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made reasonably safe without impairing the efficiency in any way, and he has completed a great deal of useful work in this direction.

Eleven prosecutions were taken for breaches of the Acts and Regulations. Convictions were obtained in seven cases, and penalties varying from £2 to £100 were imposed. A case was also taken, with the consent of the Electricity Commissioners, in respect of a breach of the Commissioners' Regulations, by a public supply authority on factory premises, and in which the full penalty of £10 was imposed.

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CHAPTER VI.

REPORT OF SENIOR ENGINEERING INSPECTOR,

Leonard Ward, O.B.E.

Having now served rather more than a complete year at my present post, I am the better able to value the importance of the work undertaken by this Branch. The title of the Branch gives little indication of the extensive range of subjects with which we are called upon to deal, either in an advisory, consultative, or executive capacity. Each member of the Branch, although undertaking duties of a more or less general nature as occasion demands, specialises in two or more particular subjects, as a result of which each member is undoubtedly an "expert witness" in those special subjects respectively.

The vacancy in the Branch (caused by the untimely death of Mr. C. F. Hunter) was filled by the appointment in March of Mr. F. E. Pollard, whose engineering knowledge and Departmental experience have proved most valuable.

As in former years, one or other member of the Branch has represented the Department on technical committees specially appointed to consider different subjects, e.g., British Engineering Standards Association's Sub-Committee on Paints and Varnishes, and Special Committee on Cranes and Derricks for use on Buildings; a Committee on Building Materials, and the World Power Conference, in addition to which Mr. Price has acted as Secretary of the Sub-Committee formed to prepare the ventilation exhibit for the Home Office Industrial Museum for illustrating the principles and practice of ventilation and heating, having in view the widely varying conditions met with in different industries. Much of my own time has been taken up with work in connection with the Museum and in arranging for the loan and installation of the various classes of machines to be exhibited.

I also attended many informal meeting of the members of the Special Committee appointed by the Ministry of Health to consider the lists of machinery and plant to be included in the several Schedules under the new Rating and Valuation Act, 1925.

I have appeared as an expert witness in eight prosecutions by the District Staff relating to unfenced power presses and other dangerous machinery; in each case substantial penalties were secured.

Much time has been spent, too, in attending Conferences held by the Chief Inspector and Deputy Chief Inspector with different Manufacturers' Associations and Workers' Unions in connection

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with draft Regulations for Shipbuilding and Shiprepairing, for the Manufacture and Use of Cinematograph Films, and the safety provisions set out in the new Factories Bill.

It is the practice of the more important Insurance Companies undertaking the inspection of steam boilers, electrical plant and other heavy machinery, to issue technical reports concerning boiler explosions, and the failure of machines and other structures. These reports, which contain much valuable information on these matters, have been studied by this Branch, and the necessary records kept for future use.

From time to time accidents and dangerous occurrences (some of which are not reportable) come to the notice of this Branch, which obviously point to special dangers or to matters of general interest, but which in the ordinary way would not come within the purview of the staff generally. I felt that steps should be taken to inaugurate a system under which particulars of such cases could be circulated to the whole staff, and the "Accident Series" was started during the year; it appears to have been much appreciated by the staff and should prove to be a useful addition to District Office records.

The number of papers referred to the Branch by the Chief Inspector and the Divisional and District Staffs has increased from 743 in 1925 to 927 during 1926. In addition, special classes of accidents are sent to the Branch for tabulation or inquiry, viz., about 2,000 accident reports from buildings in course of construction, 78 wire rope failures, 59 crane failures, 6 dust explosions and 9 explosions connected with air compressors or compressed air receivers. In all, the total number of papers received by the Branch exceeded 3,200.

Mr. McNair's activities have embraced a very wide range of subjects in which his extensive and intimate knowledge of chemistry has been particularly useful; this is the more important in view of the increasing application of chemical processes in many branches of present-day industrial activities. He has also paid special attention to the fencing of different classes of machines used in several industries, e.g., the printing and allied trades, meat cutting and mincing machines, aerated water machines, plaiting machines, wood-working machines, power presses and brick-making machinery; it is hoped that when these enquiries have been completed uniform standards of fencing may be shown to be possible. In conjunction with Dr. Bridge, he has visited all the artificial silk works in this country, in connection with the special precautions called for, and he has made tests for carbon bisulphide and sulphuretted hydrogen in the atmosphere of the workrooms in such works. Similar visits have been made to sheep-dip works with regard to the special ventilation necessary on account of the poisonous nature of some of the chemical ingredients used.

