With the object of reducing the number of accidents on the railways of America 35 per cent. by the year 1930 from the totals that were recorded in 1924, the Safety Section of the American Railway Association recently adopted a series of safety resolutions. The resolutions were designed to impress more definitely upon railwaymen the factors which cause accidents in carrying out their daily duties, and the importance of following “safety first” rules if the objective aimed at is to be attained. We quote the section of the resolutions which is addressed to the Train Service Department. It proceeds as follows:—

Whereas there were 190,000 Conductors, Flagmen and Brakemen in the service of the railroads of the United States, of whom 475 were killed and 21,488 were injured in 1924, representing thirty-two per cent. of all fatalities and seventeen per cent. of all injuries to employees on duty, and

Whereas, The General Causes of accidents and percentage of accidents due to each general cause are as follows:

Physical Conditions:

Defective material and equipment, lack of safeguards, litter or other physical hazards, 5 per cent.

Human Factor:

(a) Violation of rules and other forms of negligence, 10 per cent.

(b) Carelessness, thoughtlessness, indiffierence, ignorance or physical and mental unfitness and misadventure, 85 per cent. and

Whereas, The means of preventing accidents are as follows:

Physical Conditions:

Improved design and construction, better maintenance and installation of necessary safeguards.

Human Factor:

(a) Improved training, supervision and discipline.

(b) Safety organisation, education persuasion, co-operation, first aid, medical attention…..

Resolved, That the Safety Section, American Railway Association, appeals to all Trainmasters to provide ways and means of impressing upon Conductors, Flagmen, and Brakemen, particularly new and inexperienced men, the necessity for exercising proper care in the performance of duty to the end that maximum safety may be assured and a thirty-five per cent. reduction in casualties be achieved by 1930, which is the safety goal of the railroads, and be it further

Resolved, That it is the opinion of the Safety Section, that if proper and continuous effort is put forth to impress upon Conductors, Flagmen and Brakemen the four major causes of fatalities, namely: (1) struck by trains, (2) Getting on and off trains, (3) Falling off trains and (4) Coupling and uncoupling cars, that within a short period a very marked reduction in fatal accidents will be accomplished.

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