Document dQgqddOkpxJnrj2xgmgB7ba20

i January 29, 1955 Mr* John Sohaofar Ethyl Gasoline Corporation P* 0* Box 688 Wilmington, Delaware Dear Mr*. Schaefer . ' thanks for the copies of your various letters which have come In the past few days, and particularly for your letter of January 22nd regarding transportation of drums. 2 am quit willing to admit at the start * that our past record on the transportation of drums is good. However, 2 do not thnk that a past record la any justification for the continuance of practices which are potentially dangerous* What I have had to say about the matter la not based on anything now in the situation except m y recognition of the fact that certain aspects of the problem of transportation are not being taken care of as well as it seems bo me they should be* I do not believe anyone is to blame for this* Bather I think we m a t recognise that on of our chief problems is the anticipation of dangers, and the avoidance of difficulties before they occur* It Is from this point of vies that I am quite willing to say and repeat that our practices in the handling of drums are not as safe as they can be made* f\ Wi t h regard to the transportation of drums of Fluid on tankers, I think w will have to admit despite anything that has been said about it in the past, and despite all evidence of our previous experience as to the frequency of difficulty,, that if a drum wore to develop a serious leak or be ruptured in transportation, a serious situation would be developed thereby on ship board* It may be true that the compartment In which the drums are carried can be washed out directly into scuppers by water fro a hose* { I am not certain from my own observation that this is true, but I will accept it as likely). Even so, in order to clean up the spilled Fluid even by washing with a hose, it will be necessary for some persons or persona to enter the compartment in which the drums are stored* The ventilation of such a compartment even with the hatch wide open, will have to be admitted to be negligible in so far as the vapor in the lower part of the space is concerned* Recognising that concentrated vapor In such a 2^80000 j?X 2 hsefer place la likely to produce serious and perhaps even fatal illness as the result of two hours or more of exposure I do not see how we can fall to regard this kind of a situation as definitely unsafe* Moreover recognising the fact that individuals on the ship go through this space and with sleeping rooms opening into it X can not regard the danger as merely nomifial and hypothetical* Any spill here is likely to result in difficulties* Xn a number of European ports there is now; a considerable anxiety about the handling of drums of Fluid* I should like to ask you what yo u think would be the cons*, queue of having a ship with Fluid spilled in such a com partment as X have described when it arrived at a foreign dock* Quite apart from the acfcual dangers If this became known it would produce a rather serious situation and would probably result in official action b y the harbor authorities* ' . The fact la that the weakest spot in our whole chain of precautions la to b e found in the traris- * portatlon* It is therefor at this point that we are the most likely to have serious difficulty, and it is also true that any difficulty which does occur at this point is more likely to have serious results from Idle point of view of interference with the activities of the Corporation than if it were to occur elsewhere* X feel therefor, that It la nocensary to throw additional safeguards around this portion of the business and In-line with that I feel, that It should be possible to work out a plan with the agencies of transportation whereby if unexpected accidents do occur they will not result in serious consequences* X see no reason why tankers could not provide facilities for carrying drums of Fluid on deck* X am quite willing to admit that their present facilities are not suitable for the purpose but in recognition of the dangers to themselves and to others, what is to hinder them from providing adequate facilities?' . . .: . ' . While we are speaking of this problem, X may as well tell you that we have been informed that on the Pacific coast there are a number of places at which CD drums of Fluid are unloaded fro vessels by means of blunt hooka which engage the drum u n d e r the r im on either OO side*' This practice has been engaged in for some time, o o and according to my Information it was inaugurated when a o drum broke through a faulty net* From what 1 have seen o it would bo m y Judgment that the drums could be handled with the greatest safety by means of a rope sling, and not w by means of a net* X should think that the Opportunity be for cutting a net would be rather frequent, Whereas a suitable rope sling would not b Subject to the same danger* However, X am not In position to speak with authority on this aspect:of the matter* I can o n l y .think with fear, however, of the handling of these drums by skans of a hook V{ - 3- a Schaefer which engagea the rira* Certainly aone time one of these riras will he torn away and the contents of the drum will he spilled. !?he instance of spillage In a space on a vessel which I mentioned In ay letter of January 19th was reported to ra by Mr. Shell, on of Mr* Honan*a men* I can not give you the precise details of where it occurred or on what ship, hut X think Mr. falter can do so* In any case he can obtain the full Information for you* In -the second paragraph on the second page of your letter you state your opinion that It is better to have the Fluid in a locked compartment than on deck, sine passengers might be inadvertently exposed if a leak were to occur. Xt is possible that that point of view may be correct* However, I am not convinced of it, and unless there are facilities on board such vessels for the cleaning up of spilled Fluid without exposure on the part of the men, * X would b e inclined to regard leakage in such a space as a serious danger* It does not seem feasible to ra to make arrangements whereby masks, rubber gloves, and suitable ' clothing will be carried on vessels which transport Fluid* However, I would believe it entirely feasible to make arrangements with shipping companies whereby some space might be provided on dock which Is not roadily available to passengers, and nhich might ie placarded. If necessary, In such a way as to keep passengers away from it* With regard to the last paragraph of your letter, you need not to unduly anxious over what X may do about this whole matter* I do not know at the moment just what can be don or what is best to do. X am merely pointing out what seems to me to b e aorious dangers wi th the idea that the facta will b carefully determined,after which we shall be in position t know what Is best to do* That there la no great Immediate danger is perhaps true In terms of our previous experience* On the other hand, X should like to point out to you that if troubles dp occur, it will not suffice to say that bn is sorry and that one did not realise the existence of danger* It is our business to know where the danger is, and we should know it better than anyone else* It is, therefore, up to us to handle these matters not in the light of what seems to be good enough, but rather from the point of view of what is the best possible means of avoiding difficulty. Sincerely yours, K 0000847 HAKiIS Kobr' A * ' Ke hoe , iiVb*