THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN ________________________________________________________________________________ 114 July 16, 1915. charged with five demerits for each visit at which such conditions are found. On the other hand, if no dan- gerous conditions or practices are found by the inspector and everything is satisfactory, the assistant foreman is given a credit of five merits; and each assistant foreman who does not have an accident during any month is given a further credit of five merits, which goes towards reducing the number of demerits standing against him, until all the demerits are cancelled, after which no further merits are given until he has again received demerits. The men are not permitted to accumulate merits, as this would have a tendency to make them more or less careless after they had accumulated a large number. The mine foreman is charged with all the demerits received by the various assistant foremen under him, and is credited with all the merits received by them. In the case of mine foremen, the premium for a month’s clear accident record is 10 dols., and the special premium for six continuous months’ clear record is 15 dols. Thus a mine foreman, having a clear accident record of longer than six months will receive a bonus of 25 dols. per month so long as his record remains clear, the assistant foreman, under the same conditions, receiving 15 dols. per month. This premium or bonus is not considered as a part of the wages, but is strictly in the nature of a reward for faithful services rendered to the company in the prevention of accidents. The mine foreman’s account is not charged with any demerits of the assistant foreman when these are given for the neglect of duty or causes other than accidents. Shortly after the first of each year, beginning in 1910, a meeting has been held, at which are present the general officials of the company and all of the super- intendents, mine foremen and their assistants, and all outside foremen; the purpose of the meeting being to bring the assistant foremen into closer personal contact with the general officials than can be done in the ordinary course of business. After the inner man has been provided for, speeches are made by various members detailed for that purpose, about the best methods of preventing accidents or similar subjects, and ex-members of the staff, State mine officials, or other persons interested in the prevention of accidents are present, and give short discussions on subjects of interest. These meetings have undoubtedly been of great service in stimulating and maintaining the interest in safety work, and we believe they do more to impress the assistant foremen with earnestness in this work than any other single thing. Bulletins and Moving Pictures. In the case of any accident, a letter is prepared in the general office, giving, in a short manner, the details of the accident, and impressing upon the foremen and assistant foremen the lesson to be learned from this and the necessity of guarding against similar occur- rences. A copy of this letter is sent to each mine, and posted on the bulletin board near the pit mouth. In case of serious or fatal accidents, the mining engineer visits the place, and, where necessary, a sketch is made SAFETY THE FIRST CONSIDERATION UNITED STATES COAL COKE COMPANY Report of SAFETY COMMITTEE No Works ---------- ----------- 191----_______ _______________ NOTE: The Safety Committee will make their examination and recommendations beginning at the Coke cars on the coke yard and the cars on tipple sidings, through the tipple into the mine, including the coke yards, tipple, substation, haulage roads, traveling ways, hauling of the coal, mining, timbering, etc.; also* including all machinery to see that it is properly guarded, or any other place in or about the works where men are working or machinery is located, including construction work. REPORT OF CONDITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS (Do not crowd work. Use several sheets if required) e SAFETY COMMITTEE ___________________________________________ _________________________________ Occupation _________________________________ Occupation ________________________________ Occupation against similar occurrences. In addition to this, safety signs, many of which are illuminated, are placed in the mines and around the plants, and are changed from time to time in order to stimulate interest. Meetings of the assistant foremen, mine foremen, and superintendent are held each week at each mine, at which the general details of their work are discussed, and particularly any accidents which have happened, and the steps which should be taken in their particular places to prevent similar occurrences. Last year, in co-operation with the United States Bureau of Mines, about 4,000 ft. of moving-picture film were taken, showing the complete details of the proper methods of mining. The object of these pictures was to show the miners exactly how the work should be done with safety and efficiency. These pictures have been exhibited at each of our different works a number of times; and it is our intention to repeat the