TRANSPORT SERVICES, 187 
Safety in Docks. 
There are at present no regulations to protect the bulk of dock 
workers engaged in handling cargo against the risk of accidents, nor is 
there any inspection by an independent authority to ensure that ade- 
quate precautions are taken for the safety of dock workers. The bye- 
laws framed by the Port Commissioners of some of the ports contain 
provisions for the safety of the workers, but these apply only to the em- 
ployees of the Port Trust and not to dock labour employed by private 
firms. There is no legal obligation to report the majority of accidents 
in docks, and investigations into accidents have to be conducted either 
by the Port Trust authorities, who are themselves substantial employers 
of labour, or by the police. Accurate statistics of accidents are not 
available and there would appear to be little systematic effort to devise 
preventive measures. In Bombay and Calcutta arrangements are made 
for the periodical testing of chains and slings used by contractors’ 
labour, and registers are maintained of all tests carried out by the port 
authorities. Such arrangements are not to be found in all ports, and we 
consider it important that a proper system should be introduced of test- 
ing all gear and equipment used in the handling of cargo. We understand 
that the matter has been under the consideration of Government in con- 
bection with the Draft Convention adopted by the Twelfth International 
Labour Conference concerning the protection against accidents of workers 
employed in loading or unloading ships. We recommend that legislation 
empowering local Governments to frame safety regulations for docks 
should be undertaken without delay. The regulations should be pre- 
pared in consultation with the Chief Inspectors of Factories, who should 
also be made responsible for their enforcement. The regulations should 
further provide for the prover reporting of all serious accidents. 
Howrs of Work. 
The hours of work of dock labour vary from port to port, and 
there are no restrictions either on normal working hours or on overtime. 
Although the excess of labour is greatest in Karachi and Rangoon, in 
these ports the hours of work are longest. The day shift in Karachi 
axtends to 12 hours in summer and to 11 in winter, with one hour's 
interval, while the men on the night shift work for 113 hours without a 
break. A proposal to reduce hours was considered by the Port Trust, 
but met with opposition and the Trust decided not to pursue it. It was 
revived by a strike which occurred immediately after our visit, but, so 
far as we are aware, apart from ga promise from the stevedores that they 
would not oppose any reduction which might be agreed to by the Port 
Trust, nothing has been done. In Rangoon the day as well as the night 
shifts are 11 hours in duration, without any interval except between 
the two shifts. In Madras the daily hours are also 11, but the workers 
are given an hour’s interval in the middle of the day. In Bombay 
the meri on the day shift work 9 hours and on night shift 8 hours, while 
in Calcutta the hours of work are between 7 a. and 5 P.M. with two 
tervals of half an hour each. Having regard to the heavy character