Document KJeLv8qXO0XwBq5r0YM21rG6w

Welder at work; left, without exhaust ventilation; right, with exhauster working. Fume Control in Shipyards By WILLIAM E. LAWRENCE Safety Engineer, New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, N. J. SAFEGUARDING workers ex posed to respiratory hazards trouble at its source. Accordingly, blowers and exhausting devices resulting from contact with fumes,have been' developed and placed in fumes but from eye flashes as well. There is a relatively new develop ment which consists of carbon arc dusts, vapors, acid gases, and mists service with satisfactory results. burning in smoothing off large ranks among the important safety Respirators fitted with metal fume countersunk heads of tap bolts in measures on new construction jobs filters also give protection when armor plate decks. These heads are in shipyards. fume concentrations are low 1 J/& inches in diameter and were Because of the importance of Plant medical staffs are exercis formerly chipped and ground off welding operations in shipbuilding, ing great care in routine re-checks flush with the deck plates. This was much attention has been paid to the and re-examinations of workers ex a long, tiresome, rough and costly control of hazards and fumes in posed to welding fumes. To the operation. volved. The large number of per best of our knowledge, we have not By use of the carbon arc, these sons engaged in welding, tacking, had one case of lasting or permanent heads are burned off so that only a burning and heating or straighten ill effects to anyone associated with small amount of grinding is neces ing has necessitated increased pro welding, tacking, burning or heat sary, thus cutting time and labor tection against possible fume fever ing. to a minimum. hazards or later complications. Many of the oxides encountered Of course, the fume and dust haz In our plant there are at present are irritating and tend to aggravate ard had to receive special considera some 3600 welders, tackers, burners pre-existing conditions." 'For in tion. This was taken care of by and heaters whose jobs require stance, workers with colds should use of a compressed air jet which special provisions for ventilation, .not be exposed to zinc fumes or, blows the slag and carbon residue especially in innerbottoms and other for, that matter, to any fumes. into exhauster funnels located at tin- small compartments. Every ship Data, accumulated through re-ex ends of two 3-inch metallic flexible- yard should know by now that the amination and case histories of our tubes with powerful portable ex most satisfactory method of fume welders may be expected to provide hausters at the outlet ends. control is exhaust ventilation. a great deal of valuable information As required, this equipment i > Extensive experimentation with for medical study. However, it skidded easily along the deck and i> different types of equipment during must also be remembered that a kept close to the job at all timer- the past decade has proved that the large part of the problem concerns even eliminating the necessity for surest method is to remove the not only the welders but other respirators. Protection against hew workers in the vicinity. They must and glare is, of course, a necessi: From a paper presented at the Marine Sec tion, 32nd National Safety Congress. u be protected not only from the In winter, there is the spec;. 022 0702 National Safety News, April, 1944 PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT VJ\J - QOU V U hazard of salamanders and other maximum allowable concentration receptacles for fires, which may for carbon rrmnoxide and carbon i generate deadly quantities of car dioxide, but the main point to re bon monoxide gas in addition to member is that carbon monoxide is causing an oxygen deficiency in a the No. 1 poison killer in both in closed space. Also there is the dan dustrial and non.-occupational life. ger of fumes from fires in ships on Wherever there is smoke, you may the ways and in the water after suspect carbon monoxide. launching. Many of these fires oc Constant alertness on the part of cur because welders, tackers and watch force men and safety inspec burners do not observe the rule re tors is an absolute necessity in com quiring them to know what is be bating such hazards. The education low or above, or on the other side of the men by their supervisors-and of bulkheads before starting work. use of warning posters are recom Sparks will often ignite welding mended, but exhaust ventilation and leads, portable^ light wires, air hose introduction of fresh supplies of air and rubbish, especially when house art imperative under such danger keeping, or as we call it, shipkeep ous conditions. A number of almost A shipyard worker wearing oxygen-breath ing, is poor. More than 90 per cent of these fires are caused by failure to observe this important rule. fatal accidents in shipbuilding can be attributed to carelessness rather than ignorance. Men forget to ing apparatus. In the background is a dis play of protective equipment, showing goggles, hard hats and safety shoes. Although