I/ΕC
Safety
Who Knows W h a t . . . about Chemical Safety—Part II by H. H. Fawcett, Research Laboratory,
General
Electric Co.
Here is an addition to the list of information sources men tioned in the previously published article [l/EC 5 2 , 85A— 88A, (June I 9 6 0 ) ] . These groups supply information on phases of safety, fire, and health aspects of chemicals. In contacting these groups, it is suggested the inquiry be as specific as possible so the maximum details and references can be sup plied. It should be noted that, while much information is furnished without charge, some is supplied for a nominal charge.
The Institute of Makers of Explosives, 250 East 43rd St., New York 17, N.Y. (phone MUrray Hill 3-4229) obtains information and experience reports on explosives and related substances and makes summary reports for its members only. Explosives consumption re ports are sent to the U.S. Bureau of Mines for inclusion in the annual report. An index of the publications issued by the Institute on specific subjects, such as the American Table of Distances, and Safety in the Handling and Use of Explosives, is available without charge from the Institute. Chemical Specialties Manufac turers Association, Inc., 50 East 41st St., New York 17, N.Y. (phone MUrray Hill 5-8722) is a trade asso ciation composed of 400 companies who manufacture chemical products for household and industry. The association acts as a clearing house for scientific developments in the industries of its membership. In addition to publishing and distrib uting free to members copies of the proceedings of the annual and mid year meetings, CSMA publishes folders on labeling, caring for in dustrial floors, and testing products of industries it represents. It has also published compilations of economic poison laws, brake fluid and anti freeze laws, labeling laws and regu lations for hazardous substances, and
an aerosol guide. Detailed infor mation about the association or its activities may be obtained from the secretary, A. A. Mulliken. A 102-page booklet "C.S.M.A. Vendors to the Trade," is a guide to the material supplies offered by the membership, classifies products by makers, and lists the makers by their products. The Chlorine Institute, Inc., 342 Madison Ave., New York 17, N.Y. (phone MUrray Hill 2-4324) is a nonprofit association which provides a means for chlorine pro ducers and firms with related in terests to deal constructively with common industry problems in the areas of safety, transportation, regu lations, and legislation, as well as community relations. Safety and related experiences and problems are shared through committees, prin cipally the technical committee on container specifications and safety and the committee on transportation. The results of committee delibera tions are distributed on a worldwide basis to chlorine producers and other interested persons published in the form of the "Chlorine Manual" (a 32-page booklet, the third edition of which was published in 1959) and some 60 engineering and design recommendations, speci fications, and drawings. A copy of the Institute's current publication list, available at nominal charge, will
be sent on request to the secretary, Robert L. Mitchell, Jr. The Society of the Plastics In dustry, Inc., 250 Park Ave., New York 17, N.Y. (phone MUrray Hill 7-2675) is a trade association which coordinates information for the plastics industry. The major technical data arc presented in the "Plastics Engineering Handbook," 3rd edition, 565 pages, published 1960 by Reinhold Publishing Corp., 430 Park Ave., New York 22, N.Y. "Plastics Safety Handbook," 208 pages, contains essential information on a safety program for the plastics industry and related operations, and was jointly developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry with the National Safety Council in 1959. The S.P.I. Committee on Fire Pre vention has developed a series of leaflets on various aspects of fire protection in the plastics industry. Information on various publications with their charges is available too by writing to the Society in care of William T. Curse, executive vice president. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 29 West 39th St., New York 18, N.Y. (phone PEnna. 69220) is a technical society with some phases which reach into chemical safety, such as corrosion, pressure vessels, pressure piping, and related subjects. The Committee on Air Pollution Controls of the A.S.M.E. publishes a semimonthly newsletter titled "Smog News," which is really a clipping service for articles in the public press on air pollution and related topics, and is available for $6 per year (24 issues). Technical papers on air pollution and other subjects are published as part of the Transactions of the A.S.M.E. Series A, in Power.
