CHAPTER 10.3
SAFETY
Initially, in our overseas activities, the functions of safety
supervision and control were carried out by personnel of the Resident
Manager's Office. However, as activities at the Atoll expanded and the
tempo of construction increased the establishment of a Safety Department
under the Project Manager was effected in accordance with established
plans. The function of this department was to assist the Project Manager
in providing safe and healthful working conditions and in protecting
Government or Contractor property against loss or damage as a result of
fire, accident, misuse, or abuse. A safety engineer to head the depart-—
ment arrived at the Jobsite on December 23, 1949, and assumed his duties
as responsible to the Administration Manager for effective planning,
organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling the activities of
the H & N Jobsite Safety Department.
The numbers of personnel fluctuated
to meet Jobsite requirements. At peak load one Safety Engineer, one
Assistant Safety Engineer, and three Fire Chiefs were employed.
The activities of the Safety Department may be broken down into
three major categories, Accident Prevention, Fire Protection, and Camp
Sanitation, and will be discussed in that order.
ACCIDENT PREVENTION
The "Manual of Accident Prevention in Construction", issued by the
Associated General Contractors of America, Inc., and "Standard Safety
Requirements of the AEC, Regulations =— Safety #3" were the basic guides
used in formulating the accident prevention program. Frequent inspections of the entire Jobsite were made to detect, ami to promote appro=priate action to eliminate conditions which might cause injury, illness,
or damage to property. Many meetings were held at which employees, both
individually and by groups, were orientated to safe working practices.
All accidents were investigated and analyzed to determine the cause,
and action was initiated to eliminate the causes ami to prevent any recurrence of the accident.
Safety education was promoted by the utilization of signs designa-
ting hazardous locations, safety bulletins, posters and directives as
required, to effect optimum results. On the first working day of each
week, a report was submitted to the Resident Manager reviewing the
Safety Department's activities for the previous week. A monthly Summary
of Accident, Occupational Disease and Fire Experience and other reports,
as required, were prepared for the Los Angeles office, to be forwarded
to the Atomic Energy Commission after the inclusion of Home Office totals.
A recapitulation of these reports for the twenty-two month period,
August 1, 1949, through May 31, 1951, shows that for a total of
6,573,670 man hours worked there were 25 occupational injuries involving lost time as follows:
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