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HARRY MENDENHATT execulive vice president

Lumber

Merchqnts Associolion of Northern Colifornio 1546 El Comino Ral, Suitc 0 Lor Afior, Co. 91Q/2 (4151 ttr-t6t7

T g e Occupational Safery & I' Health Act now beins adniLinistered by th,e State of Californi'a will grow as the staff at the State Division of Industrial Safety grows. We, in LMA, are a step ahead, our safety committee headed by Chal Cross of Truckee Tahoe Lumber Co. has initiated some stronq measures that are showine definitE results.

First we have asked that each firm designate a firm's safety representative that the association can work with directly. Over 60 firms have designated such an individual. We feel that all .too frequently the -important safety information berng- mailed to management is put in the "to-do-later" box and doesn't set done.

. The appoiitment.of a safety rep to handle this job is showing results. We send out a m6nthly safetv bulletin directlv to the firm's salety rep. Bulletins prolide hi-nr with injury trends association-wide, monthly safeiy talks, areas of thi: ylrd that appear to require attentio-n based upon staffvisits, anh general safety information the safety rep needs to do the properJob for management.

^ Another important facet is our in-yard presentation of the OSHA In Color Program. When a firir can gather five or more employees together the association staff makes this presen- tation lor employees in the yard after work.

Prior to the presentation a simulated OSHA safety inspec- tion.is .made .o.f the yard just as though the OSHA inspe'ctor would.be making it. When the staff blgins the inspection we generally find the employees without hard hats dr workins around the saws without safety glasses; however, five minutel after.the inspector begins, eveiy employee has hii hard hat on ano ls weanng goggles.

-_ .During the.course of the inspection we find many violations. When those that are in manag-ement's area of respbnsibility to correct, we discuss the problem and solutions. Those that are employee unsafe acts we tear into during the evenins meetins. Poor housekeepi!g .by yard employees.-steel banilin'g, cutofrs lying around, units broken down and left scattered. Iailure to wear safety equipment and improper operation of lift equip- ment are among the items we bring home to the employees. ^ The past two years were among the lowest divideird vears for the association when we received only lgvo dividend irom State Fund. Paying this through the merii payment plan some firms received only l4%o while the firms ri,ith feiv iniuries receiv_ed up to 25Vo. During the last quarter of 1973 our injuries lell off 25Vo and again the first quartir of 1974 the injuriej were off 25Vo.

, T.his drop may -have some bearing on the slackening business but a lot of yards are still very active. We believe oui pro€ram^is beginning.to-pqy otr. We are going to stay with it and try flor those high dividends again. - -