Accident or Injury?
Dr. Arthur Secord, director of community
service and professor of speech at Brooklyn Col
lege, was one of the speakers at the National
Safety Congress last year. In one talk he said;
There is a word that I have been working on
for over 20 years. A lot of other people have too,
because changes are being made. When I was
here in 1955, one of these words was on a big
slogan at the end of the room. Its absence this
time may be accidental—which brings up the
word I’m talking about.
The next time you see or hear the word “acci
dent”, ask yourself the question “Would that
be improved if the word ‘accident’ were elimi
nated and in its place was put the word we
mean—injury?
“Let’s stop preventing accidents and get to work
preventing injuries.”
In support of Dr. Secord’s idea, The California
Safety News recently reprinted some comments
from an earlier issue of that publication. The
article said:
An Injury Is No Accident
One of the definite mental blocks in the un
ceasing drive to reduce injuries to our workers is
the use of the word accident when we mean in
jury. Although many of us still talk of industrial
accidents or work accidents, what we usually
mean is industrial injuries, or—to use a better
phrase—work injuries.
Use of the word “accident” is unfortunate. The
word has several meanings, but it is usually in
terpreted as something undesigned, sudden, and
unexpected — something fortuitous — something
that happens quite by chance. But we know that
injuries do not occur by chance. They are caused.
There is another objection to use of the word
accident, related to the injury picture.
Federal, Stale, and private and public organi
zations keep statistics on injuries—not of acci
dents. If no injury results from an accident, there
is usually no statistical record kept. And if an
accident brings injury, say, to a dozen people,
statistics record 12 injuries—not 1 accident.
When the average man thinks of accidents, he
thinks of something we have no control over;
but we can actually control most so-called “ac
cidents”—and this fact is the very basis of in
jury prevention.
Clear Up Errors In Our Thinking
We know that if we have safe working sur
roundings, good supervision all along the line,
adequate safeguards, and safe work practices, the
overwhelming majority of injuries will be elimi
nated. Important point is first to clear up er
rors in our thinking. The word “accident” is a
stumbling block except when used accurately.
Accidents incline us to think of mere chance.
Injury is not only more nearly accurate, but is
something more vivid and tangible. It makes us
think of a broken leg, a lost eye, an amputated
finger; and so it hits home, and makes us realize
the precious things we should protect.
An injury is an injury. An accident is an acci
dent.
But an injury is no accident.
Annual United Fund Appeal
‘Eyewitness’ For Top News
“Eyewitness to H i s t o r y,”
weekly television series spon
sored by Firestone, began its
current series September 23 on
127 stations of the Columbia
Broadcasting system. The pro
gram of live coverage, video
tapes and films, covers the
world’s single most significant
news story each week.
“Eyewitness”, seen locally on
WBTV;, channel 3, Charlotte,
runs for 39 weeks. See local pro
gram listings for Friday eve
nings.
To report the big weekly
story, CBS puts in action a
globe-circling news staff that
includes such commentators as
Walter Cronkite, Edward R.
Murrow, Eric Sevareid, Larry
LeSueur, Douglas Edwards,
Richard C. Hottelet, Dallas
Townsend, David Schoenbrun,
Alex Kendrick, Daniel Schoor,
Lou Cioffi, Winston Burdette
and Neil Strawser.
Anchor man for “Eyewitness”
is Charles Kuralt, who at age 23
won the Ernie Pyle Memorial
Award for “newspaper writing
most nearly exemplifying the
style and craftsmanship for
which Ernie Pyle was known.”
Kuralt joined CBS in 1957, after
two years with the Charlotte
News.
The Firestone series, begun in
August of 1959, has thus far in
cluded 28 programs in choice
viewing periods. CBS cameras
have reported such events as
Nikita Khrushchev’s tour of the
United States; President Eisen
howers trips to Europe, Asia
and the Far East; and French
President Charles de Gaulle’s
American visit—as well as a re
view of history-making news
event of 1959. Outstanding of
recent programs was a report
on the Congo crisis and Nikita
Khrushchev’s appearance at the
United Nations assembly in New
York in September.
Watch out for temptation. The
more you see of it, the better it
looks.—Quiller Hand
The best sort of revenge is not
to be like him who did the in
jury to you.—Beam Hauler
OCTOBER, 1960 PAGE 3
CUSTOMERS
YOU CAN QUOTE
These Tires
Served WeU
Customers appreciate
the good quality and work
manship which they get in
Firestone tires. Sometimes
the satisfied consumer ex
presses gratitude to the
manufacturer. For example,
take the following comments
recently received in letters
from across the country.
Miss Jennie N. Wren
Croydon, Pa.:
“I own a 1955 Studebaker
Commander which was factory-
equipped with Firestone tires.
On July 16, 1960 I had my first
flat tire in nearly five years.
Total mileage for the tire was
49,386. For safety, I had the
other remaining tire replaced,
which was also an original, and
had run 49,405 miles without
a flat.” (She had replaced two
other tires after she had owned
the car for three years.) “Keep
up your good quality and work
manship!”
