Document 6Rn0YaJGBBDGrJ3vkaeG8MjdR

FILE NAME: Visible Dust (VDT) DATE: 1942 April DOC#: VDT006 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Journal Article - Industrial Medicine sstgiR# ' f*W*h*^ f'**TM*** ^ *? a *#e#rft*g &n*$ fr*v&*hs si sod it mli twit#**3 JPstiflW, npprtK di^eifs. $1^ tegcHw vi*k asl*(iirir*ft** TN * ^ * k i p*&- ? Mfilir?# Usim*** ft,8 fe*M *****&** *** ini*#d. * y &. ?*i, s$., Tkd jitors. <t!l aa?efc cop in"fckVci. rnq da *b* *ccir*CY 4*5 printed, r.fei* in ft & sr?U m4 *- ^spa^ion? ssppsssjoft i *ftrar4 . afs tbft epinjsftj ot Sksir .., Miwf3 & *U *? the right . -to cn fh$ fcifflg, i& iks> m && *s&**3ttffit kwn, m $k*p sty b iieln#<l ' ' -T- Tfi* IonaI oi Occoplion#l Di*e* #nd Trgi,i*tic Surgery " 1 - Wisii hish bps *onsoldel*l "Th tndaHfial S e e ic i" end "SistcraDliofsa! Jouriwl of M sd isin i snd Surgery." The Science, the'Law andTthe Economics of !n X V 4 &*zs& ---------- oiums S A pril, 1942 7r> n S u T S U H tlm b e r \ Hypertension in Workers over Forty YeaWni Age ' _ '-- A PrcUmimirt Report'-- .............. Arthur M , Master, M.D.. and Simon Back, JI.B,, New York City f t BE Hood pressure ia workers 4S years os age and... over isas not bse stsidM sufficiently, Although it is been recognised for many years tha blood resswre rissa steadily iriUs age, only a relatively small .saber of Wood pressure readings isi the older age ups has been available. Many blood pressures \o M ie rs and woriisses h a been published, je a i these groups generally ranged between V . -d) years, These studies have been cited la a rerioua paper.4 One of the largest groups was that radied by B ritten and Thompson2 who found that in 4SS male workers over 40 the systolic pressure was 3 was, or more in 16. in the decade 40-49 years, S,S% in the decade 58*53 years, unet 51.2, in those 9feanerever, y ------ la the previous paper referred to above* we plotted he incidence o hypertension m the general population 3 calculated from 41,500 published figures. I t was* hewn that the incidence of hypertension (150/90 or nor) rose from at the age of `>5 to 45 above fa years, Although the number of cases in the age proup 49 years or over wks relatively small, w inti mated that hypertension in the general population was r.ore frequent ihais was ordinarily appreciEted. This *3 emphasized by Robinson stsd Bruger1*who cob- ;jded from a study of approximately 4S0O persons 40 ears r over th a t about 40% c i the adult population j prehypertensive or hypertensive. In this report and -a others in preparation' wear presenting an analysis <i the Wood pressure in the general population 40 years `f &ge or over as based on resdinga obtained in tvork/ * ***industry, hospital patients, and inmates cf homes -or the aged. ^Kr.cwk-dgo of the true tncidcnce of hypertension In . A f p o p u h t t i o n la of fundamental intpartanee ^cvr. \ U * f1ud.v i nrterioseicrofis, hypertension and the *""* Proceis. Sts irojjortanse is (.-ihanced when one -- \ r s that ;hha nation's populfttii'in over 40 is h yearly byj the rntnions. Dublin* has c -^fat, in tise \year 3DJ0, C.S% of the popuiqtiot! ^ CS vr. vOOlVftQg" _ rs of nyt; or over, romprjsing nearly persons, and 2fi.5% wns 43 years of age i-e estimates that in I 'jgO the vorrorponding j , , `-'ouid he 14.4 and 4<j.37, or 22,000,000 per- -yZ, ,r r 1,3 ivors of age andabout 01,300,000 pyrsons .45 years of age or over. SUeglitz?, too, lias emphasised tbs same facts., is-, th at 40, of pojmlafiwffi-, IS30 will be over the 8ge of 45. The interest of the ciiaseian and the physician in industry ist tha incidence,-, of hypertension in people over 40 lies fa rth e r.is the _ fact th at in the present war emergency many more __ men sad women of. the older ag groups will be eat- V ployed than ever before, whereas hitherto they were.;* probably diseciminated against to some degree. "*"' M aterial " - -- W ITH tha whole biUDS, Medical