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‘Time is Ripe for Further Efforts in Prevention of Accidents—Or- ganization All Important—Opinions of Representative Managers nessed an unfortunate increase in marine disasters, due to unforeseen causes and the abnormal situation re- sulting from the war. Safety measures therefore are of paramount importance at this time and the opportunity for in- stilling renewed vigor into safety cam- paigns is at hand. This article proposes to deal with safety organizations and the results that follow a definite safety program. Ves- sel owners and managers, deck and en- gineer officers on shipboard, able sea- men and even cooks and stewards ap- preciate that the way to avoid the in- evitable consequences of an accident is to prevent the accident from happening. Life boats, self launching life rafts, life preservers, fire fighting equipment, wire- less apparatus and many other safety devices are essential but their usefulness is apparent only after disaster has ap- peared; their function is that of the Red Cross staff in battle. Safety or- ganization, personal caution and _ acci- dent prevention on the other hand form a defensive armor that makes the ser- vices of the hospital corps unnecessary. Eternal vigilence is the price of safety and the requisite vigilence cannot be secured without the aid of a definitely organized safety program. In order to bring to light important facts regarding the safety organizations of successful steamship managers, The Marine Review recently addressed a letter to over 150 steamship companies carrying passengers in American waters. The most valuable of the suggestions made in the large number of replies re- ceived are set forth in the following paragraphs, many of the letters being quoted substantially in full. In order to focus the discussion on definite points, the following questions were asked in the letter of inquiry. ie RECENT months we have wit- Do you have a safety department? Do you employ a safety director? Have you any safety inspectors? Have you found it advisable to .organize “safety committees” among your crews, to make inspections and report unsafe conditions and practices to proper authorities? Have you had any experience in utilizing bonuses or prizes in stimulating interest in “safety first’? among your crews? Do you keep a record of all accidents? Tf so, how do you use this record to de- crease the number of accidents and injuries on your vessels? Do you publish any safety bulletins, cir- culars, etc., for distribution among your em- ployes? : oe Do you ever hold meetings of the navigating and engineering officers of your fleet to dis- cuss safety matters? Most of the larger steamship com- panies carrying passengers, the replies indicated, have regularly organized safety departments. Usually the office of safety director is filled by the general manager or operating superin- tendent. In many cases safety com- mittees are organized on the vessels themselves, working under the direction of the captain. These committees, it has been found are of inestimable value in preventing the endless succession of minor accidents and injuries that are likely to occur on shipboard. : And it is against these minor casualties that the bulk of the attack should be directed. The replies also indicate that it is very essential to keep a record of all accidents, however trivial, for study and analysis. Keep Your Men The necessity for a stable organiza- tion is emphasized in a number of the replies. Passenger vessels, it is -con- tended, cannot be navigated safely by green crews and energetic steps should be taken to prevent constant changes in personnel. Several of the most success- ful steamship lines, from the standpoint of safety, on the coasts and the Great Lakes pride themselves on the fact that they train their own engine room .and navigating’ officers and that their vessels are manned by the same crews through successive seasons. Undoubt- edly this permits the development of teamwork and has a powerful influence in reducing accidents. Safety is a.personal matter and one of the largest steamship lines on the Great Lakes recognizes this fact by ‘having its vice president and_ superin- tendent make a personal inspection of the vessels in the home port every week. This practice should be highly com- mended and is of particular value inas- much as it gives the officers and men in lower ranks visible evidence that the highest officials of the line are per- sonally interested in reducing accidents. A number of communications pointed out that many avoidable injuries are due to intoxication. The rule prohibit- ing members of the crew from bringing liquor aboard in any form is universally and rigidly enforced. There is evident also a growing tendency to exercise stricter supervision over the habits of employes while off duty and it is he- lieved the time is not far distant when employment will be denied to persons known to be habitual users of intoxicants or as frequenters of saloons. 360 Liberal extracts from several of the letters received from steamship man- agers are appended. The vice president of a prominent line on the Great Lakes writes as follows: “We have safety inspectors on each of our steamers, and committees includ- ing the captains, chief engineers, stew- ards and pursers, who make a personal inspection of the steamer once each week, and report in writing the result of this inspection. The vice president and general superintendent also make an inspection of the boats once each week at 4 p. m. and they have a personal knowledge of the boat, its safety appli- ances, etc. “We give a bonus of $50 each fall to the crew that lowers and handles its lifeboat with the greatest efficiency. This includes running to a certain stake and returning. We also give a bonus of $200 each fall to the boat crew which makes the best showing in a boat row- ing contest. I am pleased to say that this prize is usually won by either the crew made up of firemen or the stew- ard’s department. The able seamen have never, at any time, been successful. “A record is kept of all accidents, and by the issuance of instructions from time to time, cautioning our men in regard to Safety First methods about the open hatchways, and to take no risks, we be- lieve we have reduced the number of casualties on our steamers to a mini- mum. -Safety First is discussed once each month by all employes on our steamers.” The general manager of a large steamship company operating on _ the Atlantic coast writes: “In the first place we endeavor to live up fully to the government rules and regulations for the preservation of life and property on the sea. We co-operate with the government inspectors in every way, and have done everything we could to safeguard the lives of our passengers and the property entrusted to our care. Our general orders to our masters and officers cover the ground thoroughly, and emphasize the fact that the safety of lives and property is to be their first consideration. Life saving and fire drills are regularly held on our ships, reports of which are sent to the proper supervising officials who check them up in order to see that they are properly carried out. Reports are also made regularly in regard to the condition of all equipment; these reports are sent through the masters and superintendents and finally to the general manager. The masters are called upon to inspect their ships daily, and daily written reports are made to them from each department of the ship in regard to conditions. “We do not have a separate safety department, such matters being handled through the general manager’s office. We have offered a certain bonus for safety work. Reports are made of all accidents of whatever character, and each one is scanned, and if necessary, i i i NN ila a tt sal ed a i ae a Re Te eee eee