Document e11xVyV8wXDNkm3EQGexbRaem

i Marine Section Officers 1942-1943 Gaunt Chairman--CaklE. Holmes, Marsh & McLennan, Inc* New York; N. Y. Vice Gaunt Chairman W, C Gabbutt, Pittsburgh Steamship Co* Qevdand, Ohio. Advisory Committee (Past Gaunt Chairmen}--Breast O. Pickasd, Waterfront Employers' Assoaatioa ofthe Pacific Coast, San Fianasob; Calif. Captain Edwaxd C Holden, Jb* United States P. & L Agency, Inc* New York, N. Y. Captain E. W. Fiske, Jb* Socony-Vacuum Oil Co* Inc* New York, N. Y. John S. Hunteb, The Atlantic Refining Co* Philadelphia, Pa. Captain Frank H. Gogan, Hie Delaware, Lackawanna & Western R. R. Co* Hoboken, N. J. Arthur M. Tone; Consulting Eng* New York, N. Y. Assistant Gaunt Chairman (Executive Committee Activities)--Frank J. Tatunc, Ameri can Merchant Marine, Institute, Lie* New York, N. Y. ....... Assistant General Chairman (Membership)--Gobkbuus H. Callaghan, The Maritime Association of the Pbst of New York, New York; N. Y. Assistant General Chairman (Ship Contraction and Repair)--Castes Kendall, Bethlehem Steel Go* Bethlehem, Pa. . Assistant General'Chairman (Marine Industrial and Public Relations)--T. E. Buchanan, Marine Depfc^Thc TcxasCb* NcwYork, N. Y. __ AssistantGeneral Chairman (Programs, Meetings and Conventions)--eTP? Hesces, U. S. Employees' Compensation Commission, Washington, D. C. Secretary--Harold M. G. Wick, American Bureau at Shipping, New York; N. Y. Editor, Marine News Letter--Captain Hens? Blackstone, United States P. & L Agency, Inc* San Francisco, Calif. Admiralty end Maritime Counsellor--Hess? Ehknbach, New York, N. Y. Chairman, Coastal Regions--Vice Admiral R. R. Waeschb, U. S. Oast Gnard, Washing ton, D. C Assistant Chairman. Coastal Regions--Captain (E) H. N. Pebbam, U. S. Coast Guard, Washington, D.C Director, Atlantic Region--Wiixaxd F. Jobes, Gulf Oil Corp* New York, N. Y. Assistant Director, Atlantic Region--IL J. Hanlon, Blade Diamond Steamship Corp* Wee- hawken, N. J. , Director, Guff Region--A. H. ScHBones, Freeport Sulphur Co* Port Sulphur, La. Assistant Director, Gulf Region--E. P. Richard, Mississippi Shipping Co* New Orleans, La. Director, Paade.Region--Edwabd J. Bad, Waterfront Employers Assn, of Southern Cali fornia, Long Beadi, GaliL Director, Greet takes Region--A. T. Wood, Lake Carriers' Association, Cleveland, Ohio. Director, Canadian Region--,John WL McGerrn, Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd* Montreal, P. Q* Canada. Director, Ohio River Region--G. O. Gbifctn, Dravo Corp* Neville Island Pittsburgh, Pa. Assistant Director, Ohio River Region--J. EL Jackman, McCnufy-Rodgers Co* Pittsburgh, Director, AUJnlmd Waterways--Lloyd A. Blanchahd, GhieL Safety Section, Corps of Engineers; Washington, D. CL - SPECIAL SERVICE COMMITTEES Chairman, Committee for the Advancement of the American Merchant Marine--Reas Ad- mibal, Embw S. Land, U. S. Navy (RhL), Chairman, U. S. Maritime Commission, Washington, D. C 383 384 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 Chairman, Committee on Operations.af-Xmers and Cargo Vessels--Captain Logan Cresap, Isthmian Steampship Co, New York, N. Y. Chairman, Stevedoring Committee--John W. McGrath, Jr, John W. McGrath Corp, New York, N. Y. Chairman, Statistics and Contests Committee--Benjamin H. Sue, The Travelers Insur ance Co, New York, N. Y. Chairman, Poster Committee--John Weight, American Export Lines, Inc, Jersey City, N. J. Assistant Chairman, Poster Committee--A. T. Johnsen, American Export lines, Inc, New York, N. Y. Chairman, Publicity and Publications Committee--Harold J. Hashing, "Marine Progress," New York, N. Y. Chairman, Engineering and Minimum Standards Committee--A. J. Smith, Marine Office of America, New York; N. Y. Chairman, Tankers Committee--James E. Moss, The Atlantic Refining Co, Philadelphia, Pa. Chairman, U. S. Navy Yards Safety Committee--E. B. Landry, U. S. Navy, Washington, IL Chairman, Maritime Associations Committee--Frank C Gregory, Waterfront Employers' Association of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif. Special Maritime Advisor--Professor H. L. Seward, Yale University, School of Engineer ing, New Haven, Conn. SPECIAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEES FOR SAFETY IN NATIONAL DEFENSE, SHIPBUILDING, INSPECTIONS, AND PERSONNEL TRAINING Chairman, Naval Committee for Safety in National Defense--Rear Admiral C. W. Fisher, U. S. Navy, Washington, D. C Chairman, New Ship Design and Construction Committee--Rear Admiral H. L. Vickery, U. S. Navy, Commissioner, U. S. Maritime Commission, Washington, D. C Chairman, Technical Committeet (Design and Accident Prevention Measures)--James L. Bates, U. S. Maritime Commission, Washington, D. G Chairman, Ship Inspections Committee and V. S. Government Bureaus--Captain R. S. Field, U. S. Coast Guard, Washington, D. C Chairman, Committee an Education and Training of Ship Personnel--Telfair Knight, War Shipping Administration, Washington, D. G' V Marine Section 385 Officers 1943-1944f General Chairman--W. C Garbutt/ Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Vice-General Chairman--Carter Kendall, Bethlehem Steel Company, Bethlehem, Pa. Advisory Committee (Past General Chairmen)-- C/urn E. Holmes, Marsh & McLennan, IncNcw York, N. Y. Byron O. Pickard, Waterfront Employers' Association of the Pacific Coast, San Francisco; California. Cact. Edward C Holden, Jr., United States P. & L Agency, Inc, New York, N. Y. Case. E. W. Fxsxb, Jr, Socony-Vactmm 03 Co, Inc, New York; N. Y. John S. Hunter, The Atlantic Refining Co, Philadelphia, Pa. Cart. Frank H. Cogan, The Delaware, Lackawanna. & Western R. R. Company, Hoboken, N.J. , 'Arthur M. Tode, Consulting Engineer, 17 Battery Place, New York; N. Y. Assistant General Chairman (Executive Committee Activities in New York)--Willard F. Jones, Golf 03 Corp, New York; N. Y. Assistant General Chairman (Membership)--E. P. Herges, U. S. Employees' Compensa tion Commission, Washington, D. C Assistant General Chairman (Ship Construction end Repair)--William E. Lawrence, New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey. Assistant General Chairman (Marine Industrial Relations)--T. E. Buchanan, The Texas Company, New York; N. Y. Assistant General Chairman (Public Relations)--Cornelius H. Callaghan, Maritime Association of the Port of New York, New York, N. Y. Assistant General Chairman (Posters)--A. H. Schroder, Freeport Sulphur Company, Port Sulphur, La. Vice-Chairman (Posters)--Ralph E. Hubbard, Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin. Secretary--Harold M. G. Wick; American Bureau of Shipping, New York, N. Y. Editor, Marine News Letter--*Capt. Henry Blackstone, United States P. & I. Agency, Inc;) San Francisco, California. Assistant Editor, Marine News Letter--E. F. Lange, Bethlehem-Alameda Shipyard, Ala meda, California. Admiralty and Maritime Counsellor--Hass* Eidenbach, 111 John St, New York, N. Y; Chairman, Coastal Regions--Vice Admiral R. R. Waesche, Commandant, U. S. Coast Guard, Washington; D. C Assistant Chairman, Coastal Regions--Cast. (E) EL N. Perham, District Coast Guard Engineer, Third. Naval District, New York, N. Y. Director, Atlantic Region--Theodore Geiser,- Federal Shipbuilding &- Dry Dock Com pany, Kearny, New Jersey. Assistant Director, Atlantic Region--John M. Tubbs, Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company; Newport News, Virginia. Director, Gulf Region--Joseph F. Zncca, Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas. Assistant Director, Gulf Region--E. P. Richard, Mississippi Shipping Co., Hibernia Bank Bldg., New Orleans, La. Director, Pacific Region--James E. McDonald, Pennanente Metals Corp., Richmond, California. Assistant Director, Pacific Region--S. T. Smith, Consolidated Steel Corporation, Los Angeles, California. Director, Great Lakes Region--A. T. Wood, Lake Carriers' Association, Cleveland, Ohio. Director, Canadian Region--John W. McGepfin, Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd., Mon trial, P. Q,, Canada. Director, Ohio River Region--G. O. Griffin, Dravo Corp.,' Pittsburgh, Pa. Assistant Director, Ohio River Region--J. E. Jackman, McCrady-Rodgers Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. Director, All Inland Waterways--horn A. Blanchard, Safety & Accident Prevention Branch, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C 386 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 SPECIAL SERVICE COMMITTEES Chairman, Committee for the Advancement of the American Merchant Marine--*Reas Admiral Emory S. Lant^ U. S. Navy (RtA), Chairman, U. S. Maritime Commission, Washington, D. C. Chairman, Committee on Operations of Liners and Cargo Vessels--Cast. Locak Cresap, Isthmian Steamship Co, New York; N. Y. Chairman, Stevedoring Committee--John W. McGrath, Jr, John W. McGrath Corp, Near York, N. Y. Chairman, Statistics & Contests Committee--Benjamin H. Sstr, The Travelers Insurance Co, New York; N. Y. ( Vice-Chairman, Statistics & Contests Committee--Irvin L. HagkmaNh, Tampa Ship* bnilding Company, Inc, Tampa, Florida. Chairman, Publicity and Publications Committee--Harold J, Harding, Editor. "Marine Progress," 95 Broad Street, Near York; N. Y, Vice-Chairman, Publicity and Publications Committee--R. C Brandon, Seaitle-Tacoma Shipboilding Corporation, Tacoma, Washington. Chairman, Engineering and Minimum Standards Committee--A. J. Smith, Marine Office of America, Near York; N. Y. ^ Chairman, Tankers Committee--James E. Moss, The Atlantic Refining Company, Phila delphia, Pa. v.___ Vice-Chairman, V. S. Navy Yards Safety Committee--E. B. Lahore, Shore Establish ments ISv. Navy Dept, Washington, D. C Chairman, Maritime Associations Committee--Frank C Gregg*y, Waterfront Employers' Association of San Francisco, San Francisco; California. Special Maritime Advisor--Processor H. L. Seward, Yale University, School of- Engi neering, New Haven; .Goon. Assistant Chairman (Programs, Meetings and Conventions)--Habold T. Segrave, Mine Safety Appliances Co, Near York; N. Y. * SPECIAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEES FOR SAFETY IN NATIONAL DEFENSE, SHIPBUILDING, INSPECTIONS, AND PERSONNEL TRAINING Chairman, Naval Committee for Safety in National Defense--Reas Admirae C. W. Fishes, U. S. Navy, Dir. of Shore Establishments, Navy Department, Washington, D. G Chairman, New Ship Design and Construction Committee--Rear Admiral H>. L. Vickery, U. S. Navy, Commissioner, U. S. Maritime Commission, Washington, D. G Chairman, Technical Committee (Design & Accident- Prevention Measures)--Jauis L. Bates, Dir, Technical Div, U. & Maritime Commission, Washington, D. G Chairman, Ship Inspection Committee and U. $. Government Bureaus--Cast. R. S. Fold, U. S. Coast Guard. Washington, D. G Chairman, Committee on Education and Training of Ship Personnel--Teuas* Knight, War Shipping Administration, Washington, D. C tAs elected by delegates fa Congress Session October 5,1943 Presiding: Byron O. Pickard, Chief Safety Engineer, Waterfront Employers Association of the Pacific Coast, San Francisco. . : .4 . ' ;i The Security of Vessels in Pert CAPTAIN NORHAN B. HALL Chief, Port Security1 Division, U. S. Coast Guard, Washington, D. C. | 4f -In order to obtain' maximum security between these two - factors. Our object and efficiency, the Port Security activities has been to attain the maximum possible of the Coast Guard have been closely security, without impairing the operation coordinated frith the work of other gov* of onr vessel and port facilities. 