International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1946)

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Common Projection Room Hazards PROJECTION room fire is usually so spectacular and impressive to those involved in it, that it leaves a lasting impression. The result is that the beginner or apprentice has a definite ritual drummed into his consciousness, namely: cut off the light and turn off the motor; next to see that all port shutters have dropped or to grab a fire extinguisher, or, as frequently stated, to jump out of a window. Tlie only case within my knov/ledge of a projectionist attempting to carry out his boast that "When the file starts, I'm on my way," occurred when ,vhe man in question was assigned to an unfamiliar theatre. A short-circuit in the distributing panel at one side of the projection room caused a blinding flash and explosion. The projectionist made for a window in the back wall of the room and was half through it when he discovered, to his horror, that he was about seventy feet above the pavement with no fire escape or ladder aavilable. (P.S.: He didn't jump.) Due to constant vigilance by projectionists, film fires and injuries resulting from them are slowly being reduced. However, assistance from both theatreowners and fire officials has been limited: projectionists are largely on their own. Major attention to the fire hazard has resulted in glossing over other important occupational dangers, classified as: (1) Mechanical (2) Electrical (3) Personal health and (4) Location and building. Open gears, flywheels, and chains may easily come in contact with the hands or elbows of the projectionists, or more often, catch in their clothing. A short coat is emphatically much safer than the long smock which is frequently used. The idea that projectors are driven by a fractional horse-power motor and therefore constitute no particular hazard is a fallacy. Heavy flywheels and the high inertia of the moving parts can remove a finger with the precision of a rotary saw, and the abominable practice of oiling projectors while they are in motion has added to the hazard. Neckties may catch in the moving parts, and care should be taken that handkerchiefs do not hang from the hip pocket and catch in gears or chains. Some projectors have a very small clearance between sprockets and idler rollers when open. A finger carelessly By THEODORE P. HOVER Old yet ever new is the lesson to be learned from the accompanying article bearing on the many threats to the personal safety and well-being of the projectionist ivhich may be regarded definitely as occupational hazards. Projection room safety precautions, it appears, are no less the concern of the Union than of the individual member, and the cooperation of both is required to establish and maintain proper standards therefor. placed on the moving film may be carried under the roller and badly mangled by the sprocket teeth. Sheet metal cones should be attached to the front of every lamphouse so that there will be absolutely no light leakage from cooling plate to lamphouse. It is a recognized fact that many of the older projectionists lost out due to eyestrain from this source. Manufacturers have gone to considerable trouble to place grills and screens over the commutators and moving parts of motor generators, projector motors, exhaust fans and arc feed motors; but it is safe to say that less than ten percent of these guards are retained after the equipment is installed, usually being removed and lost. The practice of permitting ordinary electric fans to be placed in a projection room is exceedingly dangerous. The State of Ohio, for example, recommends that any such fan, regardless of positioning, should be covered on all sides with hardware cloth of a mesh small enough so that a handful of %-inch ball bearings dropped on the guard will not fall through. Careless or clumsy use of hand tools results in many serious injuries due largely to the fact that cuts and bruises become infected through lack of attention. One of the commonest accidents in projection rooms is caused by a screwdriver slipping and stabbing the projectionist. Almost as frequent are injuries caused by sharp slivers of steel being thrown from cold chisels or improperly used hammers. Snapping hacksaw blades can be extremely dangerous, as the parts may be thrown for a considerable dis tance. The only cure for this condition is a thorough knowledge of the proper use of hand tools. The assumption that it is "only 110 volts" and therefore not dangerous is a first-class joke, cases being on record of death being caused by coming into contact with 70 volts a. c. It is often assumed that the power packs used in conjunction with amplifiers are not dangerous because, while they may deliver 200 or 300 volts, the amperage is low. The fallacy of this is proved by the electrocution of a Lima, Ohio, police radio operator who came in contact with the plate circuit of a small pre-amplifier. He was killed instantly, although the power supply was less than 250 volts. Safety switches placed on amplifiers should not be strapped out, and, if defective, they should be replaced. Particular attention should be given to discharging high-voltage condenser banks before attempting to service an amplifier. A good condenser will retain a charge overnight or longer. The personal health of the projectionist, as a result of his own negligence, usually receives less attention than even the most neglected piece of projection equipment. There can be no excuse for Union officials permitting a member to work in a projection room which is improperly ventilated (an 89-cent fan set in an open window does not constitute proper ventilation ) . I have heard many complaints by sound engineers regarding the accumulation of carbon dust and precipitated material from arc lamphouses in sufficient quantity inside the amplifiers to cause noise and, in some cases, completely cut off the sound. Some projection rooms have an accumulation of lamphouse deposit hanging from the ceiling above the lamp rivalling the stalactite formations of the Grand Caverns. It is useless to go into detail regarding sanitary facilities in projection rooms, because projectionists themselves have permitted these matters to be neglected over a long term of years and will probably continue to neglect them in the future. The fact remains, however, that proper action can usually be secured if the Union does something about it. Public officials now are more receptive than ever before to such requests. The careless placing of conduit and flexible conductors where they can be 16 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST