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FILE NAME Painters and Allied Trades PAINT DATE 1977 Apr DOC PAINT050 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Article from Painters and Allied Trades Journal Journal 9+ 1887-19797+ 9+NRK Anniversary yb 2ws Anniversary On the Cover IBPAT puts its re- sources behind situs picketing the push for equal rights NEWS AND FEATURES page Inside Front Cover 4 7 10 . 12 - 31 From the General President IBPAT Crafts Launch Drive for Picketing Rights Final Report MSSM Pinpoints Health Hazards Ask the Doctors Members Query the Experts IBPAT Offers Home Study Courses The GST Reports DEVOTED TO THE TRADE INTERESTS OF RESIDENTIAL ' COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL 'SIGN @ PICTORIAL COACH 'AUTOMOBILE e AIRCRAFT MACHINERY @ RAILWAY EQUIPMENT SHIP AND SCENIC PAINTING DECORATING PAPERHANGING WALL COVERING e DECORATIVE AND ARCHITECTURAL GLASS WORK GLAZING fiCARPET fiLINOLEUM S OFT TILE @ PAINT AND VARNISH MAKING BRUSH MAKERS AND TO THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN GENERAL Any member or subordinate body publishing programs souvenirs or other documents of any description must not designate them as The Official Journal of the Brotherhood or as The Painters and Allied Trades Journal either upon the publication itself on their advertising contract forms or stationery Robert J. Petersdorf Petrsdorf Publisher . Sam Parker EditEdoirtor 1750 New York Ave. N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 DEPARTMENTS page 15 Local and District Council News 20 Labor Beat 21 GEB Minutes 25 Sports and Recreation 26 Financial Report S. FRANK RAFTERY General President 1750 New York Avenue N.W. | Washington D.C. 20006 ROBERT J. PETERSDORF General Treasurer 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 General Vice Presidents BERNARD SNIEGOWSKI 1st District 1443 Westchester Boulevard Westchester Ill 60153 A. L. MONROE 2nd District 7909 Bayberry Drive ' Alexandria Va 22306 JAMES WOLFORD 3rd District 100 Devon Lane Williamsville N.Y. 14221 Published monthly by the entry International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades Second Class mail authorized at Washington D.C. JACK T. COX 4th District VOLUME 91 No. 4 2212 DuPont Drive Irvine Calif 92664 . ; APRIL 1977 GUY LEBER 5th District POSTMASTERS ATTENTION Change of address cards on Form 3579 should be sent to THE PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES JOURNAL 1750 New York Ave. N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 Subscription Price 2.00 per year Single copy 20 cents . The official journal of the Interna- tional Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades organized March 15 . 1887 and the only publication issued under its auspices .. . Seg TNTERNATIONAL TNTERNATIONAL TNTERNATIONAL TNTERNATIONAL 1930 Bishop Lane Louisville Ky 40218 JAMES B. COX 6th District 8800 Blue Ridge Ext No. 10 Kansas City Mo. 64138 WILLIAM A. DUVAL 7th District PRINTED ON UNION MADE PAPER PRINTED WITH UNION MADE INK 3 PRINTED IN U.S.A. 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 ; . : : ; 2 ? rating eas ciations ciations are f In- ribing gress- ipaign homegroup This is the final article in a - part series dealing with the Mount Sinai School of : The December through Feb- ruary issues of the JOURNAL discussed disorders and dis- eases of the brain and nervous system the nose throat mouth and lungs and the bronchial and trachial tubes Last month the findings of the MSSM detectives examined the disorders and diseases of stomach and in- testines the liver heart and kidneys the blood and the skin This concluding article is a summary of the important re- port and an examination of the MSSM recommendations Suffering in the IBPAT Ranks Final Report The foregoing report clearly demonstrates the existence of significant health hazards in the paint trades the summary MSSM Report The MSSM study clearly concludes that a painter's occupation can be dangerous to his health The study suggests rather strongly that many of the chemicals with which painters must work may be the culprits that create the hazards However the MSSM detectives warn against broadly coating the entire industry with a broad hazardous brush Not all the findings of the study are negative For example the study found no evidence of an important continuing lead problem among painters Nor are skin diseases as common as ex- pected Encouraging as well is that individuals heavily exposed to titanium have comparatively few abnormalities which might be attrib- uted to this metal least to date Finally MSSM detectives feel the evidence of the study indicates sandblasting with appropriate precautions need not result in widespread serious harm Yet some are potentially serious they say and require urgent detailed study with appropriate corrective measures de- fined and instituted Control Asbestos Hazard The MSSM detectives find widespread use of containing materials in the paint trades Spackle compounds used by general painters contain asbestos Taping and joint compounds used in drywall construction contain asbestos And many sealant compounds contain asbestos Also the painter and allied tradesman are constantly exposed to asbestos dust from materials used in other construction trades In many cases neither the worker . nor the employer are aware of the asbestos content of the materials being used nor the degree of ex- posure Immediately the MSSMMS study recommends industry and union groups should sit down with NIOSH and identify safe working practices and substitute other chemicals for asbestos wherever feasible Very likely the sponsored National Joint Safety and Health Committee NJS will help in this task Work Practices for Sandblasting Industry Labor and NIOSH recognize that incompletely controlled sandblasting results in rapidly progressive fatal silicosis However the MSSM findings show that controlled sandblasting exposure sharply decreases the hazard The MSSM detectives recommend industry and labor cooperation to define the most appropriate and safest sandblasting work practices as the best means to eliminate hazard from the sandblasting trade Measure and Analyze the Work Environment As Part I of this series pointed out very little research to establish the actual worker exposure under site conditions has been done Virtually nothing is known of the site conditions under which hundreds of thousands of painters and allied tradesmen in the United States work A variety of solvents and other chemicals are known to be harmful at some exposure levels But what these levels are in the painter's workplace have not been studied Many dust and particulate matter have never even been mea- Continued next page THE JOURNAL 7 sured And very few workers or short effects are discussed in common among painters and allied employers know the names of the Part II of this series tradesmen see Part III This was chemicals they are using The term effects have not expected by the MSSM detectives Standards to control chemical been studied and MSSM rec- because of the large amounts of dust health hazards can not be properly ommends much more work But determined if current exposure preliminary data suggests that long- painters and allied tradesmen What levels remain unknown term effects of solvent exposure may the MSSM detectives do not know To make the exposure levels be a serious problem especially is how much other inhaled agents- known the MSSM detectives pro- among epoxy workers chemical gases and fumes pose more measurements of site More is known about the short- or accelerate the dust hazards _ chemicals and exposures Examine Central Nervous System Effects Central nervous system effects can be either short- or long Short effects are those which result from single exposures such as dizziness nausea or headaches Long effects are those which result from many years of exposure such as premature aging brain damage and permanent impairment of mental processes Both long- and term . effects but again MSSM detectives recommend more worker testings search evaluations more site and more laboratory re- An area which MSSM recom- mends particular attention be directed is the relationship between central nervous system effects of the chemical culprits and accidents Study Lung Disease in Painters There is good reason to suspect that mixed dust pneumoconiosis is The frequency of abnormal x and pulmonary function findings MSSM make this a question to answered immediately MSSM rec ommends that an important first step is to determine the dust bur ' den of the lungs of painters Also steps must be taken to es tablish levels for all future dust in- halations Continue Mortality Studies ' The MSSM detectives uncovered three large studies of cancer incidences among a large number Summary of Key MSSM Findings The Mount Sinal final report 130 pages documenting the acute symptoms of exposure found among painters and allied tradesmen has been presented in the Journal in parts Below is a summary of the key findings 45 percent of the painters in the study exhibited symptoms of upper respiratory and conjunctival irritation See Part III Most common were complaints of irritation to the nose throat and sinuses . 38 percent exhibited symptoms of bronchial irritation Most worrisome were symptoms of chronic bronchitis .. . present in individuals who had not smoked cigarettes thus suggesting the possibility that exposure to fumes and dust may have been at fault See Part III occupations All three studies re ' ported that construction painters were the only group with signifi cantly higher than expected deathsphatic from lung cancer While the MSSM detectives domatic not feel the researchers in these studies were as careful in their work as they should have been the results are consistent with their own ings Consequently the MSSM d^' tectives urgently recommend an inomum og vestigation of the mortality workers in the painting trades The mortality study would provide newes clues to the cancer hazard among werans.* 71 percent experienced narcotic symptoms which in- cluded symptoms such as dizziness headedness unusual exhilaration and loss of balance See Part II ; Digestive symptoms such as nausea vomiting and loss of appe- painters and the chemical culpritsmesium which might be responsible Determine Carcinogenic Potential tite accompanied the narcotic symptoms in almost third _ Chemical Exposures of the cases See Parts II and IV Only 46 percent of the smoking and 31 percent of the Some of the chemicals used! the making of paints and othe smoking workers given the sputum cytology test for chronic materials used in the paint trades bronchitis and abnormal pulmonary function had normal tests results See Part III Abnormality in the sputum cytology test implies a greater likelihood of developing cancer are known to be carcinogenic can cer causing in animal studies However as pointed out in Part of this series animal studies are not 8 THE JOURNAL always realistic assessments of the human hazards Additionally many of the chemicals in the paint trades have never been studied in any fashion It is impossible to tackle all the agents which are suspected so MSSM recommends establishing a priority list of chemicals for study After the chemicals to be studied are decided upon a wide assort- ment of questions about each must be answered How many workers are exposed What is the level of exposure What is the known can- causing potential This will be a long consumContinued next page This summary of the MSSM findings makes no distinction between the harms of long- and short exposure nor high and low concentrations of exposure However painters and allied tradesmen are exposed to these chemicals for longer periods of time and in higher concentrations during the course of their work than would be an average citizen Consequently the chart does indicate harms painters and allied tradesmen are more likely to suffer as a direct result of their occupation mal ray ndings by Compounds ion to bbee Compounds the Paint rec rec Industry SSM rtant first et ' burs dust burs . . and Ways They 49 Can Ruin Can Ruin Your : Health 1 NEUROLOGICAL RESPIRATORY DIGESTIVE ORGANS MISC ; : ExEhxihliarlaatrioantion HeHaedadcchheess InsoInsommiaConoridianatiLonoConsfusiosn Unconsciousnes Lu of Trachea n Obstructive Pneumocniosi Eg dema Digestive AppeAtppietteite Vomiting Ir|ritation Unconsciousness Damage Symptoms Muscles Unconsciousnes Central Central " Dizines FatigHeaudachese Insomnia Loss Loss| Nausea Prenarcotic Unconsciousness Bronchitis Emphysema FibrosFiibrsosis Iritation iritation Irrit Lung Silicosis General Intestinal Ulcers Kidney Liver Death Dermatitis Irritation Iritation Leukemia InsomnPi renara cotic Fatigue General