4 eminent and private agencies directly or indirectly concerned with shnjlar prob lems. In Washington we maintain dose liaison and cooperation frith the Army and Navy, the Department of Justice, the Office of Petroleum Administrator for War and the Office of Civilian Defense, as well as with private agencies snch as the National Safety Council, the American Petroleum Institute, the Bureau of Explo Today, no person is permitted on a vessel or waterfront facility unless he possesses a Coast Guard identification card. In addition, all operators of water front facilities have-, been urged by the Coast Guard to institute pass, systems. A simple yet effective system has been sug gested by the Coast Guard and adopted by large numbers of operators. ' sives, the National Board of Fire Under To prevent person from approaching writers, the National'Fire Protection As waterfront facilities and vessels from the sociation and others. We have also en waterside^ the Coast Guard has relied upon couraged the Captains of the Port' to two measures. First, it has maintained coordinate their activities frith those of constant small boat patrols of all harbor other agencies in the -various ports, and areas. Secondly, all boats must obtain ini several there have been established movement and departure licenses from the formal coordinating committees consisting Captain of the Port: We have found that of representatives of all public and private the combination of the Coast Guard iden agencies whose work relates to the pro tification card system and the vessel tection of-ports and shipping. Our ob license system enables us to maintain a ject has been to remove all friction and substantially, effective control of the ap unnecessary duplication; and to insure proach of persons to vital facilities from that all available personnel and facilities the waterside^ as well as from the land- are assigned in such manner as to insure side. " their maximum utilization and the opti Combating Fire mum security of our ports and vessels. Injury to vessels and port facilities may * Security and Efficiency result from accident, negligence or sabo tage. Irrespective of the cause, however, In instituting port security measures, the most common and dangerous means of the Coast Guard has always attempted to injury is by fire. Realizing the necessity balance two factors: the first is the need of combating fires, if adequate port secur for thorough and effective port security ity is to be maintained, the Coast- Guard measures. We have recognized, however, has been taking steps to prevent fires and that the need for maximum security must, to combat and limit any waterfront fires be balanced'against another factor, which which may occur. In every port, water is the need to,maintain the output and front facilities have been surveyed by efficiency of ports and their facilities at Coast Guard officers to determine the a maximum, tour security measures have existence of fire hazards. In almost every been designed to insure a proper balance case, these hazards have been voluntarily 388 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 corrected. With this increase in the num purpose is to insure.the safety of vessels ber and scope of Coast Guard surveys, in port and they apply to all vessels, the existence of fire hazards is rapidly foreign and domestic, in all ports of the being corrected. United States. While they furnish the The fighting of waterfront fires has long been handicapped by lade of fireboats in most ports and harbors. In order to correct this need, the Coast Guard now operates a Beet of over 250 fireboats, each with a pumping capacity of over two thou sand gallons a minute. It is not the in tention of the Coast Guard to relieve local fire-fighting authorities of their respon sibilities, but only to work in cooperation with them in the protection of waterfront premises. Of course, the war has greatly increased baric minimum requirements for the security of vessels, it should be noted that when special circumstances. arise, the Captain of the Port may require addi tional measures to be taken or may waive any of their provisions. I should also like to point out that these regulations do not relieve the masters, owners, operators, or agents of vessels of their primary respon sibility for their security but on the con trary, place upon them the responsibility for carrying out the basic measures re quired by these regulations. the volume of explosives shipped through American ports and supervision of the loading and unloading of explosives is, likewise, a function of the Coast Guard. The Captains of the Port have strictly supervised the loadings, in order to in sure that every necessary precaution is taken. Summary of Proa visions Let me, briefly, summarize for you a few of the salient provisions of these regu lations. First it should be noted that we divide all vessels into two categories; those which are in service and those which are out-of-service; and different regula tions are provided for those in the out-of ' Standardized Regulations service group. Vessels in service are fur All of the measures of which I have spoken perform the dual purpose of'safe guarding out: waterfront facilities and safeguarding vessels while in port But ther sub-divided according to their gross tonnage, but most of these regulations are applicable to all vessels over 1,000 gross, tons. ships, by their very nature, require that All vessels in port except those out-of certain special protective measures be service, are required to maintain at all taken. Prior to January of this year, many times a crew of officers and men equiva agencies had-issued regulations for vessels lent to a regular deck, and engine room in port while the Captains of the Port sea watch, not including day men. These had established local regulations to handle officers and men are . required to be on this problem. As a result of these vary the alert and to maintain efficient and ing and sometimes conflicting regulations. continuous watches and inspections. In Masters going into the different ports addition to the members of the crew, addi were often confused as to the measures tional guards are required. These are of they would be required to take for the three lands: ship guards, cargo guards protection of their vessels. The Coast and fire guards, eadi class performing the Guard,, therefore, determined to issue type of duty indicated by its title. The standardized regulations for the protection types of persons which may act as guards of vessels in all American ports; and to are specified in the regulations and they issue them in .such form that Masters must be certified and approved by the would be conversant with the basic secur Captains of the Port* Their necessary ity measures they would be required to equipment and their duties are set forth take. in detaiL The regulations for the security of vessels in port have been promulgated under the authority of the so-called Espionage Act which provides criminal penalties for their enforcement Then- To prevent unauthorized access to * vessels, these regulations provide that no person may be permitted aboard unless he possesses: (1) .A Coast Guard identifi cation card or other means of identifies- . x. Marine 389 tion^ satisfactory to the Captain of the Responsibility for Compliance Fort; (2) an acceptable pass, issued by the operating company or by the Master of the vessel; and (3) a legitimate reason for being aboard at the time that entrance is sought. It is our view that by pre venting unauthorized entrance to vessels, the possibility of injury, is: substantially mitigated. In order that a vessel may be prepared for any possible emergency situation that may arise, the regulations provide that steam pressure should be maintained or, The basic responsibility for the compli ance .with these regulations is placed in the Master, owner, operator, and agent of the vessel* The Coast Guard, however, assists them in every possible -way and takes necessary measures to insure that their responsibility is fulfilled. In this con nection, Coast Guard inspections are made at frequent intervals and standard inspec tion reports are completed for each vessel by Captain of the Port personnel and by the personnel of the British Security Co if that is not possible, that the ship's fire fighting system be connected with its shore system and its switchboard con nected with' a shore source of electric power. In addition, vessels are not per mitted to be without means of propulsion for over 24 hours, unless the approval of ordination for British vessels coming under their cognizance. Through these regulations, we have installed a uniform ship security program In all ports and, by these inspections and enforcement, we assure that they are' substantially com plied with. It is our belief that compli the Captain of the Port has first been ob ance with these regulations has resulted tained. Decision as. to what fires- shall be in safeguarding vessels against dangers of maintained when loading dangerous cargo injury resulting from accident, negligence, is made by the Master and the terminal subversive activities or other causes. \/ superintendent. Further requirements of these regulations are that mooring lines shall be tended and that emergency tow ing hawsers shall be available, fore and aft, should it become, necessary to move the ship. Requirements are specified for the lighting of vessels and for compliance Perhaps I can demonstrate the results of care in the handling of .ships and articles going through our ports by giving you a few brief figures concerning explo sives. You may have read recently that during the iponth of July, American and British Air Forces dropped approximately with blackout and dim out regulations. 