one thousand in 1911, a decrease of over 70 per cent.1 The diagram on page 28 shows this experience by years. In connection with this diagram the records for the years 1906 and 1909 are particularly significant. "It may be stated that the year 1906 represented a period of thorough reorganization and safeguarding throughout the machine shops and in connection with other mechanical operations and that the accident rate shows a definite response to these efforts." 2 "Increased output accompanied by 'speeding up' the workmen always increases the danger. The year 1909 was a 'speeding up' year. It was also a year of employment of many new workmen. Its accident rate reflects these conditions." 3 In this same investigation a study was made of two plants having extreme conditions as to safety systems. "Plant A stands high on the list of those that have undertaken successfully safety activities. Plant X, on the other hand, is among those which may be said to have done almost nothing in this direction." During 1910 Plant A showed an accident rate of 180 per one thousand 300-day workers, while Plant X had a rate of 508, nearly three times as great. Another study, in which sixteen plants were classified according to the development of their safety systems, showed the following results: 5 1 1 Report on the Iron and Steel Industry, Vol. IV., p. 118. Class A (System well developed). Accident Rates per 1000 300day workers. .167.1 Class B (System in process of development)..272.4 507.9 Further notable examples of reduction in accident rates through safety work are given in the following table: 7 6 "The essentials of a safety system likely to prove effective may be summarized as follows. In plants of Class A all the factors specified are present: 1. Safeguarding by signs, warnings and mechanical contrivances. 2. Adequate safety inspection. 3. Safety committees of superintendents and foremen. 4. Safety committees of workmen. 5. Emergency and hospital care of the injured. 6. A compensation system. 7. Provision for the permanently disabled." These figures are printed through the courtesy of The American Museum of Safety. 33% 41% Rochester Railway & Light Company. United States Steel Corporation.... (The reduction of the accident rate is, to a certain extent, cumulative since continuity of employment tends to a further reduction of the rate. A new man, employed because of the incapacity of the injured employee, is much more subject to accidents than one who has worked continuously.) Reduction in Loss of Time and Wages. From an economic point of view the chief index of loss from accidents is the loss of time. In a large steel plant, employing 6,624 men the total time lost was reduced from 22,963 days in 1905 to 18,002 days in 1910, a saving of 4,961 days through the adoption of safety measures. The average number of days lost per 300day worker was reduced from 4.28 in 1905 to 2.96 in 1910.8 Assuming a wage of $2.00 per day, this represents a saving during the year 1910 of $9,922 for the working force of the plant, and of $2.64 for each 300-day worker. In two plants having extreme conditions as to safety systems, there was, during 1910, a difference of 6.1 days per 300-day worker in favor of the plant with a well developed system, representing 8 Report on the Iron and Steel Industry, Vol. IV., p. 57. a wage saving of $12.20. In Wisconsin safety work has resulted in large reductions in the number of days lost and it is probable that, were figures available, the same results would be evident in other states.10 The Massachusetts Industrial Accident Board has published a study 11 showing the results of a campaign to secure the installation of safety devices and organizations. These figures may be slightly inaccurate owing to the fact that, during the second of the periods considered, the assumption was made that there had been no change in the number of employees in the various plants. Even with this qualification, the study is extremely valuable and the results may be considered as approximately correct. Data were first collected for the six-months' period ending December 31, 1913, from factories employing a total of over 55,000 men. During the succeeding six months inspections of the factories were made and, on the basis of the inspections and an analysis of the data, recommendations were made for improvement, and employers were urged to adopt effective means for promoting safety. As a measure of the success of the campaign figures were again collected for the six months ending December 31, 1914, and these were compared with the corresponding data for the preced 9 10 See "Organized Accident Prevention," by C. W. Price. The figures given in this paragraph have reference only to the loss of time occasioned by non-fatal accidents. The reduction in loss through death, computed on a basis of working-life expectancy, would add greatly to their significance but the necessary information is not available. 11 Massachusetts Industrial Accident Board, Bulletin No. 13, October, 1915. ing year. This comparison gave the following results: 12 A reported accident is one for which a notice of injury was sent in by the employer, it being required that all accidents, however slight, be reported to the Board. "A disability case is one in which there was disability on any day or shift other than the one on which the injury occurred," and a day lost is any such other day. The wage loss is secured from the accident reports. A compensation case is one on account of which payments were made under the compensation act for total disability, the act providing that compensation shall be paid after the first two weeks of disability only. A compensation day is one for which payment was made and the item of "compensation paid" represents the actual amount received for cases of total disability. Net Saving. So far only gross saving has been considered, but to analyze the situation accurately the net saving should be determined, for accident preven |