Kidney Silicosis Diarrhea Stomach Kidney : CCeennttrralal Insomnia Insomnia Loss Mental Paralysis Prenarcotic Slowed Tremors Unconsciousnes Central Exhilaration I"nsomnia Slowed Prenarcot Unconi sciousc ness of Mental Paralysis Prenarcotic Slowed Unconsciousnes AEsbmesptohsiys sEemphysmema aFibroFsiibsrosisirIritartionitiarittatioinIroIrrnriitt Pneumoconiosis Pneumoconiosis Respiratory Silicosis Shortness Diarrhea General Intestinal Loss General Intestinal Ulcers Stomach Vomiting Vomiting Heart Kidney Liver Anemia Death Ir itation Iritation Leukemia Kidney Liver AnemiaIrritIrriatationtIriitationoLeunkemia : i Blindness Central Dizziness Exhilaration Fatigue Headaches ness Insomnia of of Blindnes Exhilaration Headaches Insomnia Headnes Headedness Confusion Prenarcotic Unconsciousness Reactions Unconsciousness Bronchitis Fibrosis Iritation irritation Cancer irrEi mphysemt a Fia brosit s iriritoatinon Cancer Obstructive Pneumoconiosis Obstructive Pneumoconiosis Shortness Silicosis Shortness Silicosis General Intestinal of Stomach Ulcers Vomiting Diarrhea General Intestinal of Stomach Ulcers Vomiting Kidney Asbestosis Bronchitis Emphysema Fibrosis Iritation iritation Trachea Cancer Obstructive Pneumoconiosis Anemia Dermatitis Irritation Leukemia Fl Dermatitis Iritation Iritation Leukemia i Exhilaration ness Visual Prenarcotic Bronchitis Respiratory Silicosis Diarrhea Intestinal irritation Pneumoconiosis Intestinal Vomiting Damage Damage Dermatitis Irritation Iritation Leukemia } Irritation | Nerv Exhilaration Nerv Exhilaration Visual Reactions Congestion of Damage DaDmamaaggee Damage : . Headedness Confusion Headednes Coordination Visual Confusion Reactions Unconsciousnes of Congestion Ventilatory Pneumoconiosis Tract Cancer Appetite Damage Damage ooff| of : : SSyysstt Headedness Confusion Reactions Unconsciousnes Lung Trachea CCoonnggeessttiionon VVeennttiillaattoorryy Pneumoconiosis TrBacrt eBaretathh DCigaensctievre AApppeptietetite z the the 4 Coordination Muscles Cancer Nose Ventilatory Tract Syst Muscles Digestive Cancer the ! the Symptoms . Acuity | | | | Acuity Symptoms Bronchial Pneunonitis Breath System Bronchial Pneunonitis | Skin ' H Acuity Damage ( Cancers : Bronchial Ventilaory Pneunoits System Skin Damage General Pneunonitis Cancers System Throat Damage General General Throat Bronchial Pneunonitis Cancers System Throat Bronchial DaDammaaggee Tissue Cancers General Bronchial PneunonPnieuntonitis Complaints General | Tubes Pneunonitis Complaints | . General Tubes Dysfunction Complaints Skin ec | Tubes Dysfunction Complaints Tubes Dysfunction Complaints i Dysfunction Complaints $ ith signifi ith signifi ted deaths oe phatic Hydrocarbons onia imony ectives do atic Hydrocarbons ; in these Lestos these ite their work results the results Chromates ic find Acid own find Compounds MSSM de . end an in rtality # The rades new on Tetrachloride Marinated Hydrocarbons Compounds staline staline Silica ters cols rovide new ardard amoamo zones Compounds nese Oleate cal culpri 1 iibbllee a PotentialPotential : sium Carbonate lene Chloride eral Spirits lic lic Acid Sent Dust ls used used ellac : Compounds and oth ade ai ade furic Hydroxide furic Acid anium Dioxide genic ( al studiChloride studiChloride it in Par dies dies are PentinePentine studiChloride studiChloride Dust Compounds X X X X XX XX XXX & X X X X X X XXX XXX XX XXX XXX ae XX x X xxxx X X X X X X | X X XX X xxxx XX X| ^ X XXX XX X 1 X X X X X X XX XX XX XX XX X X XXXXXX X XXXX XX XXXXXX x X X XX X X X X X X X X X X XX X XXX XX XXX X XX XX X X XXX XXX XXX XX XX X X X XX X X XX ^X ^ XX XXXX XXXXXX X X XXXXX XXX XXX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX X XXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXX ' > XX bd ^ XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX X XX XXX XXXX X X X X X xxx IKK XX XX XX X X X XX XX X X X X X X XX X XX X X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXX XXX P P XXX XXX X XX X X X XX K | X" X XX X X X X X XX X XX al {xix} 1X 1X : XX : X XX XXX XXX XX X XXXX KOOL ; XXX XXXX ; XXXX KOOL : XXXX Fi X| x XXX XXX ^ x XXX XX XX : : ; i. XXX | PA XXX X X X 5 XXXXXX XXX XXX : . X X X X * X , XX XX X XX X THE JOURNAL 9 MSSM Pinpoints Health Hazards ing process and the final