hearted cooperation of DR. Director, Chevrolet-Grey B. . Iron Foundry, Saginaw, Michigan, a division of General Motors, of 58. G, B, CEHRMAHK, Medical Director, E , . I. Dn P o et 4e Nemours & Go,, Wilmington, Delaware, - end of PS. EBWAJ mcsweekey, Medical. Director, " Kew York Telephone Company, , Michael lake, - Medical Director, B. H. Macy & Co., Kew York, and" SB. Loots KAUS.MAH, of B. Altman Co., Naw York, we obtained blood pressure readings jn 5453 workers, 40 years o f age and over, comprising SSGis mea s a il' 1788 women. - - In all eases tha blood pressures ware taken by phy sicians hy the auscultatory method. The sudden diminution in intensity of the sounds (fourth phase) was taken as the diastolic pressure in about one-third to one-half the esses, while in the remaining the total disappearance of sound (fifth phase) was considered as the diastolic level Since the majority of opinion fa vors the sudden loss of sound intensity as th correct diastolic blood pressure it will be seen chat our diastolie figures are on the conservative side, s.c., in many cases they arc lower than (bey should be. The medical direc tors took pains to reassure and cnitn the poiietit, and the average or final resting biii pressures were recorded. The blood pressure readings were these of applicants for jobs, those obtained during pm oJicai lam insfM is every half to two years, ami in the case of the New York Telephone Company also at times ef enforced nrtirr-ment, i a g e n \ for men ard 55 for women. In this company, w probably in the others, any active employee or retired employee could have a voluntary examination any time he wanted. In stoperal the. companies were libers! In their ac- ;;pt',r..-D of , rrr!pyv'-i, taking vven young worker with m l| 'w * * &S*S!t*feE :.i',`-J'^VVr " ft Vy ^ -- $>T-*SWp^ ' ^?.siiT^Sr.jrs' a-' * `vf/r/P ZziS. ~r~~~ .. '-r-art. i'f it is )*own th a t the workera are changed every , The evaluation of the occupational disease hassrd itarh r.f a rniatini* cattrsa ffirw? as'.we ouster i t in the field is o f vital importance itt the economic control"of a potentially injurious exposure.' The two principal methods' o f evaluating profitably, be discussed 'is a paper of this type, the severity of the health hazard are through o b s e r-,, _ v" ^-Ss.tii,,ffests on the skia of washroom soap; o f ,'. ratios of th e occupational, environment _sed through ... `JrL? |4 W 'e ta n ^ in g t 9(Uteaction of oils; as well sa the examination t tie worker,J.; ^ IjoAoy solvents on the akin--but lin o forbids *Sfcj[odosiOh. "16 an be said that the control tncas-' Us and LSraHations" of Eyes'and N-fese" .'*~. - -i t^ & c a s s e d hare, coupled with this company's estab- Oft MUCH emphasis has Been plaesi on chemical and , 'Jpoliefl o f 'food Jtoimkeeping and general plant" *~l` physical testing o`f the a ir fo r contaminants that- the question has- been raised! Are Wr eyes and noses LeSSfcffiSr" of no assistance to us in the evaluation of hazardous T IS S j U *A uncletrolmeis of the skin ic the chief 6 "--*v- -- - - - -c--a-u--s-e- of iMnduussitrial dermatitis, the em- ^J^;^te-y?^.-jir. abouid provide adequate facilities for the cere of .personal hygiene while at work. This operations?" Can only the chemist with his thermal decomposition apparatus, backed fey a Iftboratory full ' of beakers, volumetric flasks-and speciroptotaiKeter*."" state whether there la. top "nrach triehlorethylene ih -v S tirT f" tatSode sanitary washrooms equipped with hot and a non-irritating soap, towels, and W5S conditio, bath showers, ^ ---- - - Inform attw ? .......... . , . ._ . .. . . - _L prominent measure is the"elimination of ~ The answer is th a t if is necessary to utilize physical. -- aatyiSaterSals from contact with the worker by. and chemical methods ia aumy situatians'fci order _ ^o^'er-partlally endosfnr the operation so that ^evaiuate the h & zurd if we wish to avoid the tenges j^^PcdO^ifuines,- vapors, or dusts sre prevented from "procedure of w aiting to see. if the worker's health !