35,000 tons of explosives upon enemy in Other regulations deal with the control stallations on the continent of Europe, of lighters and vessels alongside, with the The destructive effect of these you can removal and disposal of refuse, with super visualize for yourself. During that same vision of the handling and transfer of month, over 45,000 tons of explosiveswere cargo, and with prohibitions against the shipped aboard.vessels from one. American discussion of ship's business and prohibi port. Think of the disastrous effect which tions against smoking, under specified mishandling of this cargo, so vital to the conditions and in various sections of the war effort, would have had upon this port. ship. Yet, through the care which we have ex Detailed inspections are required by the ship's .officers of the vessel and of shore protection facilities. In tins manner, fires and other sources of danger are caught in their incipient stages, while the officers and men charged with the protection of the vessel learn of the available means of combating fire and other possible sources of injury. To fftrther assist in combating ercised in the supervision and protection of this cargo and. the ships carrying it, no loss of any kind occurred. That is &n example of the effectiveness of our ships' safety measures. I am sure you all have noticed that the newspaper accounts of the recent bomb ing raids., which our air force have car ried out against the Ports of Naples, Genoa, Messina, Tunis, Bizerte ' and any situation which may arisen the Master Tripoli have all mentioned that the prin and Chief Engineer are required to in cipal attacks were upon the docks, wharves f struct their crews concerning these regu and shipping in those ports. Earlier in lations amTthe use of available apparatus. the war, the Nazis blasted Plymouth, :! S f r a B` r 9 t t ? K O f t ? I t f l! Cl SfSP&ii t> t t n it n o * e n t r e a f l > 390 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 Liverpool and other British ports. Of course, the purpose of these raids was to prevent supplies from being loaded or un loaded and to destroy shipping; for the destruction of these waterfront facilities and vessels will as effectively delay or prevent the obtaining of supplies as will the destruction of vessels while in transit We must bear this lesson in mind and recognize that any injury to our ships in port will, in the same manner, prevent essential supplies from reaching our men abroad and our Allies. Merely because our harbors are not subject to bombard ment, does not mean that we need hot protect them from injury resulting from accident negligence or sabotage. We must take every possible step to protect them from injury from any cause. The Coast Guard's activities in this field have been such that 1 can report to you at tins time that there has been no serious injury to any vessel in American ports in over a year and a^ half, since the Coast Guard undertook fulfillment of this re sponsibility. Explosives and Military Ammunition on Board Vessels WILLIAM T. BUTLER iJB> Special Aaristant, U. S. Coast Gaud, Washington, D. C Safety in transportation of explosives general inspection and military guards consists of the observance of many minor are at posts protecting all approaches to precautions. In providing safety in rite the pier. The holds.of the vessels are handling and stowage of explosives or thoroughly searched"brfbre commencing ammunition yon have but one chance. to load the cargo of explosives. Each draft Therefore, so-called minor precautions in of packages is checked both at the rail this instance assume the proportions of road carjdoor and upon its arrival in the major precautions. There are three pri hold of tire vessel. Damaged packages mary dements evaluated equally in the are not permitted to be placed on board Coast Guard plan of providing safety of a vessel. cargoes of explosives: sabotage, fire and carelessness. Sabotage is protected against by prior checking of both personnel and the phy sical conditions of loading facilities and the vessel. Longshoremen, winchmen, car penters and their supervisors engaged in handling explosives are required to possess a Coast Girard identification -card and'an The second element fire, is guarded against by the inspection, of toe vessel's own facilities, such as its boilers, toe con dition of toe boiler and engine room bilges,' operation of galley stoves, toe screening of toe smoke stack and galley smoke pipe. Rubbish is not permitted to accumulate upon toe vessel. Tugs and'barges baying legitimate business requiring them to come explosives handling permit canL To se alongside toe. .vessel are checked to be cure the identification card a person mast certain their smoke pipes are screened submit an application setting forth es sential personal history and be fingerprint-. ed. This application is carefully checked. and, in some instances affecting Irving arrangements on barges, it is required that toe fires be doused. Smoking is not The issuance of an explosives handling permit card is predicated upon possession of an identification card and, in addition, permitted and persons are not permitted to have matches or mechanical lighters in their possession. Coast Guard fireboats the applicant most be sponsored by a stevedoring company or other acceptable authority and must show a knowledge of are ofttones stationed alongside toe ves sel or pier. At some explosives-loading terminals, a Coast Guard towboat Is sta- - the art of handling and stowing^explosives. tioned in readiness to withdraw a vessel Before a vessel proceeds to an explo- in event of fire occurring oh- toe pier or stves-loading anchorage or pier^it is given adjacent thereto; and in a great many in a general inspection. The pier receives a - stances, portable fire pumping units with 1 , g< tc ol to oJ ai w K o * 6 Marine Section 391 stand-by Coast Guard crews are stationed showing where it.is proposed to stow at these piers. this cargo. The third element, carelessness, is diffi cult to control. Men engaged day after day in handling explosives, although real izing fully the danger in this occupation, lapse into carelessness. Through its explothres-loading.details, the Coast Guard pro (2) Construct the type magazine re quired by the regulations. . (3) Remove all debris from magazines, bolds hi which explosives are to be stowed and from the decks of the vessel tects against this human trait by constant (4) Submit the vessd for a general ly supervising the handling and stowage of inspection for compliance with toe ex the explosives. Guards comprising the de plosives regulations. tail are assigned at. the railroad car door and on die barges that'bring die explo sives alongside the vessel. Roving deck After proceeding to toe explosivea-loading anchorage or pier it is required that: guards on die vessel keep a watch to see (1) The Captain of toe Port permit that winchmen do not get careless. They' to take on explosives shall be kept availa are required to observe the cargo gear ble. , and inspect such gear frequently to gaud against failure. It is the duty of the mem bers of this detail to prevent the Operation from, becoming perfunctory, which is care (2) An officer or other person, as re quired by .toe regulations, be .designated as In charge of the vessd. lessness under another descriptive name. (3) The person in charge of toe vessd Coonfination shall, in company with toe. Coast Guard officer in charge of toe boding detail Activities of the Army, Navy and Coast inspect toe vesseFs cargo handling gear Guard in die transportation of explosives and toe slings, frays, nets and other equip are thoroughly coordinated. Liaison con ment furnished by toe stevedore. tacts operate- daily in an effort to pro vide maximum security tor vessels and posts. Local port and mnnicipal authori ties are consulted with reference to appli cation of local ordinances or regulations and in determining policy. Insofar as is practicable^ Coast Guard regulations per taining to explosives are not construed as. preventing the enforcement of local-regu lations, provided such regulations are not inconsistent or in conflict with federal regulations or result in setting-up a hin drance to the prosecution of the war. Uni formity of control between rail, motor vehicle and vessel transportation of ex plosives is maintained by a dose coopera tion between die Bnrean of Explosives and die Coast Guard. (4) The officer in charge of toe vessd always shall be available while explosives are bring taken on board. (5) - At toe completion of toe work period, toe officer in diarge shall inspect toe hold and have all means of ingress closed off, inducting toe covering of hatch es with tarpaulins. The assignment of a Coast Guard detail to supervise toe'handling and stowage of explosives does not relieve toe owner, charterer, agent, master or any other per son of his responsibility under toe regu lations. Authorized Location* for Loading and Unloading Explosives and Ammunition as Cargo Merchant vessels before taking on car go consisting of explosives -are required to: (1) Secure a permit from the Captain of the Port* The application`fur this per mit must.be accompanied by a manifest of the explosives and other dangerous. artides to be loaded on board the vessel and a preliminary cargo stowage, plan Merchant vessels are not permitted to take cargoes of explosives-on board or to discharge such type of cargoes except at locations authorized for. this purpose .by toe Captain of toe Port . There are four types of locations set op for such pur poses: First: Explosive anchorages, which are located in remote areas within toe harbori Any type of explosives or ammunition 392 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 may be loaded or unloaded in an . explo sive anchorage. Second: Explosives-loading piers. These are piers that have been especially con structed for this purpose or existing piers that are sufficiently isolated from all other waterfront facilities as to- provide a safe, distance separation in event of an explosion occurring. At-these explosivesloading piers any type of explosives or ammunition may be loaded or unloaded from a vessel. Third:' Atomunition-loading piers. These are. piers selected because of their location apart from vital port facilities and so separated from adjacent structures as to afford maximum . protection, calcu lated in accordance with the risk involved in loading or unloading the particular type of ammunition. At these piers only those types of military ammunition that are specifically permitted by the provisions of the regulations may be loaded on or unloaded from a vessel. Fourth: Small-arms ammunition load ing. Any pier designated by the Captain of the Port may be used for the transfer of small-arms ammunition. Small-arms ammunition is defined as that type of am munition used in pistols, revolvers, rifles, shot guns, or in machine guns having non-explosive bullets, 'and usually con sists of a paper or metallic cartridge case, the powder charge and bullet being all in one assembly. In designating these loading areas,-the Captain of the Port gives consideration to the wishes of local authorities. Repairs.