FACTORY EXPLOSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 July 1936, Page 10

FACTORY EXPLOSION

VERDICT AT INQUEST. [per press association. J AUCKLAND, July 22. The opinion that some action of Miss Clifford resulted in the tiring of n percussion cap, and that an explosiop occurred because of the use of a type of rap which had since been determined to be subject to explosion in mass, was expressed by Mr. R. . M. Girling-Butcher, Chief Inspector of Explosives, when giving evidence at the inquest into the deatii of Patricia Marion Clifford, aged 1-8. who was killed in .in explosion in the Mount Eden factory of the Colonial Ammunition Company, Ltd., on June I. The inquest was continued before .Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M. Various experiments comparing Ihe raps in use with ordinary caps used for military ammunition were described by Mr. Girling-Butcher. These showed that. whereas all the caps in use exploded in a body, only very few of the military caps ignited. The result <if Ihe explosion showed that Miss Clifford must .have been standing by the work-bench, the witness continued. .It was not possible to determine tile immediate' cause of the ignition of the first percussion cap; but in his opinion the most likely cause was the striking of a percussion cap a glancing blow between the two trays.

“In my opinion, the explosion occurred al the assembly bench, and was due to some action by Miss Clifford which resulted in the firing of the cap,’’ he said. “Under normal conditions. this would not have been followed by an explosion in the mass, the : atter being due to the use of a type >f cap which has since been determin'd io b? subject. to explosion in this

,vay under all condit ions.” Examin'd by Sub-Inspector Scott, the witness said the class of caps involved had been imported practically only this year. They were not tested n England for safety, and so came into the country without a test. He had received a cablegram from the High Commissioner in London (Sir James I’arri stating that caps of this type had been imported into Britain 'from Germany without a license, as the manufacturers had given a certificate stating limy complied with the iu giihii ions. The High Commissioner said the matter was now being investigated. The caps certainly did not ■ nip’y wiih the J’ritish requirements, .nt t bey had been regarded as doing ■■■>. Had it tml. been for the accident. 'lm witness would have been inclined .'<> .'mcepi the certificate of the makers, t c-mipany of standing. The Colonial Ammunition Company was not in any way io olame in assuming that the caps were of the standard description, although there was, of course, a technical breach of the regulations, as the caps did not comply, with the British specification. “Aly duty is to find the cause of death, and that is simple.” said Mr. McKean. “Death was due to multiple injuries caused by an explosion. It would be my duly also, if there were any obvious defect or neglect by the company, to refer to that. The company has been just as anxious as anyone to ascertain the real cause. To ascertain exactly what happened was impossible, and one had to make certain assumptions." Air. Girling-nutcher. 11m Coroner said, had made a number of experiments. and he had no reason for disagreeing with the conclusions reached. The explosion undoubtedly occurred when Miss Clifford was by the assembly bench. A number of explosions had occurred in the machine when

it was first installed, and was being operated by the superintendent; but the trouble had been rectified before it had been handed over to a girl operator, and it had since operated without trouble. “I do not think there was any defect in the machine, as after the explosion. undischarged caps were found in cacti compartment of it.” he said.

“It seems highly improbable that the explosion commenced in the machine.”

The explosion could have been caused only by some slight accident in the hfindling of the trays containing the caps. it had been established now fliat the type of cap used was more r.em-itive than the company had been in the habit of using. They had been imported on the certilicate of a reputable company, but it would appear they did not comply with the regulations. That did not mean they were unsafe to use—only that some different method of handling them must be devised. He could not find that there had been any defect in the machine or the plant of the company, nor did lie think there' was any want of care. 1 as fur as the company was concerned, to see that employees were instructed. They knew there was a certain amount of danger, and a warning was given to any employees whose duty it was to do work of this kind.