^^^i4i7>g-.IHs,w s r i e r , Vr.'J - h i ./ actually being a ffe c te d .B a t before discussing the!;1(i s S f '. / rsssl ?ir^.ri&piiphoerSfihfla6f.-fpareototeraItntwthceloptrheinvegn,.tpioronvoidfedsktihnisintfyepee-. -.acopnpdliictaiotinosn wofhethreesethme eethyoeds s.,alnedt 'noesojJoainret^-oHttjec te*r t a i n ^ ^ j ^ K . arriving at an opinion of. the hazard~"aftd also atj __ __ __ -employ _'af the preeaBtSsas w hich. slisaid -be obsOrted U fhdV i ^ w g ; eyes" and nose are to bs employed a8"guldes'.Ti sack &is?ixi$ '.disinfecting solotians re mentioned-- sensory diagnosis of a condiUon," one must be. guardsw**iA.** ji^ % l^ d ? u tio a 'o f hypochlorite for rubber.articles, and" not only against optical illusions, but against olfactory ^^p^Sdc9e fabrics, a. soap so! um^containing a .fliustoas as well, . . A ^.i * '~1..---------' " '" L e t us make a survey.."of a.maoafactofffig plant, ^ S ^ I t e t r i m p o r t a n t control measure "is the ase* of without benefit of the 'truck-load of gadgets which ............cfvjkin.creams. These creams form a `'protec- are the ban* f the industrial hygioiiist's am balsteiy- ,, g j.2 " TtSrjlr f - ' between the kin and industrial p i- .. (cursiOns and Sad out what we can do and h o w .fa r' gtimeTikely to cause the dermatitis. wo can go in the evaluation of the health hazard,;, l . ' fcJlosSieta" should bo non-irritating', and should, The plant we visit includes a convenient variety of S ^spcsjtfags be insoluble or nearly so In the operations--but io this respect it is not different from .... ;oprotest- They should numbers of actual-plants on which many of us sail or . the work period with where we carry on our work. As we step from the ` ~ rp rp fj&jfy.wia water. At least two or three standard office Into, one end. of the. factory, .we .Sad.ourselves.-- ^e&iEKSsiryv.-...Ckc3sionsll?.ft- jjartienter expo- in a department whore electrical receptacle* are being ' _'TSpnre special formulation,.. ' . _ . , . produced of asbestos compounded with a synthetic l^ts-^onrT srm eazures discussed here, together with resin. The first operation Involves emptying bags of ,, >-3#^saay"s continued good housekeeping policy, has short asbestos fiber into mixers. No imagination was | ^ $ 8 't o j t o l d e w e of dermatitis in our Rouge plant wasted on this operation-K it. is accomplished' simply ?^^5te71|i6*caaeit-for each 1,000 of plant popula5^N*3Jiwssttar-- ----:-- -- .......... ' .......... by weighing the burlap bag and dumping it manually _. ^&ssgaariWraiMSSTrr --rvv * " sS&^twcses"'-/ ..*..................................... - ...... ..... into the mixer--following with a conscientious shaking of ^the bag ta _make sure it is entirely emptied. U 4 BEHHilA, H. T.5 O ccm tk*i BemeU*. This operation is interm ittent, but while it is being ras (SS9), done there is a cloud of asbestos in the air which eves the most casual observation would sot miss. The evaluation of the severity of this dust exposure h{fr^ S ^ ^ ^ I ^ C h ic u p ational Disease H a z a rd requires one additional element which is often over -.vers ^'4v-kL-, ---Evehtniim in the Field-- looked. the duration of the exposure. I f a batch can be made up in 20 minutes which will provide enough : " Wawwn A. Cook, material for the whole day, thsn it is probable th at -- - ..isr-A-* -v. iitor. Division of Industrial Hygiene and a respirator approved by the U. 3. Bureau of Mines Zurich Gencrui Accident fo r .Cype A dusts would sudiae. But if the operation icago 18 repeated every hoar, general observation could b considered sufficient ground* to Evaluate the hazard a s excessive arid to serve &a the basis of a rcco m E ieiid a-. becoming vaiiablo concerning the t;on for control, J t todu^tial materials which cause injury I t - r^ , Ihose which may