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Safety Instruction Pays
THERE is no doubt that well-devised safety educa tion amongst employees in works can save a great many accidents. For example, Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., which devotes much attention to this matter, shows a great improvement in its accident record for 1952 amongst its 12,000 employees. Injuries which caused loss of time dropped from 230 in 1951 to 165 last year and the number of such injuries for each 100,000 hours worked improved from 1.13 to 0.81.
For the first time on record, two of-the factory's 20 departments went through the year without a single injury involving lost time, whilst accidents in five others decreased by over 70 per cent. Despite the big increase in the use of machine tools in 1952, accidents caused by "machines in motion" declined from 32 to 11
Maintenance in Rural Areas
"GRICULTURAL hauliers, tractor owners, and other users of oil engines in rural areas, on occasion find need for the help of practical men on the spot in order to deal with emergencies. In many parts, nevertheless, the mechanically minded countryman tends to migrate from his own area to towns, where there may be more scope for his particular skill.
With the object of supplementing existing oil-engine maintenance facilities and at the, same time making rural blacksmiths better qualified to undertake work of this nature, a series of courses has recently been run by the Northutriberland Rural Community Council. Similar arrangements are, it is understood, being made in Cumberland and Westmorland.
As part of the Northumberland scheme, one of the Perkins mobile schools paid a visit to the county, A24 16 men attending a whole-day course at Alnwick, seven selected men being present at a further session, held in conjunction with a local coachbuilder, the day after. Since then several three-day residential courses, each for nine men, have been run at Kirkley Hall Farm Institute, Ponteland; in each case the full period has been devoted to a specific make of engine. So far David Brown, Marshall, and Ferguson units have been the subject of study, but lectures have also been given by instructors from C.A.V.; on injection maintenance, and by British Oxygen representatives, on the welding of alloys.
The difficulties experienced by students in the rural areas in the matter of obtaining adequate technical instruction are often imperfectly realized by those who are more fortunately placed, and the enterprise shown by the Northumberland R.C.C. in this connection is, therefore, specially commendable, and one which could be followed to advantage by other counties to the benefit of the agricultural industry.
Publicity by Conductors
VVHEN a bus stops outside a big store and the conductor calls out the name of the shop for the edification of the passengers, is he giving that establishment valuable publicity? The National Union of Small Shopkeepers considers that he is, and has made representations to the London Transport Executive and the Ministry of Transport that the name of the street should be announced—not the establishment.
One can sympathize with the small shopkeeper who rarely obtains free "buffs." Perhaps there has been scope for enterprising advertising agents to persuade conductors to call out particular names in preference to others. But after all, are passengers more interested in alighting at " Harridges " or Cambridge Street?
The Slower -the Better
WHILST spray painting is the obvious method to " adopt for body finishing when speed is essential, it is recognized that, for really high-class work, better results are obtainable with the brush. The two whisky tankers which have been put into service by W. and A. Gilbey, Ltd., have their cabs and chassis so finished, and no fewer than 10 coats, including the primers and undercoats, were applied.
A glass-like finish was obtained by two coats of spirit-resisting varnish, and tl • final result was such as to gladden the heart of any craftsman who took pride in the result of his labours.
Practical Design
AN excellent idea in the Unipower tractor is to hinge the instrument panel at its base and secure it by two thumbscrews. The unit opens outwards and downwards, allowing quick servicing of switchcontrol panel, ammeter and all electrical connections to instruments_ The vacuum and oil-pressure lines are flexible.
In connection with dust-proofing for overseas
operation each transmission unit has a spring-loaded valve. This releases the internal air when the pressure exceeds 5 lb. per sq. in.
The winch drive and drum shafts are on selfaligning bearings so that chassis distortion will not affect their true running. The winding-drum cheek brake can be controlled from the rear of the tractor, hut is also inter-connected with the main brake operated from the driver's seat.
A Sheep Dog's Hoard
SOMETHING different from the usual shaggy-dog stories comes from New South Wales. It seems to be the law there for red flags or bunting to be hung on the ends of overhanging loads on timber-carrying lorries. Recently, police patrols found many without these warnings and the drivers had a task to convince them that they had started off properly equipped. However, a patrol man caught sight of a wisp of red cloth under a roadside loading platform of a farm and then discovered quite a hoard. It proved to be the trophies of a sheep dog, who lay in wait to leap out and rip off the material as the timber vehicles passed.