32 SAFETY AND PRODUCTION 
efficient factory has been used for many years as the probable or pos- 
sible brigading of these two factors, but without much support by way 
of facts. The Committee believes that the principal thesis presented 
for its investigation has now been amply supported by the result of its 
investigations. It is of the opinion that a positive affirmative answer 
may be given to Questions 6 and 7; in other words, that there is a 
positive correlation between safety and efficiency of production and, in 
general, the safe factory is the efficient factory. 
8. Is safety an executive responsibility? Is the key to the 
new safety movement the executive? 
What degree of improvement can be made in safety per- 
formance? What reduction can be expected in the costs 
of industrial accidents? 
The information secured was under a pledge of secrecy. That is, 
the Committee guaranteed not to reveal the identity of any firm 
which furnished data. The captions of the charts and tables are so 
written as to render identification impossible. However, the firms 
whose experience is given in Table I-A are in the main recognized 
as outstanding among American industries. Almost without excep- 
tion they are nationally known and credited with having progressive 
management. 
This being so. we have in combination an increase in production, 
decrease in accidents, and excellent management. It, therefore, seems 
reasonable to believe that the production and accident records are ac- 
complished by the same agency—that is, by the intelligent, progres: 
TABLE 1-F 
DECREASES IN THE RATES OF PRODUCTION ACCOMPANIED BY DECREASES IN BOTH THE 
ACCIDENT FREQUENCY AND ACCIDENT SEVERITY RATES FOR 5 INDUSTRIAL GROUPS 
WITH 7,754 EMPLOYEES 
[ndustrial groups 
Boilers. .......ccoovunt 
Boots and Shoes. ....... 
Gas. cove 
Paints and Varnish...... 
Plywood. . 
Num- 
er of 
com- | 
panies! 
3 
3 
7 
Length 
of 
experi- 
ence 
in 
years 
3 
5 
3 
2 
Per cent 
Number decrease 
| of in 
employees! produc- 
tion 
2,623 
1,681 
2,278 
599 
663 
12.6 
3.2 
8.1 
6.4 
1.0 
Per cent 
decrease 
in 
accident 
fre- 
quency 
31.9 
32.6 
23.6 
45.5 
6.7 
Per cent 
decrease 
in 
accident 
severity 
41.9 
75.1 
61.1 
75.5 
18.7