SAFETY \
NFPA Considers Changes NFPA to vote on first nuclear reactor fire code and changes in other codes at Chicago 1 H E F I R S T NUCLEAR REACTOR
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explosion safety standard is highlighted in a long list of new and revised stand ards which are now ready for tentative or final adoption. These will b e con sidered by National Fire Protection As sociation members at their forthcoming Chicago annual meeting, May 19 to 23 (C&EN, F e b . 10, page 54 ) . T h e tenta tive nuclear reactor code is geared for fire protection specialists, designers, and operators, says NFPA. Nuclear reactors present a n e w char acteristic engineering problem. In any abnormal incident which exposes the re actor to fire, excessive pressure, high temperature, abnormal amounts of water, or any unusual condition, the re actor fuel, cooling and moderating media, a n d all other materials inti mately associated with the fuels must be contained, rather than released. Some materials become intensely radio active in t h e reactor. T h e code calls for tight, leak-proof, corrosion-resistant containers for these materials. The reactor assembly is usu ally contained in an over-all structure designed t o withstand a severe accident without releasing radioactive gases, liq uids, or vapors to the atmosphere. Another standard up for adoption is the one o n titanium, which covers both sponge a n d powder production and use. Says NFPA, "Titanium is combustible under certain conditions and presents some fire hazards during production of the raw sponge, melting of the sponge, casting, machine operations that pro duce fine turnings or chips, power pro duction, and t h e handling and disposal of scrap which contains some fines." N F P A also cautions against adopting any untried processing or handling methods, particularly regarding heat treatments, salt baths, or acid processes. • Older Codes Considered. Revi sions of t h e "Suggested Explosives Or dinance for Cities" by the Committee on Chemicals and Explosives, ready for N F P A m e m b e r s vote a r e : 80
C&EN
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• To c h a n g e the n a m e from "ordi nance'' to "recommended c o d e " to give local authorities more flexibility in des ignating locations within their jurisdic tion where explosives can be loaded, unloaded, or temporarily stored, as well as the quantity that can be stored. • To a d o p t ICC's definition of explo sives, which is more specific t h a n t h a t previously used. • To include an up-to-date q u a n t i t y and distance table, which tells h o w many feet to store how much explosive from buildings, railroi ds, and t h e like. Code 3 8 5 , widely adopted b y state and municipal authorities to r e g u l a t e in trastate transportation of flammable liquids, h a s undergone a major change. It now covers normally stable flam mable liquids, rather than all flammable liquids as it read before. Normally stable materials are those resistant to changes that produce violent reactions or detonations, even though exposed to air, water, or h e a t including t h e normal ranges encountered. Unstable (reac tive) materials are those w h i c h will vigorously polymerize, decompose, con dense, or become self-reactive u n d e r conditions of shock, pressure, or tem perature, in the pure state. Manufacturing Chemists' Association work to revise Flammable Liquids Code 3 0 has b e e n continued for another year. Also extended for another y e a r are t h e tentative standards for solvent extrac tion plants. Perhaps a big surprise to m a n y is a n e w standard for industrial t y p e w a t e r cooling towers, which is up for tenta tive adoption. NFPA assistant techni cal secretary Richard E. Stevens throws cold water on the general belief that water towers are no fire problem. On t h e contrary, water towers are very vul nerable to fire, primarily b e c a u s e of their wooden construction. Fire may originate from within the t o w e r itself (broken drive shaft, overheated gear reduction box) or from exposure sources
( sparks from industrial stacks and weld ing, smoking, and the like). N F P A committees are made u p of all interests t h a t might b e affected b y a particular standard. These include makers, users, enforcement officials, and insurance interests, to name some. N e w standards are p u t on a tentative basis for at least a year. This enables people to look them over a n d make suggestions or criticisms.
• PhiSlips Petroleum employees achieve top safety records in three branches of petroleum industry operations—oil pro duction, natural gas, and research and development. National Safety Coun cil granted top awards to the three groups, totaling more than 3000 em ployees. Two other company groups were ranked second in their divisions, and five special citations went to other Phillips units. • Monsanto Chemical gives safety awards to nine of its local installations at El Dorado, Ark., for safe working records m a d e during 1957. T o p win ner is the Inorganic Chemicals Division, which received the President's T r o p h y and the Executive Committee Award. T h e plant has now piled up more than 8 million safe man hours over a 4τ/2 year period. >• American Optical comes out with n e w spectacle-type safety glasses, w h i c h feature an eye wire designed to sup port the lens against being driven backward toward the eye when struck. They are available in three eye-sizes and five bridge sizes. Also can b e had in a variety of "Super Armorplate" lenses—clear, medium Calobar, dark Calobar, or extra dark Calobar shades— as well as clear Plastolite lenses. S 1 • Rohm & Haas develops a n e w labora tory safety shield which consists of a half-cylinder shaped piece of 1 / 4 - i n c h transparent Plexiglas. Its aluminum frame has hinged rods which fit t h e usual types of laboratory clamps, a n d its form provides protection over a 180° area. R&H stresses t h a t t h e shields are not intended for use with high pressure apparatus or h i g h ex plosives. S 2
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Further useful information on keyed Safety items m e n tioned is readily available . . .
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