-to Vessels Transporting ' Explosives A vessel having on board explosives as cargo shall not proceed to a ship re pair plant or enter upon a drydock or marine railway or otherwise undertake repairs, except as permitted by the regu lations. Essentially, it is provided that no repairs other than emergency repairs to the vessel's main propelling plant or aux iliaries thereto, or the boilers or auxiliar ies thereto shall be undertaken, .while having on board any explosives as cargo. It should be noted tjiat the emergency re pairs are limited to the extent that the emergency can only involve the vessel's main propelling plant or boilers or their auxiliaries, and it is further limited in that the explosives referred to are on board the vessel as cargo. Welding or cut ting operations other than those required by the foregoing emergency repairs may be carried on.provided,the Captain of the Port issues permission therefor. Exempt from this prohibition are the explosives which may be tin board the vessel in the form of ammunition for defensive arma ment or the repaired supply of distress signals, rockets, .flares, and powder for the ship's- Lyle gun. Vessels that have just discharged any cargo consisting of explosives shall not have any repairs un dertaken in the holds until all precautions are taken to see that no residue of cargo is left to create a hazard.' Summary From the point of view of safety of our vessels, security of our. essential port facilities and adjacent to our ports, it be hooves everyone of ns to be safety-minded at all times in the handling and trans portation of these highly dangerous types of cargoes. The regulationsgoverning ex plosives or other. dangerous? articles on board vessels, especially the,| section de voted exclusively to. 'the transportation of military explosives apd ammunition, were drawn up by the CoastTGuard in collabor ation with .transportation and ordnance personnel of both the Navy and the Army. It cannot be denied that there may be other safe methods of handling and stowing explosives, bat the regulations as outlined in this discussion represent a con sensus of opinion and the specific provi sions thereof most be observed until they are amended. It is believed that maximum safety and security to vessels arid our port facilities so essential to the success of our war effort will be realized, if all concerned observe the spirit and' letter of the regulations. Marine Section 393 Preparation pi Tank Vessels Prior to Alterations or Repairs C. A. NEUSBAUM f Assistant Director, Standard Inspection Laboratory, ' Standard Oil Development Co, New York City The prevention of personal injuries and damage to property lias always been a serious problem in the alterations and re pairs of tank vessels. The cleaning of the tank and. compartments of a tank vessel and the testing of the atmosphere within these tanks and compartments are tech nical problems regularly encountered when such vessels are used for transportation of crude petroleum and its products. Toxic Effect of Petroleum Vapors Vapors given off by crude petroleum, gasoline and other petroleum products cause anaesthetic effects when inhaled and, unless precautions are taken, such effects may be encountered by workers during the cleaning operations. The toxic effect of gasoline vapors in various degrees of concentration is illus trated by data from, the U. S. Bureau of Mines Technical Paper No. 272: Flammability of Petroleum VaporAir Mixture* Petroleum vapors are highly flammable, and considerable care is required to pre vent the. occurrence of fires or explosions. When mired with the proper amounts of air these vapors form explosive mixtures. The explosive mixture range of gasoline in air, for example, is generally accepted to be from 1 to 6 per cent by volume. The lower figure , corresponds to the minimum amount and the higher figure to the maxi mum amount of gasoline vapor capable of producing a flammable mixture. The vapor concentration below which the mixture will not burn is called the "lower ex plosive limit" and the vapor concentration above which the mixture will not burn is called the "upper explosive limit" For some of the more volatile hydrocarbons, . such as commercial propane, the .upper explosive limit is 9.5 per cent The ex plosive range for natural. gas is 4.8 to 13.5 per cent Although explosive limits have-been, established definitely for a num ber of hydrocarbons, it most be rememr bered that petroleum products seldom are handled as pure hydrocarbons. It is essen tial, therefore, to consider, the lowest and the highest explosive limits of the hydro carbons of any products or mixtures be ing handled. Hydrogen Sulfide Other gases associated with petroleum products also are toxic if breathed in suf ficient quantity. Hydrogen sulfide, the most prominent of these gases, is con tained in some crude oils and is present also in some unfinished refinery as a result of reaction at high temperature and pressure. Hydrogen sulfide is harm ful, and even fatal, in relatively small con-centrations It is especially hazardous be-' cause of Its paralytic effect on the seoseof smell, making detection by odor im possible. The U. S. Bureau of Mines has found that a concentration of 0.01 per cent in air will produce irritation of the ores and other physical disturbances upon ex posure for two minutes, with increasingly harmful results upon continuous exposure. Exposure for two minutes in a concentra tion of 0.07 per cent has resulted in death. Hydrogen sulfide also is explosive in concentrations from 4.3 to 46.0 per cent in air. Oxygen Deficiency The atmosphere within dean tanks which have been dosed tightly for some time is frequently deficient in oxygen due to rusting, of'the metal of the tanks. Snch tanks, therefore, should not be entered uutil they have been ventilated thoroughly. Normal air contains about 21% oxygen. Air which contains less than 16% will not safely sustain life. Early Safety Measures A detailed stndy of the methods em ployed prior to 1922 in the cleaning of tanks and compartments of tank vessels and the testing of the atmosphere within these tanks and compartments brought out the fact that too little attention was 394 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 paid to cleaning and too much dependence put on the analysis, of the atmosphere within the tanks. It seems desirable to point out two fundamental principles which apparently were not universally recognized prior to 1922. The first is that a certificate of safety is worthless unless the inspector has entered the.tank or compartment in question and has examined it carefully for deposits of oil and/or sediment which may generate vapor. Without such an ex amination, the analysis of the atmosphere means nothing more than that the tank is safe for a man to enter at the tins: of testing. The practice of taking samples by means of a sampling tabe'or sampling bottle lowered freon the deck;seems en tirely inadequate, except for preliminary information. The other fundamental principle is that the maximum permissible content of petroleum vapor is fixed by its effect on men inhaling the atmosphere^ rather than by the lower limit of the explosive range. The lower explosive. limit of different hydrocarbons varie* but 1.0 per cent is perhaps a representative figure. On the other hand, it is stated that petroleum vapors in concentrations of-0.3 per cent* or more are intoxicating to some people on exposure for 30 minutes or longer, so that tite actual danger limit is far below the explosive limit It has beat experi enced that men are able to work in tanks for indefinite periods- when a maximum of 02 per cent of petroleum vapor calcu lated as pentane is enforced as a limit Cleaning Procedures The recommended procedure for clean ing is the Butterworth method in which hot water is applied mechanically by means of special equipment The personnel em ployed for cleaning operations has in creased to one captain who acts as super visor, 3 certified chemists, 6 foremen, 5 pump men, 3 timekeepers and a group of casual laborer who are experienced tank cleaners, ranging in number from 50 to 75. It is impossible to specify arbitrarily that a tank of a given size shall be steamed or machine washed'a certain number of hours, since the amount of steaming or washing required varies with the nature of the oil which was carried last the at mospheric conditions, add other factors. The intensity and duration of each process rests, therefore^ wtih the judgment of the supervisor and the chemist and is gov erned by the conditions and circumstances which necessitate such .cleaning.. . jduubx wilful muymaa With the Butterworth Method, heated water is directed upon the interior surface of tanks by- means of high, pressurestreams from two revolving nozzles. The nozzles, are geared to turn simultaneously _ .. and slowly in all planes, horizontaKto vertical, so that the water streams from, the nozzles are directed upon the entire interior surface of the tank. . As soon as the cargo is pumped out, steam is forced through the heater coils and steam smothering lines. If condensed steam conies through the heater coils'dear, indications are that the fines are satis factory. If steam fails to come through or if the condensate is oily, it is evident that the coil is ruptured and tint cleaning is necessary before a certificate can be issued for the compartment in which the questionable coil is located. Smothering lines are steamed for approximately ten minutes. Butterworth machines are next placed in the .cargo tanks through special openings or through hatches if the vessel is not equipped with such special openings. Generally two machines are operated at the same time, one in each of two main, wing or summer tanks; The hatch and ullage covers are closed but not dogged down. During the period of washing, which normally take from 1# to 2 boon per tank, the ship is held at a slight list if necessary to speed, the drainage of the tanks to the suctibn. The outgo pumps are operated slowly to withdraw from the tanks the refuse oil and hot water resulting from the washing operation. For most efficient cleaning operation, the water is heated to a temperature of approximately 175* F. The water is supplied at a pres sure of approximately 175 pounds per square , inch from the vessefs deck fire lines. After the tanks have been washed suf ficiently, the Butterworth machines are removed and the tanks ventilated by means *9 . t Marine Section 395 ' of wind sails, Venturi tabes or air blowers lowered into the tanks through the hatch, * or by steam gas suckers installed in the ' ship's deck discharge lines. When the at* mosphere within , foe tanks has cooled sufficiently for men to enter, a sample of it is obtained by means of a sampling tube or sampling bottle lowered from the deck and analyzed for toxic or combustible gases. If the atmosphere is found to con tain not more than 02 per cent .gas by volume, the Supervisor in charge of dean* tng enters the tanks to make a preliminary survey before men are sent into the tanks with hand hose to.wash toward the suction any sediment or scale left in various parts of foe tank. Sediment which is not pumped through the suction line is xemovedmanuaOy. A careful watch is maintained over the men doing foe work. Mmiwl lfuriinH 4~ When Butterworth machines are not available, foe approximate time required for steaming is estimated on foe basis of previous cargoes. After foe heater lines are blown, foe hatch covers and ullage holes are closed but.not dogged down. Steam at a line pressure of about 75 pounds is allowed to enter foe tank through foe smothering lines' for foe period of time considered necessary to sufficiently soften and loosen oil and sedi ment on the bulkheads, beams, etc, so as to permit removal with streams of hot water. Upon completion of foe steaming, foe hatch covers are thrown open and wind sails, air blowers or steam gas suck ers are used as described above for purpose of expelling gases and steam. When foe tanks have cooled sufficiently, a prelimi nary test of foe atmosphere within is taken. If foe gas coated! is more than 02 per cent by volume, further ventilating or steaming and ventilating are requfred. If foe gas content is 02 per cent or less, men equipped with hand hose descehd the ladi> ders slowly, washing down foe top, sides and beams as they go. The water used for washing is at an approximate tem perature of 100* F. and at a pressure of about 50 pounds., A convenient means of supplying hot water for washing is pro vided by a "Y" connection which intro duces steam into a nozrie on the fire line and provides a positive regulation of tem perature. A_careful watch is maintained from deck for the safety of foe men be low. When the top, sides and beams have been washed thoroughly, work is com menced on the 'bottom. Starting at the forward outboard corner of foe tank, the. oil and sediment are washed toward the suction from which point they jure re moved to a barge or a slop tank ashore by means of foe ship's pomps, which, are kept fo operation throughout the entire washing period. Any material which is not removed through foe suction line is removed manually. Final Inspection After all tanks and compartments in question have been washed and cleaned in accordance with either of foe above meth ods, the main pump room, bilges are cleaned. Next, water is pumped through all strip's cargo lines'and discharged into foe slop line. After pumping for a pre determined period, the water is discharged on deck where it is examined by the chemist, the chief officer and the super visor in charge of tank cleaning; If the water is dear, foe cargo lines are con sidered to be cleaned. Whenever possible, depending on the shifting of ballast, valves are left open to air out foe cargo fines. The tanks then axe entered and in spected by a certified chemist; and, if found to be deaned to his satisfaction and if foe gas content is 02 per cent or less, a certificate is issued stating foe tanks (reported individually) are either "Safe for Men and Fire" or "Safe for Men--Not Safe for Fire." Repairs Ramot* from Cargo Tanka Whenever a vessel most be dry docked for a survey on account of a seriously damaged bottom or for repairs confined soldy to work on the rudder, propeller, tail-shaft or other parts remote from foe. cargo compartments, such tanks may be smothered with steam, and sealed prior to thevessel's arrival in foe shipyard. Incase it is found necessary to do any work in and/or around any of foe tanks, the tanks in question are denned by either the Bntterworth method or foe manual method and certified as heretofore described. 396 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 Combustible Qu Indicator Various types of indicators have been used in the past for the detection of petroleum vapors to insure that the at mosphere is non-toxic and to guard against ^ fires and explosions. All have employed basic principles, such as diffusion, volume change on combustion, or heat of com bustion. Of course, the last type seems most suitable for the petroleum industry because of the wide variety of gases which are likely to be encountered. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION October 6, 1943 Presiding: W. C. Garbutt, Casualty Manager, Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, Ohio. War-Time River Safety By JOHN B. JULI Safety Supervisor, Dravo Carpi, Pittsburgh, Pa. The growth of river transportation has brought abont the necessity for a large scale safety program and this need has been met by various agencies. The safetyproblems are unique, inasmuch as they deal with the vagaries of nature. Success in the operation of river fleets must be attributed in a good measure to the outstanding work of the U. S En gineers. Rivers must be made safe for navigation and we regard this agency with deep respect for the good they have ac complished. They have performed a yeo man service in dredging, clearing rivers of obstructions, construction of locks, dams, inspection of boats and safety equip ment, reports on river stages and many other features that tie in so vitally with the successful and safe operation of river fleets. The U. S. Coast Guard how patrols all the rivers on a 24-hour basis and Itheir work in preventing sabotage and making periodic inspections of crews of the tow boats has been a valuable help in the plant security and safe operation of all war plants situated along the river. With the aid of these two agencies, it remains for th<vindividual operator to co operate to the fullest extent If you were privileged to go aboard a towboat, you would be impressed with the appearance of the interior. The tow boat serves a dual purpose in providing a place to work and also a place to live. The engine rooms are well maintained and kept spotless. All machinery is painted in a three-dimensional scheme, which is a forward step in safety, as well as enhancing* the working conditions. The living quarters of the crew, the stairways, the pilot house and the most remote corner of the boat are dean and well-lighted. The skipper and his crew take great pride in their housekeeping. There is a keen rivalry between the crews of the various fleets, and they do everything in their power to make the boat and their quarters a pleasant place in which to live. The stopper of the boat is the executive officer and he is assisted by licensed pilots who most know the river throughout its length. The skipper spends considerable time in making up his tow in a safe man ner, eliminating as .many duck ponds and notches as possibly thereby creating safer working conditions. The successful operations of a fleet de pends on the proper type of employees hired. This is quite a problem,,due' to the number of river men leaving for other employment. A skipper of a boat at tempts to hire a man who has spent part of his life near the river. The man most pass the physical requirements of the Medical Department before he is permitted to report for work. He then is placed in charge of an experienced man--the mate or engineer. Various hazards in opera tion are pointed oat to him and he receives careful instructions on safe prac tices on boats. He attends safety zone Marine Section 397 meetings which are held at the end of each trip, if possible, at which time many river problems are discussed and remedied We make good use of slide sound films at these meetings, because we firmly believe that visual education is an outstanding feature in the success of any accident prevention program. Because of the limited medical facili ties, first aid training is given-to members of the crew. A large percentage of our men and women have completed the American Red Cross and the U. S. Bureau of Mines course in first aid. Life saving, fire and safety drills are held aboard the boat to better acquaint the crew with the .proper thing to do in an emergency. Mem* bers. of the crew are reminded oh the use of Kapok life vesta in working on or over the water. When you consider the hazards connected with river work, such as fogs and floods, it is extremely important that a man receive as much training as pos sible. Safety plays, such an important part in the war effort that everything possible should be done by the safety engineer to continue-the safe operation of this means of transportation in order that it might continue to play its full part in the suc cessful conclusion of the conflict in which we are now engaged. By A R SCHRODER Safety Director, Freeport Sulphur Company, Port Sulphur, Louisiana By objective statistics we mean those statistics which break down the accident into all of its major and contributive causes and furnish ns with a detail of the background of the incident. This com plete breakdown is a monotonous detail but is productive of much information for the safety director. The detail of the information uncovered is hardly that which would be furnished to management and work supervisors, but the conclusions reached through this medium are definite and should be used in steering the safety program in its entirety. In 1938, it being desirable to pursue a more objective program of safety work, and effort toward a complete statistical breakdown on accidents was made by onr company. Information made available by means of these figures was used in the direction of work supervisors in their ac cident prevention efforts and served as a guide for safety inspections and committoes. A point of particular interest in these figures for the pre-war years is their consistency; all curves followed a definite pattern and gave positive information for continued objective work. During 1941 a trend of change was detected, and 1942 showed considerable divergence which is continuing during 1943. Accident Causes Changing An attempt to recommend steps to correct the conditions which obtain in the changing picture of accident causes will not be made here, as all of us are familiar with the steps necessary for accident pre vention. It is essential, though, that we be aware that the picture is changing, so that we may accent those parts of our program which tend to correct the new angles that may be uncovered