ready to
defend its merits.
"A few days ago, in order to test
out suggested change in one of
these guards, we requested the To-
cal manufacturer of the same to
install one in an Olympia shingle
mill which heretofore has not used
guards. The guard was put on
machine Friday night of last week
and the inspection of it's work was
made at 10 o'clock Saturday morn
ing. 1t was found to be a COM
plete success in all respects and in
the two hours time that the shin
gle sawyer had used this guard
he had become so thoroughly i'm
| pressed with its merits that he said
he would gladly pay for the guard
himself rather than have it taken
off the machine which he was Oh
Grating.
"All objections urged heretofore
against the practicability of the
| guard have been overcome by prac-
teal demonstration. Enough guards
are already in use to prove their
merit beyond any question of doubt.
Single sawyers are rapidly COM
ing around to the new point of
view, and are accepting the guards.
which they later on give their nm
qualified endorsement. The Safety
Division, which heretofore has nro.
ceeded cautiously in the matter of
ordering these guards now feels
That 1t is on safe ground and is
IN position to proceed in a man.
ner that will shortly bring about
the complete guarding of all these
saws IN the state. The guard is not
expensive, yet at the present time
there is something of a depression
IN the single business and we will
therefore proceed in conservative
manner and cooperate with the on
orators in bringing about this i'm
nrovement in their plants with as
little hardship as is consistent with