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FILE NAME: Engineering (ENG) DATE: 1943 Nov DOC#: ENG027 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Trade Journal Article - Air Borne Enemies SAFETY EHIG1YR CLhe. Ylacj,a$in& o- iaftety, REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. A MONTHLY PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO ACCIDENT PREVENTION, HEALTH CONSERVATION AND FIRE CONTROL Chicago Copyright, 1943 Alfred M. Best Company, Inc. 75 Fulton Street, New York 7, N. Y. Atlanta Dallas Boston Los Angeles Cincinnati PLEASE NOTE! W artim e transportation difficulties, together with man-power shortage in Post Offices and printing plants may delay somewhat the delivery of your copy of SAFETY ENGINEERING. _ W e ask your sympathetic understanding of conditions beyond the control of pub lishers for the duration. ALFRED M. BEST EDITOR IN C H IE F ARTHUR C. CARRUTHERS EDITOR HARRY ARMAND M ANAGING EDITOR WILLIAM FOXHALL ASSISTANT EDITOR * ARTHUR SNYDER BUSINESS M ANAGER WALTER H. BROCKHAVEN SALES MANAGER PICTURE CREDITS Our Thanks for the Courtesy: Front Cover, O .W .I. photo; Page 10, Courtesy National Safety Council; Page 20, Photo by Gilmore Oil C o.; Page 51, Courtesy U. S. Public Health Service. f*7To (m f e r it L VOL. 86, NO. 5 NOVEMBER 1943 . EDITORIALS Looking for the Winner ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 What More Can You Do? ............................................................................................................................................... 9 The Industrial Nurse .............................................................................................................................................................. 9 3 Paths to Safety-- by HARRY A R M A N D ............................................................................... 10 Murder-- Safe and Legal-- by RAYMOND P. D A Y ............................................................. 17 Be Ready for General W in t e r ........................................................................................................ 20 Where to Get Safety Pictures ........................... ...................................................... 25 Spare the Blame-- by H. W . M c C R O N E .................................................................................... 26 High Speed Fire Control-- by C . L. JO N ES ............................................................................ 28 Light to Show the Way-- by A. K. G A E T J E N S ....................................................................... 30 Arsenic Fumes .......................................................................................................................................... 35 Spend Wisely for S a fe ty ...................................................................................................................... 40 Old Man River Keeps Losses Down .............................................................................................. 46 Safety for Women Employees ........................................................................................................ 49 Air Borne Enemies-- by W . E. M c C O R M IC K .......................................................................... 51 The Plant Physician and the Safety Engineer-- by C . LEG G O , M.D. (Conclusion) 56 Vitamins--Yes or No?-- by HENRY S. BEAN (C o nclusio n)............................................... 61 The Industrial Nurse .............................................................................................................................. 65 Someone to Blame ........................................................................................................................... 67 Recent Additions to the L ib ra ry ........................................................................................................ 68 New Products ............................................................................................................................................. 70 RAYMOND T. SM ITH, Resident V . P. PAYS0N H. RYAN, V. P. N EIL A. KAIN ROBERT S. BEGIEN FRANK J. MATRE, Special Rep. F E L IX T . MCCARTHY, JR . Manager GENE HANSELMAN 10 SO. LA S A L LE ST R E E T CH ICAGO 3 Spec. Rep. 70S Traction Bldg. CINCINNATI 2 SOUTHERN DEPARTMENT Representatives ATLANTA GA 928 K IR B Y BUILDING ' ' DALLAS I WALTER A. SPANGLER Representative 50 CONGRESS ST. BOSTON 9 HAROLD F. KANE 704 SO. SPRING STREET LOS ANGELES 14, C A L. AMERI CA' S P I ONE E R SAFETY MAGAZI NE F O R N O V E M B E R , 19 4 3 51 ASSOCIATE EDITOR JACOB A. GOLDBERG, A.M.. Ph.D. Secretary Industrial Hygiene Division New York Tuberculosis and Health Ass'n. MR WHILE the health hazards produced by the in halation of certain dusts have been known for a considerable period of time, it remained for the past decade to bring the real importance of'these hazards to the attention of industry. This is best attested to by the instituting of industrial hygiene departments in a majority of the states, several cities, and many industrial companies. Where heretofore a silicosis or lead case with