be considered imioea- .. apply this tmowfods on the toxic 'flft!1j'" >J!a*erla. it is neceisary to have menna rra?dw$ w htther or not the exposure ia within . *n ' h * adjoining room, we find the batch Seiitg f e d into molding machines nnd th receptacles being placed on racks. The plane superintendent is >v$ii satisfied wish the effectiveness oi the exhaust ventila tion system j'astaiied when this new operation was begun a year ago, and he expects oar approbation of -v------ -. - r ~" Page 19i INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE A inij the installation. I t is easy to say, " , that is a * days oad work weeks, th.is matter of duration S'JBtor splendid exhaust system," - But what if such an off* increased importance. A y est sgo a mas may - hsnd comment doses the Subject and pis years Sate? , been exposed to silica cur two hours a week' ' one or two of the t e e n girls on the operation te e ic p preparation of a paint lo r some'one monte asbestosis? If th condiiios does look good, what evaluation of the hazard at th at tin may have riU ria a 1 used as guides?' ' - '.it to be negligible. Today, th at customer's erdertQ# Criteria for Evaluation of Dust Hazards ' . . have Increased go th a t all day long several tnta y i -weighing op batches of silica f e s r as the Inert'S ? IN ?HE first place, too quick snap*judpjneirts should fee guarded against. If an unjustified OK is gives, tsriai for this same paint. From the point of r% j' of the paint formula, the ailic to u r ia part a? ;g - the health of the worker may be jeopardized; if a "inerts"; but from the industrial hygiene pohcgff eontem afion, then money may be spent unnecessarily, view St fails within the category of silicosis-prodcci- --___#a to say* nothing of developing- a lack of confidence of dusts known as proliferative materials. And if management to your judgment,. iterative dust is present throughout the entire w e n ' , ' iT 2k the ease of the asbestos dust condition, our eval sy and -week, it should be give careful atteetl" uation of the exposure should be based on the kaowl- in order to ascertain definitely whether or not 2jv edsre that the present toxic limit fo r asbestos is five is being affected. - 'fXs million particles of dust er cubic loot of sit, This 8. As a aid in learning which dusts may *'1 ia a very small concentration, so small to fact that injury and which are relatively safe, research h ^ ' ; the eeaditsoK Bsay look good even to a itieal eye been conducted on the action of various dusts and still prsent ah exposure greater than this low injection into guinea pigs. .The mterperitoneal y S jr limit. Some indication of the amount of dost present tkm is s measure of the effect of these dusts on I ihs a ir may be obtained by soling the layer of dust inhaled into the lungs. .Publications4 on the rS iiv on nearby settling places after learning hew long - of these tests may be obtained from th e Division" a time has elapsed since they w ere,last dented. If Industrial Hygiene, National Institute of HesEfc. sly a th is layer of dust has accumulated over six Bethesdft, Maryland, and it is probable that jafonri^!. months or a y ear and there sire jso visible pa ifa of dust tion on the reaction of cerium dusts not included 1 jetoapin 'sSifer th e operation, -it is probable that the these publications could .also be obtained on isqq condition is satisfactory, ' * The dusts are divided into three groups; ( I ) absor la the case of asbestos dust, however, and ibis live, such as calcium carbonate or marble dust; holds with even more certainty for dusts high in free inert, such as aluminum oxide or emery dust, and p lS j silica content, the toxic limit is so low th a t the only proliferative, such as silica Heat a tripoli. Dusted*^ safe procdure is to have recourse to actual dust deter proliferative group are those which produce silicos^l minations. This is especially