answers will not be here tomorrow or the next day appropriate tional program together participation of" ernment agencies with the gov- In the meantime MSSM recommends reducing exposure to all chemicals as much as is possible Cooperate Yes the Mount Sinai School of Medicine investigation into the haz- Study Accidents Several studies have shown painters have very high rates of occupational accidents MSSM recommends a detailed study of the environmental influences in these accidents The study would include both fatal and fatal accidents and ards of the paint trades does reveal significant hazards exist But identifying the problem does not solve it - Mount Sinai's work will continue Over the next two years further examinations of at least 1500 regu- lar painters an unspecified number of bridge and iron painters an un- specified number of shipyard paint- relate them to the type of work and possible chemical exposure which may have been involved As pointed out in Part II of this series neurotoxic effects occur with great regularity among painters and allied tradesmen and are highly suspected as causes of many acci- dents The study might also examine whether exposed painters are involved in more automobile accidents while driving home from work than are solvent exposed workers One such case is reported this month in the Ask the Doctor column appearing on this page of the Journal . ers 500 tapers and an unspecified number of epoxy and other special paint workers will be made A study of painters lungs will be done Jobsite monitoring of exposure levels will be conducted And the mortality studies already underway will be completed Some of industry is also doing its part The NPCA National Paint and Coatings Association study mentioned in the March Journal is beginning The Silica Sand Association is considering a series of tests on sandblasters to help establish responsible sandblasting standards In the meantime all painters and allied tradesmen must make every reasonable effort to reduce their Develop Educational Programs In some cases toxic agents are already known and the procedures exposures to develop new tech- niques and to become aware of the contents of the MSSM study other necessary for their control have such studies and OSHA and NIOSH been identified stances MSSM. For these subrecommends It regulations and standards which are designed to protect painters and would be advantageous to look to allied tradesmen from hazardous the development of educational programs the worker at the job appropriate directed to site as well work conditions Throughout the MSSM recommendations the need for coopera- as supervision and management detailing what is known of these problems and the measures needed The MSSMMSSM detectives recom- mend once again industry union cooperation to develop the educa- tion among unions industry and government groups is stressed If healthful and safe working conditions for all workers can come to pass through cooperation then we should be all for it Doctor Do you worry about the chemicals with which you work Do you have symptoms of an illness which you think may be connected to your occupation Now you can write and Ask the Doctors Ask the Doctors is a new monthly JOURNAL column de- signed to answer your ques- the tions on the hazards of paint trades Lilis and Edwin C. Holstein of the Mount Sinai School Medicine in New York will make their expertise in occupational health and safety available to you through this column This month Dr. Edwin C. Holstein replies Brother W.G. writes I had been using a two part mix ture of Sherwin Williams epoxy -: On the third day after quitting work I had taken one drink of whiskey and while driving home I blacked out in my mind and subsequently was charged with driving under the influence . Dr. Holstein replies Your problem is a familiar one In the Mount Sinai study of health hazard in the painting trades we found that most painters have suf fered headedness dizziness of mental confusion from working with solvents and other materials . Some painters like yourself have even blacked out Epoxy is one : the worst offenders What about that one whiskey you drank If you are a normal sized person over ninety pounds have no liver disease 10 THE JOURNAL