Manhattan District History; Book I - General; Volume 11 - Safety Program; Appendix G

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Consolidated Report man kat t ^ .-.i— A COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAM CLINTON ENGINEER TORKS OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE. United States Engineer Office Corps of Engineers - For The Atomic Energy Commission Chief, Declassification Bronch r OKFlRMED TO BE UNCLASSIFIED National Safety Council, Inc.

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COMMUNITY SAFETY SURVEY COMMITTEE Harry Porter, Jr., Chairman CHAPTER I - PLANNING FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY Bys Harry Porter, Jr., Traffic Engineer Traffic and Transportation Division CHAPTER II - HOME SAFETY Home Safety Division CHAPTER III - SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAM Bys Leslie R, Silvernale, Field Representative School and College Division CHAPTER IV - APPLYING THE SAFETY PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY CHAPTER V - ACCIDENT REPORTING AND ANALYSIS Bys William C. James, Director

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TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS............................... 6 Planning For Traffic Safety.......................... 6 Applying Safety to the Community..................... 11 Accident Recording and Analysis...................... 11 B <* Public and Home Accidents..................... 12 DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE PROGRAM CHAPTER I - PLANNING FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY................... 14 Adopting The Model Traffic Ordinance................. 14 The Municipal Court................. ................ 15 Traffic Engineering For Traffic Safety.... ........... 15 Duties of The Traffic Engineer....................... 16 Maintenance Of Traffic Control Devices............... 17 Filing Motor Vehicle Accident Records - Spot Maps..... 19 Uniform Traffic Control Devices...................... 19 Adequate Streets for Convenient and Economic Movement... 20 Lane Width of Access Road System...... .............. 21 Regulating Parking on Streets and Highways.............. 22 Off Street Parking Facilities................. . 23 Sidewalks For Pedestrian Safety....... ........... 23 Winter Road Maintenance........................ . 23 Unbalancing The Use of Highways........... ........... 24 CHAPTER II - HOME SAFETY................................. j 25 Physical Structure of Dwellings and Original Equipment.. '25 The Safe Eradication of Poison Ivy.............. ..... 27 Promoting Safety Through Maintenance Men.............. 28 Special Services for the Community............ . 30 Town Home Safety Regulations......................... 31 Home Demonstrations for Housewives............ . 32 Home Safety Inspections............................. 32 Long Range Home Safety Promotional Program............ 32

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Buildings, Grounds, Equipment to Meet Safety Requirements 34 Sidewalks and Paths Needed For School Children......... .35 The SafeWay To Walk on Streets....................... .37 Requirements For Buses and Drivers Transporting Pupils... 37 School Accidents To Be Reported....................... .38 Well Balanced Instruction To Be Offered.................38 Supervision At The School Playgrounds.................. 39 Procedure in Case of Accident on School Property......... 39 Medical Examination Requirements...................... .39 Nursery Schools for Community Needs.................... 39 CHAPTER IV - APPLYING THE SAFETY PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY.....40 Organizing the Oak Ridge Safety Council.................40 Traffic Section Of The Safety Council...................42 School Section Of The Safety Council.................. .42 Recreation Section Of The Safety Council................43 Home Section Of The Safety Council.................... .43 Fire Section Of The Safety Council.................... .43 Planning The Program and Activities........ ............44 Objectives and Uses of Traffic Accident Records..........45 Definitions Of Traffic Accidents........................46 Accident Report Forms................................ .46 Tally and Summary Forms............................. ..47 The Driver Record File............................... .47 Traffic Fatality and Injury Records................... .48 Spot Maps and Location Filing of Traffic Accident Records 49 Public and Home Accidents Defined........ ........ ...... 50 The Public and Home Accident Report Form................$0 Filing The Accident Reports.......................... ..52 Analyzing The Data From Reports......... .......... ..... 53

