Document QQNvV6Vn70ZEJy0b6XMjZK77

FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 1944 Oct DOC#: NSC169 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NSC National Safety News - Fume Control Shipyards r urne ^191 il UTE FOR PRODUCT SAFETY h i p y a r d s .1410 DUKE UNIVERSITY ROAD DURHAM, 1. c. 272 m y WILLIAM E. LAWRENCE Safety Engineer, New 'York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, N. J. SAFEGUARDING workers ex posed to respiratory hazards resulting from contact with" fumes, dusts, vapors, acitTglses, and mists ranks among the important safety measures on new-construction jobs in shipyards. -1=2. Because of- the-importance of welding operations, jn shipbuilding, much attention has been paid to the control of hazards~nd fumes in volved. The large number of per sons engaged in Aveldihg,' 'tacking, burning and heating or straighten ing has necessitated increased pro tection against possible fume fever hazards or later complications. In our plant there are at present some 3600 welders, lackers, burners and heaters whose jobs require special provisions for ventilation, especially in innerbottoms and other small compartments. Every ship yard should know by now that the most satisfactory method of fume control is exhaust ventilation. Extensive experimentation with different types of equipment during the past decade has proved that the surest method is to remove- the Fiom a paper presented at tire M arine Sec tion, 32nd N ational Safety Congress. trouble :at its source. Accordingly, blowers and exhausting devices have been developed and placed in service- with satisfactory results. Respirators fitted with metdl'fume filters .also give protection when fume concentrations are low. . Plant_medical staffs are exercis- ing great care in routine re-checks and re-examinations of workers ex- ' posed "to welding fumes. To the best of our knowledge, we have not had on cas of lasting or permanent ill effects to any'one associated with welding, tacking, burning -or Beat ing. ' Many of the oxides encountered are irritating and tend to aggravate pre-existing conditions. For in stance, .workers with colds should not be exposed to zinc fumes or, for that matter, to any fumes. Data accumulated through re-ex amination and case histories of our welders may' be expected to provide a great deal of valuable information for . medical study. However, it must, also be remembered that a large part of the problem concerns not only, the welders but- other workers in the vicinity. They must be protected not only from the fumes but from eye flashes as well. There is a relatively new develop ment which consists of carbon arc burning in smoothing off large countersunk heads of tap bolts in armor plate decks. These heads are 1y i inches in diameter and were formerly chipped and ground off flush with the deck plates. This was a long, tiresome, rough and costly operation. By use of the carbon arc, these heads are burned off so that only a small amount of grinding is neces sary, thus cutting time and labor to a minimum. Of course, the fumffand dust haz ard had to receive special considera tion. This was taken care of by use of a compressed air jet which blows the slag and carbon residue into exhauster funnels located at the ends of two 3-inch metallic flexible tubes with powerful portable ex hausters at the outlet ends. As required, this equipment is skidded easily along the deck and is kept close to the job at all times, even eliminating the necessity for respirators. Protection against heat and glare is, of course, a necessity. In winter, there is the special be hoisted onto ships by cranes. -izard of salamanders and other ;rceptacles for fires, which may enerate deadly quantities of car:' )n monoxide gas in addition to .using an oxygen deficiency in a losed space. Also there is the dan;er of fumes from fires in ships on :he ways and in the water after launching. Many of these fires ocur because welders, tackers and 'timers do not observe the rule re quiring them to know what is be low or above, or on the other side of bulkheads before starting work. Sparks will often ignite welding leads, portable light wires, air hose :md rubbish, especially when house keeping, or as we call it, shipkeep;ug, is poor. More than 90 per cent of these fires are caused by failure to observe this, important rule. Although many of the fires may lie minor, there is always the pos sibility of men being trapped by moke 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 anothfer 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 National Safety News, April, 1944 maximum allowable concentration Z_ for carbon monoxide and carbon __ dioxide, but the main point to