WESTIERN ASS0CIAT[0N NEWS

Lumber Association of Southern California's legislative com mittee, Marty Temple, Weyerhaeuser; Al Reed, Enarde International; E. L. Newkirk, retired, and LASC's Wayne Gardner, traveled to Sacramento, Ca., recently to review state legislation.

They report 30 oi ll0 bills which were of concern when introduced are now dead. Letters in opposition have been written on | 5 of the remaining with the balance in a watch position.

When necessary Ron Barrow and Associates which tracks the bills will appear at any hearing on behalf of the association or call members to act on behalf ot the industry. Letters and appearances can be either lor endorsement or opposition.

In ongoing action, Temple and Gardner watch environmental and codes & standards bills while others on the com- mittee watch labor, credit and collection and general bills.

Abstracts or full copies of bills of interest to members of, the association can be obtained from Gardner.

Western Building Material Association in questioning whether or not back support belts are becoming a new lumberyard standard cited the following case history.

In a five and a half month period, a select group of Payless Cashways stores saw an 840h reduction in back-related injuries of lumberyard employees. ln the same period, the stores noticed a 35%r reduction in all other types of injuries.

To what does Payless attribute the reduction olinjuries? Back support belts.

Starting in March of this year, Payless fitted about 563 belts on lumberyard employees at 22 randomly selected stores.

The belts provide lower-back support, compress the abdominal muscles, reduce latigue and, by tightening when the back is bent, remind wearers to bend from the knees. They were individually fitted, and wearers were trained as to their proper use.

Payless Cashways implemented the program out of concern for yard employees and in hopes of reducing costs incurred from back injuries, according to Lionel Robeson, director ol salety and risk management. In the same period last year, back-related injuries accounted for 15 to 200/o of all accidents and workers compensation claims at Payless, and 50 to 600/o of costs for claims. At the test stores, the number of accidents is down 650/0. Legal costs and workers compensation payments are down 87% and costs incurred from nonback injuries are down 23%.

Lumber Merchants Association has amended its bylaws to allow a new category of membership open to those not otherwise eligible.

With board approval persons with an interest in the goals and objectives ofthe association may join as affiliate members. These members are not eligible to (Plaase tunt to pagc 561