The danger attending the storage and use of liquid chlorine has also engaged his attention, and after discussions with the principal firms concerned he has prepared a useful memorandum setting out safe methods of handling, transporting and storing vessels containing this material and the precautions which should be taken during its use.

Dust explosions have been specially studied by Mr. McNair and, in order to focus attention on this important matter, he has as far as possible collected all available information in this and other countries. It is proposed in the near future to issue this collected matter as a Departmental Memorandum. He has also investigated explosions in connection with the use of blow lamps, the manufacture of brake linings, enamelling stoves, regenerative furnaces at steel works, ammonia compressors, gas meters, sublimation of salicylic acid, acetylene generation, and dinitro phenate of sodium. In addition he enquired into the causes of several serious accidents due to gassing" by carbon monoxide and the breakdown of an engine under test. In most instances he was able to suggest measures for the prevention of similar occurrences. He has from time to time carried out tests for the presence in the air of workrooms of lead oxide, carbon monoxide and benzol, and in addition, has made enquiries into the use of nitrogen trichloride in bleaching, the grinding of silica flour, and excessive steam in dye houses.

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Mr. Price has inquired into the causes of three explosions. The first occurred in the crank chamber of a five cylinder vertical gas engine; the second at a portable acetylene generator, and the third at an oil gas plant. He also made an exhaustive inquiry into the bursting of the fly-wheel of a large steam engine at a works in North Scotland, and in each instance he was able to suggest measures with a view to the prevention of such occurrences, involving as they usually do loss of life and serious injury to persons employed.

He has also dealt with problems connected with the application of general and localised ventilation in factories and the safeguarding of special types of machinery. He has also attended meetings of the Sub-Committee of the British Engineering Standards Association concerned with the preparation of standard specifications for paints and varnishes and their constitutents. A number of specifications were issued during the year the first fruits of the preliminary work of previous years. He has also attended as an expert witness in prosecutions relating to unfenced dangerous machinery, particularly rubber mixing rolls.

Possibly the most important work undertaken by Mr. Price during this year has been that of inquiring into the practices followed in different classes of works in regard to the mounting and dismounting of belts, particularly with a view to collating information as to the various safe methods and safety apparatus available for shipping belts to driving pulleys without the necessity

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of reducing the speed of the driving shafting, or of the operator approaching it. This subject is the more important on account of the recent decisions of the High Court, which make it abundantly clear that close approach to unfenced mill-gearing in motion, whether overhead or in other position, for any purpose (such as belt mounting, lubricating, painting and so forth) involves an infringement of the statute.

Mr. Macklin has dealt with many routine matters such as the suitability of certain belt fasteners and the prevention of static electrical charges on high-speed belts by the use of special dressings. He also investigated the circumstances relating to a serious boiler explosion, and his suggestions were later confirmed by the Board of Trade Report on this occurrence. He has also had under consideration the methods of mounting and using abrasive wheels, and has discussed these matters with manufacturers and users of such wheels with the object of establishing safer methods. Closely connected with this he has visited many works under one or other of the new codes of Grinding Regulations in connection with claims for exemption, either for general application or in regard to individual firms. This has also necessitated conferences with Employers' Associations. He has in addition examined and advised on many plans submitted by ventilating engineers dealing with new installations for dust extraction. at grinding plants called for under the Regulations.

During the last few years great extensions have been made in a great variety of industries in the use of nitro-cellulose dopes and lacquers, and Mr. Macklin has made a comprehensive inquiry into the manufacture and use of these compounds. This has necessitated many visits to works concerned and discussions with makers and users of these materials and with the manufacturers of the aerograph spraying plants used in these processes. He has also investigated the fires and explosions resulting from the use of nitro-cellulose lacquers, etc., which have been reported, with a view to determining the causes and considering what precautions may be required.

Questions arising under the Celluloid Regulations have also been dealt with by Mr. Macklin. This has involved visits to works and the checking of plans for new works or reconstructions. Since these Regulations do not meet all the dangers arising in works in which Cinematograph Films are manufactured and printed, Mr. Macklin has visited the majority of the latter works and has prepared a set of Draft Regulations relating to this special manufacture. The draft has been discussed with the trade as a preliminary step towards the issue of the Regulations.

Mr. Pollard has been largely engaged in investigating the causes of the failures of structures, machinery and plant under widely divergent conditions and circumstances, such as the failures of engines, economisers, air compressor receivers, steam jacketted pans, hydro-extractors, swifts for rag-pulling machines, cranes,

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