many Ventilating equipment designed to remove contaminants from atmosphere. by W. E. McCORMICK* of these companies was the usual and expected thing, it is now a rarity. This progress has been due very largely to our increasing knowledge of the hazards, and of proper methods to use for the protection of the worker. In the ceramic industry, due to its diversified fields and due to the volume of industrial workers employed in them, it is of especial importance that we recognize and combat effectively these health hazards. In the pottery, the refractory, and the porcelain industries--to mention only a few--the worker is frequently exposed to either high con centrations of silica or certain toxic dusts. Types an d Amount of Dust We might classify, for our purpose at least, dusts encountered in various industrial operations as nuisance, such as flour, wood, etc.; fibrosis-produc ing, of which silica and asbestos are recognized; toxic, such as lead, zinc, etc.; and explosive, of which coal and grain dust are the best examples. We shall confine ourselves primarily to a discussion of the second and third types--the fibrosis-produc ing and toxic dusts, because it is from these two that the majority of industrial dust hazards arise. In determining the dust hazard of any operation, it is imperative to know both the amount and kind of dust found in the atmosphere in the worker's breathing zone. The kind of dust can frequently be determined from a knowledge of the material or materials being processed. However, where a com bination of materials or constituents is used, it is desirable to know as accurately as possible the amount of each. This frequently necessitates a chemical and petrographic examination of the col lected dust. Shorten the disability period with the new, faster-healing BIO-DYNE TREATMENT N EXT to reducing acci bring to science an entirely dents, themselves, your new concept in healing and greatest concern is reducintigssue repair. They are nei the time lost as a result of ther hormones nor vitamins, accidents in your plant. but natural cellular sub And that's why the newly- stances which have the power discovered B io-D yne treat ment for burns is being so widely adopted in war-busy to stimulate both the growth and respiration of living cells, resulting in: industrial plants throughout America. 1. More rapid healing For it has been demon strated consistently in indus 2. Almost immediate relief from pain trial burn cases, that Bio Dyne Ointment shortens the disability period, gets men back on the job faster. A new concept in healing Discovered in a world-famous research institute, biodynes 3. Prevention of scars where often they'd be expected W rite for detailed informa tion on the new Bio-Dyne Treatment. Or mail the cou pon, order a supply of Bio Dyne Ointment, today. BIO-DYNE Ointment Manufactured by Sperti, Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio SPERTI, INC. Dept. E 4, Beech and Kenilworth A ves., Norwood Station, Cincinnati, Ohio Please ship by________________________________ ------------ jars 15-oz. Bio-Dvne Ointment at. .$ 5.50 per jar ------------ jars 5-lb. Hospital Size a t.................. 21.50 per jar Terms: 2% --10 days --net 30 days Name. A d d re ss. Dust Sam pling Devices Of the several instruments used in this country for dust sampling, the Greenburg-Smith impinger (modified form, by Hatch, Warren, and Drinker) has enjoyed the greatest popularity. This has been partially, if not largely, due to the fact that the dust surveys made by the U. S. Public Health Service record the results in counts taken from impinger-collected samples. The instrument also has he further advantages of large sampling volume (one cubic foot per minute), and high collecting efficiency against many of the commoner types of dust, including silica, asbestos, and lead. It should be remembered, however, that its collecting efficiency against the various metal fumes is con siderably lower than that against dusts. . operation, a dust sample is collected by draw ing the dust-laden air at the rate of 1 C. F. M. through a small orifice in a collecting fluid--usually water, alcohol, or some suitable acid. The dust impinges on the bottom of the flask with an ap proximate velocity of 100 m. per second, and is thereby sufficiently wetted to be held in the collect ing fluid. The sample can then be counted, deter mined gravimetrically, or chemically. There has recently been placed on the market a smaller sized impinger, called the micro impinger, in which the sampling rate is one-tenth that of the regular type, and the volume of sampling fluid used is about 10 ml. This instrument, I believe, is hand operated. Its chief advantage lies in its increased portability. Recent tests made by the U. S. Bureau of Mines indicate its collecting efficiencies to be similar to those of regular type. Another instrument which is finding increased popularity, especially for field use, for dust sam pling is the dust counter produced by a well-known optical manufacturer. This instrument provides facilities for taking a large number of grab samples and, if desired, reading the dust count immediately in the