Document EqKq2z4GGb4MLJJ29LGyqV2VV

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Published by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Volume 55 Numher 2. Contents for February, 1933 THE COVER . . "RUNNING SMOOTHLY"-----A STUDY IN GEARS AND WHEELS RECENT ADVANCES IN PHYSICS....................................................... W. F. G. Swantl dust in industry............................................................ Frederick Willson THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF MASS PRODUCTION ... D. S. Kimball 75 80 83 EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR CREATIVE TECHNICAL ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP....................................................................... R. E. Doherty THE PROBLEM OF ECONOMIC BALANCE............................. S.II.SUchter 90 95 THE TRADE ASSOCIATION'S PART IN COORDINATE PLANNING . . . . E. L. hleermance 101 THE RELATION OF WEATHER TO TRANSOCEANIC FLYING......................................... [. FI. Kimball 105 NEW CONSTRUCTION CAN RESTORE PROSPERITY . . . D.C. Coyle 111 STEAM RESEARCH: PROGRESS OF WORK AT MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY F. G. Keyes and L. B. Smith PROGRESS OF WORK AT U. S. BUREAU OF STANDARDS . N. S. Osborne 113 116 PLAINTIFF'S I EXHIBIT I ASM-3 EDITORIAL.................................................................118 SURVEY OF ENGINEERING PROGRESS . 120 SYNOPSES OF A.S.M.E. PAPERS . . . 133 BOOK REVIEWS AND LIBRARY NOTES CORRESPONDENCE..............................................135 RESEARCH-----STANDARDIZATION . . 138 A.S.M.E. BOILER CODE.....................................140 .................................................. 141 DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE . 1 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS ... 28 26 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS .... 30 OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY: A. A. Potter, President Erik Obbro, Treasurer Calvin W. Rice, Secretary PUBLICATION STAFF: George A. Stetson, Editor Frederick Lask, Advertising Mgr. COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS: L. C. Morrow, Chairman S. W. Dudley S. F. VooRHeES, Vice-Chairman M. H. Roberts W. F. Ryan C. E. Davies, Secretary to Committee on Publications Published moochIf by The American Society of Mechanical Engineer*. Publication office at 20th and Northampton Street*, Ea*con, Pa. EJicorial and Adverming department* at the beadquartenaftheSociety, 29 Weit Thirty-Ninth Street, New York, N. Y. Cable addre**, ''Dynamic,*' New York. Price 60 cent* a copy, $5.00 a year; to member* and affiliate*. 50 cent* a copy, S^JOOaysar. Pottage to Canada, 75 cent* additional, to foreign couQtric*. $150 additional. Change* of addre** mut be received at Society headquarter* two week* before they are to be etfectm oo the maiharlut. Pleue scad old a* well a* new addre**. , . . fiv-Law: The Sodetr shall not be rc*pon*ibJe for jtaremcoci or opinion* advanced ia paper* or . . printed in it* poblicadoo*CBl, Par. ft. . . . Entered a* *econd-cla* matter at the Post Office at Easton, Pa., under the Act of March 3, 1879. . . Acceptance for mailing at ipecial rate of poitage; prorided for io section 1103, Act of October 3. 1917. authonaed on January 17, 1921. . . . Copyrighted, 1933. by The American Society of Mechanical Engineer*. DUST in INDUSTRY Shop Methods and Equipment Effective in Controlling Dust Hazards By FREDERICK WILLSON, M.D.1 UST at this time employers in dusty trades find the atmosphere should constantly be alert and watchful, J themselves in a difficult, if not alarming, position. Not fully warned or informed, until lately, of the discounting to the fullest extent every possibility- of danger. Employers should not conclude that they have special dangers of certain dusts, employers have naturallyentirely eliminated danger of silicosis, or of any type of exercised merely general care in dust prevention. pneumonoconiosis, simply because the air is seemingly Under such "general care" some of their workmen-- frec from dust. It should be borne in mind that the those exposed to silica, and siliceous, dusts--have been particles which do the most harm are invisible and char found to be suffering (if indeed some have not died) from the physical condition now recognized as "silicosis,'' cither with or without tubercular compli cation. At the present day except in some half-dozen states, they remain long in suspension in the air. It has been estimated that dust particles one micron in diameter re quire eight hours to fall six feet in still air, and that even larger particles, 5 microns in diameter, require ncarly an hour to fall to the floor from the height of a man. occupational dust diseases arc not included as compensatable under employers' liability laws, hence work men or their families seeking redress for alleged physical Particles remaining so long in suspension in room atmosphere continue the danger throughout the entire working day, hence the urgency of postponing sweeping damage must bring such action under the common law. and dusting until work for the day has ceased. Often The consequence is that employers in certain kinds of dust is thrown back into the air during these operations. dusty trades arc now threatened with much litigation Furthermore, dust of dangerous character may be so and some monetary loss. extremely fine in grain as never to settle at all but remain To any one not familiar with the exact situation in in suspension indefinitely. industry, it may seem strange that employers did not Assuming, then, that employers in hazardous trades act years ago to attempt a better control of the silica- are not only willing but very anxious to protect their dust