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Seldom does the National Safety Council have the opportunity to recommend a community safety program under such favorable conditions, sind seldom has any community of equivalent size offered so many possi bilities for accomplishing the desired results. Oak Ridge might well become America's safest war plant community. That it is worth working for, to conserve manpower for the war effort, needs no explanation. The humanitarian accomplishments of safety is by no means of secondary importance, it builds up morale. Further, it is under stood that Oak Ridge is not a war duration project, therefore important developments such as safety, must be considered as post-war in addition to Since the industrial safety program has been very successful and well organized, emphasis is placed on the importance of community safety to arouse ani maintain interest in off-the-job accidents. The representatives of the National Safety Council, whose recommenda tions are contained in this report, have faithfully applied the knowledge and experience of the Council to the safety problems of Oak Ridge. Each recommendation has been carefully considered from the standpoint of practic ability, and all have been considered whether the expense of putting them into effect is justifiable. For convenience, this report is divided into five chapters; PLANNING FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY, HOME SAFETY, SCHOOL SAFETY, APPLYING THE SAFETY PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY, and ACCIDENT REPORTING AND ANALYSIS. With so much construction and organization work in progress and many ideas for future development in the formative stage, it is anticipated that many of the recommendations will simply confirm the importance of plans al ready conceived by those who have participated in the building of the com munity. The growth of the community will bring new problems, and some of the current problems will require further study. The Council will gladly participate in further studies and offers the services of its staff as may The fine cooperative assistance extended to the Council representa tives during the study by representatives of the District, Area Engineer, Area Safety Departments and the Town Management, was very much appreciated. National Safety Council

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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PLANNING FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY 1. Nationwide uniformity of traffic laws is necessary for a successful program of traffic safety. The Clinton Engineer Works should adopt the "Model Municipal Traffic Ordinance" for the town of Oak Ridge and the pro posed Townsite. It may be necessary to make minor changes so as to con form with the State of Tennessee laws and government regulations. (Page 14) 2* Upon the adoption of the "Model Traffic Ordinance," a digest of the provisions which the drivers and pedestrians should know for safe use of streets, should be prepared and published for distribution among the resi dents of the Area, (Page 15) ^ 3» A Municipal Court should be set up for the Area controlled by the Clinton Engineer Works, and to function in accordance with the State \ Constitution and Statutes pertaining thereto, for the trial of misdemeanor cases, tort cases and for preliminary hearing of other cases as nay be customary in the Municipal Court practices of the State. (Page 15) '■I 4. One municipal court should serve the Town of Oak Ridge and the pro posed Townsite, with a suitable schedule of certain days of the week for the hearing of cases in each community. (Page 15) (/ 5« The Clinton Engineer Works, with two communities and several hundred T v miles of access roads, as well as industrial traffic problems , justifies the services of a qualified full-time traffic engineer if economic, con venient and safe movement of traffic is expected. (Page 15) J 6* The traffic engineer should report directly to the Area Safety .Director* All problems relating to traffic safety and movement should be referred to the traffic engineer for investigation and recommendation* ■^7* It is recommended that the community traffic police force be established since traffic law enforcement is necessary for preventing accidents. The size of the force will depend on the miles of roadway, traffic volumes and type of persons living in the area. There should be sufficient en forcement applied to discourage operators from violating safe driving practices which may result in accidents. Also sufficient personnel is necessary to carry out an accident reporting and investigation program.

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8. A study of reports of 208 cities with more than 25,000 population in the 1941 National Safety Contest reveals that it is desirable to have the equivalent of 4 to 4^- full-time men per 10,000 population, including all j tims devoted to traffic. ^Page 18) J 9. All motor vehicle accident reports should be filed by street locations with a cross reference file to drivers names so that the record of any high accident location becomes available immediately for detailed study. (Page 19) "^10. A spot map should be kept which shows at a glance the distribution of accidents, eliminating the necessity of going through the file to find high 11. All signs and pavement markings throughout the Area should conform with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for streets and highways sponsored by the American Association of State Highway officials and the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety. (Page 19) 12. Highway 61 should be a 4-lane roadway with lanes 11 feet wide. Parking on this roadway should be prohibited at all times. (Page 22) 13. Central Avenue between highway 61 and Tennessee Avenue, which is now a divided roadway, should be two pavements 20 feet wide plus combined curb and gutter. Parking should be prohibited at all times. (Page 2l) ^ 14. West Gateway and East Gateway Avenues should be 20 feet wide with a NoParking restriction enforced at all times. (Pages 21 and 22) J 15. The following streets should be designated as through streets at onces Tennessee Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Outer Drive, Delaware Avenue, Georgia Avenue, Michigan Avenue and New York Avenue. (Page 21) ^16* Kentucky Avenue, on which the high school fronts, should be discouraged for use by through traffic. Stop signs should be placed on Kentucky Avenue at Broadway and Michigan Avenues. "Through Traffic Prohibited" signs should be erected at the same intersections. (Page 21) ^ 17. Tennessee Avenue should be widened to a minimum of 40 feet, or 43 feet >0 from face to face of curb, if curbs are constructed. This Avenue will carry 4 gr0ater vehicular volumes than other streets because of the street pattern, ^ and in addition, parking should be prohibited at all times so as to acl' commodate four moving traffic lanes. (Pages 20 and 22) ^ 18. The secondary system of roads should be constructed at least 28 feet in width to permit two lanes of moving traffic and parallel parking on one

