No. 30797. Rubber Worker seriously injured.

BOTH HANDS DRAWN INTO ROLLS OF "RUBBER MILL."

This employee was an operator on a "rubber mill," and was engaged at his work when his hands were drawn into the rolls and badly mangled, necessitating the amputation of three fingers of each hand, as shown in the illustration.

The report of the accident shows that there was a safety device attached to the rubber mill which will stop it at any time, and that its use, in this case, prevented a more serious accident.

The insurer, the Massachusetts Employees Insurance Association, paid compensation on account of total incapacity for work and the specific compensation provided by the act, the employee being provided with a position as freight elevator attendant and not being required to perform manual labor. His rate of wages at the time of the injury was $10, and the new rate is $9, entitling him to partial incapacity under section 10, Part II. of the act.

No. 52743.

Coal Shoveler's Hand mangled.

CAUGHT BETWEEN BUCKET OF COAL AND STANCHION OF BARGE.

The report of the injury states that the employee, a coal shoveler, had his left hand on the coal bucket as engineer raised the bucket. The bucket swung and caught the coal shoveler's hand between it and stanchion of barge, with the result that the hand was so badly mangled that all but the thumb had to be amputated. Injuries of this character can be avoided by the exercise of greater care in accepting and acting upon signals, so that workers will be out of range of swinging buckets, loads or weights.

The Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation was the insurer in this case and paid compensation in accordance with the provisions of the act.

OF IMPARTIAL PHYSICIAN.

This highly paid piano worker, while engaged in operating an irregular molder, attempted to push the stock across the knife when the knife struck the end grain and forced the stock out of his grasp. His hand slipped and the revolving knife cut thumb badly, fracturing it in two places as well. No guard had been provided, otherwise the accident would not have occurred.

The employee was left with a bad condition of the thumb following the injury. The bone of the first joint of the thumb was removed, leaving the nail pulp and the loose flesh, scarred and sensitive, behind. The impartial examining physician recommended, "for the best interest of the man, to get him back to work readily, and, to guard against the danger of future infection in such a scar, it would seem that a plastic operation, removing the nail pulp, freshening the space represented by the puckered scar and covering the end of the stump by the palmar surface of the thumb, would be advisable."

The picture shows the injury after the operation referred to, and the employee is back again in industry, earning his usual wages. The Standard Accident Insurance Company is the insurer in this case.

EMPLOYEE WAS DIGGING UP CHARGES OF DYNAMITE WHEN EXPLOSION OCCURRED.

This employee was a day laborer who was engaged in digging up dynamite charges which had been put in place in the course of blasting operations and had failed to explode. While in the performance of this work one of the charges exploded, and his left hand was completely blown off at the wrist, while the thumb, fourth and fifth fingers and greater part of the palm of the right hand were blown off. Two months after the accident the examining physician stated that "in a week or two he will be as well as he will ever be."

Since the employee has sustained substantially the equivalent of the loss of both hands, he is regarded as being permanently totally disabled, and will receive the limit of the compensation provided for by the statute, together with additional compensation on account of the specific injuries sustained.

All who handle dynamite and other explosives should be taught the imperative need of extreme care. Such injuries can be prevented only by the exercise of great caution. The Royal Indemnity Company is the insurer.

CAUSED BY STONE CRUSHING MEMBER WHILE PERFORMING HIS WORK. This employee, an operator of an air drill, had his right hand crushed between two stones while performing his work. The stone had been insecurely placed, and slipping, caused the injury shown in the illustration. The employee had permanent partial disabling injuries, the condition of the hand preventing him from using it at his usual employment again. The exercise of due care in placing the stone upon which the drilling was being performed, would have prevented this injury.

The employee is receiving compensation in accordance with the terms of the act, the Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland being the insurer.

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