Wheel Turning. A fatal accident occurred through a built-up wooden wheel for a road lorry breaking into sections whilst the wheel was being turned in a lathe. The risk of this class of accident can be reduced by the following precautions :-(a) a safe limit of peripheral speed should be fixed and care taken to ensure that the safe speed is not exceeded by running a large wheel at the number of revolutions per minute suitable only for a small one. In some cases, owing to the absence of speed gears or cones on the lathes, a constant speed of revolution is given to all wheels irrespective of diameter. (b) In addition to its central attachment to the lathe spindle, the wheel should be securely clamped at its spokes to the lathe face plate. (c) Fixing felloes firmly to the spoke ends and screwing temporary cover strips at the felloe joints. (d) Fitting round the wheel a split steel band about half the width of the rim so that the uncovered part of the rim is first turned and then the band transferred to this part. (e) Where possible the tool controls should be in such. positions that it is unnecessary for an operator to stand in the line of flight of a felloe or spoke if it should fly from the wheel.

Cast-iron Flywheels. A cast-iron flywheel about 10 ft. diameter which also served as a belt pulley, was driven by an electric motor at about 140 r.p.m. The wheel was mounted on the crank shaft of a horizontal ammonia compressor of a refrigerating plant. Shortly after the ammonia regulator or expansion valve had been closed, preparatory to shutting down at the end of a day's run, the wheel suddenly fractured into several pieces, the nave remaining intact and secured to the crank shaft. The occurrence was more in the nature of a collapse than a burst, no part of the wheel being violently projected tangentially in the manner usual when a wheel bursts. Fortunately no portion of the refrigerating system containing ammonia was fractured. If such damage had been caused serious results would possibly have followed the sudden discharge of ammonia. Considerable damage was, however, done to the compressor bed plate, the main bearings of the crank shaft being torn away, but no person was injured.

The wheel was made in halves, the joints of the nave being secured by bolts and the rim joints by cotters The spokes were of hollow round section, a construction rarely adopted in this country, and an examination showed that the cast-iron was unsound, serious blow-holes existing at most of the spoke fractures. The design was such that the removal of cores after pouring must have been a difficult operation, and it was found that complete removal had not, in fact, been effected, a considerable quantity of loam being found in several parts of the casting. The case draws attention to the necessity for the exercise of care in the design and manufacture of flywheels. The design should be such that the metal in all parts of the wheel is disposed in the best way to resist the strains imposed both during manufacture and

in actual work. The design should also facilitate efficient moulding and casting so as to minimise the risk of unsoundness. The metal used in construction should be sound and of a high tensile strength.

DANGEROUS TRADES.

At the end of the year 29 Codes of Regulations applicable to various scheduled industries were in force, and the attention of the Department has been specially directed to the newer codes which came into force at the end of 1921 or during 1922, viz., those for aerated water, hides and skins, celluloid, india-rubber and chemical works.

Aerated Water. This code, which replaces the old Special Rules, came into force on 1st January, 1922. Little difficulty has been experienced in administration and employers generally have shown willingness to comply with new requirements. In some cases considerable alterations in the fencing of filling machines have been necessary to make the machines safe so "as to prevent as far as practicable a fragment of bursting bottle striking any person employed." (Regulation 1). This question is now being taken up with the machine makers by the Engineering Staff.

Masks which protect the throat and neck have now to be provided and worn (Regulation 3). The need for this was shown by a recent fatal accident to a worker whose neck was cut by a flying piece of glass, the mask being too short to afford adequate protection. In this connexion Mr. Margetts (Manchester, East) calls attention to the danger to women workers who wear low necked dresses, and are thus exposed to additional risk of injury unless the masks are long enough to cover the exposed

surface.

The practice of polishing syphon fittings before the syphon is filled is becoming more general, although objection to doing so is made in some cases, on the grounds that the fittings become soiled during the filling operation. Mr. Barringer (West London) describes a suitable arrangement for polishing the fittings of filled syphons by hand (Regulation 2) :-

The case may be described as a box cut laterally into two. The two halves are hinged together at one side and a hole, circular in shape, is cut out at the front at the junction of the two parts, through which the fittings to be polished project. When in use, the syphon is placed in position in the lower half of the case and the upper half is brought down by means of a treadle and rod fixed to it, the syphon is then firmly held and the whole of the glass portion completely enclosed. When the polishing is completed, the treadle is released and the upper portion of the case is raised, by means of a spring, and the syphon released.

A number of applications for certificates of exemption under Regulation 5 (which requires the provision of waterproof boots or clogs) have been received but in only 12 cases have the precautions provided to prevent workers' feet getting wet been found sufficient to justify exemption being granted.