by a com plete analysis. The analysis sheet of. the Standard Injury Reporting System, ob tainable from the National Safety Council, is an excellent starting point for a program of breakdown for cause. There exists today a distinct need for safety directors to be able to`make an exact comparison of present day ac cidents to pre-war experience, in order that trends in the causes may be un covered and corrections made in programs for continued effective prosecution. The factors which, when loaded statistically, are of particular importance are: occupa tion, agency of injury, mechanical cause, what employee was doing, type of ac cident, location of injury, character of injury, age, seniority, hour of injury, day of week, etc. Comparison of curves on occupations reveals an increase in the number of accidents suffered by skilled journeymen, foremen and operators. This increase is most serious now that skilled men are at a premium and should give us w * ; s 5^5 bjb. o. o fj.c,'o*oa ac Mechanical Equipment Should Be Thoroughly Inspected A review of figures covering the agency of injury reveafatbat the activitiesofiS- specting safety should be concentrated on equipment which in the rush of present activities is not receiving the servicing and main- aia J MUO VI %lv number of lost-time injuries and the nnmber of days lost Cause coding is the objective type of statistical effort which enabIc8 08 give positive direction to those 'who mU8t do the actual preventive WOfk Foremen and supervisors have pro- du^on jobs which need full-time attention can hardly be expected to give to their accident oroblems the tune needed v s a s o s ,e a v * < s v i* v * h +><*-** - i% Marine Section 399 Safety Aboard a Lake Freighter JOHN W. McGIFFIN Sup&of Safety, Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd-, Montreal, P. Q~ Canada The safety department of the Canada Steamship Lines was organized in 1938. A survey was made of past accident records and the management was amazed at the number of personal injuries which had occurred each operaring season; bat more amazed at the sums of money that had been paid oat for medical aid, hos pitalization arid compensation. Since the organization of the safety department our annual costs attributable to personal in juries have been reduced on an average of 66% and the first year showed a re duction of 75%. Safety has.'paid wonderful dividends to the company in the financial sense, as well as giving great satisfaction from a humanitarian viewpoint With ail lake freighters bring built on rite same general principles, a hazard which exists on any one vessel is likely to be common to them alL This entails great' difficulty, as well , as quite an ex penditure, in getting all hazards corrected as- speedily as possible. In our case, with our head office in Montreal and our ves.sels'operating all over the lakes, a.great deal most be bandied .by correspondence orby a heavy program of travel. A survey of past accidents shows that the causes of personal injuries on lake freighters break down generally as fal lows: 1. Falls. - 2. Eye Injuries. 3. Handling mooring wires. 4. Handling batch covers or strongbacks. 5. Handling gangplanks and toeplates on package freighted. 6. Working around engines. ' 7. Galley accidents. . To eliminate falls all ladders leading to engine room are regularly checked. Any that are found to be too steep are re moved and replaced by stairways of the proper angle with standard risers and treads. The same procedure is followed for ladders leading to the bow deck from the spar deck. ladders into cargo holds are kept in constant state of repair. Damaged or missing rungs are replaced as rapidly aspossible. On bulk carriers these ladders 'are a real source of danger as they are easily damaged by unloading buckets and-must be watched most carefully. The same precautions are taken with all other ladders that arc found on a laker. Good housekeeping on board ship is considered of paramount importance in connection with the prevention of per sonal injuries due to slipping and falling. Decks must be' maintained in a neat and ship-shape manner. Leaking-, packing glands on deck winches make for a slip pery deck, especially as the fall weather approaches with its freezing temperatures. One of rite most essential requirements for the avoidance of accidents due to falls aboard ship is good fighting of passage ways, holds, storerooms and other en closed spaces. Lighting is provided to reflect dock hazards, and all such hazards are painted white to serve as a danger signal. We also cover mooring wires with -pieces of split hose printed white, and after dark a red lantern is placed beside them. The split hose serves two useful purposes. First, it protects clothing from grease that always covers the .fines and secondly, calls the attention of the unwary to the hazard. Handling hatch covers and strongbacks is another fruitful source of personal in jury. A man should never be allowed to go upon the fore and aft beams or thwartship beams of a hatch for the pur pose of adjusting-the. gear* for removing them. The removri of hatch covers and strongbacks should always be under the supervision of a deck officer or other competent person. After hatch covers and tarpaulins are in place, members of the crew not be allowed to walk over them. Eye injuries can be almost completely controlled on lake steamers by the use tof goggles; their use is indicated in chipping and scraping, when boiler tubes are t 400 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 being blown, combustion chamber cleaned, each operated over one thousand ac boilers or fires cleaned, and many other cident free days;- From this you. can see instances. We are very strict regarding that the competition has been very keen. eye injuries and goggles are considered I would now like to draw your atten by crew members as an integral part of tion to what was once the greatest single their working clothes. cause of fatalities on our lake fleet, espe Our safety program starts with having cially ships of canal zone. As you are a doctor on a retainer at practically every aware, a lake vessel in the course of port of call on the Canadian side of the a season will make a great many docks lakes. In other words, a steamer is never and canal locks. Much of this is done more than about ten hours from a doctor. We do not have compulsory physical examinations, but leave it to the discretion of the master and chief engineer to see that men who are physically unfit are not engaged. The master and chief engineer also see that every man supplies himself with the proper clothing. If necessary, advances are given so that men can properly equip themselves. Crew members must have a serviceable pair of boots. The wearing of slippers or sneakers it not tolerated. Serviceable gloves are also required for certain jobs. Inspection of all crew mem* bers is made regularly by the master to see that boots are properly laced. This precaution has more than proven its worth in the reduction in the number of sprained ankles on the part of the forward crew and burned feet on the part of the firemen. The inspection also looks for sloppy ap* parel that might catch in moving machin ery and the advantages of close fitting garments are impressed upon crew mem bers. From this point on the safety pro gram is under' the guidance of the first mate and 2nd engineer. This has worked very successfully and their safety record is discussed along with other qualifications when they are considered for promotion. Green men and older hands alike are regularly coached on the safe way to per form the Various jobs on shipboard. Safety meetings are held once a month under the guidance of the master. at night, and each docking and locking through the St Lawrence canal system entails putting at least three men rapidly ashore, in order to take the lines. In the past this had been accomplished by means of a "monkey line.** - This "monkey line" was well named, as a deckhand required -great personal strength and the agility of a monkey if he were to land safely. The old time landing boom was about fifteen to twenty feet in length and. swung out wards from the spar deck. At the end of the`boom was the "monkey line," a rope, the length of which depended upon the steamers draft and the height of the dock the men were to be landed upon. At regular intervals in this rope were knots to prevents a man sliding down the rope too rapidly after he was swung out over the intervening water between the ship side and the dock. In many cases, these knots only served to break the deckhand's grip, as he hung suspended, and many fatalities occurred because men swung out too soon, lost their grip and dropped into the water to drown or be crushed between the ship and the dock. The new method of using the landing boom puts the responsibility for the safety of the men to be pnt ashore squarely on the deck officer on watch at the time. All landing booms today must be at least twenty-eight feet long. This boom is supported by and braced to a revolving upright, extending from the spar deck to the bow deck. On the revolving upright at arm level oh the bow deck Is a handle for swinging the boom. This is operated Interest in safety is maintained by our merit Sag competition. This contest ori ginated in 1939, and interest has increased each year. Monthly bulletins of steamer by the deck officer on watch at the time. The "monkey line" has been replaced by a 1A inch manQla line which runs along the underside of the boom and passes standings are issued, and I am pleased through a block at both ends of the boom. to say that we have eleven steamers that To the outboard end of the line is at have yet to report a lost time injury since tached an 18 inch metal rodwhich supports the contest started. These vessels have a wooden seat The metal rod enables the Marine Section 401 man after landing to quickly flip seat ont from between bis legs. The inboard end of the line passes through a block then over a cleat. Several turns of the line are always taken around the cleat. On the end of each landing boom a light has been installed, the rays of which are directed downward and brightly il luminate the surface on which the deck hands have to land. Since putting these rules into effect in 1938, the most serious accident reported to date has been a sprained ankle. . You all know that the success of safety work depends upon the support received from company management, and in this regard I would like to say that the inter est and support of our management has been excellent. Safety aboard a lake freighter is a broad subject, but possibly you are now aware of some of the problems with which we are confronted each operating