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19* The tertiary system of roads should be constructed as two-lane U roads, 18 feet in width so that speeding will be discouraged. (Page 21) Jvj 20. Broadway Avenue, a business street, should be constructed at least 36 feet in width to provide two moving traffic lanes and two parallel parkJ 21. No diagonal parking should be put into effect. Plans for diagora 1 parking along Broadway Avenue in the business section should be revised to parallel parking only. (Pages 21 and 22) i 22. Access roads throughout the area should be designed in accordance with policies of the American Association of State Highway officials. The traffic lanes should be 11 feet wide. (Page 2l)* J:23• Adequate off-street parking facilities in the business section should be constructed. Proposed plans for such should not be changed because of buildings that may be built in the future. Off-street parking should also ..>436 provided for homes and dormitories. (Page 23) yjy 24. Sidewalks should be constructed on both sides of the streets within the business section and at least on one side of the secondary system of ' ^ 25* With the coming of winter thought should be given for treatment of slippery roads and necessary equipment. (Page 23) J 26. Unbalancing the use of the roadway should be put into effect along Scarboro School Road and other three-lane roadways at times when unbalanced volumes are moving elong the roadway, by assigning two lanes to the greater 27. From a home safety standpoint, the community is an amazing demonstra tion of forethought in planning. Actually the design of homes and multiple occupancy dwellings leaves little to be desired so far as physical condi tions are concerned. Therefore, except for a relatively few important re commendations pertaining to such conditions, this report stresses mainly the importance of adequate maintenance and public education. 28. The town management plan and its correlation with the District and Area Safety Divisions leaves little to be desired so far as the establish ment and execution of an organized home safety program is concerned. 29. Another important factor is the high social level of the present and

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30. Falls will rank high in the causes of home accidents. Particular at tention should be paid to floor finishes in the homes, to the provision of handholds alongside bathtubs and the removal of snow and ice from outside steps and walks in winter. (Page 25) 31. There are serious fire panic hazards in the dormitories due to obstruction of exits with screen doors and inadequacy of fire alarm systems. (Page 25) 32. There is need for uniform safe practices instruction placards to be posted in all homes and it would likewise be desirable to post first aid placards in all bathroom medicine cabinets. (Page 26) 33* The eradication of poison ivy is an important problem in this area. 34. The anticipated large maintenance crew can do much to contribute to tenant safety by receiving special training and by meeting quarterly to plan for the control of seasonal hazards. (Page 28) 35» The use of kerosene for starting fires has caused numerous fatalities in other similar towns. Its use should be discouraged and the provision of adequate kindling with the coal will help to overcome the practice. Grass and brush fires should be prohibited as well as the burning of leaves and rubbish. Home dry cleaning should likewise be discouraged,and only,_n§n^ ^y/36. Conveniently located demonstration homes should be established and used for the enlightenment and education of housewives in good home practices. Provision should also be nade for the care of children of working parents and to give relief to burdened mothers by establishment of prekindergarten schools and tot playgrounds adjacent thereto. (Pages 31 and 32) 37. A town-wide nursing service plus a practical nurse employment service, a domestic help employment service and a more effective development of the "sitter club" plan are all essential community needs. (Page 31) \138. Repair facilities for household furnishings and appliances should be provided for in the shopping centers because few of these goods are new 39* Because the canning and preserving of fruits and vegetables is hazardous, particularly with present unavailability of proper equipment, community canning centers would contribute greatly to the safety of the 40, A minimum number of regulations are recommended for town home safety regulations These pertain to collection of rubbish and garbage, prohibi tion of grass and brush fires, the storage and use of gasoline and kerosene, keeping steps and walks free of ice and snow and the inspection of homes by uniformed firemen. (Page 31)

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41. The Home Safety Section of the Community Safety Council recommended in a separate section of this report, will be essential to the fulfill ment of an adequate continuous home safety program. The importance of this organizational and promotional work cannot be stressed too strongly. It should be a broad, vigorous and, above all, practical development guided by extremely competent persons. (Page 32 - See also section Apply ing The Safety Program To The Community). \j 42* School officials should set up an adequate plan for administering and supervising the school safety program. (Page 34) J 43. School buildings, grounds and equipment should be maintained in a ^44. Sidewalks and pedestrian paths should be constructed to enable children to go to and from …