The Penn's Grove record., 1914-05-08
SAFETY. SOUGHT
IN FACTORIES
Department Establishes High
Standard of Protection
KEEPS WORKERS POSTED
Recent Demonstration Showed Value
OF Escapes and System of Drill
Rules Compiled under BaIentine
Law After Disastrous Fire

Especial Trenton Correspondence
Trenton.-This state is one of the
few States leading the way in the
work of safeguarding the lives of fac
tory workers and its important adj
Vances have been the result of the
Balentine law, which was enacted in
1910 following a disastrous fire in
Newark, and which gives Commission
err Lewis T. Bryant, of the Department
OF Labor, wide scope with regard to
compelling adequate protection in
buildings.
In the first place the department
has compiled a set of rules for the in
.struction of employer and employee.
The regulations to be observed in case
OF fire are as follows:
1T shall be the duty of the spe-
cific floor officer to see that an alarm
is sent in from one of the call boxes
located on the floor where the fire oc-
CURED, and instructions should be Civ
en- to all operatives to send In an
alarm whenever a fire is discovered.
In notifying the city fire depart
ment, an alarm should be SEN in
without delay. Observance Of this
is absolutely essential. Some re-
sponsible person in the office should
be designated to Immediately call up
fire headquarters and another person
designated to promptly ring the auxil-
larry box in the Office, if one is provid-
ed, or proceed to the nearest fire
alarm box and remain for the purpose
Of dir citing the firemen to the build
ing"
These "don'ts" are a part of the
drill instructions:
Don't run.
Don't lag behind, breaking up col
umns.
Don't scream or make Unnecessary
noises.
Don't laugh or talk.
Don't cause confusion.
Don't remain in toilet or dressing
cooms.
Don't return for your clothing.
Don't try to use elevators.
Don't attempt to leave the building
except in accordance with the drill
regulations.
Don't fail to assist in carrying out
Instructions.
A recent demonstration of the utili-
ty of the fire protection work of the
Department of Labor was given in
March last when flames swept through
a Newark corset factory. Upward of
800 girls were at work at the time,
and that there was neither life loss
nor injury was chiefly due to the fact
that the employees were well drilled to
use the fire tower at the real of the
building. Practically all of the girls
escaped by means of it. Although
some of them displayed nervousness,
there was no hurry, and consequently
no confusion. Had there been no tow
er on the building many lives might
have been the fires toll.
The special type of escape in use on
that building is known by the Depart
ment of Labor as the STANDARD fac
tory steel tower fire escape" 1t forms
a stairway on the outside of the build
ing, inclosed with steel netting, so
that no one could jump in case of
panic. The entrances to the escape
r made of thoroughly fireproof
doors. In the construction Of new
buildings the department is encour-
aging the use of these towers rather
than the customary style. Still an
other type of escape approved by
the department is the straight-run fire
escape, which includes the c%antilever
stairway connecting the lower balcony
with the ground.
Cooperation is the slogan of Com
missioner Bryant and to aid owners
of buildings and architects in COM
plying with the law his department
furnishes detailed blue print drawings
showing the construction of fire es-
capes, towers, ~1reproofing and the
proper location of elevators in bal
comics. These prints outline the re-
quirements of the law in each case
SO that there may be as little incon-
%venience and expense to the owner
of the building as possible.
Mr.. Bryant has little difficulty with
regard to the construction of new
buildings, for owners are willing to
comply with the law, but his chief
concern is old structures, for it is in
these where the greater hazard turks.
The presence of escapes alone, how
ever, would be somewhat like a rud-
derless ship, and the department has
given equal attention to the drilling
of employees for emergencies. When
the alarm sounds in a building, the
operatives cease work, shut off the
power in their various machines, shut