Document 7R5yVk9nXoxyGgg8wdZ0Gjqeg

FILE NAME: Avondale (AVD) DATE: 197 DOC#: AVD DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: h^Z>Z^^ ZZ May-June 1972 Vol. 21 No. 3 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration Target Health Hazards ASBESTOS: AIRBORNE DANGER (:) PLAINTIFF'S ~ EXHIBIT i3 "is SBCA 5123 1i ~ V RE;GIONAL AbMINISTRATORS Resi0n I Donald A. Ma~Kenzie John F. Kennedy f'ederal 91dg. Governrrent Center. Room 308-E: eo~ton, Mass. 2203 Telephone; (617) 223-6712 The Quality of the Work Environment Human history has been defined as a record of man's attempts to master his environment. The struggle began early, with primitive man's attempts to control conditions he did not create and could not compre- Region II Alfred Barden 341 Ninth Avenue. Room 920 New Yor!<, N.Y. 10001 Telephone: (212) 971-5941 hend. The attempt to control environment continues today and is no less desperate in that the forces man seeks to understand and direct are Region Ill largely of his own making. A separate chapter in man's attempt to control the conditions of his life began about a century ago when a new social awareness focused on the need to improve working conditions. A century of progress, though David H. Rhone Regional Administrator Penn Souare Bldg., Room 410 1317 l'ilbert Street Philadelphia. Pa. 19107 Telephone: (215) 597-4102 often slow and halting, has taken us closer to the goal of providing decent conditions of employment for working men and women. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, with its purpose of assuring "safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women," takes us a step further. Literally, the Act means that no employee Region IV Basil A. Needham. Jr. 1375 Peachtree Street N.E.. Suite 587 Mlanta, Ga. 30303 Telephone: {404) 526-3573 must risk death, injury or illness to do his job, But the Act is rooted in a tradition that has aimed not just to establish decent working conditions 'Region V but to make the work environment liveable--to humanize it. This is a goal that cannot be won in a short time, nor can it be won by the few for the many. The renewed struggle for safe and healthful working Edward E. Estowski 300 South Wacker Drive Room 1201 Chicago, lll. 60606 Telephone: (312) 353-4746 conditions must be a common endeavor, involving every working man and woman, every employer, every union member, every state and federal Reg,on VI government official. Focusing upon the need to create heafthful working conditions, the Occupational Safety and Health Administratio11, in January 1972, initiated the Target Health Hazards Program. The emphasis is on five hazardous Johri K. Barto Texaco Bldg.-7t!1 Floor 1512 Commerce Street Dallas. Tex. 75201 Telephone: (214) 749-2477 workplace substances-asbestos, lead, silica, cotton dust and carbon monoxide. The approach is the ancient one--first to understand the exact nature of the dangers, then to control, and finally to prevent them. It is an objective within reach, for occupational diseases can be prevented. Region VII Joseph A, Reidinger 823 Walnut Street, Room 300 Kansas City, Mo. 64105 Telephone: ;816) 374--5249 It has been said that the Target Health Hazards represent only "the tip of the iceberg." That well may be. If so, what more logical place to Region VIII begin? Howard J. Schulte .; This issue of Safety Standards magazine begins a series of articles on Box 3588, Federal Bldg 1961 Stout Street the Target Health Hazards, with asbestos as the first topic. Once highly Deriver, Colo 80202 Tetephone: (303) 837-3883 regarded as a mineral with remarkable qualities, asbestos is now widely recognized as one of the most hazardous of air contaminants. Asbestos workers and the general public share the common danger. That the workplace and the environment in general do not always divide into separate compartments may be seen by glancing at the back cover. The photo shows asbestos insulation being sprayed on the steel girders Region lX W.irren H. Fuller Bo>< 36017 U.S. Department of Labor 450 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco. Calif. ::l4102 Telephone: <H SJ 556--0534 of a building under construction. But 25 percent of asbestos spray enters the atmosphere-a threat to other construction workers and to the Region X community. Reducing the risks of asbestos will benefit not only employees but also society in general. lt is an instance _where improving the work environment and improving the quality of fife come together. James W. Lake Srn,th Tower a:dg., Room 1804 506 Second Avenue s-,attle. Wash. 981J4 Telephone: (206i 442-5930 J. D. Hodgson -.i Secretary of Labor George C. Guenther Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health M. Chain Robbins Deputy Assistant Secretary/ Administrator SAFETY STANOARDS ,s the official bi-monthly magazine of the Occupat,onal Safety and Health Adm,n1stration, U.S. Oepartment of Labor. It 1s available by subscrip- tion at $1.00 a year ($1.25 for for ,, .: e1gn addre,ses); 20 cents a single ... .1 copy from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, O.C. 20402. Ex pressions of opinions in articles outside the U.S. Department of Labor do not necessarily represent the views of the Department. Use of funds for pnnt,ng this publica tion approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, February 5, 1968, Change of Address: Write to Superintendent of Documents, Government Prrnt,ng Ott1ce, Washington, O.C. 20402. Front cover: ln recent years asbestos has been recogn ,zed as one of the most dangerous contam lnants in the workplace. The asbestos worker on the front cover empties a bag of asbestos mix into a container and raises a cloud of asbestos dust that endangers others on the works,te, Picture Credits: Env1ronmental Control and Safety Management Insulation Industry Hygiene Re search Program, Environmental Science Laboratory, Mount Sinai School of Med1c1ne Library of Congress National Institute of Occupational Salety and Health Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the Un,ted States and Canada Power Systems. Inc. Smithsonian Institution U.S. Department of Labor Marcia Hovey, editor William C. Russell, associate editor Nancy L. Nelson, ass1st,mt editor Richard Mathews, art director Vol. 21 No. 3 May-June 1972 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration ARTICLES 2-Asbestos: Airborne Danger New regulation cuts risks tor workers. First in a series on Target Health Hazards. 8-Prospects Bright in Occupational Nursing Needed: more nurses on the jobsite. 12-NIOSH Team Sets Goals An interview with Dr. Marcus Key, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; and Edward J. Baier, Deputy Director. 16--0SI-IA Opens Training Institute School for safety officers sets high standards. 18-Alice Hamilton: Industrial Health Pioneer Profile of the woman who crusaded for em ployees' right to a healthful workplace. 22-They Take Their Safety Straight .Construction firm overcomes bad terrain, sets good safety record. DEPARTMENTS 26-Safety Spotlight 28-For the Record 31-News from NIOSH 32-Publications 1 :.. Target Health Hazards Asbestt13s: Airborne DaBDger ..- bt1 Nancv L. Nel,on Two thousand years ago when the first use of pushed for stricter. standards governing its usage, asbestos was recorded, it was a sacred object, a and the Occupational Safety and Health Ad.minis- ~ .1 : -~! curiosity of kings and nobles, a magic mineral. The tration has listed it as one of five target health haz- ' Greeks, who used asbestos for the wicks of their ards in a new program aimed to crack down on temple lamps, were enthralled when flames did not health hazards in the workplace. consume it, but burned unceasingly..Amazed, they Recent studies, such as those conducted by the cn.llecl it aibesta, which meant the "unquenchable," Mount Sina.i School of ~fedicine and the ~ati.onal the "inextinguishable." Research Council, have produced some dismrbing Now that asbestos has been integrated into our statistics on the mortality ra.~s of workers using industrial world-from .fireproof drapery and asbestos. Dr. Irving J. Selikoff of the :Mount Sinai floor tiles to the corrugated steel used in heavy con- School of ~foclicine discussed the implications of struction-the term used by the Greeks has been these studies: "At present, one in every five deaths found to apply to another attribute of this min- among insuln.tion workers is due to lung cancer, eral. No cure now exists for the diseases caused one in ten to ca.ncer of the pleura. or peritoneum, by inhaling asbestos fibers: once established, one in ten to scarred lWlgs of asbestosis., Since these disorders, too, have so far proved to be insulation workers receive relatively light expo- i n e x t i n g u isha b1e. sures to asbestos compared to some other occupa- In the last few years, asbestos has been recog- tional groups, these results a,re even more sombre. nized as one of the most hazardous of air con- What disturbs researchers about diseases linked taminants in the wor1..-place. Employees exposed to asbestos is that many co.ses they are presently en- to asbestos include an estimated 100,000 insulation countering result from exposures dating back to workers, 50,000 workers in manufacturing prod- the 10:}0's~ when asbestos "ns not used :is exten- u1 ucts, 60,000 using encl products, n.nd uncounted thousands construction. Labor unions have sinly as it is today. Thirty yen.rs ago -world production was appro:-dm::i.tcly 50,000 tons annu.1lly; toda.y it has skyrocketed to 3 million tons. The lliss "Selaon is the assistant editor of SAV&TY ST,1.:rn..i.nns. effects of exposures occuring in the 19,0's probably 2 Safety Star.d::irds will not be !mown until the end of the century; but .. the high mortality rates of today suggest what may be expected in the future. If working conditions a.re not significantly altered, asbestos exposure can 1 lead to 17,000 deaths from lung cancer, 10,000 deaths from cancer of the pleura and peritoneum, and 10,000 deaths from asbestosis, according to projections by Dr. E. Cuyler Hammond of the .!\.merican Cancer Society. The first case o:f asbestosis did not come under medical attention until 1900, 22 years after asbes- tos was mined on a large-scale basis. The victim! .a British textile worker, had inhaled the asbestos dust stirred up by the carding machine he had operated for H years. Ten other men had been his co-workers in the carding room. All died before their thirtieth birthcfays. Since the recognition of asbestosis 72 years ago, the disease has been widely studied the world over. from the mines of South Africa to the mills of Quebec. Today experts believe that asbestosis is one of the most debilitating of the pneumoconio- ses-lung dise::i.ses caused by dust inhalation. Erupting 20 to 30 years after the e::rposnre period, the disease exhibits no warning symptoms to mark its early stages.1fany studies have uncovered cases of the disease in which the e..x:posure was relatively light and did not continue over an extended period J of time. Although our varieties of asbestos are used commercially, chrysotile asbestos, mined primarily in Quebec, accounts for 95 percent of world pro- duction. Unt1er high magnification, chrysotile fibers resemble fine polished wire or strands of silk. Strong, soft and flexible, they can ~e woven into fabric. Chrysotile, however, is dangerous medic:.illy. When inhaled, the needle-like fibers become trapped in the lower bronchioles of the ltmgs. Xormally, protective cells calletl phagocytes destroy The us/Je~trnJ 1corl:er 111i.ri11!J cement is partirll/lJ protected by a res11imtor. The 11sbe~t1J-i fiber.1 it, the air, ltoicecer. endanger his fellow e111plouees, ju.~t ,is hiJ ,/11 ~t-latlen clothes are ,1 menace to lti1 r,1111 ,zu. ~-ezc OSH_l Mlliulanl reqitires that a1be~tos mritcnals be mi.red m closed contlliner'l. May-June 1972 3 ttThe effects of exposures occurring in the 1970's probably- will not be knoicn until the end of the century; but the high mortality rates of today suggest what may be expected in the future." such irritants. But asbestos fibers are indestructible in lung tissue. The phngocytes form a henvy coo.ting around the fibers. In time, a. dumb-bell shn.ped structure known as a ferruginous body begins to form. Asbestosis develops when the scar tissue that forms around nsbestos fibers slowly spreads throughout the lung and pulls it out of shape. The working space for air exchange is reduced, and blood flowing through the lungs is not replenished with a sufficient a.mount of oxygen. Breathlessness becomes pronounced, n,nd in advanced stages can be disabling. Other symptoms are loss of weight, coughing, weakness, and pain in the chest or between the shoulders. The strain on the heart caused by the lack of oxygen may cause heart failure. Recent studies indicate tlmt asbestos also may be a potent carcinogenic, or cancer-producing agent. A mn.jor stumbling block to researchers in establishing the connection between asbestos and cancer has been the length of time between ex- posure to the substn.nce and the appearance 0 cancer symptoms. But in the 1Mt few yet1.rs1 studies hn.ve shown that workers e~posed to asbestos die of lung cancer at more than five times the e:Ipected rate..Although most cancers linked to asbestos develop in the lower portions of the hmgs, where the concentration of fibers is heaviest, cancer may also develop in the gastrointestinal tract. The peril o: lung cancer from asbestos exposure is increased by smoldng. Tests conducted by Seliko:ff and Hammond have shown that asbestos insulation workers who smoke have 90 times the incidence of lung cancer compared to smokers with no asbestos exposure. :.\Iesothelioma, formerly a r:ire cancer afflicting only one out of 10,000 people, is now appearing at an unprecedented rate. Researchers are linking it to asbestos exposure, however slight. This fatal cancer attacks the pleura (the membra.ne lining the lung and chest cavity) or the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity). In his study: Selikoff noted that 10 out of 124: tleuths of insuiation workers were en.used by mesotheliom:l. "\Vorkers in many occupations encounte~ serious asbestos e:s:posures. _\.mong the establishments most likely to have usbesto-; risks ,1.rc those mmrnfoctnring asbestos textiles1 Yalue pttckin;s, asbestos . ) .; .:. l' . l Wrong: Sprayiu!J asbestos mixt1wes on steei !]iraers relea,w8 va,'lt amotinta of asbe.sto.s d1P1t into the atmosphere. Asbestos insulators who smoke have 90 times more l1m9 cancer than 8mo/.:er8 with 1w asbestos c:i:po.wre. 4 Safety Stancjards _.,._.,........-.,-,--..-r--,-~,. Tl"' - - - - - . - - "'T""' , . . . . , . . . , ~ - - - - - --- - . r - - - . . _ , _ , , . . ____ - - - - t~Since the recognition of asbestosis 72 years ago, the disease has been iddely studied the icorld or:er, from the mines of South Africa to the mills of Quebec. Today e..l:perts beliet:e that asbestosis is one of the most debilitating of the pneumoconioses-lzmg diser;ses caused by dust inhalation." sheets, bra.ke linings, boiler blunkets, building materials and appliance cords. Plasterers who spray an asbestos mi:x: on the steel foundations of buildings have heavy exposures to asbestos. A thermal insulation and fireproofing a.gent, the asbestos mix prevents the steel from buckling in case of fire. Plasterers can apply it without interrupting construction activities, and the asbestos mixture hardens in eight hours without cracking or shrinking.