Safety First

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Safety First

• NASAs MSFC Safety Moment
• January 29, 2001
• Ginger Holmes Rowell, Ph. D.
• Associate Professor or Mathematics
• Middle Tennessee State University

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You all know about the vision of Dr. Werhner Von
Braun.
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But you may not know about the vision of Dr.
Joseph Austin Holmes.

• 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.

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and with keeping Safety a first priority (next
slide)
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Dr. Von Brauns dream (click) and this countrys
dream (click) became a reality.
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At the turn of the previous century, Dr.
Holmess 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)
Im sure you all know about the dangers to the
coal miners both in and out (click) of the mines.
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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)

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In 1910, Congress established the US Bureau of
Mines (USBM) and President Taft appointed Joseph
Austin Holmes as its first director. One of the
main focuses of the USBM was the safety of miners
and the prevention of accidents.
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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.
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Dr. Holmes campaign also included planning and
preparation, and ingenuity.
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Like using these railroad cars as moveable safety
and rescue stations.
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When the cars were not used for rescue, they
were used for training.
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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 USBMs 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.
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You know about Dr. Von Brauns vision for the
future,
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and how it is in the process of becoming a
reality today.
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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.
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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.
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Dr. Holmes would also be pleased with the
reduction in the coal mining fatalities that is
shownin the following charts. (click twice)
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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)
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