First Aid boxes (Regulation 6) are now generally provided, but the contents do not always comply with the requirements laid down.

Celluloid. This code, which came into force in November, 1921, has necessitated a very large amount of time being devoted to its administration. Its application is both extensive and varied, as celluloid is used, in smaller or greater quantities, in so many trades, and under widely differing conditions. For instance the dangers of fire in a small motor car repairing works, where a few sheets of celluloid are used occasionally to repair car windows, is not comparable with those which arise where celluloid is used in large quantities and where stocks amounting to many hundredweights are kept. In the latter case elaborate and extensive safeguards, possibly involving structural alterations are required, whereas in the former the danger can be adequately met by storing the sheets in a metal receptacle with a tight fitting cover, in a suitable place outside the workroom. Difficulties were also met in applying the Regulations to photographers' workrooms, both where the developing and printing of amateurs' negatives is carried on and in those in which celluloid has replaced glass plate negatives. In some of the former the conditions were found to be very dangerous; the premises were unsuitable, as the provision of means of escape in case of fire was inadequate, and practices, such as the drying of developed films over open gas jets, were in vogue which greatly increase the risk of fire. In other cases celluloid articles, or articles coated with celluloid, are used to complete other goods, e.g., the attachment of celluloid buttons to cloth garments, of celluloid beads or trimmings to lace, or of celluloid coated heels to leather shoes. In these cases there is no "manipulation" of the celluloid part of the article but there is danger of fire if such celluloid or celluloid coated articles. are stored in quantity, or are used under conditions liable to cause their ignition.

In order to secure uniformity of administration and to deal with special cases of difficulty, Mr. Macklin (Engineering Inspector) was entrusted with special duties under the Regulations and he has furnished the following report on their observance :

Regulation 1.-Too little attention appears to have been given to the ventilation of celluloid stores, and the advantage of having some portion of the roof or upper part of the store lightly constructed has seldom been appreciated. Such a provision, affording a vent for the sudden rush of flame and gas arising from a fire within the store is a wise precaution against explosion. Care should of course be taken to ensure that adjoining buildings would not be endangered.

As a result of extensive experimental study of fire risk in cinematograph film vaults in America it is claimed that such film can be stored and protected without any danger of uncontrollable fires occurring. The main precautions advocated are to instal in the fire resisting vaults a sprinkler system with an adequate number of heads, and ceiling baffles arranged so as to prevent the possibility of heads discharging water and retarding the operation of adjacent heads, to provide ventilation or gas relief openings of an area of 70 sq. inches for every 500 pounds of film within the vault, and to avoid exposure of film by keeping it all in containers on racks sub-divided by

means of vertical fire-resisting partitions. The form of gas relief adopted consisted of a square opening, near the top of the vault, closed by ordinary window glass held by thin wooden strips lightly tacked in place so that the glass was blown out almost immediately after ignition of the film occurred. It is not generally known that ignition of celluloid may occur through exposure to the direct heat of an electric light bulb. Hence all such lights in stores should be enclosed by outer globes. All wiring should also be in metal tubing and the switches placed outside the store so as to minimise the danger should a short circuit or arc occur.

Regulation 3. The need of this Regulation was clearly seen in some of the Sheffield cutlery shops where celluloid dust and shavings-the accumulations of months or years-were noticed wedged between cracks in the dilapidated wooden floors.

A type of waste receptacle often used in cinematograph film works is strongly recommended. It is of sheet metal, and a portion of the top is hinged and fitted with a spring beneath so that it is self closing.

Regulation 5. Numerous instructions have been issued to firms for contravention of this Regulation which deals with open lights and fires. It was quite common to see Sheffield cutlers shaping celluloid handles in close proximity to open gas flames. Another common practice is to heat the tangs of knives in an open fire and then to chop off the ends so as to bring all the tangs to uniform length before they are inserted into the celluloid handles. The handles are frequently lying on a bench close by and there is serious risk of a hot piece of tang falling among them or upon celluloid waste on the floor. Moreover the open fireplace used in many cutlery shops is in itself a serious danger and should be closely protected. The drying of photographic negatives and other celluloid articles is performed sometimes in a very primitive manner by suspending them over open gas flames. Open fires have also frequently been met with n rooms wherein photographic films were manipulated.

Gas flames are used to heat the dies of certain types of celluloid presses, but the shielding of these is a simple matter and has met with no opposition from the users.