important where the on sufficient exposure. ,- . ; ....r.SS?Kii ~ft!jbrit)Si5 condition is not. Immediately w idest but 4. I f general observation does act indicate ah" requires years to develop as in the casa of asbestojis ^ously dusty condition 'here the free silica p e r c a a ia ^ S lr j _;.sad silicosis.. . . . . of the dust is apprec,abl<? in which case .. W hat rules cas ba laid down in the evaluation of measures should be immediately instituted-- dust tost hazards In the field? Although individual eondi* terminations should bs made, unless they a n > r t ^ ^ b ^ ! e ', tiens call fo r specialized treatment, a cumber of gen ously negligible. .... ___ . eral suggestions can he made.............................. ' . ' Without going into a very extensive d lsc u ssfo fi^ S riw 'i -.-l.- Obtain some reliable indication of the free silica tbs methods of determining the concentration of.iifc 'icontent of the dusk A few specific items can be men- various industrial contaminant* in workroom 'tio a e d . l a foundries, parting compounds may be 'largely tripoli which la free silica or they may eeatai t less fhso 5% free silice. Manufacturers' statements by Leonard O ren b u rg , b a r since been mads . to th e letter effect can usually be depended upon. The . Compensation Inspection Eating Board of New York maintains a list of parting compounds containing less than S% free silica for which credit is allowed in the portable and is comroen-iaHy available as the so-caSsJCsi?^: ``midget impinge*-" through the Mina Safety Appliiyl smees Company.4 Other devices such as the koQirac`cf7?~T'5' and the Ba-usch and Lomb dust counter , compensation rate. Dust collected ia arresters con . samples and are useful control instruments.4 - l i f e nected to sandblast rooms has been used as a. parting "compoand la some small foundries. This of course Exposures to Toxic D usts and Fumes . is high in free silica. f \ m plant survey continues and we proceed In tha rubber industry, much dust Is frequently present from the usa of soapstone powder or talc in preventing unvulcanized rubber sheets from sticking together. Where true soapstone or talc is used, the adjoining department where a Ijtbnrge-glycarinm cement > being used for attaching glass ler.sea tovgVi ^ polished metal reflectors. A group of girls are wcrkiRSz I* around a large tabic, each being provided with a free silica content is low, usually negligible. Imported pound oar Ion of litharge. The housekeeping is jctp ,_ stocks of these materials are now disappearing from piilousiy clean. All hygienic measures such os adeQuat#. J the market and ground minerals obtained in this washing facilities are provided and their use r gidlf' A...-" country are being substituted. Quantities of pyrophyi- adhered to. The operation involves removal o f litharge.? &. f*' !ife. itself a combined silicate, arc being nlilized as a bv mciins of a spatula from the carton onto a glass satisfactory substitute) but this pyrophylHte may in plate where a small amount is troved with slj-ceriar*' i s :-*J clude large proportions Of quartz.--23. anti 22*3, The Prior to being plied to the end of the glass evaluation of the potential hazard might thus be There is every appearance that renditions are saUS- J o j changed from negative to severe on the basis of the factory. Bor where workers are handling texic riate*._ S i, free silica content of the "soapstone." 2. A second important factor in the evaluation of ft dust hazard, and in fact of most of the occupational disease Hazards, is the duration of the exposure, in these days of accelerated production and longer work rials surh os U-sd in a powdered farm, it is d ar.crv -*,. ^ . to take for granted fhat exposures are within sr - limits on the basis of appearances alone. Eves ;koui,:,S" end oxide is h,,svy and tends to title more ra?;^'.e;i- than dusts having lower specific gravities, very 6neT._