season. With lake freighters performing such an important -role in the transportation system of .both the United 'States and Canada, it is imperative that the present manpower shortage is not aggravated by avoidable personal injuries. This challenge is being met. Lake freighters are carrying record cargoes of ore and coal cargoes vital to our war program. THURSDAY AFTERNOON SESSION October 7,1943 Presiding: D. L. Hartnett Regional Safety Consultant, U. S. Maritime Commission, Philadelphia, Pa. The Control of Fumes in Shipyards WILLIAM E. LAWRENCE Safety Engineer, New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, N. J. Many articles have been published on this subject including miles of statistics; however, I am sure that every shipyard in this country today has acquired knowledge through experience and information un selfishly passed on by pioneers in ship welding until it is assumed that everyone knows the most satisfactory fame elimina tion is that of ventilation by exhaustion. Extensive experiment daring the past decade with different types of equipment proved that the surest method was to re move the trouble at its source. Blowers and exhausting devices were developed ac cordingly, with satisfactory results. Res pirators fitted with metal fume filters will give some protection when fume con centratiol ns are low. In common with other shipyards and heavy industries, much care is being exer cised by plant medical staffs in tontine re-checks and re-examinations, of workers exposed to welding fumes. In so far as we know, we still can honestly state that we have not had one case"of lasting or per manent ill effect to anyone associated with welding, tacking, burning or heating. New Method and Precautions You may be interested to hear of a de velopment new to us at. our plant. It may be new to some of you also. I refer to carbon arc burning in connection with smoothing off the large countersunk heads of tap bolts in armor plate decks. These heads were formerly chipped and ground off flush with the deck plates. This was a long, tiresome, rough and costly job. By the use of the carbon arc, they are burned off so that only a small amount of grind ing is necessary, thus cutting the time and labor to a minimum. (5^16" carbon, 400 amps., 7000 F.) Of course, the fume and dust hazard had to receive special consideration. This was accomplished by the use of a com pressed air jet, which blows the slag and carbon residue into exhauster funnels located at the ends of two 3" metallic flexible tubes with powerful portable ex 402 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 hausters at the outlet ends of these same tabes. This equipment is skidded easily along the deck as required and is kept dose to the job at all times, even eliminat ing the necessity for the use t>f respira tors. Many other fames mast be controlled in shipyards. One of the seasonal hazards in onr own plant will have to receive at tention before the advent of cold weather, which is^ost around die corner. Men will build'fires in any land of a receptade in spite of'safety men and supervision, and 'will use fuel, such as charcoal or coke, without stopping to realize the danger in volved and die necessity for proper venti lation. The resulting carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gases are both deadly and create oxygen deficiencies. life, following; dose upon, auto; accidents as a .cause of death. It is true that wher ever there is smoke you may suspect car bon monoxide. By all means lake no chances. Don't wait for a chemist's report on the samples of air from suspected areas. Ventilate! Constant alertness on the part of watch force men and safety inspectors is an absolute necessity to combat such hazards. The education of fee men by their super visors and fee use of warning:posters is recommended, but above all, ventilation by exhaustion and the introduction of a fresh shpply of air is imperative under these dangerous conditions; Several nar row escapes from death have been experi enced in shipbuilding due to fee thought lessness of the men and not because of ignorance. They forget to think. We recently issued a notice in connec Insulation Material! tion with this hazard and posted it con The use of insulation cement^ if it con spicuously. It stated that if any fire pots tains toxic solvents such as carbon tetra were found on ship contracts, plant pro chloride, is a menace to Workmen unless tection men should immediatdy contact a' precautions are taken to properly safe safety inspector and be governed by his guard them under such hazardous condi decision as to the removal of same. tions. A. large shipyard recently experi Pomes From Fires I think we should mention the danger of fumes from fires In ships on the ways, while under construction, and hi the water after launching. Many of the fires may be trivial but there is always the possibility of men being trapped by smoke and toxic fumes and unable to get out from below decks. This is when the trained safety inspector or a good wattdf force man comes into the picture. He must quickly don a mask, hook on a life rope and go down to make sure everyone is out He must be followed as closely as posable by another man with a powerful electric lamp. If any deficiency of oxygen is sus pected, an oxygen breathing mask must be worn. Ventilation must be provided at once, smoke and femes must be exhausted and a fresh supply of air blown in. enced such conditions which were brought to fee attention of the plant health com mittee and fee management The result was feat fee entire supply was re-distilled and a substitute safe solvent provided, feus eliminating the lazard without loss of material. This demonstrates again feat careful. planning will assure safety with production, always a winning pair. The use of water repellent asbestos in solation has recently replaced some types of material formerly used in ship work. For protection against dust or possible asbestosis from such material, it is rec ommended that both on ships and in shops, or where fee material is prepared, it be dampened and that dost respirators be worn, also that specxaTventilatiog he provided. Periodic' medical examination of those exposed to such hazards is also necessary. Much could be added about the maxi mum allowable concentration for carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, but the main point to remember is that carbon, monoxide is the number one poison killer, both in industrial and non-occupational Sand Blasting and Plating Sand blasting and shot blasting, with its silicosis hazard, can be done safely, if provision is- made for standard sand blast rooms or cabinets.. Special ventila- Marine Section 403 !-Y*Sl tiori most be provided, with frequent in fumes at the point of origin and general spections of ail equipment by an experi ventilation to snpply fresh air to confined enced safety inspector or supervisor. This working spaces. check-up must never be neglected. Lacquer spraying, if done in approved Regular periodic examinations, includ booths, properly ventilated, presents no ing X-rays, are mandatory. The least sus greater'problem. When cleaning com picion of a leaking face piece can be easily pounds are being nsed, chemical cartridge detected by . the operator and should be respirators will give protection if con reported at once to the safety department centrations are low. for immediate correction. If an operator begins to eat sand, he will realize at once that his equipment is not safe. The use of proper extinguishers on dif ferent type fires must be considered. Fumes from the use of the wrong ones Fumes and dost from friction saws In may cause the death ofpersons improp shops areeasily removed by proper ex haust ventilation and should be carried by ducts from the machine to dust collectors out of the shops if possible. erly instructed. Periodic demonstrations by those responsible should be made for the benefit , of firemen, watch force men, and safety inspectors. The use of instruc . Plating room fumes, with modem ven tive posters and bulletins is.also advised. tilating systems now available, are no longer a problem in any up to date ship yard. A few years ago, however, a dif ferent story could be told. Fumigation of refrigerator spaces in ships practically ready for delivery is im portant Precautions must be taken to safeguard men whose doty it is to open Recent changes hi painting specifications and ventilate such spaces after fumiga on naval vessels have provided for the use tion. Th^r. must wear- all-service gas m of zinc chromate which, although perhaps masks while installing temporary ventila not particularly toxics must be considered tion equipment and, if a deficiency of when, sprayed in small compartments. oxygen Is suspected, ah oxygen breathing Respirators are advocated along with safe apparatus must be us&L ventilation. When working in large shops where large plates are sprayed, after they Cooperation of Management are placed in racks from the pickling and Employees tanks, the use of air line respirators is recommended, as these areas are too large for efficient exhaust ventilation. How ever, crane operators handling material in. snch locations, especially above pickling tanks, should be provided with respirators. Fans may be placed in the crane cabs to blow fumes and vapor away from the operators. An important item in ventilation of ships under construction is to impress manage ment with the necessity for co-operative planning by the engineering department and drawing rooms for the early installa tion of as much of toe ships permanent ventilation system as possible, especially . in engine and boiler rooms. Present con struction of naval vessels practically pro Protection must be furnished for any hibits toe use of temporary ventilation job in which dost fumes or smoke from units, dae to toe inaccessibility of such any snbsanc* containing lead is breathed spaces and toe impossibility of bringing in daily, for example; when welding, cutting, fresh,air, especially after they are dosedin. to ly id a- burning, shrinking or straightening where material is metal, coated with paint con taining lead. Special ventilation, using local exhaust hoods or tubing kept not less than 8* from the. job and'drawing 200 eSm. discharged where the con taminated air will not be breathed, is satisfactory. In ship construction two types of ven tilation are nsed, local exhaust to remove The importance of toe availability of trained ventilation men - must be con sidered. Then* services are vital in toe avoidance of delays in maintaining con tinuous production. The .elimination of fumes by their alertness to such hazards and inconveniences will help to minimize absenteeism mid assure delivery of ships ahead of schedule, thus assuring a quicker victory. 