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Safety First Amongst the Young
A Popular Movement

Mr. R. E. Robertson, Brake Engineer of the N.Z.R., is a safety first enthusiast. In the course of his official duties, which take him all over New Zealand, he devotes some of his spare time to visiting schools and giving short talks to the scholars about accidents and how to avoid them.

Three have been many indications lately that the question of safety teaching amongst school children is receiving additional attention in other parts of the world.

In New Zealand, similarly, there is a growing tendency on the part of educationists to realise the necessity, created particularly by the speed of vehicular traffic in modern days compared with that which existed previously, of adding to the general safety of the public by inculcating the elementary particulars of safety first amongst the young. The official School Journal has assisted in this direction with a number of special articles upon the subject, and individual school teachers have also taken a direct interest in the matter.

Recently several school teachers have written to the Railway Publicity Branch asking for assistance with posters and propaganda material for the purpose of using in the course of school lessons.

One member of the Railway Department, Mr. R. E. Robertson, Westinghouse Brake inspector, has been particularly keen in the interest he has displayed in the subject, and has taken opportunity, whenever it offered, of addressing school children on the general question of safety, and exhibiting railway safety posters—particularly in regard to the need for care at railway crossings. Mr. Robertson reports that he has been most cordially received at the schools visited, and we are able to publish with this article a photograph taken at the Kelburn School, Wellington, during the course of one of these talks.

Mr. Robertson has also prepared a set of safety first rules which he distributes in the various schools visited. He has not confined the instruction principally to railway questions, realising that “safety first” is more a matter of developing the habit that would make a trained individual take the safe method under all circumstances, than a matter regarding which it is advisable to merely concentrate instruction upon one particular and limited phase. At each of the centres visited by Mr. Robertson all the teachers and children were present and showed the very keenest interest in the subject, and he reports that “thanks and applause were given in every case to the Railway Department.”

The system adopted is to deliver a short address on “safety first” and also a brief explanatory talk to the children on railway safety appliances, the use of diagrams being made to aid in making the subject clear. Safety first railways posters are also left at each school, and the schoolmasters place them in a prominent position.

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The following letter received by Mr. Robertson from Mr. A. R. Cullen, headmaster of the Nelson Park School, Napier, indicates the general appreciation of school teachers upon the matter:—

Re your visit to my school to-day, would you please send me three more sets of your “Safety First” charts, as I require to place them in different parts of the school. I feel that the greater the number of charts we have the greater the good work we shall be able to do.

Your instructive address at the school today was much appreciated.

Some Safety Slogans prepared by Mr. Robertson:—

Children Remember!

1. The notices at railway crossings. “Stop! Look out for the engine.”

2. Before crossing railway lines. Stop! Look! Listen!

3. Never get on or off railway trains that are moving. There is always another train to-day or to-morrow.

4. Never cross between the railway cars or wagons. It is dangerous.

5. Never throw glass bottles from railway car windows.

6. Never lean out of the railway car windows or from the car platforms.

7. Never tamper or interfere with any railway appliance.

8. Only cross streets at the proper crossings.

9. Stop, look and listen when you are about to cross the streets.

10. Always cross streets in a straight line, and not at an angle.

11. It is dangerous to throw stones or other objects at other children.

12. It is dangerous to break glass bottles on the beaches or to throw broken glass in the grass.

13. Have a place for everything and put everything in its place.

14. It is dangerous to leave things on the ground for people to fall over.

15. Be sure that there are poison labels on bottles containing poison.

16. Do not leave poison in the way of children, and keep poison away from medicine bottles.

17. Before drinking out of any bottle, smell the contents.

18. Before entering a bath, place your hand, or finger, for a moment in the water to ascertain the heat.

19. Keep kettles, pans, and other utensils that are filled with boiling water away from the edge of stoves, or tables, as these are generally dangerous to children.

20. At railway stations and other places always cross by the subways or overhead bridges. It is dangerous to cross the railway lines.

21. Never walk on the railway track. Walk a safe distance from the lines.

22. Do not damage electric wire insulators or electric wires. It is a dangerous practice.

23. Do not touch, or go near live electric wires. It is death to touch these live wires.

24. When a live electric wire falls to the ground keep away from it.

25. Petrol, benzine, kerosene and other inflammable liquids are dangerous. Keep lights away from them.

26. Before crossing railway or street crossings Stop! Look and Listen.

27. Be enthusiastic in the Safety First movement. Make “Safety First” your motto.

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