Safety First

NASA’s MSFC Safety Moment

January 29, 2001

Ginger Holmes Rowell, Ph. D.

Associate Professor or Mathematics

Middle Tennessee State University

You all know about the vision of Dr. Werhner Von Braun.

Joseph Austin Holmes

• b. 1859 Laurens, SC– Father was a Presbyterian

Minister, Math Teacher, Farmer

• B. Agr., Cornell (1881)

• First Job: UNC, professor of geology & natural history

• Chief of Technologic Branch of Geological Survey (1905) – This is when he became interested in safety.

But you may not know about the vision of Dr. Joseph Austin Holmes.

Dr. Von Braun’s vision involved potential dangers

for which safety was also a key issue. (click mouse)

And through hard work (click) ingenuity,

planning, and preparation and (next slide)

and training (next)and testing (click)and retesting

(click)

and with keeping Safety a first priority (next slide)

Dr. Von Braun’s dream (click) and

this country’s dream (click) became a reality.

At the turn of the previous century, Dr. Holmes’s job as Chief of the Technologic Branch of the Geological Survey had him involved with a different type of potentially dangerous issue. Coal Mining. (click, click)

I’m sure you all know about the dangers to the coal miners both in

and out (click) of the mines.

Dangers existed even for “breaker boys” who were as young as 8 years old. (click)

•In 1900 there were around 450,000 coal miners

and there were 1,500 coal mining fatalities.

•The fatalities reached their peak in 1907

with over 3,200 deaths that year alone. (next)

In 1910, Congress established the US Bureau of Mines (USBM) and President Taft appointed Joseph Austin Holmes as it’s first director.

One of the main focuses of the USBM was the safety of miners and the prevention of accidents.

As the Director of the USBM, Dr. Holmes also led a campaign of hard work, ingenuity,

test and retest. The Experimental Mine shown in this photo was developed for the

purpose of testing methods of preventing or limiting explosions of coal dust and gas.

Dr. Holmes’ campaign also included planning and preparation, and ingenuity.

Like using these railroad cars as moveable safety and rescue stations.

When the cars were not used for rescue, they were used for training.

And Dr. Holmes’ Campaign included “Safety First.” I found written documentation in mining safety journals published in 1911 of Dr. Holmes’ Campaign to make “Safety First” the watch word of the USBM. The USBM’s written history, credits Dr. Holmes with “coining” the slogan “Safety First” and making it popular. He is still referred to as “the Father of Mining Safety.” He was recently inducted into both the National and American Mining Hall of Fames for his tireless fighting for safety in mining.

You know about Dr. Von Braun’s vision for the future,

and how it is in the process of becoming a reality today.

Dr. Holmes’ vision of “Safety First” is also

becoming a reality.

Dr. Holmes served as Director of the USBM until his death in 1915, at the young age of 55. He was quite honored at his death

by the nation for his contributions to mining safety.

But he was also honored by the way mining safety has continued.

Dr. Holmes is honored by the Holmes Safety Association which was formed at his death and is still in existence today with goals of preventing death and injuries and

improving health and safety among official and employees in all phases of mining.

Dr. Holmes would be pleased with the way “safety first” has become a slogan throughout the nation and even Europe. Shortly after his death, the London “Safety First” Society

was founded.

Coal Mining Fatalities per 100,000 Miners1900-1998

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

24

332

Fatalities

Per100,000

29122,0831998

2,821725,0301910

Fatalities

for thatyear

CoalMiners

Year

Dr. Holmes would also be pleased with the reduction in the coal mining fatalities that is shown

in the following charts. (click twice)

And Dr. Holmes would be very pleased to see how NASA and you are taking the focus on “Safety First” into the 21st century.

(next slide)