hazard. This undoubtedly would have been done workmen, we come to consider the steps by which they by most employers if they had been aware of the danger, but unfortunately the subject, although under investiga tion and fairly well understood in scientific circles, was largely unknown to industry. Dust to employers was merely "dust"--one kind being thought to be as dan gerous as another--although, of course, we know today that this is not the case. Most well-intentioned em ployers may be said to have used "reasonable care" in past years, and this "reasonable care," considering their jack of knowledge, is now their best defense in the damage suits just referred to. However, froiti now on, with the spread of common, or at least available, can approach the attainment of this end. These steps, undoubtedly, involve not only the expenditure of suffi cient money to procure the best possible modem pro tective equipment (ventilators, exhaust systems, dust collectors, respirators, and the like), but also a readi ness to face the expense of subjecting their workmen to thorough physical examination when employment starts, and to reexamination at intervals not exceeding six months during the entire course of employment. Employers should see that workmen are not exposed to the danger of tubercular infection from one another, that every facility in the way of dressing rooms, lunch knowledge of the peculiar danger of certain dusts, only "special care" will safeguard the interests of employer and workman alike. rooms, and wash rooms is provided, and that ever)* piece of protective equipment is kept in perfect working order. Good housekeeping is, after all, one of the major PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY WHERE DANGEROUS OR POISONOUS DUSTS ARE PRESENT considerations in the protection of workmen where there is dust of a hazardous nature. Dust-exhausting systems are of no use unless they arc so applied to the Let us now consider what present steps will constitute "special care" where dangerous or poisonous dusts are present: in other words, what shop precautions are now known to be absolutely necessary, based on the knowledge of silicosis just made available to us. Employers in industries where free silica is present in1 1 President, Willson Products, Inc,, Reading, Pa, Presented at the National Process Meeting arranged by the Process Industries Committee of the A.S.M.E., and held under the auspices of' the Buffalo Section of the Society, Buffalo, N. Y., June 6 to 8, 1932. work as to really carry off a large part of the dust and deposit it in receptacles where it cannot again work harm. Preferably the suction should draw the dust downward, away from the face of the operator. Many dust-collecting systeriis suffer from lack of maintenance, or from not being correctly applied to the operation. In one plant visited last year the author noticed that the flue pipe between the inlet and the exhaust fan had opened at a joint so that air drawn in at the working entrance--if any was drawn in--tended to be thrown 80 February,1933 81 the room at an elevated point, thus greatly augmenting the original hazard. Then, too, sandblast cabinets should be kept in perfect working order so that they do nor send out into the atmosphere jets of dust from bad joints, leaky doors, or tattered curtains. Fre quently the hoods over open sandblasting cabinets arc badly designed for protection against tine dust. Helmets used by sandblast operators must be of modern design, supplying to the workman ample pure air, otherwise they are worse than useless. Workmen having to do with hag filling, load ing and unloading of pulverized sand, asbestos, talc, clay, feldspar, and other silicates, as well as those handling lead in bulk, should receive special care, as should also workmen making up batches in glass plants. DUST-EXHAUSTING SYSTEMS---- RESPIRATORS Naturally, the first type of mechanical protec tion to come to our minds is that provided by sys tems of dust exhaustion. These are very effective when the inlets arc applied close to the source of dust production, but their utility is less evident when they arc considered in connection with sus pended dust in large workrooms; in such open spaces ample ceiling ventilation and air cleaners are more helpful. There seems to be difficulty in the way of the removal of fine-dust deposits in room spaces by any mechanical or electrical means other than the direct application of good vacuum cleaning apparatus. Protection of workmen by means of respirators is also indicated wherever the room air cannot be kept moderately free from dusr, and, of course, doubly indicated in operations that are unusually ELIMINATING DUST IN ROCK DR II,LING (The drill operates through a dust collector consisting of a meral cap con nected by a hose line to a suction tank and dust catcher.) dusty. In all kinds of sandblasting, workmen should be individually protected, without fail. When possibly be much worse. Part-time protection can hardly possible, the form of respirator which provides for the he considered as protection at all--rather it is only workman an ample supply of pure, fresh air under di a form of self-deception. If workmen will nor wear rect pressure is certainly the best, provided every precau respirators because of alleged discomfort, an effort must tion is taken to see that rhe air is free from oily vapor be made to provide them with devices that really can and dusr. There are, however, some occupations in and he worn during full-time employment; hut full coopera around plants where direct-pressure respirators cannot be tion will probably not be attained without acquainting employed without greatly impeding the necessary ac the worker with the danger to which he will be exposed tivity