tion involves large expenditures and its results should be judged in comparison with the cost of obtaining them. Such a judgment must be based on a broad interpretation of the terms "results" and "costs," for they include some items which cannot be numerically expressed and others the value of which is not readily ascertainable. For example, suffering cannot be expressed in figures nor is the value of a decrease in friction and labor troubles easily computed. Another difficulty in making an accurate judgment at present arises from lack of experience and incompleteness of data. In the greater number of plants accident prevention is a development of the last two or three years and in few have trustworthy records been kept even for that length of time. In only one published report has it been possible to find a statement of the money saving as compared with expenditures for accident prevention. The United States Steel Corporation reports a gross saving in casualty expense for serious injuries of $4,775,692.64 during the years 1911, 1912 and 1913. The expenditures for safety which produced this saving amounted to $2,003,712.29, leaving a net saving of $2,771,980.35.13 Such figures indicate very definitely that the prevention of accidents may result in financial saving to the employer and it is the opinion of most employers who have adopted active safety measures that a net saving is actually produced. The statements that "safety work is indispensable to an efficient manufacturing organization" and that "in our opinion there is 13 U. S. Steel Corporation. Bureau of Safety, Sanitation & Welfare. Bulletin No. 5, Dec., 1914. See diagram, p. 35. tions which have long had a reputation for "hard this attitude. In addition, the fact that those corpora good business and produce profits" are examples of no question that all efforts towards 'safety first' are headed, practical business sense," are leading in safety work is evidence of its probable contribution to profits. CONCLUSION It has been shown that an immense number of industrial accidents which cause large losses to society and to particular classes of society occur every year, and that the burden of these losses falls most heavily on the working class, the group least able to bear it. Responsibility for the occurrence of a large share of these accidents has been definitely assigned to present methods of conducting industry. Further, it has been demonstrated that a considerable percentage of industrial accidents may be prevented by the adoption of thoroughly practicable safety measures. That the adoption of such measures results in a tremendous economic saving to society and to individuals is unquestioned; that this saving more than counterbalances the economic cost of prevention is almost certain. If the relief of suffering and privation is considered, all doubt of the desirability of active measures of prevention is removed. But even the most thoroughgoing efforts to prevent industrial accidents have not succeeded in eliminating them entirely and their total elimination is inconceivable so long as the human being is a factor in industry. The greater part of our industries have not even reached this irreducible minimum, for many employers still regard safety work as a "socialistic fad" and effective compulsion is exercised in but few states. Accidents, preventable and unpreventable, happen every day and create a problem that demands solution. For the problem of preventable accidents there is only one solution. For those which can not be prevented some means of compensation for economic loss should be provided. REFERENCES Accidents and Accident Prevention, Vol. IV. of Report on Conditions of Employment in the Iron and Steel Industry in the United States. 62d Congress, Ist Session, Senate Document No. 110, Washington (1913). HOFFMAN, FREDERICK L. Industrial Accident Statistics, Bulletin of the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 157. Washington (1915). Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Supplement, Springfield, Ill., 1914, 1915. Accident Bulletin. Published quarterly by the Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington. Bulletins on Mine Accidents, Published by the Bureau of Mines, Washington. BEYER, DAVID S. "Industrial Accident Prevention," Houghton Mifflin, Boston (1916). Proceedings of the Safety Congress of the National Safety Council. (Annual), Chicago. Bulletin of the Bureau of Safety, Relief, Sanitation and Welfare of the U. S. Steel Corporation. Nos. 4 and 5, New York. Annual Report of the Massachusetts Industrial Accident Board. Boston. The Sequel to the Invitation to Employers to Organize for Safety, Bulletin No. 13, Massachusetts Industrial Accident Board, Boston (1915). Annual Report of the Industrial Insurance Department, Olympia, Washington. |