Evening star., 1945-11-20
Truman Urges
j. Agenciesto
Lead in Safety
Council Begins Work
On Problem to Cut
OccupotionoI Injuries

The Federal Interdepartmental
Safety Council today tackled the
occupational injury problem, esti-
mated to have cost the Government
$3.50, 100000 in the last five years,
after hearing message from Presi-
dent Truman urge the Federal Gov
eminent to lead, not lag" in en-
ploye safety.
Mr.. Truman advised the council,
which held its autumn meeting in
the Interior Department auditorium
today, that the Governments safety
record during the last year did not
compare favorably with that of pri-
vate industrial leaders.
Average on-the-job accidents in
Federal Government agencies dur
ing the year, the President said.
were l0.9 per million man hours
worked.
President Quotes Statistics.
On the other hand, he said, these
companies reported the following
records in the same period:
Westinghouse Electric, so; Gen.
eral Motors, Al; United States Steel,
80; Bell Telephone, 3.3, and Dupont,
IA.
These records were made, MrS
Iruman's message pointed out, ''in
hazardous activities with greatly
expanded operations, inexperienced
workers and unprecedented pressure
for high production"
Mr.. Truman said that during
1914 a total of 900 Federal en-
ployes suffered disabling injuries on
the job. TIT of which were fatal.
The cost in claims and medical care
reached $13,500,000.
But even greater he said, "is
the loss in human suffering and
lowered efficiency"
Indirect Loss Revealed.
In addition to the direct costs
OF accidents were indirect costs
which amounted to loss by the Gov
ernment of an additional S54 900 900.
Mr.. Truman said, however, that
while the Government, as whole,
laes behind leading industries in
accident prevention, there are Ger
tain Government activities which
have shown improvement. Foremost
OF these, he said. is the Rock Island
tIllD Arsenal, which, cit it's accident
frequency rate from ITO in 1910 to
3.6 in 1874; the Mare Island Navy
Yard, San Francisco, which cut its
rate from AS to TT; the Agriculture
Department, which cut its rate from
l8 to 8, and Army ports of embarka-
ton which cut theirs from 20 to 7. .
President Truman directed the
council to enlist the cooperation of
all department and agency heads to
Cooperate in compiling accident
statistics and seeking to improve
safety standards. He called on all
Government agencies to pool their
knowledge and experience to better
the Federal safety record.
Harold L. Rush, chairman of the
councils Executive Committee, said
following Mr.. Truman's message
that occupational injuries in the last
five years have cost the Government
$3.50 100000 in direct and indirect
costs. The death of a Federal en-
ploye costs $9,992, he said.
Schwellenbach Opens Farley.
Secretary of Labor Schwellenbach
opened todays meeting. There is
a popular misconception, he said,
that there are few occupational
dangers in Federal employment. He
added. that the Federal Government
actually has more industrial workers
on its payroll than any other organ
ization in this country.
In later panel discussions, Roland
p. Blake, council chairman, said the
principal reason why Government
lags behind industry in its safety
record is because heads of depart
ments and agencies do not see the
cost OF accidents reflected on their
own books. There should be some
arrangements whereby top execu-
tives would pay accident costs out
OF their own appropriations, he said.
This afternoon, following addi-
tional panel discussion on Govern
ment resources which could be used
in solving safety problems, Mai.
Gen. Archer L. Lerch, provost
marshal general, was to address the
council on How the War Depart
ment Modified for Safety"