Document 5k2Ye4yqqxdN5QamNw0JnO2v4

638 2Xth National Safety Congress curatclv controlling lime, temperatures ami pressures. Sufficient mercury thermometers as well as recording thermometers are corrvctlv placed and constantly checked to assure the maintenance ot correct tempera ture-'. Kadi ot' these processing operations re<juiri ' unusual care, extreme accuracy com bined with adequate supervision and in spection to assure quality and safety of the product. In spile of the utmost care, defects in workmanship and materials do occur in any inatmiaclured article. These defects must U- found before the article leaves the fac tor?. therefore, it is necessary to minutely inspect cith article, diligently searching for and rejecting defective merchandise. These inspector*, well trained, are paid a bonus ior finding defects; however, as an added precaution, their workmanship in turn is checked by product quality inspectors lo assure accuracy and efficiency. The modem tire is only one important accessory for the car of today. The same painstaking care in manufacture, the same high regard for quality, the same precau tions to assure the consumers' safety is a major part of every piece of equipment that is manufactured into each car. Tires arc safe and automobiles arc safe--if the per son behind the wheel and in control co operates by thinking and driving safely. Quality control work in any manufacturing industry involves two major safety func tions. The first consideration is the safety of the employee, to see that the operator is performing his job with (he maximum degree of safety' to himself, that the mate rials he works with, his tools or machines have no apparent functional defects that may be hazardous to saiely. The second consideration, safeguarding the safety of the consumer by seeing that each operation is being performed correctly, being con stantly alert to insure the observance of specifications in order that uniformly high quality, safe merchandise is produced. Dusts in the Rubber Industry By P. A. DAVIS, M.D., F-A.P.H.A Goodyear Tire ft Rubber Co., Akron, O. I>u>ls mav be classified in two main .uroup-: 1. Harmful: 2. Not harmful or nuisance. When we think ot this classification, we undoubtedly think of some type of pneumonoconiosis. However, 1 believe we must not base our conception of dusts on this basis, but assume that all dusts are* detri mental lo the human system as a whole when the concentrations are high enough. W hether the disability is due to a toxic condition or to a mechanical one, of course, depends entirely upon the nature of the dust. The conditions usually referred to as being of mechanical origin fall under that condition known as pncumonoconiosis with il> various sub-divisions of: l Silicosis. 2. Siderosi*. 2. AmhracosU. 4. Asbestosis. 5. Chalcosis. 0. ChalicoM*. The method of contracting pneumonoroniosis is by inhalation of the dust; however, all dusts do not cause pncumonoconiosis. The higher the silica content of a dust the greater the possibility of developing a fibro sis and the higher the percentage of crystal content the greater the irritation. The diagnosis of the type of pncumonoconiosis is based upon the following: 1. Past history and occupation. 2. Physical examination. 3. Clinical examination of spotum. 4. X-rays of lungs. Since we liave been studying the lungs of industrial workers by x-rays, there has de veloped an entity which should be termed the "Industrial Lung." This condition, 1 believe, should not be termed a poeumonoconiosis because it reaches a certain stage, docs not progress any further and after several months to a year improves. There are no symptoms nor decreased capacity of the lungs. It is discovered only by a series of x-rays taken over a period of yean. Rubber Section MO The other conditions caused by inhalations of soluble dusts, insoluble, bat free from silica, and metallic dusts have to he discussed under a specific condition: for example, lead poisoning is very frequently caused by the inhalation of lead dust; and mans- nose and throat irritations arc canned by inhalation of insoluble dusts ht*M actno i strictly mechanical. \Yc therefore \ also classify dusts as: 1. Pneumononmiotic; 2. Xonpneumonoconiotic. Some of the principal dusts or materials used in industry which fall under these classifications are as follows: Pncumonoconiotic; 1. Silicosis (sandstone, slate Hour, fuller's earth, Stoughton earth, infuiiorul earth, rotten stone, any other clay with more than y of 1% silica, ground glass). 2. Siderosis--iron ores, iron oxides (nat.), iron sulphides (nat). 3. Anthracosis--coal and carbon dusts. 4. Asbestosis--powdered asbestos, asbestos ore. 3. Chalcosis---copper ore and copper dusts. 6. Chalicosis--stone duts. Non-Pneumouocomotic Harmful: 1. Lead dusts. 2. Arsenic dusts. 3. Chromium dusts. 4. Cadmium dusts. 5. Antimony dusts. 6. Radium compounds. 7. Alkali dusts. 8. Sulphur dusts. V. Tellurium compounds. 10. Various colored compounds such as ultra marine blue, Prussian blue, lead chromate, etc. Noo-harmful but nuisance dusts: 1. Soapstone with or less of free silica. 