Joseph Rodono
Plainview, L. I., N. Y.:
“I am original owner of a
1952 Chevrolet with original
Firestone black tires. I haven’t
had a flat yet—with the mileage
going on 68,000 miles. I don’t
know if this is some kind of
record, but nobody seems to be
lieve that this is possible.” (Com
mented a company spokesman:
“We don’t know if it’s a record,
either, but we know it’s possible,
and we’re glad Mr. Rodono got
such long, trouble-free service
from his Firestone tires.”)
Mrs. Veda Endsley
Freeport, Texas:
“I have what I think is truly
an amazing story of Firestone
tubeless tires. My 1955 Chevro
let came equipped with Fire
stone tubeless tires. On July 29
we returned from a 3,014-mile
trip across Texas by way of Del
Rio, and up the west coast of
Texas to Silver City, N. Mex.;
from there across the desert in
to Arizona where it was 117 de
grees hot, on to Phoenix; then
on to the Grand Canyon. Then,
we headed home by way of the
Painted Desert, Petrified Forest,
down to Sonora, Texas, and
home.
“After crossing quite a strip of
road construction outside Flag
staff, the right rear tire began to
go soft. We changed it, the first
time the jack had ever been
used. There are now 64,839 miles
on the car and the original
tires.”
☆ ☆ ☆
Consumers' thoughtfulness
in expressing their satisfac
tion with the things we
manufacture gives Firestone
employees added encourage
ment to keep on producing
and selling quality products.
Members of the campaign
team of workers hope that all
who can, will give the “fair-
share” way, thus distributing
contributions among as many
persons as possible.
Generally speaking, a fair
share gift for hourly workers is
one hour's pay per month for
the year. For salaried workers,
it is one per cent of income for
one year.
Production manager F. B.
Galligan is chairman of this
year’s UF employees drive. As
the program got under way
here, Mr. Galligan reviewed
Firestone’s outstanding history
of united giving, and expressed
faith that employees will “live
up to their good record” again
this year.
He noted that the united way
of giving has gained wider ac
ceptance each year, for it avoids
multiple campaigns, competi
tion of causes and duplication of
expenses.
“To meet individual and com
munity problems, this year’s
agencies in the Gastonia United
Share In America:
Cast Your Ballot
President Eisenhower said
in a recent address—
“Neglect by citizens of
civic responsibilities will be
a greater danger to a free
America than any foreign
threat can ever pose. But an
enlightened, dedicated peo
ple, studiously and energetic
ally performing their politi
cal duties, will insure us a
future of ever-rising stand
ards of spiritual, cultural,
and material strength.”
Be informed — Study,
listen, learn, in order to un
derstand issues. What do
candidates stand for? Find
out.
Register — October 29 is
deadline date for registering
for your vote in the Novem
ber 8 election.
Cast Your Ballot—Citizens
are the real policy-makers in
American Democracy. Let
your vote count.
—From page 1
Fund hold out a hand for your
support through the united way
of giving,” Mr. Galligan said.
Contributions help provide for
the needy and the homeless, the
blind and the crippled, the poor
in health and the poor in spirit.
Gifts also provide for such con
structive causes as recreation,
safety, character-building pro
grams, medical research, solu
tion of personality and family
problems, counseling and a mul
titude of other programs which
help people toward a better life
—to make the community a bet
ter place for all who live here.
Your Gift Helps These—
American Red Cross of Gas
ton County, Boy Scouts of
America — Piedmont Council,
Children’s Home Society of
N. C., Florence Crittenton Home,
Gaston Big Brothers, Gaston
Life-Saving Crew, Girl Scouts
of America—Pioneer Area Coun
cil, Junior Optimist Boys Club.
N. C. Mental Health Associa
tion, Red Shield Boys Club, Re
gional Mental Health Center,
Salvation Army, United Cerebral
Palsy Association, United Medi
cal Research Foundation of
N. C., United Service Organiza
tions, Young Men’s Christian
Association.
National Agencies: American
Hearing Society, American
Social Hygiene Association, In
ternational Social Service, Na
tional Probation and Parole As
sociation, National Recreation
Association, National Social Wel
fare Assembly, National Travel
ers Aid Association.
IM BITTER ABOUT
LITTER—A
LITTERBU6 MAY
BE A FIREBUG/
‘It’s Part Of An Endless Lesson’
What is your attitude toward safety instruction on the job?
The following statement by a Firestone employee at the
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada plant was published under the
heading “From a Worker” in the Industrial Accident Pre
vention Association’s Newsletter. It is reprinted here, courtesy
of the Newsletter and Firestone Canadian, Hamilton.
From time to time in our department I am ap
proached by my supervisor on the subject of safety.
This is important to me because safety had a beginning
with everyone in infancy. Our parents taught us safety
as we grew up; our teachers at school taught it; and
often we learned from our own experiences.
Certainly safety will be taught to us as long as there
is a hazard, and it is this that my supervisor is looking
for. It is up to myself as well as everyone else to help
him by cooperating.
If a person can think beyond his own personal safety,
he can put safety into the products with which he is
connected. No matter how insignificant the product may
seem, if it be the smallest screw or the largest tire, if
it is made carelessly it is unsafe.
So, if I am corrected for the way I work or the way
I dress for the job; if I’m using unsafe equipment or
producing an unsafe product, I feel that this is part of
an endless lesson in safety.