Document 827V774NOZEdLdRMy4mq24KJa

Suggestions for the Improvement of Conditions la Belco-Bemy Storage Battery Factory tfjul rKcoMME?n);\iio:is - 1 The complete separation of various departments of the operation 13 advantageous Because there la consider able variation in the magnitude of exposure occasioned by various types of work and It Is desirable to Isolate the types of exposure so far as possible In order to . appreciate their magnitude, and In order that no un necessary exposure bo brought about In this way the doctor can localise the hazards of a particular occu pation by the condition of the men so engaged* It i3 also desirable to have certain occupational fields which have no intrinsic hazard, into which to transfer workmen who have been suffering significant exposure# The hazards of any particular occupation should be studied and combatted by all possible means, so as to corns within the limits of known satisfactory conditions The best manner of determining the latter In this case Is to measure the dust concentration In the air breathed and to be satisfied with the results only wfcon the air breathed by workmen contains less than 5 mg* of lead per 10 cubic meters of air 3* Methods of combatting the dust hazards are 'cost summar ised as follows: . (a) there there is dust on the floor from any cause the floor should be kept continually wet (0 ) There there is dust thrown into the air in any operation, a suitable forced ventila tion should so dilute the air breathed as to reduce the lead dust to the above con centration* I.hod3 and fans can accomplish this. They work best If the air current is pulled laterally or downward, rather than upward. The above applies with equal force to volatile lead from melting pots, lead burning, etc* Insistent instructions and supervision as to cleanliness of workmen, with especial care as to nails, hands and ' tooth. Is absolutely necessary to prevent careless ingestion of load, bail and tooth brushes should bo General *'ecommendations (cont*) 6, Thorough inspection of respirators and other protective equipment, as well as of the carofullness of the men tlicisselvos should be inaugurated unless already in ex istence* 7, Tuo use of respirators is necessary as long as there are dust concentrations in excess of the figures given above* (I an sending herewith a booklet describing various types of such masks. Please return it when you have finished with it* I am also obtaining a sample mask which I will show you when I obtain it from a man 1 know in Kngland*) bi'hCIFIC CMITICIb^S 1* Reclamation Department* (a) There is too much dust at the opening at which materials are put into the melting pot* `Phis could be hooded* or materials might bo put in mechanically, (q ) There is oxide dust in dressing the melting pot* Tills should bo hooded* It would probably be well to use a metal track in which to put the dross* and to 'save a hood over ih.is at the time dross Is being ahoPolcd or dinned into it* (c) whore is considerable dust at tlio grinding apparatus* lie materials give off dust a3 introduced (shoveled) . and the grinding apparatus leaks* (d) There is a considerable amount of dust on the floor* rf]iis should be prevented, as water is dangerous in the area of the melting pot* (o) The lead pig moulds should bo hooded to remove the load vapor.'" d. hixing Department* The emptying of barrels of oxide and other materials gives rise' to dust. The barrels might best be emp tied by means of a mechanical device that upends them into an orifice exactly fitted to the barrel top, so no leakage :1s possiblo* If some amount of oxide gets on the floor, the floor should bo kept wot, otherwise currents of air will carry It into respired air of workman* o . fasting Dopartment on the floor whore It nay dry* Also on various parts of the machinery it m y dry* Xt should he seen that the floor and apparatus are sufficiently moist to prevent dust being thrown into the air* 4* Sorting and Plate Assembling* The grating with down draft on which these are handlod is very good* however some dust rises from these gratings* They should be hooded so as to have some side draft in order to beep the dust out of the air breathed by workmen* 'bis is shown in part by the dust on the floor in this area* The same Is true of the rotary brushes which clean those plates* They are not properly hooded* Dust passes out of tho hood In front and at the sides* 5* Assembling T'epartment * (a) There is more dust on the floor and on the moving assembly platform than is necessary* This would be prevented in part by a partition separating this department from the pasting and sorting space* It should ho possible to lessen the dust on tho moving platform by cleaning tho plates more adequately. ib) There 13 no precaution against lead vapor in tho case of tho lead burners in the assembling work* Tills operation should bo hooded so as to reduce tho euentity of vapor breathed* HE 0012283