Document KLEgp5JJjMg0dJKw16MQdGJx

^ r o u k i ! 11- lift; J SINGAPORE LIMITED y : >v'v > , / Trr'O4ff K 0020942 11th December, 1950. Dr . R. A. Keh oe, U n iversity of Cin cin n ati, College o f M edicin e, Eden Aven ue, Cin cin n ati, Oh io. U .S.A . Dear Bob, We r e g r e t t o h ave t o in for m you o f a secon d r e c e n t t an k cle an in g in cid e n t - on t h is o ccasio n du rin g th e c le a in g o f an un dergroun d st o r age tan k at Sin gap or e. For you r in fo r m a t io n , we a r e e n c lo sin g a copy o f a r e p o r t w it h a co v e r in g l e t t e r w h ich was se n t by t h e Sh e ll Company o f Sin gap o r e t o our A u st r alian o ffi c e . Th is r e p o r t se t s out th e main d e t a ils o f th e a c c id e n t , b u t a t t h e same tim e i t d i s c l o s e s t h e la c k o f e s s e n t i a l in fo r m at io n on t h e p a r t o f t h e in d iv id u a l who was in ch ar ge o f th e t an k cle an in g o p e r at io n , as w ell as poor s t a f f work in n ot ar r an gin g su it a b le and im m ediate m edical a t t e n t io n . The p o in t wh ich makes t h i s a c c id e n t t h e more r e g r e t t a b le i s t h a t our tan k cle an in g r e gu la t io n s (which ar e in th e p o sse ssio n o f th e Sh e ll Company, Sin gap o r e ) a r e alw ay s c o n sid e r e d by Sh e l l , Lon don , a s b e in g t h e minimum p r e c a u t io n s n e c e ssa r y d u r in g t an k c le a n in g o p e r a t io n s. In a d d it io n t o t h i s , an e x i st i n g in st r u c t i o n from S h e l l , Lon don , s t a t e s t h a t no un dergroun d tan k sh ou ld be en ter ed w ith out p r ev io u s r e fe r e n ce t o th e London o f f i c e . No su ch r e fe r e n c e was made in t h i s c a se . Th is u n fortu n ate in cid en t h as been fu lly d iscu ssed w ith th e Sh e ll Company in Lon don , an d t h e C h ie f En gin eer o f Sh e l l , Sin ga p o r e , who was on le a v e in En glan d a t t h e t im e o f t h e in c id e n t , was p r e se n t a t t h e d iscu ssion . We a r e c o n fid e n t t h a t Sh e ll w i l l do a l l in t h e i r power to preven t a sim ilar in cid en t w ith in t h e ir or gan isatio n . For our part we a r e u n d e r t ak in g a com p let e programme o f t an k c le a n in g d isc u ssio n s w it h ou r cu st om er s on a w or ld -w id e b a s i s an d we sin c e r e ly h ope t h a t ou r e f f o r t s w ill be su c c e ssfu l in p reven tin g any fu r t h e r a c c id e n t s. The l a t e s t in fo r m at io n we h ave con cer n in g t h e c o n d it io n o f t h e 3 Malayan la b o u r e r s i s t h a t t h ey a r e p r o gr e ssin g fav o u r a b ly , and t h e ir recovery to fu ll h ealth is expected. Yours sin c e r e ly , C. H. NOBLE. The Associat ed Eth yl Co. Lt d ., 363 C o llin s St r e e t , MeIbonrae, C. 1 , Dear S i r s, bOOPLAUDS NORTH DTBitPOT - CLvSA**S- *IHf} OP OASOLTT -.nr.i l s:v.) Follow in g up our cab le t o you o f 11th O ctober, and in respon se t o your r e p ly dated 12th O ctober, we at t ach h erew ith a r e p o r t from our Sin gapore Branch o ffic e which a c t s out fu l l d e t a ils in conn ection with the occurrence o f probable lead poison in g in 3 Malay lab ou r er s con sequen t upon tan k clean in g op e r at io n s a t Woodlands Berth Depot, Tank Ho. 3 a t t h is Depot i s th e cen t r e tan k o f a group o f h o r iz o n t a l, f l a t ended t an k s, each 20*--0** diam eter k IpO'-O" lon g, con st r u ct ed in 19**1 in accordan ce with Air M in ist r y "fu l l y p r o t e ct e d " stan dards, i . e . th e tan ks are com p le t e ly covered by some 30* o f e ar t h with a 2f- 0" t h ick r e in for ced con cr ete casin g around th e t an k s. There i s a 2 *- 6 '' diam eter acce ss manhole a t th e fr o n t end o f each tan k , where are a lso locat ed th e pip con n ect ion s, and acce ss to manhole and v alv e s i s by means o f a con cr ete lin ed tu n n el which a lso car r ie d th e p ip e lin e s. The tan ks are braced in t e r n a lly w ith x 3" an gle ir o n r in gs and d iagon al st a y s, a t lO '-G" in t e r v a l s . Along th e top cen t r e lin e o f each tan k are two V* d ia meter con n ect ion s, spaced a t 37*- 6M-and 112f- 6u from th e fr o n t en d, w ith ven t p ip e s lead in g up th rough th e e ar t h cover t o open a ir . Thi3 tan k was in u se fo r a sh o r t per iod d u rin g th e l a t t e r p a r t o f th e Jap an ese occu pat ion fo r th e st o r age o f Aviation Gasolin e and was emptied la t e in 19*+5 b u t , as f a r as wo know, wa3 n ot clean ed o u t . The tan k remained in t h is con d it io n u n t i l la t e in 19**7 when i t was again pu t in t o commission fo r st o r age o f 100 Octane Aviation G asolin e . Ho attem pt was made t o clean ou t th e tan k befor e recom m ission in g, as p r o t ec t iv e clo t h in g and equipment was n ot a v a ila b le . 3in.ee' 19U.7 the tan k h as been con t in u ou sly In u se fo r th e st o r age o f 100 Octane Aviation Gasolin e con t ain in g approxim ately b-,3 ec o f "Et h y l" flu id per 1 Im p er ial ga llo n . ^ 002<>944 N 24426.01 age o f w ater and t o avoid th e pockets o f w ater r et ain ed by th e b r acin g an gle r in g s. R e callb r at io n o f the tan k had a lso become n e ce ssar y , which p r ocess would be sim p lifie d by th e presen ce o f th e con crete bed, w h ile recom m ission in g o f the tan k was becoming a m atter o f urgen cy in order t o r e le a se ot h er tan kage a t Woodlands douth Depot fo r d o- b r ick in g and clean in g. When the manhole was removed from th e tan k a ft e r the w ater f i l l i n g o p e r at io n s, th e bottom of th e tan k was found t o con t ain a t h in b lack liq u id , w ith minute p a r t ic l e s o f so lid m atter in su sp en sion , and u n lik e th e t h ick , fr ot h y slu r r y o f slu dge n orm ally found l a gaso lin e t an k s. This was r e t ain e d by the an gle b r acin g r in gs to a maximum depth o f *+ in ch es. wo sm ell o f gaso lin e or ot h er o ffe n siv e m atter was p r esen t bu t on ly a sl ig h t muddy odour. \ftr tho wash in g but period and b efor e per son n el en ter ed th e tail?: a second tim e, on ly a vary sm all qu an t it y of t h is liq u id remained in the tan k, trapped behind the an gle r in gs. The at t ach ed r e p o r t so t s ou t in d e t a i l th e work which was car r ie d ou t on t h is t an k ,.an d th e ext en t to which th e v ar io u s person n el ware exposed to r isk from load fum es. I t a lso e xp lain s how th e th rob lab ou r er s were f i r s t a ffe c t e d , and th e act io n taken in regard to m edical exam in ation and t r eat m en t . Dr. Frame - Dr. Bain i s a t p r esen t in tho u.K. on leave - i s w r it in g to you givin g in gr e at e r d e t a i l , from the medical poin t of view, p ar t icu lar s o f the illn o ss o f t h ese Tseaj th e p r esen t con d it ion of two of them, Kharnis b in Mohomed and A ll bin Abu B-akar, i s t h at th ey are "p r o gr e ssin g fav o u r ab ly ", and th e t h ir d , Ahmad b ln Hamid, i s now normal but i s s t i l l in h o sn it al under ob ser v at io n . With regard t o th e a v a i l a b i l i t y o f r e sp ir a t o r s r e fe r r e d t o in p ar a* 16 o f th e en closed r e p o r t , th er e were in fa c t 2 se t s o f "Bloman" hand oper ated blower type masks a v a ila b le a t th e 3tt, but exper ien ce h as shown t h at th e a ir su pply in t h ese masks I s q u it e in adequ ate fo r an yth in g but th e sh o r t e st per iod o f us, in sp aciou s su rrou n din gs, whereas fo r th e extrem ely h