Small committees are also to be appointed to discuss and report on the following points :

1. Speed Frames. The fencing of bobbin skew gears and

lifter racks.

2. Self-acting Mules. The provision of creel platforms, the fencing and maintenance of mule driving straps and the provision of stang locks.

3. Cleaning of Machinery in Motion.

The Conference in the weaving section had not, at the end of the year, advanced beyond the preliminary stage and suggestions for the agenda from the Operatives' Association were under consideration.

It is the intention also that this Committee shall remain as a Standing Committee and meet-say-every six months to review the accidents which have occurred during the previous six months.

Arrangements have also been made for a renewal of similar conferences in the Woollen Industry, but these had not got beyond their preliminary stage at the end of the year.

Similarly Mr. Rogers (W. Division) has been in touch with the Tin-plate Trade and his discussions with them have resulted in the Tin-plate Manufacturers Association becoming subscribers to the National "Safety First " Association. They have also issued to their members a circular recommending them to establish Safety First" organisations in their individual works and in particular to keep special record of their accidents and to tabulate them on a "frequency" and "severity" basis.

Again, Mr. Brown (Scotland Division) has been in touch with representatives of both employers and operatives in the Light Castings Industry in Falkirk, Mr. Buchan (N.W. Division) with the Chemical Industry in his area, and Mr. Stevenson Taylor (S. Division) with the Chair Industry in High Wycombe.

It is interesting to review from time to time the effect of these Trade Agreements though it is often difficult to measure their actual results. An Agreement was made in 1914, with representatives of the Cotton Printing, Bleaching and Dyeing Industry and Mr. May (E. Lancs. Division) and Mr. Buchan (N.W. Division) have furnished the following report :

Special attention was paid to this class of accidents arising in this industry, and careful inspection made in order to ascertain the extent of compliance with the Trade Agreement reached in 1914. Large numbers of places have been thoroughly inspected, the whole ground having been covered in several Districts. The Agreement in this Trade was not reached until just before the outbreak of War in 1914, and subsequently it was not until after things had settled down after 1918 that it began to take real effect. The reports go to show that there is now very general compliance with the Agreement.

Provision of means for stopping the millgearing is lacking in many steamdriven factories. In electrically driven works, which are on the increase, the requirement is automatically complied with. Accidents due to inadvertent starting of machinery occur mainly on plaiting machines, on which the standard locking arrangements are, perhaps, not altogether satisfactory. One of the machine makers has now devised a combined guard and locking device which is being tested at a works in the Stockport District and seems likely to meet this difficulty.

The provision of non-skid ladders is unusual and Inspectors report that suction feet have proved to be unsatisfactory. Two Inspectors state that the usual non-skid device is a man at the foot of the ladder. Particular attention has been given to the requirement that adequate safeguards shall be taken to prevent accidental admission of steam or liquor into a kier while any person is therein. Serious and sometimes fatal accidents occur in this way, and it is therefore pleasing to learn that this Clause is well observed on the whole. It seems to be a fairly general practice to insure the kiers with some Boiler Insurance Company, so that adequate examination generally follows as a matter of course. The reports of examinations are, however, not always attached to the General Register.

The requirement to fence the nips of calender and mangle bowls is well observed. Where irregularities were observed the non-compliance was not general throughout the works, but had reference to parts of individual machines.

It is satisfactory to be able to record that, on the whole, there is good compliance with the important provisions which deal with fittings, and testing of drying cylinders and the inspection of steam traps. In certain cases the absence of reducing valves and the provision of safety valves of inadequate diameter were noted, and there is room for improvement in the matter of the periodical examination of cylinders and the keeping of records.

Accidents in Print, Bleach and Dye Works in the East Lancashire and North Western Divisions have been classified for the last three years. The classification is not quite parallel to that shown in Appendix III of the Report on the 1913-14 Conference, but we are able to show in the subjoined table the comparative figures in respect of the more important classes of accident. We have divided the table into two parts. The first part gives the figures in respect of accidents on machines, etc., covered by the Agreement, and discloses a reduction on the 1911-12 figures; the second refers to accidents of a more miscellaneous character, amongst which strains show a considerable increase on the earlier figures. As the number of accidents on individual machines is small, we have not thought it necessary to show the percentage reduction on 1911-12 in respect of each class.

The figures in the first table show a marked diminution in the number of accidents of the types included, and, in our opinion, afford proof of the beneficial effect of the Agreement. The increase in the number of accidents due to strains is considerable and we have no information at our disposal to explain this. There is no evidence in the reports that unduly heavy

weights are lifted.