exhibition from time to time, in order that any new men coming in may be thoroughly posted. The class of men engaged in most mines, and, in fact, almost all men, can learn a great deal more through the eye by means of pictures of this sort than they can through printed or written instructions; and this film has been of great benefit in improving the efficiency and safety of our methods. Anything that tends to promote the efficiency of mining will undoubtedly, in the long run, promote its safety; and the safest mining will undoubtedly prove to be the most efficient. Accident prevention is, as has been said, very largely .a question of .education; and our experience has been that the great majority of men are willing to take the precautions their experience, or knowledge, has taught them to be necessary, and that they appreciate the efforts being made by their employers to prevent acci- dents of all kinds. The great question is to reach the man who is actually doing the work at the working face with the superior knowledge and experience of the higher officials, and this can only be done by a system of detailed supervision and instruction through bosses having the necessary time to see that dangerous condi- tions are removed promptly. When the man at the face learns to carry out instinctively the directions given in the rules formulated for his benefit, the accident rate will not exceed one-fourth of the present one. Any work of this kind requires unceasing vigilance, careful supervision, and the never-ending stimulation of the spirit of care in all those having anything to do with it. Noted: _______________________________ Name Name _______________________________ Name __________________________________________ Assistant Foreman __________________________________________ Foreman __________________________________________ Superintendent NOTE: This Report must be sent to the office of the General Superintendent at the first of each quarter of each year. ______________________________ Shipments of Bunker Coals.—The quantity of coal, etc., shipped for the use of steamers engaged in the foreign trade during June was 1,065,779 tons, as against 1,681,477 tons in June 1914, and 1,721,016 tons in June 1913. The aggregate so shipped during the six months ending June 30 was 7,400,321 tons, as compared with. 10,182,157 tons and 10,087,037 tons in the corresponding periods respectively of 1914 and 1913. Fig. 2.—Report Form Used by Workmen’s Safety Committee. If a foreman or assistant foreman leaves the employ of the company, and later re-enters it, he assumes all demerits standing against him when he left. At the beginning of each month a statement is made showing the foreman and assistants at each mine, together with the number of demerits charged against them in the previous month, the number of demerits or merits received during the month, the number at the first of that month, the number of months’ clear record, and the premium paid; and a copy of this statement is furnished each foreman and assistant foreman. This statement is looked forward to with a great deal of interest by the men, and if any error is detected in it the.matter is at once called to the attention of the person in charge of this work. Since the adoption of the premium system in May 1910, the company has paid 2,652 premiums, amounting to 19,005 dols., or a cost of 0T5 c. per ton. Since 1909, when the accident prevention work was really started and actively followed, the number of tons produced per fatality, both inside and outside, has risen from 107,323 tons to 428,962 tons (to November 1, 1914), and the production per fatal accident inside only has risen from 128,788 tons to 571,949 tons. The syste- matic timbering, and the fact that all headings and places on which more than one car in a trip passes have ample clearances on both sides, have been important factors in the reduction of accidents. Workmen’s Safety Committee. At each mine a safety committee of three workmen is appointed for a period of three months, and at least once in that time these men make a complete inspection of the mine and report any places which they find in dangerous condition, or make any recommendations they can toward the safety of the mines. These reports are forwarded to the general superintendent. The form used is shown in fig. 2. Each month the general safety committee, com- posed of the general superintendent, chief engineer, and mine inspector, meets and considers all fatal or serious accidents which have happened during the pre- ceding month, or any other accidents having any unusual features, and have before them, if possible, the victim or any witnesses to the accident, the assistant foreman in charge of the section on which the accident occurred, the mine foreman and the superintendent. The statements of these witnesses are heard, their evi- dence is weighed, and measures to prevent similar acci- dents are recommended. In cases of neglect on the part of the assistant foreman recommendations are made as to punishment. A stenographic report of these investigations is made for our files. SAFETY THE FIRST CONSIDERATION. UNITED STATES COAL & COKE CO. GARY, W. VA. ACCIDENTS FROM JAN 1 1914 TO NOV. 1.1914 TNCL. SHOWN IN RED O ACCIDENTS DURING OCTOBER SHOWN IN YELLOW • NC AC MINOR ).i Mir CIDENTS SERIOUS IE FATAL NO A( MINOR .2 Mil LCIDENT SERIOUS IE 5 FATAL NO A( MINOR .3 Ml XI DENT: SERIOUS NE 5 FATAL NO. AC MINOR 4 Mil .CIDENT SERIOUS ME 5 FAT/.. o OOOO oooo oooo oooo oooo oooo oo o oooo oooo • OO oooo oooo • OO NO. A MINOR 12 MIN CCIDENV SERIOUS E 5 FATAL NO. 1 MINOR 5 MIN \CCIDENT SERIOUS E 5 FATAL NC A MINOR 1.6 MH GCIDENT SERIOUS IE S FATAL NO A MINOR .7 Mil ,CGI DENT! SERIOUS IE FATAL NO. A MINOR . 