Journal
of
Engineering
for
National Board of Fire Under writers, 85 John Street, New York 7, N.Y. (phone BEckman 3-1400) is an organization of capital stock fire insurVOL. 52, NO. 8
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AUGUST 1960
57 A
SAFETY ance companies, maintained for the purpose of conserving life a n d prop erty from fire by providing engineer ing, statistical, and educational services to the public. It maintains a staff of technically trained experts and re search engineers to evaluate fire a n d explosion hazards and m a k e recom mendations for their alleviation. T h e engineering d e p a r t m e n t is com posed of three divisions- research, codes a n d standards, a n d municipal surveys. S t a n d a r d s and recommen ded practices for a large n u m b e r of topics which include chemicals in various forms are available. Twelve research reports have been issued, including reports on the hazards of salt baths, chlorine dioxide, organic peroxides, and nitroparaffins. Fur ther details on available information m a y be obtained by writing or calling the N . B . F . U . Dr! M . M . Braidech, a chemical engineer, is director of research. B u r e a u of Explosives, Association of American Railroads, 63 Vesey Street, New York, N.Y. (phone C O r t l a n d 7-6788) formulates ship ping regulations for dangerous sub stances. M r . T . C. George, agent, will publish in the fall of 1960 I . C . C . Regulations No. 13 on the transportation of explosives a n d other dangerous articles. T h e U . S . Coast G u a r d Regulations are published as I.C.C. No. 12; B.E. Pamphlet No. 7 contains general information relating to explosives and other dangerous articles. Annual reports are p u b lished covering the various activities of the Bureau, and include a com pilation of reported accidents that have occurred in transportation in which explosives or other dangerous articles were involved, the most recent of which is B.E. R e p o r t No. 52 for 1959. For further informa tion a n d prices on publications, contact the Bureau. Miss G. Falk e n b u r g is supervisor of tariffs a n d publications. National Plant Food Institute, 1700 K a y St., N . W . , Suit 1004, Washington 6, D . C . (phone Dis trict 7-0225) is the national trade association which promotes the in terests of the entire fertilizer industry. Its membership is composed of manufacturers, importers, and brokers of fertilizer and fertilizer ma terials. T h e Institute is primarily concerned with information of value 58 A
in the storage, handling, a n d use of all plant foods, but is not concerned with economic poisons. A m m o n i u m nitrate is of special interest to the Institute in view of the misunder standing which has arisen in some quarters a b o u t fertilizer-grade a m monium nitrate. T h e Institute strongly supports the p r o g r a m of the Fertilizer Section of the National Safety Council, a n d conducts a series of accident prevention schools. N u m e r o u s publications are issued by the Institute, including a weekly .News Report (for m e m b e r s ) , Plant Food Review (a quarterly magazine avail able on subscription), a catalog of films and other visual aids on plant foods, and other services of the Institute. Paul T . T r u i t t is presi dent, a n d Louis II. Wilson, secretary and director of information. Air Pollution Control Association, 4400 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh 13, Pa. (phone MAyflowcr 1-1100), is a nonprofit membership organization composed of industries with airpollution problems; manufacturers of air - pollution - a b a t e m e n t e q u i p m e n t ; control officials, and research, education, and consulting personnel. T h e Association's Tech nical Council works toward inter national adoption of reasonable engi neering-performance standards. A P C A , through its Council seeks to establish definitions, methods, pro cedures, and recommended practical limits of air-pollution emission, for the guidance of the m e m b e r s h i p and others who are interested. T h e association publishes the Jour nal of Air Pollution Control Associa tion bimonthly, and a monthly Abstract. It is the only technical association which has as its only objective the control of atmospheric pollution. Society of Fire Protection Engi neers, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston 10, Mass. (phone H U b b a r d 21630) is a professional section of the National Fire Protection Associa tion with a total membership of a b o u t 1000. Its objectives are to promote the art a n d science of fire protection engineering a n d its allied fields, to m a i n t a i n a high professional standing a m o n g its members, a n d to foster fire protection engineering education. These objectives arc promoted nationally by the several standing committees of the Society
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
and locally by the nine chapters distributed geographically through out the United States a n d C a n a d a . Qualifications for membership paral lel those of the founder societies. T h e Society publishes a Year Book biennially a n d a newsletter. It also distributes technical papers on fire protection engineering and allied subjects. A large percentage of the personnel of the technical committees of the N F P A are m e m b e r s of the Society. M r . Richard E. Stevens is secretary. U. S. D e p a r t m e n t of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Plant Pest Control Division, Pesticides Regulation Branch, I n d e p e n d e n c e Ave., between 12th a n d 14th S.W., Washington, D. C. (phone R E p u b l i c 7-4142) is the group charged with ensuring that commercial products comply with the Insecticide, Fungiside, a n d Rodenticide Acts of 1947 as a m e n d e d . Although m u c h of the information is of a confidential nature, the group will refer inquiries to the prime manufacturer of the chemical in question. D e p a r t m e n t of Health, Educa tion, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Communicable Disease Center, Technical Development Laboratories, P . O . Box 769, Savan n a h , Ga., is concerned with the toxi cology of pesticides a n d other eco nomic poisons. Λ list of Publications of the Technical Development L a b oratories, listing 289 references published between 1945 and 1959, is available on request, as is R e p r i n t N u m b e r 294, "Pesticides in Rela tion to Public H e a l t h , " by W a y l a n d J. Hayes, Jr., reprinted from the Annual Review of Entomology 5, 379— 404, 1960. "Clinical M e m o r a n d a on Eco nomic Poisons'' prepared by this group, is a 78-page report (Public Health Service P u b . No. 476) on the fundamental aspects of toxicology of c o m m o n poisons. Dr. Waylancl J. Hayes, Jr., is medical director a n d chief of the toxicology section.
Our authors like to hear from readers. If you have questions or comments, or both, send them via The Editor. I/EC, 1155 16th Street N.W., Washington 6, D.C. Letters will be forwarded and answered promptly.
