Document 5LvoKRDLr7N5neqQ9MeYnb0XR

FILE NAME: Oil Industry and American Petroleum Institute (API) DATE: 1954 Mar DOC#: API116 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: The Medical Bulletin Article - Men on Construction, Asbestos Listed as 'Remote Risk1 The Medical Bulletin VOLUME 14 MARCH, 1954 NUMBER 1 CONTENTS IN T R O D U C T IO N ........................................................................................ 1 Possible Contributions of the Employee Relations D epartm ents to B etter U tilizationof M edical S ervices............. 2 Robert Collier Page, M.D. The Beginnings of a Human Relations Committee at the Bayonne Refinery................................................................................ 12 J. G. Lione, M.D. The " F ull-T im e" Physician inIn d u stry .............................................. 19 Leo W ade, M.D. M atching Job Requirem ents and Residual Physical A bilities.... 26 W. R. Thayer Efforts to Reduce Sickness Absenteeism Costs in the New York M arketing D ivision...................................................... 35 A lfred Scimeca, M.D. The Cost of M edical Services................................................................... 40 Leo W ade, M.D. M en on C onstruction.................................................................................... 46 Dr. A. W ard Gardner and A. H. Green M ethyl Chloride Intoxication............'....................................................... 65 Howard Hansen, M.D., N. K. W eaver, M.D., and F. S. Venable THE MEDICAL BULLETIN MEN ON CONSTRUCTION DR. A. W ARD GARDNER and MR. A. H. GREEN Esso Petroleum Company, Ltd. FOREWORD BY DR. D. C. RENNIE In considering the following report it is felt that a short description of the decisions reached at the start of construction and the overall arrangements made for medical attention, would be of interest. The first question to be decided was the form the medical atten tion should take and the responsibility for carrying this out. Faw ley is a rural area 17 miles from the m ain Southam pton hos pitals, with one local General Practitioner and three residents some 4 to 5 miles away. It was estim ated that some 6,000 men would be employed at the peak period. The Medical D epartm ent to the pres ent Refinery was made responsible for the whole Medical Scheme for the construction period and for the camp, which was to be built. This arrangement had three big advantages:-- 1. The existing X-Ray and other ancillary equipm ent would be available for all employees, Contractors or otherwise. 2. T he staff engaged could be offered a perm anent job w ith pen sion, since the Refinery population would increase as the construc tion population fell. This enabled us to get staff who were keen on industrial medical work and wanted to remain in it. W e got a far better type therefore than the man who was merely taking a tem porary job for the sake of the money. 3. The M edical Officer already w ith the Company, knew the area, the hospital and health authorities, and the local practitioners, and could, therefore, make necessary contacts straight away. Under paragraph 1 either duplicate equipment and staff would have had to be acquired and extra accommodations provided, or considerable time be lost sending many cases unnecessarily to hos pital for X-Ray, Laboratory checks, etc. V compressed air sickness to being in a hurry and to d down in the Admiralty ion of the divers was enesulted. ols, "amateur fixings", etc. 'ise. (Several unexploded ng excavations). uniting, acid splashes, ce- ns, >estos). tc. cavations, etc. nissing, inadequate or out on. and hoists, ndling. cts, leading to numbness tc., were seen in a few in- letal, wire ropes, etc. INST OBJECTS: :es of wood, etc. i ground. MEN ON CONSfRUCriON VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS: (a) vehicles colliding, (b) vehicles colliding with men, (c) men falling whilst attempting to board or leave moving vehi cles. WELDING: (a) arc-eye, (b) metal fume fever. A few cases of this, due to welding or flame cutting of galvanized metal, were seen. In each case, the welder did not know there was any connection between the fever and his work. X - KA N D GAMMA RAYS: All pressure vessels had the welding checked by radiation photography, and the supervision of the crews was under taken. 1,000 m illigram s of radium was in use at one time, although radioactive isotopes are now being used as a gam ma ray source. The normal radiation protection methods were employed. The selection of personnel, blood counts, test films, results, etc., were the medical responsibility. Supervision of crews on the job and methods of work were the responsibility of the super visor of welding. No effects of X- or gamma radiation were observed in per sons employed in this work. Remote risks: (a) ASBESTOS: From sawing insulation material. As a risk amongst construction workers asbestosis is a theoretical possibility. The insulation used consisted of 85% magnesia, 15% asbestos in block form. This was applied to the various structures and wired on. A very small quantity of dust was produced in this operation. W et asbestos containing pug w^as used to fill in cracks and to m ould round flanges. No dust arose from this. (b) EFECTS OF PITCH AND TAR: Electrical conduit pipes coated in pitch were used. On warm sunny days men handling this pipe were seen with tar erythema ("sm arts"). A few cases due to ss