So much for compensation work. Toward a practical accident prevention campaign we have, however, devoted our greatest energies. Two experienced safety engineers have been placed at the service of members and so great has been the demand for their services that there are engagements for more than six months ahead at this time. As this service is charged for at a rate which makes it self-sustaining, this means something more than interest—it means enthusiasm on the part of employers in our accident prevention campaign.
The work of the safety engineers consists of inspection of factories and making special reports for improving existing conditions which manufacturers have almost uniformly acted upon; advice regarding safety devices, shop safety organization and other means of preventing work accidents; practical instructions to superintendents, foremen, engineers and workmen in regard to safety devices; and illustrated talks with lantern slides and motion pictures to workers, as well as employers, especially to local organizations of both. An important part of the campaign is the establishment of local safety organizations with the work in every plant inspected placed in the hands of some one person.
Numerous employers and business men have, as a result of our advice and practical work, engaged safety engineers for their factories. The campaign has so increased the demand for experts that the supply is inadequate and open letters have been written to engineering colleges urging them to establish a special course of training leading to the degree of “safety engineer.”
Local “safety revivals” have been conducted in many parts of the country, with some member of the committee present as the principal speaker. James Emery, my associate in this work, and I have spoken on the subject of accident prevention or workmen’s compensation on an average of once a week for the last three years. We have constantly agitated for safety museums.[[6]] A special effort has been made to get in touch with factory inspectors and to urge the keeping of statistics bearing upon accidents.
[6]. It is not betraying confidence when I call attention to a movement inaugurated by Congressman Robert C. Bremner of New Jersey and Lewis T. Bryant, labor commissioner of the same state, to establish a national safety museum at Washington. Letters and newspaper clippings indicate that President Wilson is in favor of such a museum and every voter of the country should get behind Congress to give such a matter prompt and favorable consideration. Every European nation has a number of such safety museums where can be found on exhibition safety devices for the protection of working men in every field, not only for accident but for sickness. A national safety museum in Washington would materially stimulate the safety movement and it would be a fitting monument to the spirit of the times.
The co-operation we have established with insurance companies, both stock and mutual, promises to be a most effective means of establishing a system for rating risks which, in the same manner as fire schedule rating, shall provide subtractions and additions of insurance rates contingent upon the accident prevention activities of each insurer. Many insurance companies are endeavoring to arrange for central inspection bureaus for rating good and bad risks.
A colored “safety” supplement has been established for American Industries, the official monthly magazine of the association. The interest of the members in this safety supplement is shown by the fact that 5,000 extra copies were ordered after the supplement’s first appearance. Another effective means of educating for safety is the use of motion pictures which have been prepared partly at the expense of the National Association of Manufacturers. These are distributed through regular motion picture channels all over the United States. Several thousand lantern slides are being used for educational lectures before the general public, interested organizations and college classes.
The safety campaign was one of the factors that led to the organization of the National Council for Industrial Safety, which had its first enthusiastic meeting four months ago. This new organization plans an annual gathering to take the form of a national “safety revival” and an international safety convention during the San Francisco exposition.
Every phase of the association’s work is being supervised by members of the committee who are divided into sub-committees. Although the committee’s efforts are a work of love, the members receiving no compensation whatever, the association’s activity for workmen’s compensation and accident prevention has cost approximately $50,000 during the last three years. The board of directors consider this money well spent and, judging by present sentiment, will not only continue, but increase their efforts in future. Our safety campaign is too young and too widely spread as yet to give accurate figures for results. Perhaps the best sign of its success is the mass of enthusiastic testimonials from association members to the value of our experts’ inspections and advice. The following partial figures will, however, at least give some idea of concrete results:
Two hundred and seventy-six members of the association have placed a special man in charge of their shop safety organization during the last year and a half.