field. Due to the several variables which oc cur between different dusts, no satisfactoiy con version of the readings made with the counter and those made with the impinger has been devised. However, for any one given industrial process the ratio of these two values is fairly constant. F O R N O V E M B E R , 1943 53 The electric precipitator has for quite some time been used as a laboratory device for dust studies. This device operates in principal by drawing the dust-laden air stream either between two oppositely charged electrodes or through a high A. C. potential field. The precipitated dust is caught on either a glass or metal tube and the amount determined either gravimetrically, chemically, or counted. The device possesses very high collecting efficiency against all dusts and fumes. Recently an instru ment intended for field usage has been developed. Is It H azardous? If industrial dust hazards are to be properly diagnosed, the results obtained from the dust samples which are collected by any of the abovementioned methods must be properly interpreted. In brief, we must be able to say whether or not, even though we have found dust in the atmosphere, we have an industrial hazard. Silica and asbestos dust samples are usually counted according to the procedure developed by the U. S. Public Health Service, and the number of particles found ex pressed as the number of either free silica or asbestosis particles per cubic foot of air volume. This presupposes, of course, that we know the per cent of the harmful constituent in the atmosphere or that we determine this value from petrographic or chemical analysis. We can then set up a work ing formula such as percent free silica X total count = free silica count. We now believe this free silica value should be kept below 5,000,000; in fact, some authorities would put the value even lower--possibly 4,000,000. The finally accepted value, from the standpoint of silicosis prevention, whatever it becomes, must be such that it will be safe for any individual to spend his entire lifetime on a given occupation without contracting silicosis. The size of the dust particles present is very im portant. It has been found, of course, that the most active particles in the production of silicosis are the smallest. Particles above 10 microns in diameter are believed to be relatively unimportant so fa r as the production of silicosis goes. It should be pointed out here that the most hazardous sizes of dust are those sizes which remain longest in the atmosphere and are most difficult to remove from the zone of the worker by mechanical filtration. The small sizes are also those which are most numerously pro duced during mechanical operations. For example, Hatch and Pool found that 10 particles less than 0.8 micron are produced each minute by an ordi nary pneumatic rock drill. From a consideration of Stoke's Law, particles of this size will settle at the rate of about 4 inches per hour, so that the hazard encountered in this particular case can easily be appreciated. Recent studies by Gardner, however, indicate that the activity of silica dust for producing sil icosis increases to a maximum as the size of the H O W - PROTECTION FOR THE HANDS OF Industry with Lowila Paste P rovides a protective film on the skin of the hands, arm s and face, w hich is non-greasy, does not ru b off and cleanses w hen rinsed with w ater. L O W IL A P A S T E m eets the suggestions of leading derm a tologists for a skin protective w hich is effective, n o n-irritant and detergent. PROTECTIVE NON-IRRITATING (EVEN ON THE FACE) CLEANSING I SEN D F O R FREE T R I A L S U P P L Y --- | W estwood P harmacal C orp., 1020 M ain St., Buffalo 2, N . Y. I Send generous trial supply of Lo'.'.ila Paste immediately. Name Company . ... | A ddress ......................... ........................... | City ............................ | State particles decreases. This lower limit of particle size, has not satisfactorily been determined but may lie about .002 micron. This phenomenon may be explained on the basis of the lung's refusal to re tain the very finely divided particles. Lead and other toxic dusts are usually deter mined by chemical analysis of the dust sample. If the amount of lead found does not exceed .15 mg. of lead per cubic meter of air sampled, the atmos phere is considered safe for workers. The final phase of our discussion will consist primarily of a consideration of the protective meas ures which can be used to satisfactorily prevent the occurrence of occupational disease from indus trial dust. Protective M easures First of all, good housekeeping in the industrial plant will go a long way toward the prevention of excessive dustiness. Procedures such as constantly stirring up the settled dust by means of the too frequently used air hose, dry sweeping, and inade quate removal of settled dust, all tend to increase the dust concentration of the worker's atmosphere. Provision should be made for adequate removal of settled dust at times when the least number of employees are exposed. Vacuum cleaning, or damp sweeping, should be used and the operators of the cleaning equipment protected