SAFETY Preparing to Meet Disasters

Advance preparation and training are essential to Du Pont's plans for minimizing the effects of accidents

JTTLCCXDEXTS WILL HAPPEN, regardless o>f all attempts to prevent them, says Raymond A. Blank of Du Pont's petro-leum chemicals division. Since this is the case, advance preparation will ma-terially aid in reducing loss of life, in minimizing property damage, and in maintaining continuity of operation when these accidents do occur.

This recognition that emergencies are bound to arise despite all efforts to pre-vent them is the basis for Du Pont's development of disaster and emergency procedures for all its plant locations. The broad objective of these plans is t o prevent any disaster which can pos-sibly be averted. The second objective i s to rxiiniinize the effects of those which clo occur.

According to Blank, Du Pont has found, that the most practical approach to protection planning is to develop the plan around existing services and fa-cilities already being maintained as a part of normal business operation. In this way, the program will function more effectively at less cost to handle disasters brought on by fire or explo-sion, fume or gas liberation, power fail-ure, or forces of nature such as wind, flood, or storm. The plans also include provisions for acts of sabotage, espio-nage, or direct enemy attack.

In setting up its plans for disaster and emergency procedures, Du Pont asks itself the following questions in order to cover all phases of required action.

Alarm. Are there emergency 'warning signals and are they under-stood by all employees? Does each employee know what to do when the alarm is sounded?

Evacuation In the event that evacuation is necessary, does each em-ployee know where the assembly area is?

Shutdown. Are there adequate in-structions for emergency shutdown of equipment? Are there provisions in the plan for those operations where continuity is essential?

Power. Are emergency power sources available for water pumps and other emerg^icy equipment?

Fire, Fire is the greatest destroyer of property. If fires break out in more

than one location, are there trained auxiliary brigades and equipment avail-able to fight them?

Control Center. Experience has demonstrated the need for a location selected in advance for use as an emer-gency headquarters. Have alternate and field subcenters been considered? Has the chain of command been estab-lished to take charge in the absence of the plant manager or coordinator?

Communications. Emergency com-munications are vital. What would happen if telephone facilities were in-operable?

Security. What happens if the fence line were damaged? Will the guard force be adequate? Are proced-ures established to handle suspected acts of sabotage?

Records. Have provisions been made for safeguarding valuable and im-portant documents?

Medical. Is the medical staff ade-quate to handle a large number of in-jured people? Are there enough trained first aid assistants?

Rescue. If a number of employees were trapped in wreckage at the same time that other things were happening, are there trained personnel to handle their rescue?

Repairs. Emergency repairs may be the difference between a near miss and a real catastrophe. Have repair crews been incorporated into the emer-gency plan?

Decontamination. If toxic gases are a possibility, have provisions for measuring and controlling such hazards been made?

Transportation Is emergency transportation available at any time of the day or night?

Traffic Control Keeping the roads outside the plant clear can be most im-portant. Have arrangements been made with local law enforcement agen-cies to accomplish this?

Mutual Aid. Has this been dis-cussed with other neighboring plants or communities?

Public Relations. Has a spokes-man been appointed to handle release

Honors to the Chemical Corps The Army Chemical Corpsin the person of Maj. Gen. William M. Creasy (left) receives an award of honor from Ned H. Dearborn, president of the National Safety Council. In accepting the NSC award for the corps* accident prevention record in 1955, Creasy paid tribute to efforts of personnel in achieving the record and to their ingenuity in developing methods for prevention of accidents.

42O0 C&EN AUG. 2 7, 1956

CAN YOU RICK THE RIGHT ANSWERS IN THIS

30-Second Quiz on Intermediates?

1 . Above you see the formula for Du Pont "2-DiethyIaminoethylmethacrylate. A real long. fellowa real useful one, too. Chemists are finding it very helpful as:

. . Catalyst in petroleum refining D B . Means of incorporating a basic site into a polymer O . A weed-killer ingredient

D u Pont p-Aminodipheny lamine is used for a number of important uses. Among them are: [ "] A . Building block for antioxidants I D B . Dispersion medium for colloids L~1 C Promoter in polymerization o f

polyesters

4 Meet Du Pont p-Nitrobenzoic acid. You may have heard about its use in: I | A . Stabilizing polyvinyl chlorides ' ! E3. Preparing local and topical an-

esthetics ' _ C . Emulsion stabilizing

If y o u have a problem with intermediates, be sure t o contact D u Pontmanufacturer o f the greatest variety of these chemicals offered by any company . Our resources are at your disposal in finding, or even in manufacturing, the intermediate for y o u r o w n specific needs .