~ot only steel buildings, but; ships and boats are treated in this manner. ' Now that; asbestos has been recognized as a major health hazard, the alarming facts a.bout this practice are being reviewed. Three million pounds of the fireproofing mixture, 30 percent of which is chrysotile asbestos, was spmyed in 1970. Twenty five percent of the material sprayed does not aclliere to the steel, but goes directly into the atmosphere. The plasterers manning the spray guns, as well as the construction workers toiling near-by, inhale e.xcesshe amounts of asbestos clming this operation-up to 50 million fibers in an eight hour day. But the haznrcl does not encl with contn1ction. A lnrge amount of asbestos is e::;:pectecl to be set free during demolition of the buildings and ships treated in this manner. Asbestos spraying has been banned in some cities, but continues unabated in others. The use of alternate methods of applfoation-trowelling a wet mixture 0 asbestos on the fotmdation or wrapping insulation around the steel in the form of blan- kets--is being encouraged to reduce the haza.rd. Brake mechanics must also cope with significant levels of airborne asbestos. Valuable because of its resistance to heat and its ability to withstand ahrn. sive force, chrysotile asbestos makes up 50 percent o:f brake lining material. However, the friction breaks asbestos fibers away from the fabric. )Jany mechanics remove the asbestos fibers that have accu.mulated n.round the brn.ke drums and assemblies with a compressed air hose. This produces a cloud 0 asbestos dust around the mechanic and anyone in bis working aren.. Alternate cleaning methods are needed; for es:ample, a vacuum cleaning device redncecl the hazard in recent tests in Englo,ncl. Insulation workers are the largest single occupational group to handle asbestos on the job. Their :-:~s -~"'1 <!' - '- - e,f)!~:~~ .( ;~:o;~}~~ - --,, \ __, ' . ,._~f~ ., . --~;..~~=~- May-June 1972 ---- . , _ . , ..........--- --.,.-- - - - '7 .. Right: Tro11:elin!J ci wet 1111bestos mia;, 01~ pipes for insttlation purposes effcctiuely red1wes the /w;:anls. --. ;:..: '-:-:.. < ;.,,-<!\ ~\,;~ {, __; I ~ ~"~~..:~ ~---.,.' ,:,...d , :{ ~ ':~ ::~:, , ~, .../-i..~ ,J~-:,_ 5 .. ~~-. . '~- :~~~ .;_ . ... ':"_ . :i Wrong: Saicing asbestos materials creates <lUllt in the tuort environment. The respirator affords the employee some protection, but the acc1111rnlation of dust remains a threat to others on the worksite. Right: .d. saw with a local ventilation system 1mcli:s up asbestos dust into a container. ThtJ OSHA. atandara specifies that hand or power-operated toola th.at produce asbestos dust must be equipped with local exhaust ventilation and dust collectors. e:rposures, however, are relatively light. In most Asbestos contamination holds an incren.sing types of insulation, asbestos is used primarily as a thren.t to the general public. Both the dusty manu- .. , binding agent and makes up only 15 percent 0 facturing processes and the spraying of structural . .--,; the material. Then, too, insulators working with steel emit vast amounts 0 asbestos fibers into the asbestos on a daily basis are encouraged to take atmosphere, threatening those living nea.r asbestos precautions: good housekeeping measures, tools factories. Unsuspecting passers-by in the vicinity equipped with locn.l ventiln.tion systems, and res- of construction sites or fn.rnilies 0 workers who pirators for dusty work n.re safety precautions return home with dusty clothing are among those stressed by their union. exposed to this hazard. When insulation workers install materials con- The emergency OSHA sta.nd:.ird :for asbestos, .! taining a high percenta.ge of asbestos, they often issued on December 7, 19il, lowers the permis- use a water spray on the cloth while unrolling it sible concentration of asbestos fibers in the work or uncovering it. Some insulation workers even atmosphere from 12 fibers to fi.rn fibers greater cut asbestos on disposable tarpaulins in order to than frrn microns in length per milliliter. This is allow the excess m:1terial to be discarded without based on the average exposure during the e_ight- stirring up dust. This eliminates the need to sweep hour work day. Concentr:itions of asbestos thnt up insulation debris after a. job. Usually a dusty range from five fibers per milliliter to 10 :ire process, sweeping is discouraged because it holds a permissible for 15 minutes every hour, but the sum risk for the workers still on the construction site. total of such exposure must :not e.:s:ceed fhe hours Bricklayers, carpenters, sheet metal workers and in :m eight-hour woi-k day. boiler makers also install insulation o.t various The standard n.lso lists engineering controls- times, but often they fail to take the precautions enclosures, vacuum sweeping and local exhaust used bv workers who handle asbestos on a. dailv v v basis. The licensing of workers who install insuh- ventilation. When these mea:;urcs are not feasible or do not reduce the asbestos concentration to per- tion, much like the licensing of plumbers and elec- missible levels, the stn.nd:1rd requires that workers tricim1s, has been suggested as n. sufe1:,'1.1ard to in- be provided with personal protective devices. Pro- Burn that a.::,be;;)tOi.:l h,mdlen,; ;,,,re bot.h informed and wct.ive respirn.l:.oty de.V'iMS must b~ WOl'Il by equipped to work safely. workers exposed to the spraying of asbestp3, or 6 Safety Standards to the demolition of pipes, structures or equipment previously sprayed with asbestos. the necessary engineering controls. The committee, representing government, labor and industry, also The emergency standurd requires that the em- suggested that the future standard include a pro- ployer check the respiratory devices or proper fit and train employees in their correct use. Peri- gram of comprehensive medico.I surveilhnce requiring pre-employment medical examinations of .... odic inspections, proper cleaning, repairing and storing of the respiratory devices are responsibili applicants, periodic medical evaluations of workers, and medical records to be kept by employers ties of the employer. for the use of OSHA and NIOSH. The standard also specifies that hand or poweroperated tools that produce asbestos dust-saws, scorers, abrasive wheels, and drills-must be The research and mortality studies of today have tarnished the reputation of this magic mineral, once the object of fabulous tales. One legend re- equipped with local exhaust ventilation and dust volves around the tablecloth of Charlemagne, the collectors. 'When asbestos is mixed with other eighth-century ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. products-such as cement, mortar, grout or 'When the cloth woven from asbestos fibers was plastic-the mi.:i::ing must be done in closed con- thrown into the flames, it was withdrawn not only tainers. Cleaning up the debris by dry sweeping intact, but whiter and cleaner than before. Charle- or blowing it away is prohibited. _.\ny accumula- magne u.sed this piece o:f "witchcraff' to mystify tion of asbestos dust must be removed ra.pidly by his guests as well us to intimidate his enemies in vacuum cleaners. Asbestos waste must be disposed order to win psychological battles. of in sealed contn.iners. The jump :from ancient legend to contemporary The OSHA Standards .Auvisory Committee for knowledge about asbestos is a tremendous ad- Asbestos has recommended an exposure limit of two fibers greater than 5 microns in length per vance--except in one area. Our ability to combat the clisasterous e:ffects of asbestos on the human cubic centimeter. This proposal, based on a system is still negligible. The mystery surround- NIOSR criteria document, would not be effective for two years, in order to allow the installation of ing asbestos continues today, but the price is not in lost battles but in lost working lives. D ...._....., . I Wrong: .lsbe~to.~ ,tiist collects u;ith other debri.j on a construction site. The cleani11g and sweeping proce-~s raise.~ cloucls of 1.ubestos dust, endangering the employees aad tile oomm1mity. May-June 1972 Right: The new OSH.! sta11daril req11ire8 thJJt asbestos debris be removed in closed cortfoinen or plastic ba(JJ. 7  Careers in Safety and Health: by Virginia Reinhart "For the first time there is a federnl law stating tha.t no worker:s li:fe should be shortened, endan- immunization programs7 keeps absenteeism statistics, selects safety and health films to show work- gered or lost beca.use of hazards in his work envi- ers, and does a dozen different h.uds of nursing ronment. In the ne:i..1; few yen.rs there will be a each day. . i growing need for occupational nurses and e:x- Unlike hospital nurses whose job is curing :for pa.ndecl opportunities for those in the .field." the sick, the occupational nurse spends most of :iYfary Louise Brown, chief of Occupational her time pre,enting illness. This emphasis on pre- Health Xurse Training of the Uni teer Stu.tes Pub- Yention is not new. Florence ~ightingale e.:s:pressed lic Health Service, thus explains the impact the Occupational Safety a.nd Health _..\.ct of mm will it when she said, ":N"ursing is not only a ser.-ice to the sick; it is a service also to the well. We have - hn.ve on the nursing profession. to ten.ch people how to live.:' Today there are more than 20,000 nurses in The first occupational nurse in the United States factories, office buildings and stores. Busine:::smen was hired specifically to "teach people how to have found that nurses can save the company live/' In 1895 the Vermont :\farble Company in money as well as improve the morn.le of emp1oyees. Proctor, Vermont, hired Acl.1 1foyo St~w:i.rt to Such preventive measures as flu shots, paid for give home nursing services to employees nncl their by the company and administered by the nurse, families. Her job was to nsit employees' homes, reduce illnesses and n.bsenteeism, saving com- to attend :my sick members and to tench health panies large stuns of money in compensation. to school children. Since 60 percent of all employee compln.ints Occupational nurses toda.y work at the employ- about working conditions involve health factors, ment site, Iea:dng Ada Stewart's tasks to \-:isiting more employers nre becoming aware of the need to improve existing hen.Ith facilities or to create health centers where none exist. A health center nurses and school nurses. But they are still actively en,...tl<Yecl in teachin,... people how to li,e. Because 0 :::, :::, modem man spends nearly a third of his life on can be a small room where n. first-aid expert-keeps the job, the occnp::i.tional rnme now brin~s :1e:1lth basic medical supplies. ~fore often it is an office services to him where he works. where a registered nurse attends to accidents, plans A visit to an or:cupationn.l nurse shows the kinds Mn. Reinhart is a Jree-lrrnce 1oriter. of health senice5 5he proYide;;, il-nd how pre,entive 8 Safety Standards medicine works. ~Irs. S. is the supervisor of an in who already is overworked; it sa\es the time of the firmary that serves more than 4,000 employees, all worker, who can leave his desk for a short time; 0 them office workers except for the ma,intcnance and it reduces employers costs -for sick pay, com- staff. The infirmary is beside the elevator, which pensation and lost production. can save precious time in case of an emergency. The An elevator operator neeus some kaopectnte, a walls are covered with posters urging workers to secretary wants the address of a dental clinic: :.t take a glaucoma test, telling when and where im young man comes in to discuss a personal problem. mWlization shots will be given, and warning None of these is an industrial ac.cident case: but "Drugs Are a Bad Scene." each is a matter of employee health. So is the cam- A plump young typist enters with a bleeding paign Mrs. S. started to provide a kidney machine finger, cut on an envelope. :Mrs. S. cleans and for a ghetto clinic, and the posters she hung giving , 1 ,. ' bandages the finger, and asks the girl how her the address of the nearest v7) clinic. J[rs. S. h,,s dieting is going. The girl groans that it's not going given emergency care to a cardiac attack patient; well at all, and 1Irs. S. urges her not to give up. she is prepared to handle an epidemic of mass food Earlier.in the year the typist had participated in poisoning-which she hopes never happens; and a glucose tolerance test to detect diabetes. When she can help an employee find mental health coun- she tested high, the nurse had given her the diet seling, which she often does. Those outside the prescribed for potential diabetics. ::.\:Irs. S. 's care of the finger is first aid; her inquiry about the diet is preventi,e medicine. profession think giving first aid is the only tusk of the occupational nurse. It's not even half of it. Another nurse at a large printing and engraving A.n older m:.tn comes in with a headache. :\-Irs. S. greets him by no.me, talks briefly, and gives him pln.nt is part of a safety and health team that has four nurses, a foll-time doctor a,nd a sa.:fety officer aspirin. She explains, ,:If this man came to me often with headacl1es, rel refer him to the doctor who works here half-time. It would be dangerous to ignore symptoms like regular headaches." Deciding when a hea.clache is a headache and when it is the signal of a more serious illness is typical of the responsibility an occupational nurse carries. Three women enter to weigh themselves. One working to eliminate accidents und to cope with any that occur. Because of the many hazardshuge presses, chemical shops. flammable materials. constant moving of heaYy loads-this establishment seems to have most of the potential dangers an industrial society can offer in one workplace. Accordingly, the s::i.fety and health ream emphasizes pr~vention. E,-ery employee gets a, pre-em- decides to sign up for a test to detect cervical cancer. ~frs. S. notes that two of the women are overweight. "Lots of our girls are overweight. Sitting at a desk all day, plus the coffee breaks, doesn't help. "\Ye are trying to arrange n.10-minute- a-clay fitness program during one break. If man- j agement can find us a room and if the employees ... are willing to give up their break, perh:.1ps we can help them stay away from the rending machines." An older woman executive comes to the nurse to haxe her blood pressure checked. Bec::rnse she suffers from hypertension, her family doctor had asked the health office to check it each week. Today she is fine. but if her pressure were high, the nurse woulcl notif'y the family doctor. The infirm:):ry also gives allergy shots at the instruction of prirnte physicians. This cooper:.ttion between private doctors and the occupational he:ilth service profits everyone. It sa\es the time of the prini.te doctor, May-June 1972 9 -160-013-i"!?