Document 8Rve45Z3KEa7YXy52NXkdxLGm

ABSTRACTS FROM CURRENT LITERATURE 337 Undesirable Effects of Vibrating Tools upon Industrial Workers. Kenneth M. Smith, Tr. Bull. No. 14, Pittsburgh, Industrial Hygiene Foundation, 1949. Smith suggests that "white fingers" from operating pneumatic vibrating tools can be prevented by using a sort of "isolator," which is clamped to the tool, or, if that is impractical, wearing a special mitten. Philip Drinker, Boston. Studies in Occupational Morbidity: Part III. Ian Sutherland, C. G. Harris and A. Smithers, Brit. J. Indust. Med. 7:140-144 (July) 1950. The authors have collected data on all reported accidents occurring at work in two factories employing 4,285 workers. There were fewer accidents among female than among male employees. The accident rate varied with the nature of work being done. The younger employees tended to have higher accident rates than illness rates. This pattern is a function of experience, sense of responsibility and more frequent reporting of accidents by younger employees. Less than 1 per cent of the accidents caused the loss of one working day or more. The common types of injuries were cut fingers (35 per cent), bruises and foreign bodies in the eye and the finger. Early reporting of'injuries results in low incidence of sepsis. Arnold A. Lear, Boston. A Case of Poisoning by Nitrous Fumes Arising in Cleaning the Inside of Pipes Chemi cally. Assouly, Arch. d. mal. profess. 10:507, 1949. Two men were set to clean the pipes of the radiator of a diesel engine. For this purpose chemicals were used, of the composition of which the men were ignorant. At the close of the process they threw a sack of powder into the water tank, whereupon there was a sudden evolution of thick red fumes. These fumes set up a sharp attack of coughing and one man went out. The Other stayed, although he experienced violent cough and palpitation. For the next few days this second man felt tired out and experienced palpitations. The powder at fault contained sodium nitrite and sodium carbonate, while the tank contained hydrochloric acid. The nitrite was there to set going a reaction by which a film of iron nitrite forms on the inside of the pipes and so protects the metal from further corrosion. A year after this occurrrence the second man was still complaining of dyspnea and heart attacks; he was awarded as compensation 3 per cent of partial permanent incapacity. L CoLLIS [BuU Hyg , Arsine Intoxication During the Cleaning Out of a Boiler. F. M. Troisi, Med. d. lavoro 41:166 (May) 1950. Troisi describes a case of mild arsine intoxication of a worker who was cleaning out the calcareous sediment on the inside of a boiler in which 44 gal. (166.5 1.) of 10 per cent hydro chloric acid had been allowed to stand for 18 hours. The arsine was produced by the reaction between the arsenic contained in the acid (0.001 per cent) and the hydrogen that originated from the contact of the acid and the metallic walls of the boiler. The poisoning was mildr- The symptoms were dyspnea, headache, nausea and vomiting; after 12 hours, hemoglobinuria, and after 24 hours, fever. Jaundice was not present. The analysis of the urine showed hemoglobin and albumin with many granular and epithelial casts and disin tegrated red blood cells. Recovery took place in a few days. Adaptation of English Summary. . ... Legal Medicine Industrial Health Legislation : A Compilation of State Laws and Regulations, July 1950. Victoria M. Trask, Federal Security Agency, United States Public Health Service, 1950. This is a mimeographed, booklet of some 156 pages with index. It gives in summary the basis of authority for .conducting industrial hygiene activities or safety programs, the extent of rulemaking and enforcement powers, and related functions; the control of occupational health haz ards in industry; the reporting of occupational diseases, and compensation for disability from occupational diseases. Philip Drinker, Boston. 1 J 4 Hi