N o w , let's check your score o n the quiz. Here are the answers: 1-B; 2-C; 3 -A; 4-B; and 5just take your choice!

D u Pont offers a complete line of intermediates containing nitro, a m i n o and sulfo groups. And our specialists are a l w a y s ready to give y o u a hand in selection and appli-cationjust drop us a note and we'll gladly try to he lp: E . I. du Pont de N e m o u r s & Co. (Inc.) , Organic Chemicals Dept. , Chemicals Div . , Wilmington 98, Delaware.

Is the problem of making your own re-duced chemicals slowing you down? A sure way to free yourself is to: I 1 A . Leave them oxidized . Devote still more time to the

problem C . Consult Du Pont

Suppose you have an unusual intermediate in mind. Your first move should be: A . Write Du Pont B . Consult Du Pont C . Call Du Pont by phone

REG.U.S.PAT.OFR

BETTER THINGS FOR BETTER LIVING

. . . THROUGH CHEMISTRY

A U G . 2 7, 1 9 5 6 C & E N 4 2 0 1

OROANIC

^ n E r a l l U n L D ^ I/VVC IN I

SAFETY

of information to news media? Are there facilities at the plant to handle the press, such as a press room and outside telephones?

Welfare Have provisions been made for giving food, hot beverages, and dry clothing to the rescue workers?

After these questions have been answered and the plan incorporating them has been developed, test drills must be held to acquaint the personnel in the plant with the procedures to be followed. To do this, Du Pont has found

it best to announce the first triai run well in advance in order to lessen confusion. This is followed with a second test where the fact of the trial is announced but the exact time is not. These first two trials are then followed up periodically by unannounced test runs to check the functioning of the system.

Blank says the experiences of his own and other companies with accidents have amply demonstrated that a complacent attitude towards planning for emergencies is expensive, both in

This new steel pump plate is designed for experimental vacuum evaporation and sputtering of metals, vacuum melting of metals, vacuum impregnation, and for small quantity production. It also facilitates testing electronics components as required in the study of high altitude projectiles.

Direct connection may be made to a mechanical vacuum pump or to an oil diffusion pump backed by a mechanical unit. No. 9 4 2 0 6 Cenco Pump Plate without accessories, #1 for connection to mechanical pump, $155 .00; #2 for connection to an oiS diffusion pump, $157.50. Attend the National Symposium on Vacuum Technique, Sheraton Hotel, Chicago, October 10, 11 and 12, 1956.

cenco NEW

greatly improved PUMP

for vacuum evaporation or melting

Ceniral Scientific Company 1710 I R V I N G P A R K R O A D , C H I C A G O 1 3 , I L L I N O I S

BRANCHES AND OFFICESCHICAGO NEWARK BOSTON BIRMINGHAM DETROIT SANTA CLARA LOS ANGELES REFINERY SUPPLY COMPANYTULSA HOUSTON CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC CO OF CANADA. LTD -TORONTO MONTREAL VANCOUVER . OTTAWA

money and in relations with the community. Therefore, careful planning for the handling of emergencies is essential, and procedures should be revised and improved as experience is gained in order to lessen the effects of future disasters.

Injuries Up Little The average all-manufacturing in

jury-frequency rate for the first quarter of 1956 was 11.9 disabling injuries per million man-hours as compared to 12.1 for all of 1955, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This rate is 2% higher than the rate for the fourth quarter of 1955 (11.7) and 3% above the rate for the first quarter for 1955 (11 .5 ) . Except for 1955, the rate of 11.9 is the lowest on record for the first quarter.

The chemical industry's performance was considerably better in the period from January to March than it was for the preceding year, dropping from 8.8 in 1955 to 7.3 for the first quarter of 1956.

Service courses in accident prevention will be offered by New York University in the fall term, beginning Sept. 24, 1956. Subjects presented in this term include accident prevention's objectives and relationships, the philosophy and principles of accident prevention, control methods for industrial hazards, fire prevention and protection inspection, principles of safety inspection, and industrial safety technology and instrumentation. Further information on course content, times, and dates can be obtained from the Center for Safety Education, NYU, Room 42, 6 Washington Square North, New York 3 .

Safety-tread work platforms, stairs, duck boards, and floor racks are available in a new heavy-duty, custom-made series. According to Bus tin Steel Products, the new line can provide Firm-Grip safety grating products to meet specific requirements not covered by standard safety-grating equipment.

S 1

J Further useful information on +he ~*J* J keyed Safely item mentioned ! is readily available . . . !

| Use handy coupon on page 4206 ^

4 2 0 2 C&EN A U G . 2 7, 1956

PLATE

and

offers a

SAFETYPreparing to Meet DisastersInjuries Up a Little