404 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 We must not forget the importance of organized first aid crews trained in the use of inhalators, resusdtators and ap proved methods of artificial respiration. These crews with portable emergency equipment must be available and ready to act at a moments notice. Perhaps one of the most important methods of impressing employees, espe cially new ones, with the idea of danger from respiratory and other hazards is through safety instruction in orientation classes before they start to work. This is being done in many industrial plants with marked success. We believe that such a program will be. of vital interest to those who have had no previous shipyard ex perience. Before closing I want to mention the ventilation standards as recommended in the U. S. Navy Department--U. S. Mari time Commission, "Safety and Industrial Health Manual in Contract Shipyards" a recent issue, and the "1021 Answers to Industrial Health and Safety Problems" published this year by Occupational Hazards, Inc. They are most helpfnl and timely publications and should be avail able to everyone connected with safety programs in any industry. Crane Safety LIEUT. COMDR. L. F. KENGLE, U.SJ4. (Ret) A survey of the information at hand on crane safety shows that there is a wealth of material on this serious subject. It has been exhaustively studied and reported. As you know, standards of safety have been set up by the .American Society of Mechanical Engineers, by the Bnrean of Yards and Docks of the Navy Depart ment, by the National Safety Council, by the American Standards Association, by the states in their Industrial Accident Commissions and by the insurance carriers for private concerns. It should be apparent then, that since these extensive standards cover the design of the structure and the safety of the mechanical equipment and protective devices, cranes may be acquired, redesigned and overhauled with a maxi mum of assurance that from the items of design every known hazard to health and safety will be eliminated. Criticism of Present Rtiles From the above sources there may also be gained a well-rounded set of rules covering inspection and test Not only is this information available from these sources, but methods of reporting, check ing and inspection can be set up, so that positive assurance may be had that these minimum standards will be maintained throughout the life of the equipment These rules cover the vast majority of all crane operations.- The only criticisms that may be leveled at these rules are: First, in the simplification of the rules so they may be easily understood by all operators; secondly, in the adequacy of the rules to cover all incidents; third, in the standardi zation of the equipment used; and, fourth, in providing weight indicators to supple ment on the part of the operators. It requires judgment to make the rules fit into one's own crane problems. It is recommended that they be perused thor oughly, so that sets of rules and instruc tions may be made out for each activity with extraneous material eliminated from the instruction books issued to the opera tive personnel. Basis for Discipline We find it is better to base your dis cipline on a violation of a rule rather than upon an incident This establishes in the minds of the operating personnel a reali zation of the significance of a published rule or regulation. Although the violation of a rule may not result in an accident, the continued violation of a published ride will eventually lead to a serious incident After an incident of serious nature, its effect has a disciplinary aspect If the rales are ade quate, concise, and understandable and are complied with by personnel, no incident can occur. I believe that if we will check all of our Marine Section 405 crane accidents we will come to the con quirements impresses upon the operator clusion that there existed an error in the item of safely going to and from, his judgment on the part of the operator or work. At every crane access ladder and rigger, or both. every operating crane cab, we have pro Judgment Based On Training and Experience vided two small signs: one illustrating the standard crane signals with the notice that these are the signals to be recognized and It has been said that judgment is based obeyed, and the other sign is a short set upon training and experience. How much of safety rules. -- training it takes to overbalance the lack of experience and how much experience it takes to mature training varies with the individual. In order to bring these two items into phase, we have established cer tain rules in our activity. First is a semi annual physical examination for all crane operators in which muscular coordination is checked and vision made a specific re quirement. This is particularly essential in assuring ourselves that every crane operator has depth perception. Crane operators are required to relieve each other at levels other than the crane itself and the crane energy must be re moved before leaving the cab. A careful inspection is to be made by the relieving operator after relieving. He is impressed continually with the rule that he is to accept signals from a single individual, the rigger in charge of the operation, and in the case of locomotive cranes/ that he is not to move his crane until the crane pilot or safety man has cleared him, is I believe the next step should be to present and aware of his responsibility. establish in the minds of every operator These we recommend as essential in the the sincere interest management has in establishing of safe habits. accident prevention. This must be estab lished before you can expect them to take your rules and regulations seriously and it does not become a popular thing with the-operators to break the rules. Fire extinguisher equipment is main tained in the cab and is regularly in spected. To prevent panic in event of power failure, aerial bombing, or fire, every overhead crane is provided, with a knotted It is recommended in some crane sped- . rope, well secured in the cab, so that every fications that all levers be so arranged operator may abandon his crane in any that they will move in the direction in of the above events. which the crane load moves. This should Inspections be elaborated upon so they will be placed in every piece of equipment in the same' Our crane inspections are complete and relation to each other. This is borne out periodic and careful records are made. by an experience we had in one among Both the rigger, in charge and the crane sixty locomotive. cranes, in which the operator make reports to a relief of every throttles were_.opened with forward and extreme strain and this is also reported by backward movement of the throttle lever. memorandum to the responsible authority. This contributed to a minor incident The management's concern for this is such where, in an emergency, an operator ac that the responsible seniors respect these customed to a forward moving throttle reports and subject the equipment to a was operating a locomotive crane with a rigid inspection and test, if indicated, for throttle operating by opposite motion and every reported incident by habit opened instead of closed bis throttle. Weight Indicators Used Neatness and Organization We are using a hydromatic weight indi cator that can be put in the dead end of The cleanliness, neatness and organiza all boom crane lifting cables, matched up tion in shops and throughout the.yard with a boom length indicator of rigid con where crane operations are carried on struction. These weight' indicators were leads to cleanliness in crane cabs. Careful bought at a cost of $500 each. These were attention to making the access ladders so successful and were so readily accepted meet with all of the standard safety re by the operators that the manufacturer 406 32nd National Safety Congress, 1943 was asked to design similar equipment for use on all hammerhead cranes and all floating cranes. No failures have been re* ported and no particular care has been necessary on any of this equipment for the several months it has been in use. This item alone takes out of the hands of the recommended to the American Standards Association that-serious thought be given to the distances, the size and the lever movements' and that their directions be standardized on all new equipment In the larger plants, where. frequent ex changes are made between operators and operator, the operating personnel and the rigger the excuse for overloading and the excuse for errors in judgment There have been no crane incidents to any of the equipment thus provided and, based upon previous experience, in the six months that these have been in operation, they have paid back over five per cent of their cost We have locomotive diesel crane inspec tion cards of the check-off type, wherein an inspector covers every item to be checked and indicates the date and the condition, with remarks. This report is recorded. These forms vary with the cranes, types and motive power. There are special forms for steam propelled, diesel propelled and electrically propelled crane equipment these exchanges cannot be eliminated, it is suggested that serious thought be given to the feasibility of changing all existing equipment to meet these recommended^ standards. Second, the rules should be simplified and the responsibility placed squarely on the shoulders of the rigger and operator, not jointly bat specifically and indhridoally, for the safe operation, of their cranes; and that no extraneons material be placed in the rales issued to these operators. Third, every crane incident; even of minor nature, should be thoroughly inves tigated* by a responsible administrative head as a-basis to effect sound correction. This has not been indicated in any of the literature I have found. Summary agd Fourth, a substitute for judgment and experience for the new operator should be Summarizing these thoughts, I leave provided by giving him positive load in with you as not having been thoroughly dicators, matched with indicators showing explored in other published information, /load /capacities. These will also give as- One, the standardization of the location/ suranee to the experienced operator of of the movements of the control levers' his own judgment or estimation of the for the various types of equipment, sol load being handled and will induce the that yon may change an operator from one /supe&antions to handle heavier loads, piece of equipment to another and he will factors in the saving of time or Its eqtrivafind himself in familiar surroundings. It is lent, production.