-2 ....---L.._, --- t'Businessmen hal:e found that nurses can save the campany money as well as impro1:e the morale of employees. Such preuentive measures as flu shots, paid for: by the company and administered by the nurse, cut back on illnesses and absenteeism, saving companies large szims of money in compensation." ployment physical which includes specific tests for particuhr jobs. For example, the doctor and nurse ments to create a joint health service. In suburban wushll\,<Yton, a publishing company and a nearby measure the amount of energy a worker uses to printing plant share the services of a nurse. move heavy drums onto dollies. The test helps .Axiy registered nurse cn.n become an occupa. ' determine whether the man is strong enough to tionoJ nurse. There is no special educational pro l' move heavy drums all day long. By this test they gram, but they usually must update their skills ancl can prevent weaker men from taking the job and lea.rn new treatments. The chief difficulty in pro- Inter developing back ailments and/or hernias. viding this in-service education to working occupa- The nurse assists the doctor with the medical e:-t- tional nurses is e:s:pla.ined by l\1iss Bro\\"n of the aminations, writes up the medico.l histories, and Public Health Service: follows up on any referrals the doctor may make. - "Since 80 percent of the occupn.tional health When the plant doctor sent a security guard to the nursing positions o.re on. staffs of five or fewer hospitn.l with a hen.rt condition1 the nurse was in- nurses, and these are considered to be too small ormed. When the mn,n returns to the job, she will to have an organized in-ser'lice educational pro- check with his family cloctor a.bout rest1ictions on gram, s1.1ch a. program. has to be developed and his acti-1rities n.nd -whether he needs medic:.ition. conducted by an agency other than the nurse:s - :Miss A., one of the plant nurses, explains, "Some employer." of our employees would not go to an eye doctor for To meet this need for more training, the Indus- .: glasses if -we didn't check buck after they had trial Health Foundation and the National Insti- to.ken our eye test. Things like faulty vision C:.1.ll tute for Occupational Safety and Rea.1th cause ncciclents/1 ,:Checking back:' is another form (:NTOSH) have set up courses for industrial of preventive medicine. nurses. Because this pln.nt uses lead in some of its ink In 1971 NIOSH offered a one-week course, mannfoctmin!:; processes, the medical team. runs n Fundamentals o:f Occupational Health ;{ursing special blood test for lead. This routine procedure Practice, in six cities. ~urses studied legal aspects for men in that department prevents permu.nent of occupational health nursing; workmen:s com- damage to their health. If the level of lead in their pensation; the Occupational Su,ety ancl Rea.1th blood becomes too high, they are removed to an- Act; records and reports; relationship o:f the nurse other depu.rtmeut. with management, employees, physicians, sn.foty The health team is also assisting the Na.tional engineers and industrial hygienists; n.ncl the nurs- Institute of Health by collecting clutn, on choles- ing responsibilities n,ssociated with giving cam to terol from workers who volunteer. Employees throughout the nation, as well ::is prisoners in jn,ils, have helped medical n.~seu.rch projeds in this --ay. The nursing staff of a lo,rge department store has one nurse who works in all its suburb:1-n brnnch stores, visiting each one in turn. She tries to get a medical history o:f each new employee. Since there is no regular nurse on duty ch.ily, she sets up a first-n.id station in en,ch store. On en.ch visit, she checks to see that the kit is complete. Many industries are like the snburbl\n depa,rt- ment stores-too small to need n full-time nur~e or doctor. It is possible to hire medical help on a pa1t-timc basis, or to join with other establish- employees. They were given o. stndy assignment to be done at home. Several weeks fater the.: returned for a semina-r to discuss thea ::i.ssigmnents. A second course, Nursing Practices ::i.ncl Occnp:1tional l\'Iental Health, covers person;i,lity development, crisis intervention, suicide, drugs a.ncl alcoholism. This course concentrates on interviewing and counseling tecluiiques. -The Industria.l Health Foundation also offers occupational nurses a course in ~Iencrrl Health Training. This is a home-study progrn.m in which the student ren-cls the m:1teri.1l, takes the tests, then checks her own work. If she has made too many 10 Safety Sta.idards errors, she repeats the sections before continuing for mental, psychoneurotic, and persona]jty to the next chapter. disorders. As l\Iiss Brown reports, "This a.pproa.ch offers an NIOSH has recognized the need for more re- avenue to close the ga.p between the need for train- search on the effects of stress situations on the ing and the absence of opportunities to learn. It worker:3 mental health and on his job safety makes possible learning at home at the student's record. Long-range projects funded by )IIOSH own pace-and for some married women, and cer- will gather data on such topics as the effects on tn.in occupational health nurses who work as their workers of noise, frequent changes of work shifts, companfs only nurses, it may be the only way." long-term vigils, monotony and rapid geographic More information on courses on occupational relocation. Another study, still in the planning nursing can be obtained by writing to: Division o:f stage, will be to devise a model safety program Training, National Institut~ for Occupational based on accepted psychologicu.l, behavioral and Safety and Health, 1014 Broadway, Cincinnati, moti-,ational principles. Ohio 45202; or Industrial Health Foundu.tion, The shortage of doctors, coupled with the in- 5231 Center A venue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania crease in population and the greater demand :for 15232. medical services, has led the medical profession to Two 0 these three courses deal with mentnJ take a closer look at the work nurses cun clo. For health-the new emphasis in occupa.tional nursing. years dentists h:we employed dental assistants to There is strong evidence for the need of such relieve their work load. Now the .American }Iedi- training. In 1962 a Cornell University study esti- cal .Association (~L<\..) has begun to clerelop a mated that mental illness cost industry approxi- similar new profession-the physician's assistant. mately $3 billion a year in direct and $12 billion Dr. Walter C. Bornerneir, president of the .\.~L-\.., in indirect costs. This study estimated that 20 to has cired two sources for these assistants-medics 25 percent of the work force has a recognizable mental health problem. Social Security data for the same period sho,ved that 30 percent of all disability allowances to coveted wo.kers were m:1cle from the armed services and registered nurses. The special training a nurse would take to be- come a physician's assistant would quaJi:fy her to gh-e pi1ysical examinations in many occupational health centers. The New York Telephone Com- pany already has begun a program to prepare nurses to give physicals. The Nurse Clinician Pro- gram, a course developed by the State Uni\ersity of _Xew York Do,rnstate :\Iedical Center, has been so successful in preparing nurses to perform this function tha.t it is now a,r. established part of the company:s rneclica,l program. Xew York Tele- phones doctors are no,, free to use their skills in diagnosis and _treatment, n.nd their nurses get ne" oppornmides :for adnincemenc;. [ The outlook for occupational nursing is bright. As the drive for job safety and hen.Ith gathers momentum, the need foi:- occupn.tional nurses will increase. There w:ill be more on-the-job trninin;, r a.s well as more opportunities to learn ::. specialty j and ri::e in the profession. ~-t British physician summed up the challenge of occupa.tionul nursing when he referred to it n.s or "the easiest job in the nursing profession to do bn.cl.h--rmcl one to do well." the hardest and most satisf.ving 0 May-June 1972 11 !' . F" '?~"'cl,>:C" ...,....,,,,~,:;::"'~] . , . ,. ~~ > , t\: '1 i:r~r:;:: ;' . J ~;{'f ~ ;,., ' =~ ~::i--! 7 Edward J. Baier, Deputy Director National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Commenting on the achievements of the Na- Health Hazards Survey and training an adequate tiorni.l Institute for Occupational Safety and supply of manpower. Health. (:NIOSH) 0 the Department of Hen.1th, Q. What exactly is NIOSH's role in standards Education, and Welfare, Representative William development9 Steiger, co-author of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of W70, stated: "Their efforts are Key. 1-Ve don't turn out standards onrsclves--n-e providing a solid foundation for the health aspect turn out criteria documents. The criteria package of the Act. I have said on many occasions that on asbestos was the .first example. The Department health in the long run would be most important of Labor sets the standard based on the health . but let us recognize that it is the more tech- criteria. that NIOSH provides and on other o:rnil- nical, more complicated part of an inseparable able information. whole." There are four cons~derutions in setting stand- The officials responsible :for Q'Uidina- the NIOSH ards. ~he:e four are health effects, :feasibility, 0 o crunpa1gn to control health lrn,zn.rcls in workpbces econonuc 1mpact and national interest. On the n,re Dr. Marcus M. Key, Dir~ctor of the Institute HE"W side, we consider t.he hen.1th efi'ects of the and his newly appointed Deputy Director, Edward exposure and as much :feasibilitv information- j' J. Baier. In a recent interview, they discussed the practicalities involved in co~trollino"-' the ex- posure-as we have available. Then we relv on ) cuITent }i"JOSH aims ns well as future directions the DepJ.rtment of Labor to add the other con- i in occupational hen.1th. siderations and to make a finn.1 determination. i Q. N IOSH ha11 mcmy responsibilities unrler the Occnpational Safety and Health A.ct: research NIOSH has committed itself to develop criteria, packages or specific chemieal subsrnnces and tminin:7, criteria development and hazaid evalua~ physical ag-enfs that are hazardous. Unfortunately, ti.on.~. What functio-ns do you con.~ider the most we ho.\e had diJliculty in meeting our proposed pressing in the first year of N IOSH's existence? deadlines fat criteria packages this year; primarily Key. At present we have internn.l priorities and external priorities to consider durino- the first year. By internal I mean responsibilities for o-~tti~g organized-staffing up and finding facilities smbble for research. The e:rtcrnal responsibilies~hose ~eal_ing with the outside world-n.re denlop- been.use we haven't had the resources. In staffi.n,y the Institute, we have been hindered by employ~ ment ceilings n.nd average grade controls, and only recently have we been al1o.vecl to stnrt recruiting professionals again. mg cr1terrn for i:tandards, initiating the X,i.tional Q. Yo1i mentio-n,:d that the second m,tjor priority is the N'.ltional Health Hazards S1tney. What kh1cl Dr.. Key nn~ Jlr, Baier were i,rterpiewed by Yancy L Ye/so assistant editor of S.1-FETY ST.\:ID.urns. n, of information 1.cilZ tliis im:estigation pmi-ide? 12 Safety Standards Key. The need for the Xational Health Hazards nation as a whole. For the first time, NIOSH will SurYey was brought out repeatedly during the be able to determine which hazards really need hearings that led to the passage of the Occupa- more attention. tional Safetv and Health Act of 1970. At that time Biier. _<\.. primary concern of the surveyol'S will we were a.hie to talk about the 14,000 deaths and be the hazards associated with the occupn.tion it- i the 2.2 million disabling injuries resulting from self. One example might be :1 plant that has n, I :. ; work accidents. These eYents can be measured- degreaser, a tank containing a solvent used to they are clramntic. But on the health side, we remove grease from objects. When you consider really didn't know how many occupational diseases hazards associated with the degreaser, you gener- there were, nor did we know what the health ally think in terms of the degreaser operator and hazards were thn.t produced these diseases. whether or not the degre::tser is adequately con- Eventually NIOSH will be provided with statis- trolled by covers and ventilation systems to pre- tics on occupational diseases by the Occupational vent exposure. But then you discover that machin- Tilness and Injury Reporting system operated by ists who work all over the plant periodically come the Bureau 0 Labor Statistics. But we still won't in, dip something into the degreaser and carry it have a good idea of what the health hazards are back to their worksites. So if you are looking at that produce occupational diseases-a gap that the occupn,tions, you say this fellow is a degreaser survey is designed to fill. operator; therefore, he is exposed to trichloro- Baier. The investigators for the National Health ethylene. But if yon investigu.te further, yon Hazards Snney are going to define or us what discover that machinists also a.re exposed to tri- occupational groups have potentially dangerous chloroethylene and probably have more serious ex- expos1ires. we don't have this information at the posures than the degreaser operators. So you see, present time. I yon asked how many people in the NationnJ Health Hazards Survey is identify- the United States are potentially exposed to lead ing the health hazards that workers in different ,-. j fumes, we couldn't answer that because we just types of occupations are exposed to, as well as the ; don1t know. While some electricians who solder degree of that exposure. wires are exposed to lead, other workers who burn massive amonnts of lead pigs have even greater exposures. One worker is dealing with ounces of lead, and the other is dealing with tons. So it's not only exposure to a substance, but to how much 0 it that counts. Some 0 the exposures are shocking because they are so unexpected. You don't even realize that some workers come in contact with hazardous substances, because you would never suspect that their jobs involve dangerous exposures. Q. How were the i-ndustries to be investtgatecl by the health hazard surueyors selected? Q. S1ineys of this kind always rerptire the skill of professionals, but I understand there is a tre- menclo-us man-power shortage. Ju;;t how crucial is the- shortaqe and wliat is ita effect on health conditions? Key. I think it is elementary thn.t if you don!t have qualified personnel-industrial hygienists, safety engineers, occupational physicians and nurses, toxicologists and unalytica.l chemists-the drive for healthful workplaces will make few gains. If an effort is not made to train more pro_fessionals! the companies concerned aren't going to have the manpower to comply with the standards Key. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has given us and to maintain a safe and healthful workplace. a sample 0 approximately 8,000 representu.tive States :1re not going to have the capabilities of en- industries. The surveyors are going to conduct forcement and neither is the federal government. thorough walk-through examinations of the indus- And we in ~IOSH are not going to have the re tries in the snmple, investigating them from the search potentia,1. viewpoint of an industrial hygienist. The results It tnkes a long time to develop educ::i.tion::i.l pro of the survey will provide the basis foe determin grams and new job c::i.tegories-such as the safety ing the potential exposure to health hazards in the n,nd he::i.lth professionu.l that we have tried to May-June 1972 13 .... - - .~ ..........- -- - - .-~, .---~---- . ~-..- _..,.,.._-----;- -.... -...-....----------. _ l%f_ S?.~,.!~IA::-l-__J, _~_--"~ '"5,.1~ . ~ce~~ :-~..-~ .OIA. J4~--~-~~'!~":t--!Z..,,l_"T',7__,.-;,ll"!';''S. ..!.,<~~:':"~"."."..~.. m,x-,~-~"'!~~~,"""='o\:o~-;.~:, -.1.~i1.lt2_~~.~.,__....'!_!..ll,-"..'._.. _.__.~......,-_":!",'.:.,li.""""'l"'".""''!.",.,x.'.;..\.',.)(.l.!.'l'_Y~,,~5f~';Z:t'!!Ct,..~1},:>,"!::-'l":""'~-!"'-"""'""'_,,,,..,,.,.,.,,..,,--;:.,...,...,,.At~,:.-'."'.#.~;"!-~~~:~~~ -~. \_- j ). -! i '' I ... ''It takes a long time to develop educational progranp and new job categories-such as the safety and health professional that u:e have tried to create. Cuniculum planning alone requires one or tu.:o years. Then you hm:e to u:ait until students enter the program and graduate--tu:o to four years later." create. Curriculum planning alone requires one or two yen.rs. Then you have to wait until students enter the program and graduate-two to four years later. The entire process takes a long time. There will be n.n n.cute shortage among professional categories for seYeral years to come. Baier. Practical on-the-job experience which takes another year or two is also necessary. We are really talking about a wait of five or si.x years before the effect of the bacheloris degree in the new occupo.tionn.l safety and health progr:im is felt. Until then you have to take someone who has a degree in engineering or life sciences, for example-someone who understnnds the jargon-and through the trn,ining provided by on-the-job situations, you produce, so to speak, a health professional. Q. 1Vith the shortage of manp01.oer, it seems even more important to p1tt researcliers to work where they will have the biggest impact. How do you determine, for example, which of the J.mown hazards reqitire immediate attention? Key. To determine priorities for standards, we use a quantitative system based on five para.meters. One is the incidence index-the number 0 reported occupational diseases associated with that particular exposure. Information on this factor has been in:::t.dequate, but once the occupational illness and injury reporting system goes into operation, this .should improve. The second actor is the relative to:!..icity or the severity of the occupational disease-whether it causes a dermatitis that just produces a little itching or whether it produces lung cancer that does the fellow in. The third :factor is tonnage or poundage of the particular chemical proclncecl or used each year, and the fo11rth is the populn.tion at risk. The fifth consideration is a trend inde.s: based on estimates of increased or decreased usage. 14 Baier. Then these five parameters o.re weighted according to relative importance. Key. Professional experience is also an ingredient. A.fter the chemical substances and physical agents nre rated a.nd rank ordered, the list is sent to professionals-such as the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The professionals may say, for example, that based on their experience or their company's experience, a substance is too high on the list. They m:1y recom mend that it be given a lower priority. Q. So in setting pri,orities, you do get some kind of consensus 'IJiew? Key. That's right. It's a quantitative system, but there is an attempt to get consensus also. Baier. The weighing n.nd the professionn} opinion are important. For instance, a substance mu.y be extremely toxic, but you might find that it hasn1t been used for the lasr, five or six years. Should you develop a criteria pacbge for it? At the most, there might be sb: or 3even people in the United States that have contact with it. On the other hand, a substance might be a little less serious in terms 0 effect, but you find that 92,000 people are e:s:posecl to it. So you don1t really say, ''This is the rankest poison known to man~ and this is whn.t we must study"-when no one ise:s:posecl to it. what we are really concerned with is preventing occupational disease. Our primary thrust is toward protecting the workel". It is toxicity versus haz::ircl. A. chemica.l in a, jar can be wxy toxic without causing a hazard, but when it is taken from the jar you have a dangerous e:;:posure. The over-ml objective is to eliminate the hn.w.rcl. so people who are working for a living do not get :tn occuputionnJ disease. Q. It seems that the major job right now is amm,- ing this kind of injormation. Safety Standards Key. This is ..Iiy we attach so much priority on Baier. Plus whether or not you get along with the getting informu.tion from programs like the Na- fellow at the next work bench. tional Health Hazards Survey. This is going to gh-e us a better input into our quantitative priority list. K~y. Right. You have heard the old saw, "It"s not unsafe conditions us much as lmsafe workmen that produce injUJies." Before the Act was passed, ,.I Q. lVas a similar system used to determine which management's thesis was that workers were as hazards to inalude in OSHA's new Target Health much at fault in causing acc1clents as the com- Hazards Program? pany-if not more so. Key. Yes, we worked closely with the Department of Labor in determining the health hazards to be included in the progr:.un. NIOSH also aided in presenting the program to interested and n:ffected groups. Well, I think there is room for improvement in both areas, but we have to do the research that shows what makes the worker act unsafely. And until we come up with some practical preventive ideas from this type of research, I d011't think we will make much greater inroads into the preven- Q. Once yott compile the information that is re- tion of occupational accidents. There will be some, quired and the p1e.ssing O'J"iteria packages me out of course-enforcing standards will produce a big . \ of the way, will there be a shift in NIOSH's effect. But if we go all the way, we must identif:,1 pnorities.? the preventable human factors. , -: ''By using conrentional methods of prez:enting occupational accidents-mechanical guarding, personal protectii-e equipment and educational programs---u:e can go just so far in prei:enting accidents. If i<:e are going to go any further, ice must have research into what motivates people, u;hat are the aspects of the human factors that cause accidents." . : Key. "\Ve e:s:pect to be doing more research into Baier. So the basic understanding of "why:' an human factors nnd motivation in regard to acci- accident occurs becomes important. dent prevention. We are speci.6.cnlly directed to conduct research in this area by the .A.ct. By using conventional methods of preventing occupational Q. Oan yo1t make any other predictions about what the f1tture priorities of NIOSH will beJ accidents-mechanical guarding, personal protec- Key. Yes, another emphasis for the :future will be frve equipment and educn.tional program&-we the search for new or unsuspected causes of occu- can go just so far in preventing accidents. I we pational diseases, probn.bly in the pneumoconioses are O'Oino- to "'0 anv further, we must have research 0 ~ .::, ., or cancer area. Studies will even be done on factors into what motivates people, what are the human that shorten life. The industry-wide studies are ... factors thn.t cause accidents. Baier. This psychological aspect; of research is very important. For instance, one basic question is: does the job fit the man or <lees the man fit the job~ important in this respect. Groups of workers "'ill be studied and compa,red to a controlled working population that does not have the sn.me occupational exposures. These stu,lies are currently underway for about 1.5 million workers. In other words, we don't have to study everyone in a part:c- Key. _-\..nd then there are the additive effects- ubr plant; we can study 10% of the .vorkers .:tnd stress, noise, fatigue, dn1gs. So there is o, cross- project these findings to the rest. over between human factors that produce stress, The real payoff of our activities in ~'IOSH lies chemical and physical factors, and factors outside the "orkplace like medication and drugs. in prevention, and this, I thLllk, is the real sig- nific::mce of occupn.tional health. 0 May-June 1972 15 OSHA OPENS T January l';", l!)T~, marked the formal opening Six four-week comprehensiYe training; classes of the Training Institute of the Occupational are set for new federal and state compliance of- Safety and Health A.clministrn.tion (OSHA.). Lo- ficers and industrial hygienists. The schedule ;:i.lso cated in Rosemont, Illinois, adjacent to oHare includes 11 two-week refresher courses for com- Field outside Chicago, the Training Institute will pliance officers. Other classes will be offered to play a major role in helping 0S1-L\. fulfill its compliance officers in the mn.ritime and construc- responsibilities under the '\Villiams-Steiger Oc- tion fields. )I cupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Its The Tru.ining Institute has a staff of 18, in- i theme is "high quality professionalism." George C. Guenther, Assistant Secl'etary of cluding 10 safety professionals. It supplemems its teaching staff with OSHA field personnel and Labor for Occupational Safety and Hen.1th, said experts from the )l"ationul In3titute for Occupa- the facility will have trained more than 1,000 tional SaJety and Health (XIOSH). Dr. Earl specialists by J nne 30, augmenting activities of Heath, Director of the Office of Training nnd Edu- the OSHA Office of Training and Education. In the opening ceremonies, Guenther said Illinois was cation for OSJV.., so.ys1 ''~HOSH personnel al- ready lrn.ve conducted orientuLion classes for Sff- selected for the initial training site because of its eral OSIL-\. industrial hygienists and compliance ';progressive attitude" toward the program, and officers. "\Ye intend to seek their participation in because the region has the "heaviest concentmtion di:neloping methods and tr::i.ining programs.' of employees anywhere in the country.'' The In::titute is using mt:thods such as team The impact of the training program will reach teaching, demonstrations, case studies, role play- for beyond Ch.i.cu~o. Foi:ty-.6.ve classes lasting ing, practical exercises, field \ isits and group dis- from one to four weeks .i.re being otfered to com- cussions. Extensi\e use o.lso is being made of ::i.udio- pliance otlicers, industrial hygienists and state per- visun.l aids, po.rticnb.rly videotn.pe. _ sonnel from all parts of the country. Included also Training progr:1.ms are not the sole re'.l.son for are 1.3 courses for construction instructors. estn.blishin~ the Institute. Frank Valentino, chief 16 Safety Standards _ ..__.._ ,_,, .....,.__~-- .......... - - - - - - Rei1resentative WiZltam, Steiger. ao-a1tthor of the Occupational Safety and Health .:I.ct of 1910, officially opens OSH.1' s Trainin9 Institute. Looking on are Ho1rnrcl Pyle, chairman of OSHJ..'s National Advisory Oommittee on Occupcttional Safety an<l Health an(l president of the a. Yational Safety Council (center), and George Guenther, Assistant Seeretary of Labor for Occupational Safety_ and Health (right). of OSIL~s Didsion of Institute Operation, says, Representatfre "'iVi1liam Srniger, co-sponsor of "The Institute is exploring . other possibilities. the Occupationo.l Safety and Health Act, told the- Right now, we are lookiJ1g for the best and most trainees that there are two keys to the OSH.A. expedient way to trn.in and produce qualified com- program: voluntary compliance nud professional- pliance personnel." This means collecting data on ism on the part of the compliance officers. \York the costs of various training methods, as well as already has begun on e~panding the Institute to- de,-eloping standards against which OSHA. can accommodate more trninees. Three adclition::i,l -: measure the performance of persons who have study and testing rooms, classroom space, an in- attended the Institute, strument lab, and a conference room are being The Training Institute illustrates OSHJ..'s cle- built. The purpose is clear: ~ot only programs but centrn.lization efi'orts. Aside from procedural guidance and program _entlun.tion from the na- also facilities are being redesigned co accommodate OSH..:\.'s continuing need for profe:::sionn.ls. D tional office, the Institute is autonomous. It does its own recruitment and procurement. Its interim manager, Edwin ~I. Hackett, deals directly w.ith Standing in froi1t of the OSHA. e.rhibtt with its panel of 100 questions and amm;ers, H1Jwanl E'yllJ ,uldrcsses the training coordinators in each of OSJL\.'s 10 re- com(llilince officer-~ at the 1'1aiuln!J Instit11tc. gional offices. Hackett comments thu,t ,:the Listi- tute has an obligation to respond to national office needs and guidelines, but there is a great de:i,l of flexibility in the guidelines. This allows us to orient ourselves to the needs of the regional and area otlices." Such flexibility is in keeping with OSI-L-\. policy, which allows for consideration of local problems, conditions and resources. Underscoring the mission of the Training In- stitute, Howard Pyle, chairman of OSIL\.s ?.\:1- tional _..\..dvisory Committee on Occupational Safety :.1.ncl Health and president of the Xational Safety Council, told the first classes of compliance officers [1.t the opening ceremony that ;,the sm:cess of this operation will depend on those in the field- you.:' May-June 1972 17 ff}?-:.;,-;,-,,-,,;~: :_'Ji4. t(~~",' ~ ::~:f;i{~? t~;;'j- ~... ..,'i<;:.:..-:,!'.f] ' ,.~i~~ ~;;~'_l,;_:.__,; -~. ,f.,'._.i,,,~.~~j ..: ' ~i~-... ..' ,,.,' ,.\,,',.:,,.-. " . '' ,~~- ', ..v,::- ~_: i,_:,,_>_.- -, , A,> --~-;,,_~:,,:_ <.,., , \ ,_ ~ - ..,"',.,, ~ r > _ ,_. 4, < >'1 > , ' ~ :, '.. > -._/:~{::;~{\~~{{;~ ,;ii~i'.'1:M41f-~L:,\'.; _._..; ,;-,~.,~,:.11l ' '.