many of the fires may be minor, there is always the pos sibility of men being trapped by smoke and toxic fumes without pos sible escape. This is where the trained safety inspector or watch force man comes into the picture. Quickly he must don a mask, hook on a life rope, and go down to make sure everyone has escaped. He must be followed as closely as possible by another worker with a powerful electric lamp. If any deficiency of oxygen is suspected, an oxygen breathing mask must be worn. Ventilation must be provided at once, smoke and fumes exhausted, and a fresh supply of air blown in. Much could be said about the think. Use of insulation cement contain ing toxic solvents, such as carbon tetrachloride, is a menace to work men unless adequate precautions are taken to safeguard them. A large shipyard recently re-distilled its en tire supply of a toxic solvent and substituted a safer one, thus elimin ating the hazard without loss of ma terial, but with a tremendous in crease in production and safety. The use of water-repellent asbes tos insulation has recently replaced some types of material formerly used in ship work. For protection against dust or possible asbestosis, it is recommended that such mate- (Continued on page 90) PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT An all-service gas mask may be used in atmospheres where there Is no oxygen deficiency. National Safety Newt, April, 1944 01 022 0703 17 Fume Control (Continued, from page 17) rial be dampened wherever possible, and that dust respirators be worn in addition to the provision of spe cial ventilation. Periodic medical examination of those exposed is also necessary. Men working with fiberglas or glass wool may not be particularly bothered by fume hazards, but may experience trouble if a toxic solvent is used in the cement. Experiment E&J Resuscitator Inhalator and Aspirator have shown, however, that the dust inhaled by men working with fiber-\ glas does not cause damage to the lungs. Since fiberglas workers may con tract dermatitis, especially in hot weather, extra changes of loose coveralls with cheesecloth or soft unbleached muslin worn around the neck are recommended. Eye pro tection and dust respirators are a\sp provided. Shot and sand blasting with its Icosis hazards can be done safely if standard sand blast rooms or cab inets are provided. Such installa tions should be approved by a state department inspector, and special ventilation must be provided and frequently inspected. Regular, pe riodic examinations, including X-rays, are mandatory. A leaking facepiece can be de tected easily by the operator, and should be reported at once to the safety department for immediate correction. If an operator tastes sand, he will realize at once that his equipment is not safe. Fumes and dust from friction saws in shops are easily removed by proper exhaust ventilation, and should be carried by ducts from the machine to dust collectors, out of the shops if possible. Plating room fumes with modern ventilating systems now available are no longer a problem in an up-todate shipyard. A few years ago, however, a different story could have been told. Recent changes in painting speci fications on vessels have provided for the use of zinc chromate which, although perhaps not particularly toxic, must be considered when OFFERS IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES * Artificial Respiration administered effectively and safely in cases involving internal injuries, severe burns, pregnancy, etc. * Mechanical Resuscitation for non-breathing victims and oxygen inhalation for breathing patients or in conjunc tion with the manual method. * Quick and effective means for detecting and clearing throat obstructions. * Artificial Respiration without alteration in rhythm or efficiency in prolonged cases. The extensive Clinical Research supporting the E & J Resuscitator was con tributed by outstanding Physicians whose only interest lay in the welfare of their patients. Their exhaustive and valuable work has resulted in the saving of many lives in Hospitals, Industrials, Fire and Police Departments and other First Aid Organizations. For use only by professional or other adequately trained personnel and not intended to replace manually applied resuscitation E & i MANDFACTBRIRG COMPANY Glendale, California Dreel Building Philadelphia 530 Fernando Street Pittsburgh 4440 West Washington Chicago 5S1 Boyltton St. Botton 3900 Grandy Avenue Detroit 17 E. 42nd Street New York City The Pioneers & Specialists in Mechanical Artificial Respiration Hands safe in Stanzoils do better work Net all synthetic gloves are oil resistant! Don't risk loss of valuable hands these days -- and costly injury claims -- when Stanzoils of Du Pont's neoprene offer such remark ably complete protection. Workers enjoy wearing them, do better work. These neoprene gloves resist damage from oils, acids, caustics, last 3 to 7 times longer than rubber, cost least-per-hour of use. Standard styles, sizes; black and white. Pro tect busy hands with Stanzoils -- write today for all the facts. Synthetic Rubber Division THS PIONEER