1130 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN December 3, 1915. machines would have been very nearly at earth potential. In this case it proved that there was 500 volts pressure to earth. The machines were of different types, and the one in question was of lower voltage than the others, and connected through a step-up auto-transformer. A second table gives the electrical accidents in factories, other than electrical stations, in 1914. The small figures again relates to fatal accidents, and are included in the principal figures. a S switches .......................... 38 Arcingof |fuses.................................. 9 Shock or burns when replacing fuse wires....... 22 Portable apparatus, connectors and flexible wires 652 Unprotected conductors, switches, terminals, fuses, &c..................................... 367* Working on live electrical apparatus or con- 1 skilled persons................... 421 ductors | unskiHeci persons ................. 462 Miscellaneous accidents in electrical manufac- turing and repair works—mostly in testing operations ............................. 551 Adjusting brushes and cleaning commutators and flashing at commutators .................. 6 Miscellaneous ............................ 31?* Total............................... 35016 •- * One fatality, fall following shock. The electrical accidents in factories are fewer by 68, \or 16 per cent., than in the previous year, the number bf fatalities (16) being one less. Most of the injuries i|ire burns from short circuit, but some from shock. In ^ome cases short circuits were made by getting the fuse fv/ire or pliers or other tool across the terminals of both f poles or between one pole and the metal case. In some instances the fuses had been protected by a switch, but p this, being at a distance, was not used. In other cases, where there was a switch at the fuses, it was connected I on the wrong side, so that the fuse terminals were live whether the switch was “ on ” or “ off.” Several • occurred with fuses in porcelain carriers having the fuse «i wire in a groove in the front of the porcelain. In these oases, the fuse having blown, the attendant replaced it without having investigated and rectified the fault which ^caused it to blow in the first instance, with the result jthat immediately the fuse holder with the new fuse wire Jwas put into contact, the fuse blew again, burning his j band. Others, causing shock, occurred with the J ” bobbin ” or ‘‘-grip ” type carrier having live metal at . & each end of the porcelain. None of the above arrange- f ments of fuses complies with the Regulations. Fuses f not protected on the live side by switches should be of I the switch-fuse type, so constructed that the hand when 1 grasping the handle cannot touch live metal, and is 1 shielded from the arc should a fuse blow when being j plugged in. Of the accidents in the use of portable apparatus, 26 occurred in handling the flexible conductors. One case, having fatal results, occurred to a man when working on the wet floor of a dry dock. He was engaged in scraping a ship’s bottom, and is supposed to have trodden on the flexible cable of a portable lamp cluster, a nail in his boot piercing the insulation of the cable. In many works there is no proper examination of the flexible conductors, which remain in use after being badly damaged and worn out. In some cases the metallic armouring of the flexible wires had broken, and pierced the insulation. Metallic armouring, especially in the form of a wire helix, is not a desirable form of protection. The earth connection is liable to become disconnected, and through rough usage and constant bending, the wire is apt to break and pierce the insula- tion, and, becoming live, is very dangerous. Other forms of protection, such as rubber or hard cord braid- ing, are generally preferable. Twenty of the accidents occurred in connecting the flexible wires to the circuit, and in most of these cases the use of safety type hand- shield plugs would have prevented the accidents. The short circuits which occur in this way are often very heavy, leading to very severe burns, by reason of the circuit being too heavily fused. In one case it was found that the circuit for a hand lamp was fused for 60 amperes. Three cases of shock occurred from unearthed portable drills. Some cases of shock from hand lamps also occurred. One fatal case—also in a dry dock—occurred in the use of a portable “ cargo lamp,” a cluster of several lamps being mounted in a metal reflector. The whole fitting became live by reason of a terminal screw in one of the lamp holders being in contact with the barrel of the holder. The man took hold of the reflector of the fitting, and was killed. The fitting was not earthed, and was not in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations. Under the heading “ unprotected conductors ” there were seven fatalities, of which six were due to contact with overhead wires. The wires, although out of reach from the ground, were so placed that workmen in the course of their duties might have at some time to get into close proximity to them. In one case wires covered only with braiding were run out of doors close to a steam valve. A man had to get to the valve, and came into contact with the wires (440 volt three-phase), and was killed. The brading of wires without any insu- lating covering is quite useless, and may lead persons erroneously to suppose that they are insulated and safe to touch. The next case was similar, the bare wires, although out of reach from the ground, were within reach from a pipe bridge, on which the man got in the course of his duties. He made contact with the wires, and fell to the ground, a distance of 11 ft., and although he died from the results of the fall, he was able to state that he received a shock. The next case occurred at a wharf where pit props were unloaded and stacked. The wires were 22 ft. from the ground, but the props were stacked in some places to within 3 ft. of the wires. The supply was 440 volts, three-phase. A man on one of the stacks touched the wires, and was killed. The next case was also on a 440 volt, three-phase system. Bare wires were run under the roof of a large engineering shop. Men were at work painting the roof, and one of them took hold of the wires and was killed. His mate managed to hold him until assistance came, and he was lowered to the ground. Another case was similar in all respects, except that the system was 400 volts, three- phase. Two men tried to get the victim off the wires, but themselves received shocks, and he fell to the ground. In the other similar fatality a man was sent to clean out a gutter close to which were live wires at 500 volts, three-phase. The seventh fatal case occurred in an engineering works to a man