2. Zinc oxide and sulphide, i. Barium sulphate. 4. Plaster of Paris. 5. Paris white--whiting. 6. Talc. 7. Mica--may cause a mechanical irritation. 8. Oxide of magnesia. 9. Titanium dioxide. As we can see by this classification we necessarily must go back to our original classification of harmful, and not harmful; and I am convinced that while silicosis is one oi our predominant conditions due to silica, there are many other conditions which are produced in the respiratory* tract which are harmful to the individual. The following are the most important materials used in the rubber industry which are in the form of a dust or powder and to which the individual is exposed. They are marked by the following letters--H. harmful; NTH, not harmful; HT, harmful and toxic; HP, harmiut and pneumonoco- niotic; XHX. not harmful but a nuisance dusL ,, 1. Talc soapstone with l/j of 1% or Ies* SiOr--XHX. 2. Starch and potato flour--XHX. J. Zinc oxide--NHN--see chot x-iay. 4. Lead oxide, metallic lead dusts, lead chromate, and the various powdered lead compounds--HT. o. Carbon black--XHX. 6. Rubber dust--finely divided dust from buffing protoa--XHX. 7. Sulphur-- H, sometimes irritates nose and throat and occasionally produces a dermatitis. 8. Whiling--XH. 9. Baryto--NH. 10. Asbestine--HP. 11. MgO. and MgCO--NH. 12. Lilhopone--XHX. 13. Red lead--HT. 14. High grade clay--HP if over of 1% silica and dust count is over 5.000,000. 15. Corn starch--XHX. *16. English vermilion--HT. 17. Graphite--XHX. 18. Chromium oxide--HT. 19. Ultramarine blue--HT. 20. Titanox--NT. ' 21. Thermatooic blue--NTX. 22. Zinc stearate--NHN. 23. Aluminum--NHN, occasionally causes a mechanical dermatitis and irritation of mucous membranes of nose and throat. 24. Hard rubber dust--XHX. 25. Lime-H caustic. Produces dermatitis. 2b. Various alkali dusts--H caustic. 27. Various chromium and cadmium dusts --HT. 28. Mica -- NH -- sometimes causes cltanical dermatitis. 29. Yellow oxide (Fe*0), NHN. 30. Black oxide (Fe0.), NHN. me- 31. Gvpsunt--NHN. 32. Casein--NH. 33. Wood flour--XH. 34. Prussian blue--HT. 640 2iSfh National Safety Congress 35. Soap powder -- irritant Nil. Some* times cause* dermatitis. 36. Captax---NH. 37. Phcnvl--Bela Naptliylamc--HT, causes \ dermatitis. 3H. Sop bark--NH, sometimes causes a little coiyzit and conjunctivitis. 39. Cotton lint dust--NHN. " 40. Bronze powder--HT--ac to copper amt lead content. 41. Zinc sulphide--NHN. 42. Sami*--HP. -13. Various clays Itaviug more than l/i of )r/r of free silica--HP. 41. Antimony oxide--HT. 45. Titanium oxide--NH. 40. Various inorganic and organic chem ical compounds in powdered form often produce dusts during their use and manu facturing. These must be considered in dividually as to tlteir industrial hazard and toxicity and are not in the scope of this paper. 47. Wheat and potato dour*--NHN. The following procedure will be helpful in solving your problem of dust. 1. Make repeated dust counts of the working area at various levels. 2. Obtain some of the dust and send it i> the laboratory tor comptete analysis in cluding the determination of free SiOt. 3 Examine the workers, x-rays of the rhet for lho.*c working in pneumonoconiotic dusts. 4 Check the ventilation and increase it to produce non-ltazardous atmospheres. 5 I differentiate between conditions caused by volatile substances and solvents, and thoc caused by dusts. b. Protect the workers with proper cloth ing ar.d protective respirators and masks. 7. Study the particular dusts from the mechanical and chemical nature and if the c-tTects arc unknown, resort to animal experi mentation S. 1 f dusts are toxic and harmful consider the i>o*>ibikty of a substitution for a non harm iul substance. 9. Examine and x-ray all employees who are being placed ou jobs where there is a dust hazard. They should be examined periodically. 10. Make each dust problem an individual one. and in case of silicotic dusts, keep the counts below 5 M. per cu. ft., if the free StO* i? more than 1%. It .Select employees free from TR, chronic bronchitis, post influenzal infections, post pneumonic conditions, asthmatics, and persons with myocardial involvements for dusty operations. I have found that there is x-ray evidence of tuberculosis in about 2 per cent of the vases but only ot l per cent active and of a permanent disability. Uncomplicated pncumonoconiosis of a moderate degree is not disabling to a point of permanent disa bility. T want to present to you a case which I think is a rare one. This employee has never worked in any dust before his employ, ment on his present job. He has worked for 12> years in zinc oxide dust and dur ing our periodic examinations in 1938 the x-ray picture proved very interesting. He docs not have a definite pncumonoconiosis hut he shows evidence of glandular fibrosis. What will develop in a few more years will be shown by x-ray examination only. He has no symptoms. If this man had been working in lead Or similar toxic dusts. symptoms of that particular substance would have been present. The dust