of workmen, and in such places much care should if totally or partially unprotected. be taken in the selection of dry-filter respirators to see Getting workmen to wear safety devices requires the that these are not only efficient and easy to maintain same mental attitude on the part of the management in good working condition, but also are as comfortable that a good salesman must have when he goes out to as possible. The use of wet-sponge respirators is a capture a difficult new account. If the management is doubtful practice, owing to possible variations in the not convinced that protective devices must be employed quality and size of sponge, degree of wetness, cleanli at all times, and if they, in turn, cannot convince their ness, and other factors. shop superintendents and foremen that such devices RELUCTANCE OF WORKMEN TO EMPLOY SAFEGUARDS are necessary, then they cannot but blame themselves if workmen fail to manifest a good spirit toward self More often than not employers urge that their work protection. For psychological as well as for protective men arc not willing to wear respirators, or that they wear reasons, shop superintendents, as well as foremen, when them only occasionally. It must be evident to any one approaching dusty operations should invariably wear that if this neglect of personal protection is actually prac their respirators, and even visitors to plants should not ticed, the situation from a protective standpoint could not be permitted to enter dusty departments without wearing 82 Mechanical Engineering respirators. In this way workmen can finally be con about a decrease in silicosis where free silica is handled. vinced that the management truly believes in full-time Unless this end is attained the burden of liability ex protection. For best results every one concerned should pense, whether determined by civil suit or by workmen's be willing to live up to the rules of the shop, without compensation laws, will grow progressively heavier as exception. In this work any weakening on the part statistics accumulate. of the management is fatal. ' Where this has not already been done it would be wise, The most erroneous and expensive policy any employer as an additional precaution, to organize shop committees can adopt is to minimize to his workmen the dangers in dusty plants. These committees, selected from man of free silica dust; no true observance of dust protection agement, supervision, and common labor, should make can be expected from the workman unless he is fully ac periodic inspections of their respective plants and draw- quainted with the dangers of his occupation. up recommendations for improvement in equipment and It cannot be assumed that workmen in our American shop maintenance. Recommendations made by shop factories are so unintelligent as to wish to ignore dangers committees so constituted are generally more convincing about which they have been fully informed. Rather to workmen than orders issued directly from headquar they, like the rest of us, are apt to scofF at occasional ters, and considering the situation as to liability, no warnings, preferring to doubt that danger exists. It is step, however radical, is to be overlooked or neglected. essential, then, that the management should know the Liability cannot be lessened by having workmen sign truth first of all. Supervisors should be told the whole waivers, or by any other means than protection and story, and workmen severally and individually, in season prevention. and out of season, week in and week cut, should be educated, warned, and even cajoled into full observance PROBLEM OF LEGISLATION IN OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES of the rules. Anything short of this will never bring At the present time there is a need for the inclu sion of pneumonoconiosis (a general term cov ering fibrotic lung conditions due to mineral dust) in the workmen's compensation law-s of all srates in which it does not now appear or is not clearly covered by implication. It is certain that a number of evils in legal practice which now exist would be eliminated by taking damage suits for such occupational diseases out of the civil courts. At best, however, the problem of legis lation in occupational diseases is a difficult one, as many states now considering the subject fully realize. There always remains the difficulty of determining the degree of injury and the exact final outcome. Thus opinions cannot be fairly framed except after the most careful and intelli gent study of clinical symptoms and X-ray rec ords. The truth, then, is forced upon us that, after all, the best way to meet the situation as it is unfold ing is to start now- to take every possible step in the direction of prevention. As long as new cases of silicosis continue to appear, employers will have to foot the bill, often rather unfairly through civil-court trial, or probably in a fairer way under the workmen's compensation laws; but in any case the obligation remains. Insurance companies, if they carry silicosis risks for employers, will de mand a rate which will meet their losses, so in the long run there is but one answer, and that one is the complete education of the employer and his workmen--combined with unremitting efforts toward prevention. When management and workmen pool their in terests in behalf of safety, then certainly safety will ROCK DRILL MOUNTED ON TRIPOD AND EQUIPPED WITH DEVICE TOR THE ELIMINATION OF SILICA DUST (The bottles shown on the tripod measure the amount of silica which will be inhaled by the drill operator.) finally be won. Research lies with the scientist, but the intelligent application of the knowledge thus obtained, as it applies to occupational dis eases, is a moral responsibility of industry.