re-TO. member is that carbon monoxide is-- the No. 1 poison killer in both i n - ^ dustrial and non-bccupational life_-- .. Wherever there is smoke, you may suspect carbon monoxide. . - -- Constant alertness on the part of watch force men and safety inspec tors is an absolute necessity in com bating such hazards. The education of the men by their supervisors and -- use of warning posters are recom mended, but exhaust ventilation and introduction of fresh supplies of air are imperative under such danger ous conditions. A number of almost A hipyard w orker w earing oxy gen-breath- fatal accidents in shipbuilding can be attributed to carelessness rather than ignorance. Men. forget to lug apparatus. In the background is a dis play o! protective equipm ent, showing goggles, hard hats and saiety shoes. 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- An all-service gas m ask m ay bo used in f Continued on page 90) atm ospheres w here there Is no oxygen deficiency. 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. Experiments 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 also provided. Shot and sand blasting with its silicosis hazards can be done safely if standard sand blast rooms or cab- Resusciiaior Inhajafor. and Aspirator O FFEJS IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES * Artificial Respiration administered effectively ond _v_ _^__sofe!y in cases involving internal injuries, severe burns, .1 pregnancy, etc. -- -- * Mechanical Resuscitation forZnon-breathing victims ond '\~ . - oxygen inhalation for breathing patients or in conjunc- . r Hon with the manual method. Quick ond 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 Organiza*tions. - \ For use only by professional or other adequately trained personnel and not intended to replace manually applied resuscitation E & J MANUFACTURING COMPANY ' V Glendale, California - Drexel Building Philadelphia 530 Fernando Street' Pittsburgh 4448 West Washington Chicago 581 Boylston St* Boston 3900 Grandy Avenue . Detroit 17 E. 42nd Street New York City The Pioneers & Specialists in Mechanical Artificial Respiration ineis are provided. Such installa tion? should be approved by a state department inspector, and special ventilation must be provided and frequently' inspected. Regular, pe riodic examinations, i n c l u d i n g X-rays, are mandatory. A leaking facepiece can be de fected 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 sped fieations on vessels have provided for the use of zinc chromate which although perhaps not particularly toxic, must be considered whci Hands safe in S ta n z o ils Don't risk loss of valuable ba nd these days -- and costly injui claims -- when Stanzoils of Dt Pont's neoprene offer such remarl ably complete protection. W orkt; enjoy wearing them, do beu work. These neoprene gloves res' damage from oils, acids, caustic last 3 to 7 times longer than rubbi cost least-per-hour of use. Staad.v styles, sizes; black and white. Pr tect busy hands with Stanzoils write today for all the facts. S y n t h e t i c R u b b e r DrrUSor. THE PIO N E 2 59 Tiffin Rd., ,, E R R U B E E R W ille d , 0 U. < f New York * Loi Angel W m nttm rM frm oN TaiEoe 7 7 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 THO A s AM ERICAN industry moves to the "offensive," pressure must be ploced upon mony new workers in the machine trades where personal hazard is acute. Steps must be token to safeguard home front workers.----- -- For greater safety in the plant, H. & K. Guard Accessories are just the thing; economical and dependable, thev can* be quickly assembled by your own menin your own "plant. Write us today for complete information. A ll H. & K. Guard Accessories are under the reexamination service of 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 that thousonds of absenteeism coses ore troccoble to tired, oching feet . . . feet, mon or woman's, were not built to toke the punishment of slonding 8-10-12 hours on cold hard floors. These photos show H. & K. Guards in 5645 Fillmore St., Chicago 44, III. 114 Liberty St., New York 6, N. Y. SLESmSiSBBaBS& r * * --f t M i r *`t r e r ~ fc iT M ELFLEX Sofety Stonding Mots ore solving this problem in hundreds of plonts -- they'll do it in yours. M ELFLEX comfort work mats ore impregnated with fire cord and thus eliminate Occidents caused by slipping --- ore resilient ond long lasting. M ELFLEX comfort giving Sofety Standing Mats will also be welcomed by foremen, pro duction men, and works monogers struggling to keep production up ond absenteeism down. Furnished in individual sixes or runners. W rffe fo r d a ta ond quotations. Melflex Products Company L E. W ARFO R D , President - 415 Wheeler Lone Akron 8, Ohio