CHEMICAL ON CLOTHES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23083, 7 July 1938, Page 14

CHEMICAL ON CLOTHES

DANGER EMPHASISED

IGNITION CAUSES DEATH COMMENT BY THE CORONER [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday A finding that Mr. Clifford Milton McDonald, aged 20, factory hand, died as tho result of severe burns received through the accidental ignition- of his clothing, which was impregnated with an inflammable chemical, potassium chlorate, was returned by tho coroner, Mr. Gilbertson, at an inquest to-day. Mr. Gilbertson gave it as his opinion that it was desirable for persons working in factories where inflammable materials were used to wear overalls. He did not in any way reflect on the management of the factory and thought tho manager had taken every precaution. Tho accident must have occurred through the deceased lighting a cigarette, although there was no direct evidence of it.

In tho evidence an employee had stated that it was the habit of deceased not to change his clothes and to light a cigarette and smoke it on the way home. It was a surmise that deceased lit a cigarette on this occasion as he was going out of the door.

The inspector of explosives, Mr. R. Gr. Butcher, said potassium chlorate was not inflammablo at all, but it seemed to become inflammable if mixed with organic matter and then the oxygen in it caused that organic matter to burn with much greater rapidity than it would normally. The coroner said that notwithstanding the evidence he knew that potassium chlorate was highly inflammablo and that it was regarded as a very dangerous compound.