Total per cent. reduction on 1911-12 figures

* Admission of steam or hot liquor caused 10 accidents altogether in the three

=

44.2.

years.

* Including an average of 15 a year due to ladders slipping. figures show the number of fatal accidents in the years indicated.

The raised

Transmission Machinery.-There have again been a very large number of accidents due to transmission machinery, the total being 1,344, including 50 which terminated fatally. In order to show more precisely the causes to which transmission machinery accidents due to shafting are to be attributed, an analysis has been made of the accidents reported in the years 1924, 1925 and 1926, and the results are set out in table on page 20.

An attempt has been made to ascertain the position of the shafting in these cases. It has been found that 419 accidents (68 fatal) occurred on shafting more than 6 ft. 6 in. above the ground; 239 (42 fatal) on shafting below that height. In the remaining cases no information is available as to the height of the shaft.

Further interesting points arise from this analysis. First of all the danger of loose clothing and loose material is clearly indicated, as no fewer than 409 accidents, including 83 fatalities, out of a total of 877 and 123 deaths were due to clothing, loose hair (in the case of 25 females), or cleaning rags, waste or yarn held in the hand. Loose coats, overalls, smocks and aprons were the garments usually caught in the shafting; but trousers, shirts, vests, mufflers and neckties also figure in the list.

Secondly, inexperienced workers are not alone the sufferers from shafting. Ninety-six skilled craftsmen, such as fitters, mechanics, millwrights and electricians were either killed or injured, and in addition, more than 100 of the injured persons were described as engine drivers, firemen, oilers and beltmen. Amongst the injured were 34 foremen, and 179 labourers were also the victims of shafting accidents, death resulting in 32 cases.

Thirdly, the most prolific cause of these accidents was shipping, unshipping and adjusting belts on pulleys on rotating shafting, accounting for 321 casualties, including 38 deaths, while 125 accidents, including 24 fatalities occurred while the injured person was engaged in oiling. Occasional work near shafting, such as window-cleaning, electric wiring, erecting piping or machinery, lime-washing or painting walls or ceilings, and executing structural repairs, was the cause of 84 accidents, 18 being fatal.

Fourthly, a large proportion of those victims of shafting accidents who escaped death sustained very serious injury. Thus, 109 had an arm fractured, 24 an arm amputated, 29 a leg fractured, 12 a hand or wrist broken, 10 had ribs fractured, and 19 had the scalp partially or wholly torn off.

To those who have never seen an accident with a plain shaft it is difficult to realise that when once the shaft gets a grip of clothing it is merciless. The victim, held firmly by his garments, is whirled round and round and usually battered against an adjacent wall or ceiling; his main chance of escape from serious injury is that his clothing will be stripped off, as sometimes occurs, when he is flung to the floor and may thus escape with bruises and contusions.

There is no evidence in many cases that the victims of shafting accidents have been particularly careless, negligent, or foolhardy. They have suffered simply because they failed to appreciate the grave danger of approaching unfenced shafting in motion. This applies particularly to inexperienced general workers and also to tradesmen who, intent on some work in proximity to a shaft, never imagine that their clothing exposes them to grave risk. To enlighten the general industrial population in this important matter the staff have for some time past systematically instructed occupiers and other responsible persons as to the dangerous practice of shipping and unshipping belts and oiling shafting while the gearing is running at normal speed. The recent decisions of the High Court have defined precisely the meaning of the requirement of Section 10 of the Factory Act, which stipulates that every part of the mill-gearing must either be securely fenced or be in such position or of such construction as to be equally safe to every person employed or working in the factory, as it would be if it were securely fenced." This requirement applies not only to machinery to which the persons working in the factory normally have access, but also to machinery, such as overhead shafting, which is only occasionally approached by means of a ladder or by climbing on a bench, table or machine.

In the light of the decisions referred to it must be regarded as settled law that the occupier of a factory is under an obligation to fence all shafting which it is possible for anyone to approach, unless he takes adequate steps to prevent any person being endangered by it. Where the occupier decides to rely on the latter alternative, the responsibility for the steps taken must rest upon him. In order to bring the decisions of the High Court directly to the notice of occupiers generally, a circular letter summarising the position was sent to all Employers' Associations throughout the country in August last, with a request that the attention of the respective members of the Associations be drawn to the question. Following the issue of this publication a series of conferences were held at the Home Office with representatives of a number of Industrial Associations, when the whole question was discussed and the application of the law explained.