Document 91EozJOKkDYpqE6n78RYwMd6L

TELEPHONE HUDSON 3 8136 Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc. (FOUNDED 1*731 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N. W. Washington, D. C, 20009 284. MINUTES OP MEETING SAFETY AND FIRE PROTECTION COMMITTEE Chemists' Club, New York City March 30, 1966 PRESENT A. H. Christian (Acting Chairman) R. H. Albisser A. P. Dunlap G. G. Fleming P. C. Folse J. Guelich s. M. MacCutcheon R. L. Miller (for G. L. Gorbell) J. S. Queener S. F. Spence W, S. Wood F. G. Stephenson, Secretary FMC Corporation Merck & Co., Inc. Union Carbide Corporation Celanese Corporation of America Socony Mobil Oil Company, Inc. Allied Chemical Corporation The Dow chemical Company Monsanto Company E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. American Cyanamid Company Sun Oil Company Manufacturing Chemists Association GUESTS E. N. Deck R. C. Hodges J. Smith M. E. Woodworth General Electric Company E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. Factory Mutual Research Corporation National Fire Protection Association ABSENT A. L. Cobb L. W. Boulton A. X,. Kling S. M. Macaulay Eastman Kodak Company Polymer Corporation Limited Olin Mathiason chemical Corporation Wyandotte Chemicals Corporation , In the absence of Mr. A. L. Cobb, Mr. A. H. Christian acted as Chairman. 1. Minutes of the December 16, 1965 meeting were approved. 2. Case Histories of Accidents (a) Volume Two of Case Histories of Accidents in the Chemical Industry was published in January 1966. CMA 039981 285. (b) Mr. Guelich discussed a need for additional accident case history reports whether or nor injuries are in volved. Case histories of fires and explosions are also requested. It was agreed to submit an item to this effect for inclusion in the MCA General Bulletin. (c) Vinyl Chloride - Reports of fatalities due to ex posure to vinyl chloride fumes were discussed and it was agreed to make further inquiries. 3. Chem-Card Program The secretary reported on a resolution by the MCA Transportation and Distribution Committee that a joint MCA intercommittee with rep resentation from the T and D Committee be established to investigate and make recommendations for implementing the chem-card program, in cluding, if necessary, the desirability or undesirability of legis lation. There was general agreement among Safety Committee members that decisions for expansion or further adoption of the chem-card program should be largely a responsibility of the T and D Committee. Mr. Spence read a letter from a major carrier describing an incident on December 3, 1965 when a nitric acid tractor and trailer overturned releasing the acid. There was a chem-card in the tractor but it was net accessible because "our driver was being cut out of the tractor by the Rescue Squad." Chem-Card instructions were phoned to the Fire Chief, onlookers were ordered to vacate the fume area and firemen were provided with protective equipment. The letter concludes "the very existence of the chem-card program and the manual allowed us to provide the necessary emergency information for the people at the scene." The committee agreed to re-write the report as an accident case history for inclusion in the MCA publication. 4. Awards (a) Certificates of Achievement The secretary -reported that, to date, applications have been received for certificates for 583 installations of 62 member companies. (b) Du Pont Award The Committee approved awards of Du Pont plaques as follows: Over 2,000,000 manhour group AMERICAN POTASH & CHEMICAL CORPORATION Under 2,000,000 manhour group COLLIER CARBON AND CHEMICAL CORPORATION CMA 039982 | 286 5. Research Programs (a) Explosion-proof electrical equipment for use in chemical atmospheres (Underwriters' Laboratories]' . As agreed at the last meeting, Chairman Cobb wrote to General Decker forwarding the Committee's resolution. The request for $5,000 for financial support of this pro gram will be submitted to the MCA Board of Directors. (b) Fire Protection of Flammable Liquid Drum Storage Areas Discussion of this item occupied most of the morn ing meeting session. Mr. J. Smith, Vice President of Factory Mutual Research Corporation described the two phases of the proposed program. The program was ini tially conceived by Mr. E. N. Deck of General Electric Company. Following discussion between Mr. Deck and Factory Mutual representatives it was submitted to the Safety and Fire Protection Committee for possible MCA sponsorship. Phase one of the proposed program would determine if temperatures and pressures in drums of water exposed to fire approximate to those developed in drums of flammable liquids. The cost of this phase, initially estimated as $2,585, has now been estimated as $3,115. If it is found that drums of water can be used as substitutes for drums of flammable liquid, then "phase two" can follow. The main objective of phase two would be to determine how many minutes may elapse from the time of the outbreak of a fire in a drum storage area to development of a drum explosion situation. The tests would include drum drop tests and fire tests simulating minimum leaks and maxi mum leaks of flammable liquid. When these time intervals have been determined it will then be possible to consider if high expansion foam can be used in place of the concentrated water sprinkler systems now demanded by insurance companies. It will be necessary to fill drum areas with foam during the time available so that all drums are submersed. Phase two may cost between $25,000 and $50,000, The Committee discussed the economic advantages which would accrue from the use of foam. Water sprinkler systems are costly and water to operate the systems in the volume CMA 039983 287 required is usually not available. It was recognized that it would be desirable to pre sent a "cut. and dried" proposal to the MCA Board of Directors but unfortunately this is not possible. It is, however, extremely desirable that the first phase of the proposal should proceed and therefore it was unanimously resolved to recommend to the Board that $3,115 be allocated for phase one of the program. The Board should also be ad vised that a successful outcome of "phase one" would probably lead to a future request for finance for "phase two." 6, Safety Publications (a) Reactivity of chemicals Mr. M. Woodworth, in a letter of March 7, 1966, sub mitted a list of chemicals c f wh-,,~h it was stated in MCA chemical safety data sheets that the inhibited material is not reactive. The point of concern is whether under fire conditions the material will react to the extent that an over-pressure rupture of the container would occur. What is the degree of reactivity of the inhibited material at its boiling point in the quantities which would be present in a tank vehicle, a tank car or a large above-ground storage tank? The list included acetaldehyde, acetic anhydride, acetylene, acrolein, acrylonitrile, butadiene, butyraldehyde, methyl and ethyl acryiate, nitrobenzene, propylene, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride and vmylidene chloride. It was agreed to write to manufacturers of the materi als concerned and to the authors of the safety data sheets to draw attention to this matter and check the accuracy of the current statements regarding reactivity (b) Chemical Safety Data Sheets (I) Published since last meeting SD-911' n-Butyllithium in Hydrocarbon Solvents (II) In galley-proof stage Dihitrotoluene Zirconium and Hafnium Powder (III) New sheets in preparation Paranitroaniline Phosgene Organo Phosphates (see (c) below) (IV) Revisions 288. Methanol Sodium Cyanide Dimethyl Sulfate Calcium Carbide Carbon Disulfide Ammonia Aqua (Eastman Kodak) Caustic Potash (Allied Chemical) Caustic Soda (Dow) Chlorosulfonic Acid (Merck) Ethylene Dichloride (Olin) Hydrogen Sulfide (not allocated) Methyl Bromide (Dow) Phosphoric Anhydride (not allocated) Nitrobenzene (American Cyanamid) Perchloroethylene (Dow) Elemental phosphorus (Monsanto) phosnhorus Oxychloride (Monsanto) Phosphorus Trichloride (Monsanto) Tetrachloroethane (not allocated) (c) Parathion The secretary reported on a meeting of parathion manufacturers to discuss safety in the manufacture and handling of parathions. This group had recommended that a safety data sheet be prepared on methyl and ethyl parathions. The safety and Fire Protection Committee discussed this proposal and resolved that in lieu of a safety data sheet on methyl and ethyl parathions (which might be over slanted to manufacturing safety) a sheet on organo-phosphates (in general) be prepared. The secretary undertook to advise the parathion manufacturers of the decision and to request that this work should proceed. (d) Betanaphthvlamine The secretary requested direction regarding the continuance of the safety data sheet on this material since it is believed it is no longer manufactured in this country. The committee resolved to retain this data sheet in the series. 7. Course on "Explosion Problems in the Chemical Industry" The secretary reported that the March 7-11 course at the CMA 039985 289. Bureau of Mines had been highly successful. MCA has written a letter cf thanks to the Secretary for the Interior. The possibility of holding two courses a year has been dis cussed with Dr. R. Van Dolah. The Committee resolved in favor of two courses a year if Bureau of Mines' staff can accept this additional load. 8. Safety Workshops Arrangements are progressing for the safety workshop to be held in Atlanta on September 19, 1966. The secretary advised that a proposal has been received from the CIC in Los Angeles that a second workshop be held in that area in the near future. Following discussion it was then agreed to hold three safety workshops on the West Coast during a oneweek period in April 1967. These will be in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. It was resolved that the workshops will follow the traditional format developed by the committee over the years. 9, Environmental Health Mr. W. S. Wood discussed the proposals of the Environmental Health Advisory Committee as submitted to the Board of Directors. Committee member comments were largely that the proposals constitute a "shotgun approach" rather than a rifle approach" to the problems on hand? that the activities should more closely concern the effects of chemicals and chemical manufacturing on the outside world and to a lesser extent on occupational safety; that there seems to be recommendation that MCA should simply "grind out more material" without getting to grips with the real problems of pollution control etc. One more positive suggestion was that the Association should prepare and publish case histories of pollution abatement etc. V-- 10. Proposed NFPA Committee on "Fire Problems in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres" An invitation to participate was submitted to the Committee for a recommendation. The purpose of the NFPA committee would be, initially, to prepare a manual on fire and explosion problems m altitude chambers, diving chambers etc. Mr. A. P. Dunlap agreed to attend a preliminary meeting to CMA 039986 290. determine if MCA participation is desirable. reply to the invitation to this effect. It was resolved to 11. Safety Guide on Emergency Organisation Mr. J. S. Queener undertook to review the Safety Guide on "Organization in Emergencies", in the light of more recent experiences. 12. Appointment of Officers The committee unanimously recommended the following officers for the two-year period commencing at the termination of the September 1966 meeting. Chairman: Mr. A. H. Christian Vice Chairman: Mr. A. L. Kling 13. Other Reports Mr. R. H. Albisser requested direction from the committee in casting his ballots on the draft for revision of NFPA 30, Flammable Liquid Storage, and revision of NFPA #385. The committee recommended an affirmative vote in each case. 14. Precautionary Labels The committee discussed a proposal under consideration by the LAPI Committee regarding inclusion of fire fighting information in precautionary labels. It was urged that there be careful con sideration of statements made on chem-cards when determination as to label phraseology is made. 15. Next Meeting The next meeting will be held during the week of June 13. Minutes subject to approval FGS:cm 4/4/66 CMA 039987