Regulation 9. Too much reliance has been placed upon certain types of chemical extinguishers. One of the essentials to combustion of a substance is a supply of oxygen, and one of the properties of celluloid is that, in itself. it supplies this element. For this reason a celluloid fire cannot be extinguished, in the same manner as an ordinary fire, by exclusion of air. Thus the use of carbon-dioxide from chemical extinguishers, though it may decrease the flame, will not stop combustion. A reduction of temperature is necessary and a ready supply of water is an efficient means of securing this. Sprinkler systems have been proved to be excellent extinguishers; failing these, a hose connection or an ample supply of buckets of water close at hand is recommended.

Regulation 10 requires adequate means of escape in case of fire; except in the case of very small rooms in which few people are employed, at least two exits, as far apart as possible, should be provided. It has been found convenient to utilize windows for this purpose, particularly on ground floors. The provision of outward opening or sliding doors has been difficult to secure in some cases owing to the peculiar construction of the workrooms or the nature of the operations performed therein.

It has been frequently urged that the exhibition of the notice specifying the means of exit was unnecessary as all the workers knew the means of escape. Enquiry amongst the workers in several cases failed to confirm this. It is also a most wise precaution to instruct new workers verbally as to the means of escape where such means are not perfectly obvious.

Regulation 11. This has been complied with in various ways. Perhaps the simplest is for the occupier to state the name of the competent person upon the copy of the Regulations affixed.

Regulation 12. One prosecution was taken against a workman for smoking in a workroom and a penalty was inflicted as a warning to others. Special difficulties have been met with in the tenement factories in Sheffield, where the code applies to about 400 factories and tenements engaged in cutlery manufacture, by reason that so many occupiers are small tenants in tenement factories,

occupying sometimes only part of one small room, and always on a weekly tenancy. During the year 185 tenement factories (and tenements therein) and ordinary factories, which were considered unsafe as to means of escape in view of Regulation 10, were referred to the Local Authority, some of which had already been previously reported, but prior to the Regulations coming into force; in a few of these cases joint inspections have been made by the Factory Inspectors and Officers of the Local Authority, and additional means of escape have now been provided. Progress, however, is very slow for several reasons. In several cases plans as to the alterations were obtained and approved, but the schemes are still held up by lack of funds owing to the continued depression in trade. This state of affairs is general in the class of works concerned, as the tenement factory system has for some y cas been breaking down owing to heavy duties and charges on owners, and poor returns. Considerable progress has been made in regard to other provisions, many doors have been made to open outwards or slide, fire buckets, fenders at fires provided, fire-resisting stores built. Successful proceedings were taken in regard to doors not having been made to open outwards; for not removing waste; and for smoking in a celluloid workroom.

Mr. Chasteney, who devoted most of his time to inspection of these works in Sheffield, forwards the following report on them :

The main application of this code in Sheffield is to the cutlery factories in the manufacture of table knives and, to a lesser degree, of spring-knives. There are also a number of factories in which the cutting-up of sheet celluloid into block-handle form is carried on for the trade. Large quantities of celluloid are dealt with in these places, and a fire-resisting chamber has to be provided for storage. Owing to the nature of the buildings it is often impossible to arrange for the store to be in a readily accessible position, and some latitude is claimed and has to be allowed as to the amount of celluloid remaining at any one time in the cutting-shop, so as to avoid undue interference with the work. The danger of fire in a cutting-shop is, however, comparatively small. Sheet celluloid of the thickness used is less readily ignited than dry dust or shavings; the cutting is done wet; the waste is thoroughly damp; and electric lighting is the general rule. As far as the business of these factories is concerned the block-handle constitutes the finished article. The handles are wrapped up into packages of ten dozen, and part of the stock is kept in the store, the rest in the warehouse, for daily sale. Where the turnover is large, quantities of handles, amounting to several hundredweights, are not uncommonly found in the warehouse; and occupiers urge that a considerable stock of the different sizes must be kept, to avoid delay to customers. Few claims for exemption have been received, and-except among some of the smaller tenants in tenement factories-compliance has been ready. The standard of compliance varies a great deal, but in some of the larger factories it is high, and every detail has been carefully studied. In these cases, the fire-proof store chamber is generally concrete or brick. A good type of metal receptacle is seen in some cutlers' shops, with an automatic-closing lid made to slope when shut, in order that there may be no temptation to hinder the frequent use of the receptacles through articles being placed on the top. In many places permanent fenders of stone or brick have been built around the fireplaces. Means for extinguishing fire vary considerably in nature and amount. Water buckets are very generally provided, often in addition to chemical extinguishers, and in some cases they are made with rounded bottoms, to prevent their being taken from their brackets and placed upon the floor for use in the processes. Many working cutlers have great faith in the efficacy of wet sand, as water may, if carelessly used, spread a fire by scattering the burning waste. For this reason, sacking is sometimes