Evening star., 1943-05-16
Board Makes
Final Draft
OF New Code
Safety Manual
Will Not Cause
Great Expense

AS Cilc MlllIIluul wage dIlu III
dustrial Safety Board of the District
worked on the final draft of basic
manual, following public hearing
last week, assurances came from
several persons associated with the
drafting that no action is contem-
plated that would put business to an
unreasonable" expense in meeting
proposed safety standards.
Fears have been voiced by various
business and trade groups that If
the manual were put into effect, it
would prove costly to business and
require critical materials that un-
doubtedly could not be obtained at
the present time.
Asked about the effect of priorities,
E. j. Bunker, director of industrial
safety for the board, said that Sec
ton 6 of Public Law 27l, under
which the manual and the codes to
follow are being compiled, pro-
vides that the board may permit
variations from provisions if they
would result in unnecessary hard
ships or practical difficulty" He
said, therefore, that in his opinion
the board could grant exceptions to
the codes if priorities blocked COM
pliance.
Fred S. Walker, labor representa-
tive on the board, said he did not
feel that. the board would put any,
body to an unreasonable expense for
alterations.
We've got to be reasonable about
It," he remarked.
At the hearing, Ringgold Hart
general counsel for the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, told
the board he felt the manual went
beyond the scope of the board. He
argued that while the intent of the
law was to regulate industrial en-
ployes and places of industrial en-
ployment, the board was drawing
regulations for all types of busi-
nesses. A similar stand was taken
by j. H. Ferry, chairman of the Sub
committee on Industrial Safety of
the Industrial and Commercial In
terests Committee of the Washing
ton Board of Trade.
On this point of interpreting the
word industrial" Mr.. Walker said
he thought the practice in num-
Der OF States was to consider in
dustrial workers as an overall term
covering wage earners. Taking a
SIMILAR position, Mr. Bunker cited
several official Government volumes
including all types of business, trade
and professional groups in industrial
statistics. A Labor Department
spokesman also said he felt that
most States interpreted industry in
the "broadeSt sense to include
working groups, except agriculture
and domestic servants.
Mr.. Bunker also took exception to
the charges made at the hearing
that adoption of the safety manual
and codes for various industries
would result in conflict of jurisdic-
tion between the safety board and
other agencies of the District gov
ernment, such as the Health De-
partment, building inspectors Office
and Fire Department. Rufus S.
Lusk, president of the Washington
Taxpayers Association and secretary
OF the Building Owners and Man
ayers Association, predicted adop-
ton of the manual would mean
"chaos" because of duplication of
effort.
Mr.. Bunker pointed out that the
Advisory Committee, whic haided in
the drafting, included represent
ative of the Health and Fire De-
partments and building inspectors
office. Mr.. Walker also predicted
there would be mo conflict" adding
that this board would cooperate
with other agencies" J. S. Zebley,
chief building inspector for the Dis
trict, said that in his opinion the
proposed safety code on construc-
tion picks up where we leave off"
He said their main task is to check
on approved plans and requirements,
although some check is made on
such matters as scaffolding.
Some notifications have already
been proposed by the Advisory Com
mittee. For instance, originally. 1t
was proposed to order one wash
basin for every 10 employees up to
100 persons. and one wash basin for
each additional. Is persons. This
has been modified so that the case
of Office employees lone wash basin
for every 20 employees shall be con-
sidered adequate" Notifications
were also recommended in regard to
toilet facilities for Office employees.
At present the safety board has two
inspectors. Between october, 1912,
and April. 1943, they have inspected
s26 establishments and construction
projects, "observed' 1858 hazards
and corrected" 1,035. Altogether
1892 places were reinspected, fig
ure greater than for inspections be-
cause some projects were inspected
a number of times and additional
hazards observed and corrected.
The breakdown for the period fol-
lows:
Hazards Haz'ds
No. in OBJ Cor
Industry spected served. rected.