RUBBER CO. k 259 TU&n Rd., Willard, O., U. S. A. New York Lot Angelee 01 022 07<U,90 hnal Safety Newt, April, 1944 sprayed in small compartments. Respirators are advocated along with safe ventilation. When operations take place in big shops where sizable plates are sprayed, the use of air line respira tors is recommended since these areas are too great for efficient ex haust ventilation. Crane operators, however, who must handle material in such locations and especially above pickling tanks, should be pro vided with respirators. Fans may be placed in the crane cabs to blow fumes and vapor away from the operators. Protection must be furnished for any job in which dust, fumes or smoke from any substance contain ing lead is breathed daily. This ap plies when welding, cutting, burn ing, shrinking or straightening where material is metal, coated with paint containing lead. Lacquer spraying, if done in ap proved booths properly ventilated, presents no great problem. If clean ing compounds are used, chemical cartridge respirators provide neces sary protection if the concentrations ELIMINATE THOSE HAZARDS! As AMERICAN industry moves to the "offensive," pressure must be placed upon many new workers in the machine trades where personal hazard is acute. Steps must be taken to safeguard home front workers. For greater safety in the plant, H. & K. Guard Accessories are just the thing; economicai and dependable, they can be quickly assembled by your own men in your own plant. Write us today for complete information. All H. & K. Guard Accessories are under the reexamination service ot Underwriters' Labs., Inc. are low. Use of proper extinguishers on different types of fires must be care fully considered. Fumes from com bustion gases and extinguishing agents are capable of causing* death. Periodic demonstrations should be made for the benefit of firemen, watch force men, and safety inspec tors, and the use of instructive pos ters and bulletins is also recom mended. Fumigation of refrigerator spaces in ships practically ready for de livery is important. Men whose duty it is to open and ventilate such spaces after fumigation must wear all-service gas masks. If a defi ciency of oxygen is suspected, oxy gen breathing apparatus must be used. Management must be impressed with the necessity of providing ventilation of ships under construc tion, as well as the arrangement for permanent installations. Present construction of naval vessels prac tically prohibits the use of tempo rary ventilation units in engine and boiler rooms due to their inacces sibility and the difficulty of bringing in fresh air. ARE FEET THE SEAT OF ABSENTEEISM? We've heord thot thousonds of Absenteeism coses ore troceoble to tired, aching feet . . . feet, man or woman's, were not built to take the punishment of standing 8*10-12 hours on cold hard floors. > t These photos show H. & K. Guards in Harrinqton & Kinq Perforating I Xo. 5645 Fillmore St, Chicago 44, III. 1)4 Liberty St., New York 6, N. Y. MELFLEX Safety Standing Mats are solving this problem in hundreds of plants -- they'll do it in yours. MELFLEX comfort work mots ore impregnated with tire cord and thus eliminate Occidents caused by slipping -- are resilient and long losting, MELFLEX comfort giving Safety Standing Mats will also be welcomed by foremen, pro duction men, and works managers struggling to keep production up and absenteeism down. Furnished in individual sizes or runners. Write toe data and quotation** Melflex Products Company L. & WARFORD, President 415 Wheeler Lone Akron 8, Ohio 0 1 02292 Haws, April, 1944 *lw4ce the Protection and lighter, too THE DAVIS HEDGARD Suspension type cradle that cushions every blow and spreads it evenly over the head. Cooler--a large air space between sweat band and crown--actually air conditions Hedgard. Send for Bulletin 1404 describing the Hedgard and all its features. A&fuitaJde. JieaJMcaid One hat fits every head, reducing your inventory of special sizes. PROMPT DELIVERY Light in Weight Shatterproof Sanitary Washable Headband Address all inquiries to DAVIS EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT CO. 55 Halleck St., Newark 4, N. J. OAVIS EMERStNCif xdOT C* CHICAGO . TTOKI NEWA.RJt'v`T ;H CFV.-STO# ^ --.* >-1 A--'ttt?.'.Sr. -rS*i4 zssdssa Reaching NEW HEIGHTS IN SAFETY Gold Medal Single Ladder Hand split rungs, rung braces. Size S' to 24'. Gold Medal Mechanic Step Ladder A heavy duty ladder, rung bock, knee broces and truss rods, safety spreader. Sixes 4' to 20'. Telescoping Rolling Work Stands Platform 4' x 6'. Heights to platform from 4' (raises to '> to 8' (raises to 14'). Standard attach able top sections in V, V, 4' sixes may be used to gain additional height. THE PATENT SCAFFOLDING CO., INC. Chicago, 111.: 1550 Dayton St. Long Islond City, N. Y.: 3821--12th St. Branch Offices: Atlanta e Boston Los Angeles a Philadelphia Pittsburgh Son Francisco o St. Louis O Milwaukee # Miami O Newark Valley, N. Y. Gold Medal Safety Extension Ladder Automatic safety locks, rope and pulley, hand split rungs, rung braces. JfY M Kfr National Safety Newt, April, 7944 01 022 0700 91