Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-31
Iceboxes Seen
AsHazard Here
Left in Alleys
Despite D. c. Law
Continued From First Pag,

| OvAuhuCu IEOm TLESb rage
that safety-closing devices be
installed on the doors of newly
manufactured household re-
frigeratorS.
These new appliances must
be equipped with a "door-clos
ing device. which enables the
door to be opened easily from
inside the refrigerator"
ViolatorS would be guilty Of
a misdemeanor and could be
sent to prison for not more
than a year, or fined not more
than $1,000. or both.
In a recent test, the Bureau
Of Standards studied the re-
action of 201 children locked
in a refrigerator like trap
equipped with the new safety
devices. A large percentage of
the tested youngsters were I'M
able to release themselves.
More Accidents Feared
The result of the Bureaus
study has brought strong crit
iciSm from laymen who feel
the legislation adopted only
gives the public a false sense
of security and thus possibly
increase rather than decrease
the number of accidents.
The Bureau limited itself to
testing currently available de-
vices" Most Of them have been
offered by the refrigeration in
dustry. Suggestions from other
quarters were not tested or
encouraged. it has been found.
| Among the suggestions that
have been submitted to the
Bureau of Standards and re-
Ijected are two by area residents.
LYMAN Ritzenberg, owner of
a hardware store at Fourth
street and Rhode Island avenue
NV, has a crude working
model of a refrigerator latch
that snaps out and keeps the
door from closing when a shelf
is removed.
Mr.. Ritzenberg's model is
made Of a chain latch, two
pieces Of plumbing pipe. two
springs. a bolt and a corner
bracket
THE device could be put both
in old and new refrigerators."
Mr.. Ritzenberg said. 1T is
simple and it could be manu-
featured to sell for less than 81
at the retail level"
This safety latch makes it
impossible for the door to snap
shut any time there is enough
room for a child to get into the
icebox. he explained.
Another proposal was made
by Col. Gaylord B. Kidwell, OF
Arlington. Col. Kidwell, a re-
tired Army officer. suggested
that new refrigerators be
equipped with a removable plug
for a section in the door d.
rectly behind the handle. His
initial approach to the Bureau,
and in later testimony before a
House committee, was to en-
courage research into the area
of ventilating idle equipment.
Upon removal of this plug,
he said, lit would admit venti-
lation and conceivably permit a
captured child to release him.
self by operating the handle
through the opening afforded.
In any event. the child would
not suffocate."
Gathers Data
Col. Kidwell, who has gath
cred most Of the material pub
lished on the icebox problem
in recent years, said:
"rhe prospect for the perfec-
ton Of an automatic escape de-
vice is peSsimistic" because 1t is
impossible to determine what
a captured child will do in
panic and darkness"
Neither the Bureau nor any
other Government agency en-
tered into any creative re-
search" he said. "Of course.
the Bureau is a testing outfit. ("
The entire effort rested in the
industry. he said.
1T may be hoped that some
children's lives will be spared
by the adoption Of these stand
ards" he added. but when re-
lated to the professional and
comprehensive tests the
prospects are not very encour-
aging.
The ofncially adopted
standard cannot be viewed as
affording much comfort to con-
csrned parents"