ot and badly v e n t ila t e d con d it ion s as e x ist e d in Tank h o. 3 a t 'Woodlands North , i t would have been q u it e im p ossib le t o move around much l e s s car r y ou t work, m ad d it io n th e h ose o f tho ap p ar at u s i s e n t ir e ly in adequ ate fo r a tan k 1?0 * lon g. A power operated com pressor u n it , w ith 6 a ir - lin e m asks, i s a v a ila b le a t r u lo Bukom I n st a l l a t i o n , bu t t h is o u t fi t i s in more or l e ss con tin uous uso and could not bo spared on loan t o Woodlands, Three ot h er power operated com pressor u n it s are on or d er with London*, one fo r P u lo Samboe and two ot h er s fo r use a t Malayan Depots, 'which were ordered at th e time th e d i f f i c u l t i e s in con n ection w ith K 0020945 found t o c o n t a in a t h in b la c k l i q u i d , w ith m in ute p a r t i c l e s o f so lid m at t er in su sp e n sio n , and u n lik e t h e t h ic k , fr o t h y slu r r y o f slu d ge n orm ally foun d In gaso lin e t an k s. Th is wa3 r e t a in e d by th e an gle b r a c in g r in g s t o a maximum d e p t h o f b in c h e s Ho sm e ll o f g a so lin e o r o t h e r o ffe n siv e m at t e r was p r e se n t b u t o n ly a s l i g h t muddy odou r A ft e r t h e wash in g o u t p e r io d and b e fo r e p e r so n n e l e n t e r e d t h e t an k a secon d tim e, on ly a very sm all q u an tity o f t h is liq u id remained in the tan k , trapped behind th e an gle r in g s. The at t ac h e d r e p o r t s e t s o u t in d e t a i l t h e work which was c a r r ie d o u t on t h i s t an k , and th e e x t e n t t o wh ich th e v a r io u s p er son n el wore exposed to r i sk from le ad fu m es. I t a lso e x p la in s how t h e t h r e e la b o u r e r s were f i r s t a f fe c t e d , and th e a c t io n t ak en in r e gar d t o m e d ical exam in at ion and t r e at m e n t . Dr Frame - D r . Bain i s a t n r e se n t in t h e U.K. on leave - i s w r it in g to you giv in g in gr e a t e r d e t a i l , from the m edical poin t o f view , p a r t ic u la r s o f th e illn e ss o f t h e se men; t h e p r e se n t c o n d it io n o f two o f th em, Khamis b in i-Johomed and A l l b in Abu Ba k a r , i s t h a t t h ey a**e "p r o g r e ssin g fa v o u r a b ly , and t h e t h i r d , Ahmad b in H am id / i s now normal out i s s t i l l in h o sp it a l un dsr o b se r v at io n . With r e gar d t o th e a v a i l a b i l i t y o f r e sp i r a t o r s r e fe r r e d to in p ara 16 o f th e en closed r e p o r t , th ere were in f a c t 2 s o t s o f BIonian11 hand o p e r at e d blow er t ype m asks a v a il a b l e a t th e s i t e , b u t e x p e r ie n c e h as shown t h a t th e* a i r su p p ly in t h e se m asks i s q u it e in ad e q u at e fo r an y t h in g b u t th sh o r t e st p e r io d o f u se , in sp a c io u s su r r o u n d in gs, whereas fo r th e o x t r e a a ly h o t and b a d ly v e n t il a t e d c o n d it io n s as v/oodlan ds ?*>r t h , x t w u ld h ave been iT ^ f033!!?*6^ 0 "no^ J.,arourKi ^ c h l e g s c a r r y o u t w ork. xor a t an k l5&0/*,,*_. jL-c?0m3#z--o--f --ts'hyQ, *i q,DJ.B w ith 6 a ir - l in f AcPto n t in u o u'As*'d**uegvAstot in an ds, caouu'.uludr x o n , toat id s ^ woodlands. Th ree ot h er power n ot be spared ^ o r d e r w ith Lon don , on e fo r op er ated com pressor ^ ^ 3a^ r u se a t Malayan D epots, wnicn P u io th e tim e th e d i f f i c u l t i e s in co n n e ct io n w i*h S H n l S Tank Ho. 3 a t W oodlands vofo r sa U sa d . ^^ S. t r u st th at tho c c ir c on u ti m st nue a nt oc e s a o dv f i s t e h yi 3o u i aaosstt.]oint e2eJt ]pnrr oogjr^e s^s toawhar0d3sp ri teaclo.v e r y wh ich i s made by th e t h r e e men a t p Yours t r u ly , For THE 31SU . C0MMH* 0 ? :5IM0.\P0'13 Lli-ITSO