•
annually to public information media for exceptional service to safety. Almost 3 0 0 awards were made to newspapers, radio a n d television stations and networks, general circulation and specialized magazines, advertisers, advertising companies, and transit systems. Among others receiving awards: Chemical Processing, Farm Chemicals, American Oil, E>u Pont, Esso Standard Oil, Ethyl Corp, Humble Oil & Refining, and Standard Oil ( I n d . ) .
SAFETY
For greatest safety improvement over a five-year period, ^ C A chairman John R. Hoover (left) presents Lammot du Pont Safety Awards t o W. K. Menke representing Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical and T. G. Hughes (right) representing Oronite Chemical
Best Year Yet for MCA Manufacturing Chemists* Association companies had their safest year on record in 1955. Lost-time accidents were 3.25 per million man-hours, a slight improvement over the previous record of 3.27, established in 1954. The Lammot du Pont Safety Award for companies whose employees worked more than 2 millier man-hours annually goes to Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical, with Stauffer Chemical runner-up for second consecutive year. In the under 2 million man-hour category, Oronite Chemical wen the 1955 award, with H e yden Chemical runnner-up. The awards are made annually to chemical companies showing the greatest improvement in plant safety over a five-year period. MCA awarded 3 3 1 certificates of safety achievement for 1955 to plants representing 3 2 companies. Recognized for completing a calendar year without a lost-time accident are:
Companies Air Reduction Allied Chemical & D y e American Cyanamid American Potash & Chemical Atlas Powder Celanese Commercial Solvents Continental Oil Detroit Chemical Works D o w Chemical 3198
C&EN
JUNE
N o . of Certificates 72 30 17 1 5 6 2 1 1 3 25,
1956
Companies (Contd.) D u Pont Food Machinery and Chemical B. F. Goodrich Chemical W . IL Grace à «Co., Davison Chemical Co. Harshaw Chemical Heyden Chemical Koppers Merck Monsanto Chemical National Distillers Products, U. S. In. dustrial Chemicals Olin Mathieson Chemical Oronite Chemical Pennsalt Pfizer Phillips Chemical Procter & Gamble Shell Chemical Stauffer Chemical Union Carbide and Carbon Victor Chemical Works Visldng Wyandotte Chemicals
No. of Certificates (Contd.) 60 8 4 10 3 2 20 4 8
9 1 4 1 2 13 3 26
2 1 1
For Exceptional Service
CHEMICAL AND EISÎGINEERIXC NEWS
has been honored by National Safety Council with a 1955 Public Interest Award- This is tuhe second straight year C&EN has received t h e award. The noncompetitive awards are made
• The second in α series of s a f e driv ing ads has b e e n launched b y Shell Oil. Like the first series (C&EN, F e b . 6, page 6 2 3 ) , the n e w ads stress the quiz idea instead of scare-type pictures or slogans. The ads will appear before the three major holidays this year and in the middle of summer. T h e a d s eight in all—will appear in groups of two. T h e first will test for deficiencies which can be improved before a trip; the second will offer a quiz reminding motorists of dangers of careless driving. • Household refrigerators a r e not suitable for indiscriminate use in chemical laboratories, according to Florio D e Angeli, Italfarmaco, Milan, Italy. In an incident resembling others occurring elsewhere [C&EN, p a g e 3320 ( 1 9 5 3 ) ] , a refrigerator exploded when it was being u s e d to store chemicals; among the contents was a flask, with loosely fitting cork, containing a satu rated solution of hydrochloric acid in ether. The explosion hurled the door 10 ft. and overturned die refrigerator. D e Angeli believes the thermoregulator was the site of the spark causing the explosion. • Monsanto's frequency rate for 1955 was 1.22 injuries per million manhours. • H e y d e n Chemical's Garfield, N. J·, plant receives an engraved plaque from its compensation insurance car rier, Employers Mutuals of Wausaw, Wis., for working 1 million man-hours without a disabling injury. • N e w techniques on air pollution a b a t e m e n t are covered in a 32-page supplement (Manual Sheet P-7A) to chapter 6 on sampling procedures and measuring equipment of "Air Pollution Abatement Manual." The supplement updates information contained in the original chapter which covered develop ments as of l a t e 1951. T h e supple ment is available for 7 5 cents, while the entire manual—12 chapters—is avail able for $ 6 . 0 0 from Manufacturing Chemists' Association, 1 6 2 5 E y e St., N . W., Washington 6, D . C .
• Pipe identificatiom markers are available from Wilmington Plastics. Colorcoded, they caxry one- or two-word descriptions of tiie materials transported. The description is printed on light, fastcolored paper enclosed in plastic that is laminated between two sheets of vinylite plastic- Edges are cemented to each other, forming a cylinder around tiie pipe so that t h e marker will not fall off. Pipes from 3 0 i n . to */* in. in diameter can o s e tîie markers. S1 • Small r a d i o a c t i v e or otherwise d a n gerous o b j e c t s cant be grasped and released at a safe distance with the Niptongs, says Atomic? Center. It consists of an insulated handle, stationary arm, and spring-loaded, ^movable arm. Right angle bends act en®ds o f the t w o arms act as fingers. They are normally held firmly closed hy spring pressure and are easily separated b y squeeze-to-release hand action. Entire operation is performed with o » e hand. Niptongs are available in 1-, £ - , 3 - , and 4-ft. lengths. S 2 • Ansul Chemical's three large stationary dry chemical fire extinguishing units n o w caMTy approval by Underwriters" Laboratories. Capacities range from 5 0 0 to 2 O 0 0 l b . S3 • For operations w i t h combined respiratory hazards* American Optical is offering a n e w group of respirators. Additions to i t s RSOOQ series, the four protect against inhalation of all nonvolatile airborne particulate matter in the form of *dust, sprays, mists, and fumes. In addition, each protects against volatile dusts, sprays, mists, and fumes, a n d also against specific vapors and gases, A O says. S 4 • A s e l f - p o w e r e d automatic signal horn désigne*! t o alert plant crews against overflow o f petroleum, chemical, and petrochemical storage tanks during filling is available from Falcon Alarm. Installed atop bulk storage tanks, it soumcls a. sharp two- t o fourminute warning w h i c h can b e heard more than 10C0 f t . away. The device consists of a steel cylinder—2 in. in dia*M4eter, 12 i n . lomg—filled with compressed gas, pressure gage, horn assembly, and float-operated valve assembly. As liquid level in t h e tank nears the safe filling limit, the float activates mechanical linkage t o the horn. S 5
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ê A chemist wants to have a set of weights made for use with a two-pan analytical balance to enable him to weigh objects from one gram to 120 grams to the nearest gram. Assuming that he can put the weights on one pan or on both, what is the least number of weights that he needs an