~,:,-'., "':_,-{~ ~I tt. . ./-,L~fi ~ : ,,. -~ H, ~~~~~~ ~ r"":~ 1 - ~=~-------;...,<,-=--= ALICE HAMILTON: Industrial Health Pioneer Profile of a woman who crusaded for employee's right to a healthful workplace bu Beverly Fa:eon :\fore than 70 years ago, Dr. Alice Hamilton )fost a.cceptecl the idea thnt workers in potenti- began to question the effect of a person's job on his ally dangerous situntions opemtecl under "assump- health and on his life span. Her questions led her tion 0 risk''-that is, by accepting the job, the em- .. to pioneer the investigation of occupational diseases in the United States, starting with lead ployee assumed the risks o.nd dangers of his trade. The employer thus was n.bsolvecl of the respon- .ji poisoning among Illinois factory workers. sibility to provide better workplace conditions ex- 1 When Dr. Hamilton began her work, attitudes cept as he might choose to do so. Improving work- toward the prevention of occupational diseases .i were either indifferent or negative. Many who were I n.ppa.llecl by a. spectacular industrial accident or ing conditions was seen not as a responsibility of owners but as an act of benevolence. Dr. ILimilton did much in her lifetime to tmder- explosion never considered the workers who were mine such comfortuble ussmnptions. ~ot only did being slowly killed or clisa.bled by exposurn to to:s:ic she collect evidence that established the correlation substances. Popular assumptions made difficult the between exposures to toxic substances and certain task of those interested in helping endangered occupational diseases. She o.lso "helped pave the workers. Some employers, feeling sure that lead wn.y in this country for whn,t had evolve<l in Eng- poisoning resulted from skin contact and not from ln.nd a century before: the concept of society's re- breathing lead-laden air, blamed sickness on the sponsibility :for the health and welfare of its failure 0 employees to wash properly before eat- citizens-including people at work.'' ing or to clean their fingernai1s before going home. Alice Hamilton, sister of Edith Hamilton, the well-lmown scholar of Greek and Roman civiliza- Miu F(LO:on ia a atudent at Kalama=oo College, Kalama:oo, J1ichiga11. tions, was born in 1S6D and died in 1970. J..s a young 18 Safety Standards girl she decided to enter the field of medicine. After receiving her 1I:D degree from the. University of .Michigi:m, Dr. Hamilton taught pathology at the women's 1Iedical School, Northwestern University, i>hile living at Hull House, the social settlement house established in Chicago by Jane Add::i.ms. Conversations with neighboring workers kindled Dr. Hamilton's interest in occupational diseases-pneumonia and rheumatism among stockyard workers, "lead palsy" in painters, cases of steel mill workers falling unconscious on the job. Through research, Dr. Hamilton discovered that the United States was far behind European countries in recognizing and preventing occupational diseases. When she began her investigation of lead industries in 1910, the only significant step that had been taken town.rd controlling occupational disease involved ::i. curb on the use of white phosphorous in match-maldng. Workers using the white phosphorous process risked pain, bcial de- formities and death. Yet the United States passed legislation discouraging the white phosphorous me.thod only after Europeans had forbidden the process in their own factories and had refused to import matches so made. t,.. During the investigations that formed the basis for- her classic st11dies of lead, Dr. Hamilton studied hospital records involving lead victims ancl talked with patients, physicians, druggists. em~ players and foremen. She discovered that workers in 77 occupations in Illinois were victims of lead poisoning. Painters, enamellers, smelters and many others were exposed daily to the dangerous particles. In Hlll after the results of her survey were made public, the Illinois legislature passed a workmen~s compensation law. But the new law bogged down in the courts when judges said they could see "no llatch-maker:9 in this 1811 tcood en!]ravin!J risked contracting "phossy jaw," a painful disease 1chich resulted in facial disfigurement ancl sometimes death. Leuislation halt in{! the use of phosplwrotts in match-making was not passed. until 1910. May-June 1972 19 ., Carbon mo1wJJide poi/wning threritenecl the coni;erters making bessemer .s1eel in this 1886 1000/l engraving. Shields caught the sparl,;s, b1tt the ab-senoe of ventilation allowed fumes to escape into the atmosphere. When ma'kin11 field inspections, .:Hice HamiUon s1:bjected her-~elf to the same ha::ard.j faced by 1iorkers. legu.l principles on which compensation for occupa- tional diseases could rest." :Not until 1936 did the Illinois legislature pass u.n effective. ln.w. By then 16 other states had passed compensation laws. Later, while working with the U.S. Department of Lo.bor, Dr. Hamilton began a nationwide suney of industries, again including lead. She also e:s:- plorecl illnesses resulting from fumes in world "\Var I munitions plants, tuberculosis and silicosis in miners, carbon mono:s:ide poisoning in steel mills, carbon disulphide effects on rayon workers, and mercury poisoning in hatters and miners. Dr. Hamilton relied not only on research but . ! also on first-hand e:!perience. Before confronting ._, an employer with suggestions for health improve- The employee above assembles stomr;e batteries, rt 111o<luct ments in a plant or before turning in a report to often using learl, o.i:icle~. Inhalecl or illr;ested into the the government, Dr. Hamilton conducted field in- system, lead, can oau;se gastrolntestinf!l, blood ancl CeJ1tral spections. She would stand close to hot :furnaces, nervous system, dlaorclerl:/. The tar!7et of J.lice Hamilton's put her whole weight on a jack.ha.mmer, and walk narrow catwalks in studying the industrial worlcFs on-the-job health problems. earlie9t stndies, lea<l i3 8till 1J, common workplace material. NIOSH is working on a criteria docmnent on lead. OSHA has deolarni it one of the Tar/let Health llawr<l~. In her book L,,;ouSTRLl.L ToxrcoLOGY, published in l!J,34, she offered employers this kind of practical advice: By the encl of her long careet1 she had succeeded in presenting facts to break through the n.1tions " (a) Prevent formation of escape of gases, ignor::mce and incliffetence townrcl protecting fumes and dust. workers from occupa,cional diseases. She had sue (b) If (a) is impossible, remove by menns of ceecled in making medicine--and societ:- as a exhausts. whole-more n;ware of its responsibilities to'l'("':tt'cl (c) I (b) is impossible, dilute as much :is the health of its workers. possible by abundant ventilation and by fans She hall been among those to pioneer a bre,lk- blowing air pnst the face of the workers." through in attitnde-:mrely as important as any When Alice Hamilton beg~n her crusade to cor- technological development. Her work h::tcl been in- rect conditions leading to occupational disease. it strument:11 in changing the nl?gntive attitncles of seemed to her that most of her ~\.merican contem- the l!)th century to the present sense of community poraries felt it was a cause ::tainted with Social ism or with feminine sentimentn.lity for the poor." responsibility for control of the endronment-in eluding the work environment. D May-June 1972 21 J ' :' _.\.nclra Racine is young and in excellent health. the title senior materials manager. . . . Since He's a top hand in his trade, which is line con- starting in the construction business about :?5 years struction. This imolves building high-voltage ago, :i.\[cLeod has worked on power-transmission transmission lines, and it offers steady, year-round lines ::i.11 over the United States. Hes worked in employment, plus a. very high rate 0 pay. s--nmps, plains, deserts and mountains.... with aU 0 this going for him, Andre is hardly On the subject of safety, his voice takes on a the type 0 person who would want to encl his li:fe particufarly hard note. "Safety is something we prem.:i,turely. But on September 15, 19il, it was take seriously around here. We don't like others almost ended for him. joking about it. A..nd we are getting to the point Andre works for T.D. Bross Line Construction where all 300 people on this job are taking safety Company. Bross, in a joint venture with Savin seriously too/' Brothers Construction, is working in Rockland County, ::few York, installing a 345K transmission line for Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. One of Andre's co-workers dropped a pair of lineman's pliers from atop n, cross-member 80 feet above ground. _-\.ndre, assembling his gear prior to ascending the 100-foot steel pole, received the falling pliers directly on the left side of his safety cap. The reason Andre is still alive today is because the safety cap-not his head-took the punishment. These particular pliers hav-e a wedge-shaped head, are about nine inches long and weigh close to a. poan<l. This means that, according to calculations by American Optical Corporation's Robert They TakeTheir Safety Straight! F. White, "At the point of impact, after falling from n. height that a.pproximates a. ten-story build- ing, the hen.d of the pliers was driven into its target ,vith a force of about 80 foot-pound$." The pliers penetro.ted _.\..ndre's cap, en.using a 1"-long crack in the pln.stic shell. But the pliers Andre Racine points to the 1% inch crack made in his safety cap by plier~ which jell from a hei(Jht of SO jeet. ' .. never touched the cap's suspension, let alone the man's head. ,'11I: Everyone connected with the project can claim some credit for the fact that Andre was wen.ring his safety cap: his foreman, Blacky 1fadig::m; Bross Company superintendent Arthur .Aubin; and Dick Leppla, chairman of the safety commit- tee. Among numerous other duties, together they formubtecl and enforce the safety program thn.t saved .Andre's life. When due credits are being distributed, another man not to be slighted is Phil :\fcLeod. An em- ployee 0 Stone ancl Webster Engineel'ing (con- struction manager for the project), McLeod has First publhhed in E:.vrno:otE:-.T,L CoYrnoe, & SffETY )[.\:,:,()E lrn:-:T, December l n 1. Reprrntecl u:1th permission of Best's Safetv Publ1cat1011s. 22 Safety Standards "Building a high-1.ioltage transmission line across all kinds of terrain inL'Olces exceptional 1cork ha:;ar~s. So contractors, siib-contractors and u.nion!i, represented on the safety committee added bite to their rules." The record proves they take their sa:fety se- inspections of the sites every two weeks. In addi- riously. The Ramapo-to-Hudson River Project, tion, .field representu.tives from three insurance since its inception in January Hl71, has ha.d a total companies conduct periodic inspections. ~Ieetings of 39 first aicl cases. Only five of these involved of the committee follow each inspection tour, to lost time. In more than 300,000 man-hours worked discuss conditions noted and necessary solutions to this year, less than 1.5 percent of this total has problems, i o,ny. been lost due to injuries. It's an envio,ble record. McLeod says, "This particular job could have How does a company amass such a record, espe- resulted in several :fatal accidents already, con- cially under extremely severe terrain conditions? sidering the hazards involved. We're working in Ask .:.\foLeod. . . . all kinds of terrain . . . mountains, valleys, for- .... ''By working together and getting everybody ests, in close proximity to energized transmission invoh-ed with safety. It's a cooperative effort be- lines and substations and to high-pressure gas tween the contractors, subcontractors and .the lines. Access roa.ds for men an.cl heavy equipment unions. All have representatiYes on a permanent have to be blasted and cut. Our right-of-way is safety committee-volunteers who do this in adcli- limited since we have no ,,ish to damage the tion to their regular jobs/' landscape any more than necessary to build this Dick Leppla, safety commictee chairman, is badly-needed electrical senice." superintendent of construction for Stone and Part of the process of getting organized was a "Webster. Other representatives on the committee thorough study of the terrain and hazards. )!em- include people from Stone and 1Vebster, the Bross bers met with local officials, conser.rationists and Company, Savin Brothers, the International utilities people "ho had experience in the nrens .1 Brotherhood of Electrical "\Yorkers, a,ncl the build- through which the line's right-of-wny would rnn. ing trade unions. Phil McLeod is a permanent This included a v-isit to the directors of se,ernl representative who coordinates the many facets of children1s summercnmps in th~ n.reu. The approi,ch the program. wns always a presentn.tion of fncts about the proj- The safety comm.itt~e was organizecl on Janu- ect and hazards in,oh-ed. ary 13, lDTl, at a preconstruction meeting at the "There are potential injury situations from Stone nnd "Webster field office in :Mt. Ivy, New blasting, tree and stump clearing, concrete pour- Yark. A presentution was made outlining the ing, driving to and from the sites, equipment re- htizarclous conditions to be expected during the pn.ir, and mnterials h::mclling," .:;ays Phil .:\IcLeod, coming months. It was decided that the committee "and nn.turally, the actual work on the poles them- would bG directly responsible for all on-the-job selves, such as what h..-1.ppened to ..\.mlre.: safety. 1Ioteover, committee members would be ~!cLeod mentions an ir,srnnce where an employee selected on the basis of their background and their put his hand into a pile 0 timber and pulled back expertise in work being done during vn.rions st-ages a copperhead! Fortun~itely, the snake had sunk of the project. his fangs into the m,in's len.ther safety gloYe A man was appointed to act as permanent repre- rather than his hand. :,..\. good case for glonst sentative du.ring foundation construction. He was says licLeod, "but an e,en better case for .Art replaced by another man during erection of the Anbin's ovemll declaration of intent to run n. safe. steel poles, a.ncl by still another during the wirestringing operations. disciplined operation." Continuing in this vein, ~kLeocl sn,ys, ;:::,--ot A committee member is on each pole site (work- c,-enone realizes the importance of discipline in site) once each day. The committee conducts full a sa.fety program. We n.11 gee cn.rele.::s at t-ime~. May-June 1972 23 J{eeping in rcind thut the definition of safety is really prevention of accidents, ,ve can't work too hard to wipe out carelessness. 'iVe have some of the top people in line construction on this project u.nd .all of them know their jobs. This is the problem sometimes. They have too much confidence! '\Ve have to keep reminding them. So we are inclined to be repetitious." On the first Thursday of each month, a brief :safety meeting is held at the start of the work day. Topics covering various aspects of safety are discus.5ed. For example, one topic may be storage of explosives and how they should be removed from the magazine and transported to the job. on Another might be a demonstration of first a.id, in- Cluding the l:1test medica.l theory snakebite treatment. Specific problems a.nd discussions of new knowledge about site-related hnzurcls are gi.en time at every meeting. According to Art Aubin, "Taking this time with the men muy keep them away from the project for a short time, but it is well worth it. .Just compare the potential in time lost due to injury, broken equipment and higher insurance premiums. Needless to sa.y, the tragedy of a permanently disabling injury or a clea,th cannot be men.sured in dollars and cents.'' The meetings are supplemented by reguln,r saety committee memos. Memos of this type em- ..phasize the importu.nce of adhering to the safety rules developed :for the project, plus case histories on: accidents- that happened and accidents pre- vented-better known as near misses. The fact that everyone-supervisor, foreman and individual worker-has an important role is always the part- ing shot of the memo. The memos are distributed by committee members to the men in their groups, reinforcing person-to-person contact. "No safety program is going to work if it.s not enforced," says McLeod. "And if it's going to be enforced we have to put teeth into the regulations, and then stand by them tothe letter! 