8 MIN CCIDENT SERIOUS IE S FATAL oooo oooo oo ooo o oooo oooo oooo Q • oooo O • • O NO. / MINOR .3 MIT OCCIDENT SERI0U5 IE 5 FATAL NO A MINOR .10 MIF iCCIDENT SERIOUS IE S FATAL NC A MINOR i. n mi CCIDENT SERIOUS NE S FATAL POV A MINOR /EP. ?LA LCIDENT! SERIOUS MS FATAL oooo oooo oooo oooo 0 • OOO OOO oooo o OOOO OO OO o OOO Fig. 3.—Form^ofJAccident Report. Exports and Imports of Coal Tar Products.—During June there were no imports into the United Kingdom of dyestuffs. The imports of synthetic indigo amounted to 247 tons, the value being IT ,300. The values of the coal products exported in June and the first six months ended therewith were as follow :— June. Jan.-June. __________________ 1914. 1915^ 1914. 1915?^ Coalproducts, not dyes— £ £ £ £ Aniline oil & toluidine 800... 16,133... 15,463... 58,144 Anthracene ............... 212... 265... 288... 1,014 Benzol and toluol____ 17,822... 31,458... 122,594... 164^581 Carbolic acid ......... 10,698... 35,462... 68,365... 133,641 Coal tar, crude ______ 554. .. 127... 5,438... 2,645 ,, refined & varnish 4,205... 3,134... 33,104.. 25,756 Naphtha ................ 2,199... 2,488... 13,185... 10,888 Naphthalene ...... 2,179... 5,047... 16,644 22 299 Pitch ................. 36,444... 22,458... 580,899... 233,980 Tar oil, creosote, &c... 63,429... 55,479... 338,046... 327,644 Other sorts .......... 15,267... 25,357... 149,409... 181,131 Total ..............153,809... 197,408... 1,343,435... 1,161,723 Coal tar dye stuffs....... 27,775... 49,404... 154,642... 192,742 The following quantities of the above products were exported in June :—Coal products, not dyes : Aniline oil-and toluidine, 433,969 lb.; benzol and toluol, 603,149 gals.; carbolic acid, 21,160 cwt.; coal tar, crude, 790 cwt.; ditto, refined and varnish, 227,049 gals.; naphtha, 36,992 gals.; naphthalene, 8,007 cwt.; anthracene, 112,0001b.; pitch, 360,453 cwt.; tar oil, creosote, etc., 2,917,258 gals.; other sorts, 31,969 cwt.; coal tar dyestuffs, 3,839 ammonia exports were as showing the details of the working place, and prints of this sketch are also sent to each mine and posted on the bulletin boards. In case of fatal accidents, inspection is also made by the company’s mine inspector, chief engineer, or general superintendent. At the beginning of each month a print is sent to each mine, on which is shown the number of fatal, serious, and minor accidents which have happened at each mine during the current year, and the number that have happened during the month just preceding. This print is posted on the bulletin boards, informing everyone at the mine of the number of accidents which have hap- pened at all the mines and showing the relative standing of each one in this respect. Such a print is shown in fig. 3. At various times, when an accident of unusual nature or unusual interest has occurred, a circular letter is sent to the assistant foremen to be posted in their sections, calling their attention to the matter and warning them To— Germany.............. France................ Spain and Canaries..... Italy.................. Dutch East Indies ..... Japan .............. United States of America British W. India Islands (including Bahamas) and British Guiana....... Other countries ....... cwt. The values of sulphate of follow :— June. Jan.-June. ______________ 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. £ £ £ £ 131... — ... 39,772... — 1.644.. . 5,515... 19,973... 89,708 48,065... 76,022... 515,358... 519,240 8.215.. . 6,936.. 31,156... 69,240 79.198.. .149.757... 343,768... 433,191 97.828.. . 12,223... 620,579... 98,663 6.663.. . 5,924... 243,372... 141,171 15.504.. . 19,324... 73,193 .. 77,109 17.682.. . 61,750... 212,894... 609,967 Total.............274,930..337,451..2,100,065..2,038,689 The following were the quantities exported in June :— France, 408 tons; Spain and Canaries, 5,801 tons; Italy, 499 tons; Dutch East Indies, 11,249 tons; Japan, 1,003 tons; United States, 442 tons; British West Indies, 1,424 tons; other countries, 4,512 tons—making a total of 25.338 tons, as against 22,363 tons in June 1914. The following quan- tities have been exported in the first six months of the year, the total for the corresponding half of last year being shown in parentheses:—Germany, nil (3,141 tons); France, 6,791 tons (1,612 tons); Spain and Canaries, 40,211 tons (40,645 tons); Italy, 5,341 tons (2,299 tons); Dutch East Indies, 34,801 tons (27,325 tons): Japan, 8,177 tons (48,146 tons); U.S.A., 11,485 tons (19,050 tons); British West Indies, 5,908 tons (5,935 tons); other countries, 47,262 tons (16,291 tons)—total, 159,976 tons (164,444 tons).