Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 12, 2020 13:06:38 GMT 12
I wonder what the longer term effects of this were. From the Evening Post, 17th of September 1945:
"LUMINISING"
RISKY WAR WORK
RADIOACTIVE PAINT
The story can now be told of the luminising department which was set up by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at the Dominion Physical Laboratory at Lower Hutt, to treat meters and other equipment with self-activated luminous paint. This work, a pioneer development in New Zealand, was of the utmost importance to troops engaged in tropical and jungle warfare. Although a considerable proportion of it was dangerous to health, and special precautions had to be taken, no ill effects to the staff are known to have resulted.
The majority of the equipment so treated was for the Department of Supply's radio production department (another development due to the war), set up to work in conjunction with various New Zealand manufacturers.
It was decided by the British War Office in 1943 that all future radio equipment used in the field must have important controls painted with luminous paint for easy operation and visibility at night. That same year the New Zealand Government was committed to supply such equipment for the Far Eastern Supply Group. Mr. J. M. C. Tingey, then at the Radio Development Laboratory, was asked to investigate the supply and use of luminous materials.
An order was placed in the United States for a complete set of materials of the radium-activated type. The most-urgent need was a regulation safe to house the initial order of 500 grammes (about one pound) of radium-activated luminous powder. Premises were obtained, and a staff engaged under Mr. Tingey's direction. The man-power authorities was asked to provide girls skilled in fine painting work.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
Three Army huts were placed near the main Dominion Physical Laboratory, and later, two smaller buildings were added, one to house the ventilated safe, and another as a separate dressing-room for women workers. Special precautions were undertaken to safeguard the health of the staff. Overalls, similar to the gowns worn by surgeons, were worn for all work in connection with the luminous material. On completion of work periods, hands were washed in warm water, and nails scrubbed. An examination of hands and faces was made under a powerful ultra-violet "black" lamp, and if any traces of the powder remained, a further washing was done with a special solution. After use the gowns were hung in a' special cupboard, and on leaving the dressing-room for any other work, or for meals, clean gowns were substituted.
NO RISKS TAKEN.
All mixing was carried out in the wet-floor safe room. Whenever the luminous powder had been mixed with the correct vehicle, the main light was turned out (there being no window in that room), and the ultra-violet light showed up any dust. When the paint was ready one of the women paint workers was summoned and received the luminous paste and deposited it in a glass painting cabinet in the painting-room. That procedure obviated any chance of the dry radioactive powder being carried to the painting-room. A surgeon's gown, covered by a rubber apron, was worn by the mixer, and gumboots were used while on the wet floor.
Only plate-glass shelves were used in the huts. During the first eight months of operation blood counts of all workers in the luminising section were taken monthly. That procedure was discontinued later when a Geiger-Muller counter was put into operation, and counts were made on all workers. A careful check was kept on the fixed radium burden of all members of the staff engaged in this work, and in no case did it exceed the minimum accepted safe quantity.
At the completion of 12 months' work in or in the vicinity of radioactive luminous materials, all workers were given at least four weeks' holiday on full pay. Everything was done for the comfort of the staff, says Mr. Tingey. "We had a most united and happy staff." he added.
EXACTING WORK.
In addition to the dials, the tips of the meter pointers were marked with the luminus material. That necessitated the removal of the scale plates and rebalancing the moving-coil systems—exacting and tedious work. Meter mortality was high in the beginning but the operators became more skilled, 10 per cent, of rejections dropped in six months to less than 4 per cent. No fewer than 10,000 milliameters were treated in that manner.
It was decided by the Ministry of Supply, when the first 10,000 meters had been delivered, that provision would have to be made for the recalibration of 4200 for spares, and that work was also performed successfully.
The last job was completed by a staff of three in seven months, during which time the Christmas holidays and the annual holidays of four weeks intervened, so that really only five and a half months elapsed.
Five hundred luminous bull's eye discs for use in jungle trails and beach landings were supplied to Army headquarters two days before the delivery date. On dark nights these markers could be seen for 100 yards, and their useful life was given as 12 months. The provision of luminous rifle sights was another important undertaking.
The total quantity of radio-active luminous powder used, says Mr. Tingey was 400 grammes (14 ounces). Hours worked between December, 1943, and June, 1945, were 7182. The total number of units of all types or work handled, including meters, was 14 723. The buildings and plant used for housing and handling the work cost £1712, and the average cost of the work done on meters approximated 4s 4d per hour. The average value of a meter was £3.
