Document EpDOjdm00mkD418V3ybDXz2j

SOURCES OF HELP FOR THE SAFETY MAN safe physical standards, and safe procedures have been developed for a wide variety of activities within the Anny Information on nonclassified standards will be provided DEPARTMENT OP COMMERCE NATIONAL BUREAU Of STANDARDS Codes and Safety Standards Section, Connecticut Ave and Van Ness St NW, Washington, D C 20234 The CODES AND SAFETY STANDAMO SEC TION, which forms a part of the buhdinc research division of the National Bureau of Standards, sponsors several building and safety standards and assists m the prepara tion of many standards sponsored by other groups These codes, with a few excep tions, are prepared by representative sec tional committees operating under the rules of procedure of the American Standards Association They are intended to serve as a basis for regulations promulgated by states and cities, as standards for the federal government, and for voluntary use by indus try, architects, and consulting engineers The section serves as safety consultant to the NBS and on request to other govern mental departments in the preparation of specifications, analysis of bids, and final ac ceptance tests of such equipment as eleva tors, electrical equipment, and lightning pro tection The section arranges for other NBS di visions to conduct basic research on equip ment to secure data for codes Such studies have included transmission of welding glass in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spec tra, and performance of elevator hoistway door interlocks, hydraulic buffers, and un dercar safeties Of particular interest to safety engineers is the Code for Head, Eye, and Respiratory Protectum, developed from tests conducted at the bureau The bureau conducts research on prob lems relating to fire safety and the fire re sistance of materials and assists other or ganizations in the formulation of standards and codes pertaining to fire and structural hazards in buildings DEPARTMENT OT DEFENSE The Pentogon, Washington, D C 20301 See separate entries Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army, and Department of the Navy DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF MINES 18th, 19th, and C Sti NW, Woihington, DC 20004 Promotion of safe, healthful working con ditions m the Nations mines and mineralprocessing plants has been a major respon sibility of the Bureau of Mines since its creation by the Congress in 1910. As the demands of mineral conservation over the years have required gradual broadening of bureau activity in such important research fields as mining, metallurgy, and fuels tech nology, so has progress w industrial tech niques and equipment called for continual expansion and improvement of bureau health and safety programs Bureau health and safety work can be classified under research, education and training, testing of equipment, and coal mine inspection Each of these activities is described below Research Fundamental and applied re search is devoted to health and safety prob lems m such fields as rock physics, explo sives and explosions, and mine ventilation These have contributed to noteworthy im provements m methods for supporting ground at mine workings, for preventing ignition of combustible gases, liquids, and coal dust, and for planning and installing effective and reliable systems for coursing air through underground workings Bureau research has defined the limits of flamma bility for hundreds of fluids and vapors, and has determined with precision the condi tions under which many different lands of dust will explode It has also led to ad vances in mine Ere fighting, in underground lighting systems, in tunnel design, and in design of safer mining methods and equip ment Education and Training On the basis of knowledge acquired through research and exhaustive investigation of thousands of ac cidents, the bureau has developed effective courses in accident prevention, first aid, and mine rescue training Supplemented by the pubhshed findings of its many studies and by such widely-used handbooks as its Ftrst-Aid Manual, these courses have in stilled safety awareness and competence in emergencies in millions of rmneral-induitry workers The bureau also promotes safety by active .sponsorship of the Joseph A Holmes Safety Association (named for the 12-25