counts on toxic dusts must be kept at a minimum, and much lower than that for silicotic dusts. In silicotic dusts the particles of 10 micron size or larger arc of very little concern, but with toxic dusts the size oi the particles is not so important as is (he number of particles. The smaller the particles of dust the less the rate of settling and the greater the time ol* exposure, and thia i the important item in toxic dusts. For example, the permissible amount of lead dust is approximately 15 mgs. per day of eight hours. There would be very little chance of any one ever developing a pneu monoconiotic condition with this dust count, but if it is increased very little there is a chance for lead poisoning, and so it is with the various toxic dusts. The question in most of your minds is, "What arc you going to do about these conditions?** The answer is simple. You are going to correct them. It has been proved many times that it pays big financial returns, creates better working conditions, and the employees have a more efficient and appreciative attitude for the employer. It is unnecessary tor me to consider the methods of correcting the dust problems for this is in the realm of the ventilation engineer, but you must insist that the ven- Rubber Section 641 illation be sufficient to rttbet the du-t count lo a certain point and haw t maintained .it that point. You should |<irwdiraii> rvamitv \**ar em ployees according to the i>pe of ex posed to and a- a -usntrMwwi the follow mg is a schedule which I hair o-ed for a few years. Silicosis ir stlk4ie ltM*--u nwetth* in cluding x-rays Xon-siliciout and non--ihrohe or non toxic dusts--every year, with x-ray*. Toxic dusts--for example lead, chromium, arsenic, antimony, pbo-*phoru, chemical dusts, and alkali and cau>ttc dust*--every month. Nuisance dust*--every 1 to IVi years-- x-rays only if indicated It you And any evidence of trouble it is licticr to correct the cause than to transfer the employee elsewhere, tor this often causes dissatisfaction and suspicion. All ruck condition* can be controlled if there i* cooperation between the medical, engineer ing and managing department- In most states at present all conditions caused by dust arc compensable, so it behooves the employer to correct hi* working condition* lo a |>oint at which there are no hazards. Conclusion h is impossible to give a detailed descrip tion of all tlx du<ts used in the rubber industry, tor the silicotic dusts alone would require a volume to do them justice, but I want you to remember that there are just a- many serious conditions which may de velop from the inhalation of various tO.XIC dut>. These condition- air often more serious than pnetmionoconioi> and develop much ia*icr and in a shorter period of time. For instance, a (tersoii may develop a lead poison ing in two months from inhalation of lead compounds and it might take five lo ten years tor a silicosis to develop in (he same environment of silica dust. There are on the market today many fine ami clficient jr .tertive devices such as chemical protect. .? masks, dust respirators, positive pressure masks, clothing and gloves which if used will give good results. Instruction lo the employers by the super vision in regard lo their personal habits, their instruction concerning the type of dust they are exposed to, and why they have to use tlie protective appliances, will reduce the possibility of any trouble to a minimum. All laboratory work must he done by a technician who has been trained in the vari ous toxicological laboratory techniques and the interpretations must be made in con junction with the past history of the in dividual. May 1 say in conclusion that it is much more profitable to correct a dusty oiwration than to declare it a hazard. Training Supervision in Accident Prevention By JOHN j. LOCE Employment Manager, The General Tire St Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio As we scan the history or" the safety movement, we find that a great deal of emphasis has been placed oa the foreman's responsibility in accident prevention work. Authorities seem to agree- that foremen (and by foremen is meant direct super vision) are very largely responsible for the prevention of accidents in indtxstry- How do these authorities arrive at their conclusions? Why must the foremen as sume the responsibility for injuries to per sons under their supervision? When we tell our supervisors that they must accept the responsibility for acci dents occurring in their departments, we must be prepared to slate a few reasons. We ask a foreman for a report following an accident, and he has a right to a clear understanding as to the reason why he is called upon to explain when one of his workers is injured. There nothing mysterious about the placing of respon sibility for accidents. It isn't the case of management imposing a burden upon supervision that shookl belong elsewhere. As soon as a person is placed in a super visory capacity, a position where he has charge of the work of others, he becomes directly responsible tor their conduct and