"LUMINISING"
RISKY WAR WORK
RADIOACTIVE PAINT
The story can now be told of the luminising department which was set up by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at the Dominion Physical Laboratory at Lower Hutt, to treat meters and other equipment with self-activated luminous paint. This work, a pioneer development in New Zealand, was of the utmost importance to troops engaged in tropical and jungle warfare. Although a considerable proportion of it was dangerous to health, and special precautions had to be taken, no ill effects to the staff are known to have resulted.
The majority of the equipment so treated was for the Department of Supply's radio production department (another development due to the war), set up to work in conjunction with various New Zealand manufacturers.
It was decided by the British War Office in 1943 that all future radio equipment used in the field must have important controls painted with luminous paint for easy operation and visibility at night. That same year the New Zealand Government was committed to supply such equipment for the Far Eastern Supply Group. Mr. J. M. C. Tingey, then at the Radio Development Laboratory, was asked to investigate the supply and use of luminous materials.
An order was placed in the United States for a complete set of materials of the radium-activated type. The most-urgent need was a regulation safe to house the initial order of 500 grammes (about one pound) of radium-activated luminous powder. Premises were obtained, and a staff engaged under Mr. Tingey's direction. The man-power authorities was asked to provide girls skilled in fine painting work.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
Three Army huts were placed near the main Dominion Physical Laboratory, and later, two smaller buildings were added, one to house the ventilated safe, and another as a separate dressing-room for women workers. Special precautions were undertaken to safeguard the health of the staff. Overalls, similar to the gowns worn by surgeons, were worn for all work in connection with the luminous material. On completion of work periods, hands were washed in warm water, and nails scrubbed. An examination of hands and faces was made under a powerful ultra-violet "black" lamp, and if any traces of the powder remained, a further washing was done with a special solution. After use the gowns were hung in a' special cupboard, and on leaving the dressing-room for any other work, or for meals, clean gowns were substituted.
NO RISKS TAKEN.
All mixing was carried out in the wet-floor safe room. Whenever the luminous powder had been mixed with the correct vehicle, the main light was turned out (there being no window in that room), and the ultra-violet light showed up any dust. When the paint was ready one of the women paint workers was summoned and received the luminous paste and deposited it in a glass painting cabinet in the painting-room. That procedure obviated any chance of the dry radioactive powder being carried to the painting-room. A surgeon's gown, covered by a rubber apron, was worn by the mixer, and gumboots were used while on the wet floor.
Only plate-glass shelves were used in the huts. During the first eight months of operation blood counts of all workers in the luminising section were taken monthly. That procedure was discontinued later when a Geiger-Muller counter was put into operation, and counts were made on all workers. A careful check was kept on the fixed radium burden of all members of the staff engaged in this work, and in no case did it exceed the minimum accepted safe quantity.
At the completion of 12 months' work in or in the vicinity of radioactive luminous materials, all workers were given at least four weeks' holiday on full pay. Everything was done for the comfort of the staff, says Mr. Tingey. "We had a most united and happy staff." he added.
EXACTING WORK.
In addition to the dials, the tips of the meter pointers were marked with the luminus material. That necessitated the removal of the scale plates and rebalancing the moving-coil systems—exacting and tedious work. Meter mortality was high in the beginning but the operators became more skilled, 10 per cent, of rejections dropped in six months to less than 4 per cent. No fewer than 10,000 milliameters were treated in that manner.
It was decided by the Ministry of Supply, when the first 10,000 meters had been delivered, that provision would have to be made for the recalibration of 4200 for spares, and that work was also performed successfully.
The last job was completed by a staff of three in seven months, during which time the Christmas holidays and the annual holidays of four weeks intervened, so that really only five and a half months elapsed.
Five hundred luminous bull's eye discs for use in jungle trails and beach landings were supplied to Army headquarters two days before the delivery date. On dark nights these markers could be seen for 100 yards, and their useful life was given as 12 months. The provision of luminous rifle sights was another important undertaking.
The total quantity of radio-active luminous powder used, says Mr. Tingey was 400 grammes (14 ounces). Hours worked between December, 1943, and June, 1945, were 7182. The total number of units of all types or work handled, including meters, was 14 723. The buildings and plant used for housing and handling the work cost £1712, and the average cost of the work done on meters approximated 4s 4d per hour. The average value of a meter was £3.