with satisfactory respirators. Frequently, a non-dust-producing or non-haz ardous-dust-producing operation can be substituted for those in which hazardous dusts are found. An example of this is the substitution of shot blasting for sand blasting. This type of dust control is some times objectionable because of expense, dissimilar end results obtained, or for some other reason. However, there are frequently occasions where the substitution can be conveniently made. Also, wet grinding or drilling can very often be used in place of dry drilling. This type of dust control is used quite extensively in the granite and rock quarrying industries, and is quite effective. It has, of course, the disadvantages of necessitating an adequate water supply and having the worker exposed to wet and often sloppy working conditions. Some industries use what might be termed an indirect method of dust control by limiting the pe riods of exposure of a given worker to the haz ardous dusts so that his total daily exposure is below that necessary to produce occupational dis ease. This procedure is not to be strongly recom mended for common practice. Yes, all H illyard Floor Treatment Engineers have the an sw er to the question "How To S av e Floors", b ec au se of their m an y y e a rs of training a n d ex perience. Hillyard Hi-Quality Floor Treatments an d M aintenance Products and Hillyard Methods can solve any vexing floor problem. With Hillyard M a terials on your floors they will last longer an d save upkeep expense. Write or wire us today, there is a Hillyard M ainte nance E x p ert in your locality, his advice is yours for the asking. It's NEW it's FREE, Send for your copy today ALL H-l LLYARD MAINTENANCE ENGINEERS HAVE TH-E ANSW ER/ . . d ist r ib u t o r s HILLYARD CHEMICAL CO ...ST. JOSEPH, MO.. . b r a n c h e s in p r in c ip a l c it ie s F O R N O V E M B E R , 1943 Ventilate First Possibly one of the most effective methods of controlling industrial dust hazards is by means of ventilation. This can be done by adequately ventil ating the working space in general, or by means of local exhaust ventilation. The latter method has the advantage of removing the hazardous con stituent close to its source of formation, and thus effecting economies in power consumption for mov ing the required air. It is necessary, of course, in order for local exhaust ventilation to be optimally effective, that the exhaust system be properly de signed to adequately take care of the various in dustrial operations for which it is intended. Personal Protection ' , A final method of dust control is by means of personal protective equipment, such as a dust res pirator. This type of control is not recommended as a cure-all for every dust problem, but can be advantageously used in a large number of cases. The dust respirator, the supplied-air respirator, and the sand blast helmet all have been developed to a high degree of efficiency and perfection. For hazardous dusty operations, those devices which are approved by the U. S. Bureau of Mines are recommended. For operations involving no particu larly hazardous dust, but where protection is still required, the cheaper unapproved devices can fre quently be used satisfactorily. Oftentimes it can be found more advantageous to apply personal respiratory protection to work ers than to use ventilation. On the other hand, frequently the reverse may be true, or a combina tion of the two methods may be used. Quite fre quently it becomes practically impossible as well as quite uneconomical to remove harmful atmos pheric constituents to a safe level, and respiratory protection is used as an adjunct. F rom Proceedings of V irginia Fol> technic In s titu te Conference on In d u strial Safety SAFETY ENGINEER WANTED Aggressive Mid-West Casualty In surance Company wants Safety En gineer, 35 to 40 years of age, thoroughly experienced In Work men's Compensation, Elevator, Lia bility and Burglary Lines, to organize and manage Engineering Depart ment. An excellent opportunity for the proper individual who can qual ify and who has been waiting for a position of this kind. 55 AM PCO SAFETY TOOLS Protect Life and Property Against Hqzards of Fiying Sparks You know the danger of using ordinary steel tools in hazardous locations where chance sparks might cause disastrous fires and ex plosions. Through the use of Ampco, non sparking Safety Tools, life and property are adequately protected. These tools are made of Ampco Metal, long accepted in Industrial fields for their strength and hardness. Carefully designed to assure maximum service, they equal standard steel tools in usefulness. Certain cutting and grip ping tools, such as pliers and wrenches, are also made of Ampco-Beryllium-copper. Special tools may be secured, but the Ampco line, covering over 400 items, is unusually complete. Secure a copy of the Am pco catalogue and see for yourself the extensive line of non sparking tools available. Take steps to install these tools in your hazardous departments, thus safeguarding your men and property. Send for the Ampco Safety Tool Catalogue today. AM PCO METAL, INC. Department SE-11 MILWAUKEE 4, WISCONSIN