'When we say that a specific amount of violations of safety regu- fations will result in dismissal, we mean it ! When we say that violations of our rules by people who work for other contractors mean that these people will be banned :from the project, we enforce it." . If an employee on the project is caught in viola- tion of a safetv rule, he is notified in writina. The ' ~ gist of the memo is that the violation has been , noted and recorded. It reminds him that the con- sequences could be injury to himself. In cordial terms, the memo states that the rules were de- veloped for the workers' protection and that the .... ,, :Ii ~ j -I lVork pro9res.rns on. the transmi.tsion line for the Ramapo-to-Hudson. River project. 24 Safety Standards .. . ' ..' 7 violation was probably an oversight on his part. :Mention is made also that the rules were established by the project sa:fety committee, or included in local union by-laws or bv the sta.te and federn.l governments. The fact that no :further such violations are expected is mentioned firmly, but politely. Copies of the memo are sent to each member of the safety committee for information and filed in the employee's record. According to :XIcLeod, '"Nobody is around long enough to receive more than two such memos.n Probably one of the most important points .McLeod makes is thnt of knowing the nature of hazards thnt exist. A.ny accident is closely followed by an injury report. This means every type of accident, including minor cuts. The report includes information on location, weather conditions, and the nature of task being performed. A.-ailability 0 first aid, and conditions of the general work area are noted, ,:In brief," says lvfoLeod, "we wnnt to know what went on before, during and after the accident. This gives us a complete record that helps us correct whatever conditions might have contributed to the problem." Accident reports: and what ever corrective measures have been taken as a result, subsequently nre subjects or safety bulletins - and for discussion at safetv meetim"r's. ")foru.le on this project is as high, or higher, than on any other job I've been associated with," says )kLeod. ,:Our safety record is the bio-Q'est contributor to this high morale as far as I'm"'c"'oncerned. But the program works because I believe thn.t the committ.:!e has clone an outstanding job of communicating. The program is understood by e,eryone on the job. Everybody participates. "A few months ago one of our men had his eve s:wecl by a pair of safety glasses, qualifying hi.m or membership in the '\Vise Owl Club. 1Ye held a full-sca1e banquet, buffet sty1e with unlimited refreshments. .American Opticn.l provided us with an artificial eye which we hncl made into o. tie clip. Because the man understood nncl followed the rules regarding wearing safety equipment, he"s wearing the ::i.rtificinl eye n.s n. tie clip, not in an empty socket." One important entity which safety people in :.1.ll trades, professions and industries have to consider is the new Occupational Safety and Health ..:\.ct May-June 1972 ~_;.;:.~- . '' , , . (OSHA), comment both ~foLeod n.nd ..A.ubin. Sa.vs )foLeocl: "It's a good law ii enforced. I personaliy feel that the major burden of enforcing this law is going to rest with the employer h.imsel:f. The best route is the kind of orr::r:,anizaci.on we have here, where everyone is brouoe-ht into the safet...picture and knows exactly why." Aubin says, "We're "ay ahead of OS}L.\.. Our objective here is to pre\ent ttccidents and protect people. Our recol'Cl is good not because we keep our eyes on statistics, but because we an:1.lyze our total picture, terrn.in, project a:ad people. ,Ye take proper pre,entive action, o.nJ. we enforce personal protective equipment regulations. 1Vbat:s more, we probe deeply into the causes of the few in- juries we do hn.,e. Once we examine the cause, we make every effort to see that it can:t happen again. A good example is that although we!ll continue' to wo_rk at the ba.se of the poles, we --ont ha.Ye any more tools falling from abo,e. .:\.s to the end re- sult-the project is ahead of schedule: ::rnd it "ill lmdoubtedly be a. highly profica.blc operation for all concerned.'' O 25 -::- ... _______ ___ ___ ._......~ . _. ._ .......... --- ,..._.:..,., A_ ~~ ..- i . .,: ' . I ... _... . .. t . _., Satety Spotlight Ei Now a regular feature, Safety Spotlight will bring readers brief accounts of safety activities and safety programs that are proving successful. The purpose is not only to highlight useful safety tips, but to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas. Manufacturers distribute safety booklet The Adhesive Manufacturers Association of America has prepared a booklet, "Safe Handling of Adhesives," for distribution to its customers to assure safer handling of its products. The booklet explains the uniform labeling practices and includes pictures of the different labels used. The three possible hazards of adhesives-effects on the skin, fire, and toxicity-are described, and methods to combat them are explained. For copies, write Adhesives Manufacturers Association of America, 441 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Keep your hat on! Pepper Construction Company of Chicago recently sent its 80 foremen and supervisors to a two-day safety course given by the Building Construction Employers Association (BCEA). One of the results is a new regu- lation that makes the wearing of hard hats a condition of employment. Allen Quinn, Pepper's safety engineer, tells why: "Right now we're concentrating on hard hats and requiring that everyone on the job wear them at all times--even the executives when they come around. There's no question that hard hats can save lives. Recently one of our men fell 14 feet and landed on his head. If he weren't wearing a hard hat, chances are he wouldn't be around today." Pepper is also urging its men to wear safety glasses and safety shoes. The company provides protective equipment the first time. If an employee loses an item, he pays for its replacement. John Skanderup, president of the 600-employee company, explains the stepped-up safety effort: "While we have had a voluntary safety program for many years, our efforts are being redoubled now that safety is a federal requirement. The biggest job is educating our people to the importance of safety and getting them to follow the rules." BCEA conducts several safety courses each month. For more information, write 228 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601. 26 Shoring school too successful In April 1971 the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers enrolled twelve persons in a shoring safety training course. Today there are 500 graduates of the program-and a waiting list so long that chapters in four other cities across the country are organizing similar schools. The one-day course trains those involved in sewer, water, gas, electric and telephone trenching in the proper methods of shoring for underground construe tion work. The training is designed to reduce the significant number of deaths and serious injuries caused by trench cave-ins. Superintendents. foremen, inspectors, engineers contractors and linemen have attended the classes. The State of California Industrial Safety Division Construction Section has provided an instructor for all classes to date. The American Society of Safety Engineers believes that there is a need for many such courses across the nation. Finding qualified instructors is one of the chief obstacles. Since the aluminum hydraulic shoring process has become popular only within the last six years, there is a shortage of qualified instructors to teach these classes. Farm safety program May and June have been designated as "Farm Transportatioo" and "Water Safety" months, respec tively, by the Department of Agriculture in a special, year-round campaign to encourage farm safety prac tices. The program, according to Under Secretary J. Philip Campbell, is being coordinated with the National Safety Council and will place special emphasis on the Occupational Safety and Health Act provisions. The monthly observances got under way in March with emphasis on the safe use of agricultural chemicals. Other special programs scheduled include: July-personal protective equipment; August-vacation safety; September-back-to-school program; October-harvest safety and fire prevention; November-chore-time safety; and December-home and holiday safety. Safety Sta11dards labor Safety Award deadline The National Safety Council reminds all union members that the deadline for applications for its labor Safety Awards is July 1, 1972. Individual union mem bers, as well as unions, are eligible. The awards are given for outstanding work in such activities as establishing safety programs, initiating joint managementunion meetings, and promoting safety activities. Write to the National Safety Council, 425 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611, for information and for the brochure, "Safety Awards Program for Organized Labor." $, Old adage-new safety twist ' In a recent speech at the Inter-Union Gas Conference, Charles H. Tupper, director of safety for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, summed up the common responsibility for safety when he remarked: "We have met the enemy and he is us; the 'us' part of this adage is labor and management combined." Tupper also advised the union members "to under- stand and use intelligently and with discernment the important protections and rights which are provided for workers by the Act." Field first aid unit saves lives Two construction workers, seriously injured in a fall from the top of a power plant addition, owe their lives to prompt treatment from the ex-Navy medic who mans .. ,! a well-equipped first-aid trailer on the job site. Operated by Power Systems, Jnc., the 10 by 28 foot custom-built trailer is one of three field units currently in use on the company's construction sites. The trailer contains equipment not usually found in a first-aid center-a cardiac monitor, a wide range of emergency respiratory and orthopedic gear, intravenous solutions, and a variety of emergency drugs. These "extras" made a difference to the men who fell to the ground and lived to tell about it. The immediate availability of intravenous infusions and drugs was a key factor in their survival. The purchase of high-priced medical equipment was A. mobile fi1'st-aid, unit. the trailer abor;e is eqi,ipped to provide emergency care for construction worker.~. made possible, in part, by savings realized by improvis- ing other items. An examination and treatment table was made from scrap materials at the site. Hangers for intravenous infusions and irrigation solutions, and spinal support boards for the transportation of persons with back and neck injuries are other "home made" items. Economical aluminum baking trays with snap-off plastic covers substitute for expensive stainless steel containers as dust-protective holders for instruments and medicines. Power Systems states that "an enlightened safety program is necessarily augmented by enlightened first aid coverage for employees." Companies interested in exchanging ideas on first-aid facilities may write to Power Systems, Inc., 600 West Jackson Boulevard, J,19e1wity Cl't costs. The treatment table was impror;isell from $crap mataial on the Job iite. Savings u;ent into the Chicago, Illinois 60606. purchase of sophi'lt1cated me,lical cc111ipmcnt 1rnd mpplies. May-June 1972 27 ..,........... _ _ - ~ < ' I - - - - - - - , - - - - - - - . ~ - - - - - - - . . - ~..-~ - - - . - - - - - - - - ....._ Safety Spotlight Now a regular Jeature. Safety Spotlight will bring readers brief accounts of safety ~ctivities and safety programs that are proving successful. The purpose is not only to highlight useful safety tips, but to provide a jorum for the exchange of ideas. Manufacturers distribute safety booklet Shoring school too successful The Adhesive Manufacturers Association of America In April 1971 the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the has prepared a booklet, "Safe Handling of Adhesives," American Society of Safety Engineers enrolled twelve for distribution to its customers to assure safer han- persons in a shoring safety training course. Today there dling of its products. are 500 graduates of the program-and a waiting list The booklet explains the uniform [abeling practices so long that chapters in four other cities across the and includes pictures of the different labels used. The country are organizing similar schools. three possible hazards of adhesives-effects on the The oneday course trains those involved in sewer, skin, fire, and toxicity-are described, and methods to water, gas, efectric and telephone trenching in the combat them are explained. For copies, write Adhesives proper methods of shoring for underground construc- Manufacturers Association of America, 441 Lexington tion work. The training is designed to reduce the signifi Avenue, New York, New York l 0017. cant number of deaths and serious injuries caused by trench caveins. Superintendents, foremen, inspectors, .: Keep your hat on! engineers contractors and linemen have attended the classes. Pepper Construction Company of Chicago recently The State of California Industrial Safety Division sent its 80 foremen and supervisors to a twoday safety Construction Section has provided an instructor for all course given by the Building Construction Employers Association (BCEA). One of the results is a new regu- classes to date. The American Society of Safety Engi neers believes that there is a need for many such lation that makes the wearing of hard hats a condition courses across the nation. Finding qualified instructors of employment. Allen Quinn, Pepper's safety engineer, tells why: "Right now we're concentrating on hard hats and re is one of the chief obstacles. Since the aluminum hydraulic shoring process has become popular only within the last six years, there is a shortage of qualified quiring that everyone on the job wear them at all instructors to teach these classes. times-even the executives when they come around. There's no question that hard hats can save lives. Recently one of our men fell 14 feet and landed on his head. If he weren't wearing a hard hat, chances are he wouldn't be around today." Pepper is also urging its men to wear safety glasses and safety shoes. The company provides protective equipment the first time. If an employee loses an item. he pays for its replacement. John Skanderup, president of the 600employee company, expfains the stepped-up safety effort: "While we have had a voluntary safety program for many" years, our efforts are being redoubled now that safety is a federal requirement. The biggest job is educating our people to the importance of safety and getting them to follow the rules." BCEA conducts several safety courses each month. For more information, write 228 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601. Farm safety program May and June have been designated as "Farm Transportation" and "Water Safety" months, respec tively, by the Department of Agriculture in a special, year-round campaign to encourage farm safety practices. The program, according to Under Secretary J. Philip Campbell, is being coordinated with the National Safety Council and will place special emphasis on the Occupational Safety and Health Act provisions. The monthly observances got under way in March with emphasis on the safe use of agricultural chemicals .. Other special programs scheduled include: July-per. sona! protective equipment; August-vacation safety; Septernber-backto-school program; October-harvest safety and fire prevention; November-chore-time safety; and December-home and holiday safety. 