touching the live parts of a 240 volt, three-phase switch which had no cover, and which he had to use. It was a throw-over type of switch, having double blades at right angles on each pole so arranged that in grasping the handle the hand would be liable to touch the projecting blades of the out- coming side. Of the non-fatal accidents, nine were in connection with electric cranes. Five were by men touching the bare trolley wires when getting in or out of the cage. Four were due to unprotected conductors in the cage. Under the heading ‘‘skilled persons working on live conductors,” the fatality occurred on a 440 volt, three- phase system. Alterations had to be made -to a motor circuit, and the electrician cut into a live wire with a pair of pliers. It was found that the fuses protecting the circuit had been removed from two of the wires, but not from the third. The accidents under this heading might for the most part have been avoided if the work had been done at night when the works were shut down. Several occurred at switchboards when -tightening nuts with ordinary uninsulated spanners. Amongst the miscellaneous accidents there were three fatalities. One occurred to an electrician in a large iron works in switching on a lighting circuit transformer, Fig. 13. niiiMiiiin JIHBIIliil Fig. 14. Figs. 13 and 14.—“ Diamond ” Compressed Air, Four-cylinder, Bar Type, Longwall Coal-cutter. arranged across one phase of a 460-volt three-phase system, at a totally enclosed iron-clad switch, the case of which was not earthed. The switch was of a well- known type, having fuses in the same box so arranged that when the switch is in the “ off ” position the fuses are withdrawn from the contacts, and by opening the cover they can be renewed in safety. The apparatus was intended by the makers for use with cartridge type fuses. As so often happens, however, the cartridge fuses had been replaced by wires. The electrician in question had the duty of switching on the lights at dusk, and in order to prevent other employees switching on before the proper time, it appears that he had discon- nected one end of one of the fuse wires, and had closed 'the cover of the switch. Later on, when he went to turn on the lights, he had evidently forgotten that the fuse was disconnected, and the effect of putting the switch to the “ on ” position was to make the fuse wire live, and bring it into contact with the metal case giving him at the same time a shock which proved fatal. The accident would no doubt have occurred to any other employee attempting to turn on the lights. At the inquest it was urged that the apparatus was advertised as being “ fool-proof.” It is evident that this description requires some qualification. In the second fatal case, the man received a shock from a 200 volt two-phase motor, the frame of which was live and not earthed. He was about to start up the motor, and had turned on the main switch, but not the starting switch. He was engaged in shifting the belt on to a loose pulley, and his hand was trapped between the pulley and the belt. A man who went to his rescue also received a shock. The third fatality occurred to a boy who climbed up on to a roof where he had no business, and took hold of two wires of a 440 volt three- phase system. Amongst the non-fatal accidents, two were due to stay wires of poles becoming live, in one case an electrical engineer took hold of a stay wire and was unable to let go. His two assistants, who were fortunately at hand, succeeded in pulling him off by his clothes. The system was 440 volt three-phase, and the leakage was due to the failure of an insulator. Another table shows the voltage and system in fatal cases :— No. Voltage Voltage of of of System. fatalities. system. circuit.* It . 6,600 500 Three-phase 1 5,000 .. 2,900 «. 1 2,000 .. 1,150 One-phase 1 2,400 .. 2,400 1 2,000 .. 2,000 1 500 290 Three-phase 1 460 265 y y 2 440 440 7X 440 250 • • 1 400 400 >9 1 400 230 1 240 140 Two-phase It .. 200 200 20 * Or probable voltage of shock. t Shock from neutra conductor. X One fall due to shock. All the fatalities were due to shock from alternating current; 18 were due directly to shock; and two to fall following shock; 15 were from pressures of 440 volts or less. Most of the shocks being to earth from touching one conductor only of the system, the voltage received by the victim was less than the voltage between phases. Emergency Overtime. With the outbreak of war questions soon arose as to what amount of latitude ought to be sanctioned in the matter of overtime, in view of the difficulty of obtaining adequate supplies of workers. Nowhere was the emergency more keenly felt than in munition works, and it had to be recognised at once that latitude on a very wide scale must be permitted. Orders were granted allowing employment on day and night shifts, and also extended overtime both on week-days and on Saturdays and Sundays. As regards the effect upon health, it is considered too soon to arrive at definite conclusions. There is a noticeable absence in all the reports from the inspectors of any evidence of increased sickness, indeed, there have been occasional statements that the claims on sick funds have been below the normal; and in particular one large firm of munition makers who employ nearly 20,000 hands, and keep careful records of time lost through sickness and accidents, reported that a comparison between the return of -the autumn and winter months of 1913 and 1914 respectively show a lower sickness rate for the latter year. On the other hand, there is again evidence that in many cases it was found necessary to reduce overtime in various trades becauses of the strain imposed on the workers by long spells of extra hours. Looking at the question as a whole, it is probably safe to say that, whatever may be the future effects of so prolonged a strain, there is at present no sign that workers have been injuriously affected. There can be little doubt that the knowledge that they were taking an active share in the struggle in which the country is engaged, and the feeling that they were thus “ doing their bit,” has enabled workers to carry on under conditions that in normal times would be insupportable. As to the effects of continued overtime on production, instances have repeatedly come to light where it has been found that production has generally fallen away when long spells of overtime have been worked. “ The men get stale,” it is said, “ and their tempers are upset.” There has been noticeable a general tendency to reduce overtime. The whole experience of late leads unquestionably to the conclusion that while long and even excessive hours can be worked with advantage for short periods, continued overtime, if not kept within proper limits, soon fails in its object, and ceases to aid production.