VPRS 12369 Operational Safety Committee Records Received by Explosives and Gas Examining Branch, Copies (Records Not Transferred)

This series consists of copies of the Operational Safety Committee's (O.S.C.) records including agenda, minutes of meetings, reports, circulars, and bulletins. The O.S.C. was set up by the Minister for Supply and Development (Commonwealth Government) in 1939. Mr E.C. Todner, the Chief Inspector of Explosives for Victoria, was an Executive member.The series contains copies of correspondence with the Ministry of Munitions and includes an annotated copy of a letter from the Prime Minister. Some papers and reports contained in this series are marked 'Secret', 'Official', or 'Private'.The series includes detailed reports of accidents, investigations and specific reports of Committees of Inquiry. Under the original terms of reference, the Operational Safety Committee was an advisory body solely concerned with matters affecting safety in the manufacture and handling of explosives, ammunition and hazardous chemicals. Later the Committee's function was revised to include the preparation of Standards and Codes of Practice, to investigate and report on any accidents and to arrange for appropriate circulation of such reports.Some files in this series pertain to the extended duties of the Operational Safety Committee which impinged upon the workings of the Explosives Branch. That is, the involvement of the OSC in the supervision of explosives at the Albion Explosives Factory which had been exempted from the provisions of the Explosives Act 1928. The Albion Explosives Factory operated exclusively for the manufacture of munitions on behalf of the Commonwealth Government.The series includes copies of Annual Reports (1972/73, 1973/74, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1982/83); reports of specific Working Parties and publications by the Ministry of Munitions relating to the work of the Operational Safety Committee.Note : This series was appraised as permanent by the Public Record Office (Refer to the Appraisal Report 44/98).