26 Safety Standi')rds """--------.....-- ---. -- -.,-,..-.,...,.- -- '"r - . I Labor Safety Award deadline Old adage-new safety twist The National Safety Council reminds all union members that the deadline for applications for its Labor Safety Awards is July 1, 1972. Individual union mem- bers, as well as unions, are eligible. The awards are given for outstanding work in such activities as establishing safety programs, initiating joint managementunion meetings, and promoting safety activities. Write In a recent speech at the Inter-Union Gas Confer ence, Charles H. Tupper, director of safety for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, summed up .the common responsibility for safety when he remarked: "We have met the enemy and he is us; the 'us' part of this adage 1s labor and management combined." . ,. to the National Safety Council, 425 N. Michigan Avenue, Tupper also advised the union members "to under- Chicago, Illinois 60611, for information and for the stand and use intelligently and with discernment the brochure, "Safety Awards Program for Organized important protections and rights which are provided Labor." for workers by the Act." Field first aid unit saves lives Two construction workers, seriously injured in a fall from the top of a power plant addition, owe their lives to prompt treatment from the ex-Navy medic who mans a well-equipped first-aid trailer on the job site. Operated by Power Systems, Inc., the 10 by 28 foot custom-built trailer is one of three field units currently in use on the company's construction sites. The trailer contains equipment not usually found in a first-aid center-a cardiac monitor, a wide range of emergency respiratory and orthopedic gear, intravenous solutions, and a variety of emergency drugs. These "extras" made a difference to the men who fell to the ground and lived to tell about it. The immediate availability of intravenous infusions and drugs was a key factor in their survival. The purchase of high-priced medical equipment was .:I. mobi'le fir8t-aid unit, the trailer abot:e is equipped to provide emergency care for con$truction. icnrker.,. made possible, in part, by savings realized by improvis- ing other items. An examination and treatment table was made from scrap materials at the site. Hangers for intravenous infusions and irrigation solutions, and spinal support boards for the transportation of persons I,. with back and neck injuries are other "home made" items. Economical aluminum baking trays with snap-off plastic covers substitute for expensive stainless steel containers as dust-protective holders for instruments and medicines. Power Systems states that "an enlightened safety program is necessarily augmented by enlightened first- aid coverage for employees." Companies interested in exchanging ideas on first-aid facilities may write to Power Systems, Inc., 600 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, lllinois 60606. May-June 1972 27 Timetable set for changes in standards A timetable for 46 proposed changes in standards affecting the workplace environment has been announced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Tha timetable calls for changes in 31 standards by the end of 1972 fiscal year (June 30, 1972) and an additional 15 by the midpoint of fiscal 1973 (December 31, 1972). The changes are key parts of a three-phase program of standards development by the OSHA Office of Standards under Acting Director Gerard F. Scannell. The first phase involves correction of typographical errors and similar nonsubstantive items found in the initial standards published in 1971. The second phase clarifies adopted national consensus standards and revokes some provisions because of their discriminatory nature or because they conflict with other parts of the standards. The third phase involves adopting new standards, developed either by national consensus standards-setting organizations or by the Department under procedures of the Williams-Steiger Act. Assistant Secretary of Labor George C. Guenther said, "We are announcing the schedule for these pro posed changes so as to inform interested parties of OSHA's intentions. Due to the complex technical nature of many of the standards, the timetable cannot be con- sidered absolute, but reflects our best estimate of what can be accomplished during the balance of 1972." Among the proposed changes are the following: Amending the construction section for roll-over protective structures for vehicles. Making technical changes and corrections in sec tions affecting powered platforms, manlifts and vehiclemounted platforms, and compressed gas and compressed air equipment. Adding new sections on protective helmets for electrical workers, slings, uniform traffic control devices, exists, sprinklers, foam, mechanical power trans mission guarding, bakery equipment and floating cranes and derricks. Adding new sections on woodworking machinery, oil burning equipment, ovens and furnaces and installa- tion of gas appliances. Adopting the 1971 Threshold Limit Values of the American Congress of Governmental Industrial Hygienists on toxic substances and noise, replacing 1968 and 1970 levels. 28 Promulgating an asbestos standard to replace the emergency standard issued December 7, 1971. Amending the construction standards to correct conflicts, duplications and technical errors, including those on catch platforms and scaffold heights. Completing a section on electrical transmission and distribution lines and equipment, including specific standard for the electrical utility industry. Bringing sections of the general industry standards and the construction standards into conformity. Adding a section on installation of gas piping and gas equipment on industrial premises. Bringing maritime standards into conformity with other standards where like hazards are covered. Adding sections on longshoring on the docks. diving operations and workmen's hoists. e Revoking the ban on pump-jack scaffolding. Adding amendments on tunneling to the construc- tion standards. Resolving differences on scaffold requirements. Adopting a new standard on bis (chloromethyl) ether. Adding parts of a new consensus standard on machine guarding for woodworking machinery, and on work in confined spaces. Adding new sections on dredging and local exhaust systems. Promulgating, in coordination with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, standards on two of the OSHA Target Health Hazards: carbon monoxide and silica. States receive planning grants Fourteen states have received $978,725 to assist them in developing their own on-the-job safety and health programs. George C. Guenther, Assistant Secretary of Labo( for OSHA, announcing the grants, said these awards bring the total federal allocation to date to $5.68 million. The allocations involve federal funds of up to 90 percent of the total cost of the projects, which is being started immediately. Participation by Hawaii and Nevada brings to 48 (plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) the number of states receiving grants for assessing their occupational safety and health needs and preparing a state plan. Section 18(b) of the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 provides for states to Safety Stanoards -I '. . ..__._ ..,-...,.... _ _...,.....,._,,,.. . - - - ~ - - . . - - ~ ~,::,-,--------"- ... ' _.,. ..- , . . , . - - - . - - , - - -..... "'t"-~ ... , . . ~ - ........ . . - - - - - - - .- ~ - _,._:..,...,, ....... ~ - . . - - - - - - - - - ~ - - . --.. .... - ,, __ "-':'" assume operation of their own programs, and Section 18(c) lists the criteria to be met by states wishing to submit their plans to the Department of Labor for approval. Following are the grants awarded: Alabama, a $72,418 amendment to its original grant for developing an 18(b) plan. National Association of Homebuilders, and the National Construction Association, recommendations of the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety, and of course our own considerations." -'i-' The amendments include new rules for medical services, safety belts, safety nets, temporary heating Alaska, $157,130 to develop compliance proce- devices, switches, rigging equipment, excavation, and dures for the state's three high-hazard industries (con trenching requirements. struction, logging and wood products, and petroleum and pipeline), to prepare legislative action for support -0f a plan, and to prepare an acceptable plan under Section 18(b). California, $105,781 for data collection, code -comparison, and legal analysis basic for its plan under .Section 18(b). Hawaii, three grants: $34,590 to develop a man ,agement information system; $62,272 to catalogue standards and develop a plan; and $15,468 to prepare Grants for data gathering Virginia and West Virginia are the first states to receive OSHA grants to assist them in funding studies of work injuries and illnesses. The information obtained from the studies, part of the national data gathering project, will be used to encourage the development of state safety and health programs and help establish industry standards for job safety and health. Decision on walk-around pay legislative actions in support of a plan. In a decision interpreting the Williams-Steiger Occu- Illinois, $27,630 to continue work in such areas as local authority pre-emption, measurement of its pational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Assistant Secretary of Labor George C. Guenther has concluded that .effectiveness and OSHA-related standards. Mobil Oil Corporation did not discriminate against em Maine, $74,997 to continue developing its ptan ployees when it refused to pay them for time they spent for including state and local employees under Section with federal safety and health inspectors in a "walk- .... 18(c)(6) . around" inspection. Guenther based his decision on a }- I Mississippi, a $89,229 amendment to its original grant to continue developing an 18(b) plan. legal opinion by the Solicitor of the Labor Department, Richard F. Schubert. Montana, $32,278 to review fire hazards and Under the Act, an authorized representative of em how to combat them, and to integrate the results of ployees must be given the opportunity to accompany this study into development of its state plan. the federal inspector. Mobil provided this opportunity Nebraska, two grants: $52,000 to assess its needs but refused to pay the employees for the time they in developing an enforcement program under the Act; spent on the walk-around. $37,102 to identify and evaluate occupational health The law forbids discrimination against employees hazards in the state. because of their exercise of rights provided by the Act. Nevada, $72,458 to determine its needs and The case reached Guenther when the Oil, Chemical responsibilities in order to develop its state plan. and Atomic Workers Union (OCAVV) atleged that Mobil's New Jersey, $6,922 to determine personnel re- refusal to pay for the walk-around time constituted quirements for enforcement and legal services, and discrimination forbidden by the Act. $41,808 to integrate other current and completed OCAW's argument was that a:1y employer's refusal projects into a state plan. to pay employees for walk-around time is discrimina- Texas, a $1,758 amendment to an earlier grant. tory. The opinion rejects this argument. concluding that Washington, $47,569 to evaluate farm workers' employees in the walk-around were not engaged in regu- exposures to occupational health hazards. lar work, and that Mobil refused to pay them, not Wisconsin, $47,215 to continue developing its because of the walk-around, but because they were not state plan. working. Construction standards amended The opinion also concludes that walkaround time is not compensable working time under the Fair Labor Forty-three amendments to the original construction Standards Act. standards issued April 17, 1971, have become effective. The legal opinion states that some cases where dis- George C. Guenther, Assistant Secretary of labor for Occupational Safety and Health, said: "The amend- crimination is alleged would be more appropriately handled by use of grievance-arbitration provisions of ments are the result of written comments and oral collective bargaining agreements. Such cases would testimony received from interested persons and asso- include disputes over the interpretation of the bargain- ciations such as the Associated Ganeral Contractors. the ing agrnement. D May-June 1972 29 ., fSJ:f:;~~ I ,,...&~;,~ ~..,_r~...-,. 30 /-,,,'.- })11.~~-://:'. ' The job of erecting the New York skyline was accomplished at great risk to some of the employees involved. This 1895 drawing shows construction workers on the steel girders of the American Surety Company Building. In the distance are the Produce Exchange, the Manhattan Life Building and the Trinity Church Spire. Underfoot are ropes and tools carelessly strewn about. The poor housekeeping increases the danger of slipping and falling-from a platform 20 stories above street level. The working platform lacks guard rails to protect the men from such falls. They are vulnerable also to objects falling from above. A falling wrench, for example, would strike an unprotected head, rather than a hard hat. Today no construction worker needs to accept such risks to do his job. OSHA standards require the use of protective clothing. Not only hard hats, but also safety goggles, shoes and gloves reduce the risk of personal injury. The standards also require that eveiy open-sided platform six feet or more above the ground be guarded by a rail;ng equipped with a toe board to keep the equipment, as well as the employees, from falling. Safety belts and nets provide further safeguards to protect the employee on the job. Safety Standards ~- ~--------~r:~_,.._...,_,..._........._,. - -... ..