ANTARCTIC SAFETY

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33066, 6 November 1972, Page 10

ANTARCTIC SAFETY

Survey at U.S. station

An occupational safety and health survey has been carried out in the Antarctic — the first since the United States Navy support force began work there 19 years ago.

Its object was to obtain information on industrial hazards on the continent with a view to control.

The survey was done at McMurdo Station from Octoi ber 19 to November 2 by ProIfessor R. J. Firenze, the ! chairman of the safety sciences department at the Indiana University of PennsylI vania, assisted by Chief Petty Officer R. A. LaFleur, the safety chief for Antarctic operations. Similar surveys at other Antarctic stations are planned. Recommendations will be made to the commander of the support force (Captain A. N. Fowler) who instigated the survey. Attention was given to transport maintenance, woodworking machines, and electrical, electronics, construction and power plant operations at McMurdo Station Problems involving electrical grounding and bonding, hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide contamination, the use and storage of cryogenics and compressed gases, explosives, machine guarding and environmental hazards were also considered. A hazard control manual for the Antarctic support force will be prepared and a joint safety council estab lished comprising Navy and National Science Foundation representatives.

Export meat.—Export meat production in New Zealand for the 1971-72 season, which ended on September 30. totalled 683,975 tons, an increase of 12,836 tons, or about 1.9 per cent, on the 1970-71 season’s tonnage.— (P.A.)