-----..-~. _..,..,.-- ;,1 . :. i "" ..l ,. New curriculum focuses on safety and health Under a contract with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NlOSH), Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, is designing new under graduate and graduate curriculum in occupational safety and health. This program is part of the NlOSH effort to help supply enough qualified safety and health professionals to meet the growing needs of industry and government. The curriculum developed by Auburn is the first of its kind. The program offers students the opportunity to enter an established field-industrial engineering- and to focus on occupational safety and health. The new emphasis is made possible by requiring students to take 30 hours of courses in safety and health in place of the electives previously open to them. The new courses include: occupational accident prevention, occupational hygiene engineering, occupational safety and health laboratory, design for hazard reduction and introduction to acoustics and noise control. The industrial engineering student who elects this program will be trained to evaluate workplace condl tions and loss potential factors. He will also be quali fied to design and implement occupational safety programs and health controls. In January 1972 the industrial engineering department enrolled 22 students in the new program. In addition, the Industrial Engineering Department at Auburn is planning a master's degree program that also will concentrate on occupational safety and health. Tracking down the hazards NIOSH regional offices will respond to written requests for a hazards evaluation of workplace substances suspected of h<>ving toxic effects. An employer or an authorized employee representative may request the evaluation. An employee representative is defined as a collective bargaining representative, or a person with at least two other written employee authorizations, or one employee from establishments where three or fewer workers are employed. After receiving the request for a hazards evaluation, the regional office will send an industrial hygienist to the worksite to analyze the toxicity of the substance in question. Some requests could result in medical exami nations or new toxicity studies on animals. If the substance is toxic, NIOSH will recommend to the Secretary of Labor an environmental limit to control the exposure. May-June 1972 A one-page instructional sheet to use ,u ":' ci request is available from the NI.OSH Divisior ')~ i/o:- mation, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md. 2\ 35'2. .., ,ci from the NIOSH Division of Tecnnical Servir , ~;, : \)1 ~ Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Forms af., : .:,:::y bs obtained from the ten NlOSH regional offices: ~s)o:, !: Government Center, John F. KennediFederaJ i,:!-:l':-;::, Boston, Mass. 02203; Region II: Federal Bu; ~;1,g, .2G Federal Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10017; Regim ,:': t;.1_n North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 1!;110L 1/s'gi0r, IV: 50 Seventh St., N.E., Atlanta, Ba. 3032-3;, "- 1 c,. V: 300 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Ill. 60607; R sic,n V:: 1100 Commerce Street, Room 8-C-53, Daf 75202; Region VII: 601 East 12th Street, Xar.[- Mo. 64106: Region VIII: 19th. and Stout Stree Federal Building, Denver, Coto. 80202; Regio1 Fulton Street, 254 Federal Office Building, Sc,, (, ;o;r: cisco, Calif. 94102; Region X: 1321 Second 1:u Arcade Building, Seattle, Wash. 98101. Appointments made Edward J. Baier began his appointment as , Director on February 22, 1972. Baier former! Director of the Bureau of Mine and Occupational and Safety of the Pennsylvania Department of E mental Resources. He is a director of, the Arr - - -, Board of Industrial Hygiene and a past- cM9.!r,man , American Conference of Government~fl:':lnd .; _ Hygienists. As Deputy Director, Baier' -Wil_r'it'gs:fst . overall direction and management of NIOSH;(;jper;,, ;~". Alfred C. Blackman, formerly managing .direc :,, , the American Society of Safeiy Engineers, has ::r:<: appointed Assistant Director for Saiety at N. )'.:~r. Blackman reports directly to NIOSH Director' Marc.1 s 1v. Key, and is responsible for providing guidance :,r.r.l coordination for the lnstitute's role in occ'i.1pai :.~, safety. Permanent asbestos standard proposed NlOSH recently issued "Occupational Exposu1 " to Asbestos," a 126-page document containing -cri ,, ;,: for a recommended standard. The study recomm- " , that employees not be exposed to an average gn ..,, than 2.0 asbestos fibers per ,cubic cen~imeter (er, , l' air for an eight-hour, time-weighted conce-ntratio:. I~ also recommends that peak cq_ncentration not ex< . ,cf 10.0 fibers/cc, as determined by a minimum-samp ::;: time of 15 minutes. : 1 OSIL\. Publications Copies of 1,he following are available in limited quantities. They can be obtained free from OSHA regional otfices (addresses will be found on inside front cac_ver) unle~s other wise seated. Compliance Manual Contains guidelines for OSHA regional and area person- nel to follow in implementing the Occupational Safety ' Federal Register - I and Health A.ct of 1970; procedures for processing con tested cases with the Review Commission; and informa Listed below are recent issues of the FEDER..!.L REGISTER which contain information about the Occupational Safety and He-.llth ~ct. Copies of the FEDERAL REGISTER are on tion regarding -citations, proposed penalties and other OSHA activities. A.va.ilable from U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. for $2.00. file at all Federul Depository Libraries. Single copies may be purchased from the Supedntendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 at 20 per copy. Subscriptions are available at $25 per year. :: Standards-Genera L Indtt,Stry 'c. O VoI. 37, -Xo. 14. pp, 9'.!\J-931, January 21, 19i2, Fact Sheet for Small Businesses on Obtaining Compliance Loans Outlines the procedures for small businesses to follow in order to obtain OSHA. assistance in applying for Small Business ~dministration loans to help them meet OSIU. standards. < Chapter XVII. Part 1975-Covern.ge of Employers Under Handy Reference Guide the 1Yilllams-Steiger Occupational Sa!ety and He:ilth ~ct ,, of 1070. Contains purpose and scope, basis of authority, extent of coveru;e of the A.ct. 1 ' , Standards-Oonstmction Pocket-sized 26-page guide to the .:\.ct, describing its cov- erage, purpose, penalties and other items every employer should know. 20 :i. copy from Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20-!02. A o Vol. 37, ~o. 32, pp. 3431, February 17, 1972, Chapter XVII, Po.rt 1910--Occupational Safety and Health Regulations for Construction, and Part 1026--Safety and Bealth Regulations for Construction. Updates and clarifies provi sions concerning the applicability of certain electrico.l - standards. e Vo\. 37, No. 33, pp. 3512-20, February 17. 1072, Title 20, Parts 1910 and 1926--Contains background information pertaining to miscellaneous amendments to construction safety sumdn.rds. & Vol. 37, No. 3S, p. 3089, February 25. 1Di2, Part 102GSafety and Health Regulations for Construction. Corrects FEDERAL REGISTER i::;sue of February 17. 1072, concerning "hazardous loc-.itions.' , Standards-JfisceLlaneous i:, $ Vol. 37', Xo. 36, p. 3830, February 23. 1972, 2n CFR. ., . Part 1910--Contains information ou proposed llmit on "maximum allowable capacity of glass and plastic cont'tainers for certain Class lA.. and Class L:B flammable , !Uiquicls.' ... , ca Vol. 37. No. 3S, p. 3002. February 25. 1072. 20 CFR. part 1010--Scandard for Expo<iure to Asbestos Dust. Con_, tains s1.1pplernent to Xotice of Propoised Ruleruaking. ''standards-Actfoities Yol. 37, No. 16, r,p. 1146--4S, January 25, lVT'.!. Xotice of .A..pplicution for Vuriance and Interim Order, Rust Engineering Co. et nl. Concerns rec1uest for n variaQce .:a,and interim order pertaining to personnel hoisits and tpoatswnins chairs. ' Vol. 37', So. 41, p. 4312. :lfarch 1, 1!:>i2. Concerns 3.petitions filed by American Society for 'I'estin~ and :\fate :,,pals f~r nccepcn_11ce_.1i! a nnrionally recognized standardproducing or;ran1zat1on. '} Q Vol. 37, Xo. 48. pp. 5198-9\J, :\Iarch 10. lOi~. Xotice 'JPf Applicatfon for Variance and Interim Orrler. PPG In...gi1stries, Inc. Concerns an application for n variance and 1nterim order pertninin; to the specifications for acdclent '.prevention signs and tags. Inspection! .A SaFETY STX'iD.illDS reprint describing the procedures followed by an OSH.:\. compliance officer inspecting an esrablishment for safety problems. 100 Questions and Answers About OSHA Ans,vers the 100 most-frequently-asked questions about OSR.-1... Contai11s sections on compliance, standards, recordkeeping, state pro;rams ant.I se\"ernl other categories. OSH.A.'s Recordkeeping Requirements .A. reprint of a SAFETY ST.l.:YDARDS interdew wirh Thomns J. )1cArdle, the ~ssistunt Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics, who talks about the OSH..:l. recordkeeprng system and why it was needed. The Safe Use of Anhydrous Ammonia Describes the injury potential of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. Also contains information on precautions to take to prevent :i.ccidents and what to do If nn accident occurs. Safety and Health Trnining Resource:,; Handbook A lSOpu;e reference book published hr the Felleral Safety .d.d,isory Council co,erin; safety and health trnining programs ,rnd mnterials. $1.25 per l'opy from the Go,ernruenc Printing Office, Washington, D.C. :::0-10:::. Setting Xew Standards for Job Safety and Health A SAFETY Sr.lxo,1.1ms reprint outlinin~ the procedure for developing new st1..fecy standardi, or upuacin; old ones. The Target Industries: Profiles of Five Haz:irdous Occup:itions .,\. reprint of tbe S.ai.FETY ST.\:-ro.ums series on th~ saf~ty problems ot' the ft{"e t:ar:::-et inui:i-,triP~tbose ,nth hu;h injury-frequency r,1tes. Intl.ustnes cllscussed are lon;shorin2'. meat proce;:sin;. lumber anrl wood product~. ma.iufacturiug mobile homes. aml roodn; aud sl1eet meta 1. 32 Safety Standards i .t ---..... ----------- -- _...,..__.:------,,-,.". __ ---- NIOSH Publications Single copies of the following are available free from the Office of Pub!lc Information, i;\ntionnl lnstituce for OceU pational Safety and Henltb, l0H Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio ~5'.:!02. Annual List of Toxic Substances 1971 Provides a con,enient reference source for potentially hazardous materials ancl senes as a guide for research needed in setting new occupational health stantfards. Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Asbestos Recommends methods of controlling worker e::s::posures to asbestos and sets the limit required to prevent asbestosis and to guard against a~bestos-inducecl cancers. Occupational Disease-The Silent Enemy A. pamphlet covering general a$pects of occupational diseases. A.vailable in quantity, Occupational Health Kit Ba.sic reference material of NIOSH concerning the Occupational Safety and Hearth .ict of l970. Selected Training Programs for Physician Support Personnel Xational Institute ot Health, Bureau of Health l!allpower :!ducatipn, Dlvlsion of .:\fanpouer Intelligence, Bethesda, :.\Id. 20014. Journals on Occupatiomtl Heam~' American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal School of Public Heal.th, Uni,ersity of )Iichigan. .lnn .Arbor, liich. 48104. :uonthly, $20.00 per year. American Journal of Public Health .\.merican Public Health A.ssociation, 1015 Eighteenth St. X.\Y., Washingi:on, D.C. 20036. llonthly, $20.00 per yeur. Annals of Occupational Hygiene The British Occupational Hygiene Society, Fair,iew Park, Elmsford, N.Y. 10523. Quarterly, $35.00 per .rear. Archives of Environmental Health J..merican '.;IIecUcal A.ssocia.tion, 535 Xorth Dear!Jorn St., Chicago, m. 60610. ::uontbly, $12.00 per rear. Occupational Health Services for Employees: A Guide for State and Local Governments Designed for officials seeking information nbout the content of occupational health programs and acth-ities of other government agencies, and to stimulate greater interest in health needs of government workers. British Journal of Industrial Jledicine British )Iedical Association, Tavistock Square, London. WCI, England. Quarterly, $12.00 per year. Journal of the American :Medical Association American :\Iedical Association, 535 ~orth Dearbom St.. Chicago, Ill. 60610. Weekly, :;;'.!3.00 per year. Publie.ations on Oc.cupational Health Careers Journal of Industrial Psychology Announcement of Courses P.O. Box 969, Easton, ~Id. 21601. Quarterly, $12.00 per year. Division of Training, ~ational Institute for Occupational Journal of Occupational l'rledicine Safety and Health. Puulic Health Sen-ice, 1014 Broa<lway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45~02. Industrial :'IIedical association, 55 East Washington. St., '.-... Chicago, Ill. 60602. ~lonchly, $16.00 per year. Community Health Nursing for Working People Occupational Health Nursing Public Health Service, Xo. 1206. Rev. 1970, Office of Pu\J!ic Information, Xation:11 Institute for Occupationnl The A..merican j,ssocintion of Industrial Xurses, 79 )fadi Safety and Health. 101-l: Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio--15202. son .he., Xew Yotk, S.Y. l0016. )Ionthly-, $10.00 per year. The Extended Role of the Nurse in Occupational }Iental Health Programs ~ursing Series Bulletin ~o. 3--71, Industrial Health Foundation, Inc., 5231 Centre A:ve., Plttsburgb, Pa. 15232. Directory of Approved Allied Medical Educational Programs Council on )Ieclical Education, American ~Ie<lical A..ssociution, 535 Xortll Dearborn St., Chicago, Ill. 60610. Horizons Unlimited: A llarn.lbl)o!.: clescrllling re~artl!ng career opportunities in me<licine and allied fields, X!nth edition, 1:J71, A.merican }letlic:tl Association, 535 :>iorth Dearl>orn St., Chicago, Ill. 00610. Occupational Health Content in Baccalaureate Nursing Education Public Health Serrtce, No. 1788. Office ot Pullllc Informa tion. So.tional Institute for Occupational Sa.fecy and Health, l0H Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Physician Support Personnel in the 70's: New Concepts American :'lfedlcal Association, 535 Xorth Dearborn St., Chica.00, lll. G0610. Public Health Xursing in Industry Public Health SeITice ~o. liSS, Office of Public Information. Xation:tl In:-,titute for Occupational Safety and Health, 101-l: Broadway, Cincinnati. Ohio -15:!0'.!. Enclosed find $ _ _ _(check, money order or Superintendent of Documents coupons) for one year subscription to SAFETY STANDARDS at $1.00 a year ($1.25 if mailed to foreign address). Name __.....c.-------------:-- Company~-------------Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City, State & Z I P - - - - - - - - - - - Mail to: SAFETY STANDARDS Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D. C. 20402 Pfease make checks I money orders payable to Superintendent of Documents. May-June 1972