Document Mg3M7DMgB9yERzB35L3O7zmx

PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT . EPG-33 ^Hiunble^y January-February. 1956. Vol. XI No. 5 .* * Keeping Well At Work STRIPPED of austere syllables and reduced to warm and friendly term', industrial hygiene is the science of helping employees keep well at work. Since this field is so broad and com plicated. those who devote themselves to it must be dedicated people. Ideally, the\ should be part doctor, part diplo mat. and part detective. But no matter how those three pans are put together, the industrial hygienist still spends vir tually all of his time at the laudable task of preventing trouble. This is vital work, this business of being a constant watchdog over em ployee health. It is not so spine-tin gling, perhaps, as tracing down that rare offender, or battling that rare ex- teption which proves the rule. But Humble's industrial hygienists are not in their jobs for any casual excitement it might bring. They are more pleased with the comfoning satisfaction of doing their job. and doing it well. And that effort manifests itself in sound, day-to-day recommendations on health safeguards arising from their skill and training -- as well as from the best equipment money can buy. .Vs an example of this emphasis on prevention, the Company's industrial hygiene engineer is regularly called on to inspect, for health reasons, such things as additives used in products, hand cleaners, solvents designed to re move wax from oil wells, and hundreds of other materials. Not long ago. he was asked to advise on a wax solvent offered for sale to the Company for use in its oil wells. The product proved it would do an excellent job. but it was too dangerous, chemically, to the men who would hate to use it. As a result of this study the product was not recommended, and the Production Department chose another solvent. In rare cases, of course, something may *lip by the tightest defenses. But when it does, regular precautionarymeasures set up under the Company's industrial hy giene program will bring the trouble quickly to bay and dis arm it. By wav of example, regular checks of body fluids from Humble employees at one operation turned up a man with evidence of threatening lead poisoning. Though his condition was not alarm ingly dangerous..the danger signals had been hoisted, and it was a good Nostalgic charm of the Old South is captured in this photoeraph of a fine ante-bellum plantation home near the Mississippi River north of New Orleans. EM003031 1 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE Industrial hygiene work within the Company is a function of Humble's Medical Division, and is carried out under the general supervision of Dr. V. C. Baird. Chief Physician. Comprising the staff for this work are Mr. J. W. Hammond. Industrial Hygiene Engineer: Mr. F. H. Pretsch. Industrial Hygienist at Baytown Refinery: and Mr. G. T. Taylor. Industrial Hygiene Analvst. also at Bat town. During the past decade at Humble, industrial hy giene has been increasingly emphasized as a field of preventive medicine. The aim. of course, is to stay ahead of trouble by preventing its outbreak. Air. mate rials. and specimens are scrupulously checked for pos sible contaminants. A hygienist checks, with the assist ance of the superv isors and other staff groups, working spaces where trouble may lurk, especially where dan gerous chemicals or other materials are used as a part of daily routine. Where necessary, control features are designed and methods of work practice are recommended. To make doubly sure that no harm comes to employees, those who work in such surroundings or with toxic materials are tested at periodic intervals. For example, people who work with mercury, leaded paints, tetraethyl lead, and other potentially dangerous substances are exam ined as regularly as necessary to make sure they are not absorbing dangerous amounts into their bodies. The work of the industrial hygiene engineer also takes him into Company field communities where, in conjunction with the Civil Engineering Division and others, the water and sewage disposal systems are checked. He also advises on insect and rodent control, counsels on good practice in the use of herbicides and insecticides, and generally sees to it that the health of the communitv is safeguarded. Any serious illness or dread communi cable disease in the community may bring him imme diately to the scene--and so far there has been nothing resembling an epidemic in any field community. thing for him that the precautionary check had been made. Industrial hygienists from Humble's Medical Division set to work on the case at once. But, disappointingly enough, nothing could be ferreted out from the man's regular work and blamed as the offender. Again and again, the scientists went over the job materials and the job conditions. No lead-poisoning possible here, was their verdict! Later, it was determined that the lead poisoning came from a red-lead primer that he was using to spray farm machinery. Once the source was pointed out to him, he discontinued the practice that might have been ex tremely harmful to him. For him, the hole in the dike had been plugged in time to prevent a flood of trouble. Cooperative Effort industrial hygiene activities are so many and so varied that Humble's staff could not possibly carK out the Company 's extensive program without a great deal of help from others. They depend, to a large extent, on the co operation of other groups in the Corn- Employees in research air protected from radioactive ravs bv shields lead, concrete, etc. > not penetrated by ravs. o Sewage effluent is carefully checked to assure adequate treatment: often equals quality of the ieceiving stream. E 03 032 \ pane. on the approval of staff recom mendations by management, as well as on independent scientists and organi zation' In the Production Department, in- du-trial hvgienists cooperate with Civil Engineering personnel on controlling sanitation, insects which may carry dis ease. water supplies, sewage disposal, herbn ides, insecticides, and ventilation. Two complete round; of inspections have been made of Company field communities; the first completed about five or 'ix vears ago. the second com pleted last war. Between routine in spections. of course, any trouble or potential trouble at anv location may bring the industrial hygiene engineer hum ing to the spot. I.a-t voar. Houston research groups moved into new quarter; in the Hous ton Research Center. Before the move was . ompleted. a new safety manual had been written, and the industrial hygiene engineer served with represent atives of other groups in writing the manual. It is his responsibility, also, to cooperate with safety engineers on problems which involve health hazards as well as <afetv hazards. Company committees offer much help and advice in analyzing and solv ing health problems. Company-wide, the Toxicitv Committee of which the indu'trial hvgiene engineer is a mem ber -erves thi' purpose bv studying and making recommendations on ques tionable materials used in Company operations. At Baytown, the industrial hygiene -taff works closely with the refiners'. Health and Sanitation Com mittee. On 'time occasions, to help solve partii ular problems. Humble has made u`e. on a fee basis, of penonnel and facilities at the Houston Medical Ccni ter. Bavlor Medical College, the UniI ver-ttv of Texas Medical School, the L'nivcrsitv of Houston, independent rewarch organizations, and others. Vacuum above this planer in the Main Officr carpenter shop sucks up dust and line particles of wood to protect operator; conveys the refuse to a collection bin. A Fertile Field I One of the rno't fertile fields for I industrial hvgiene in all the Companvs operations is Bavtown Refinery. Here, clti'i-lv compacted, are to be found all the elements which challenge the hvgicni't s resources and skills. Here are complicated refining processes using ail 'on. of acids, caustics, and other chemj ir.il compounds. Here are all the po ' tential trouble-makers of heat, cold, and fatigue. Here. ton. are the dusts, Ventilating device used in welding operations at thr Baytown Refiners Central shops protects welders hv removing irritating lumes. gases from working.atea. EM003033 A ii i I II I I i I I Mercury collection traps used in repairing meters at the If allowed to spill on floors, mercury seeks crazier* and Raytown Rrhnerv instrument shops protect employee health. small cracks, vaporizes to give off hazardous fumes in air. ga>es. paints, and sprays which could cause untold misery if not held in proper check. With the industrial hygiene staff working through the supervisory and safety groups to hold a tight rein on all these materials and working condi tions, any one of which could cause great trouble if left unguarded, work at Baytown Refinery goes on with an amazingly low accident and injury rate. The figures themselves prove that the employee is far sales inside the re finery on his job than he is at home! To arrive at a happy situation like that, some tremendous work has been done by management, acting on the advice of all staff groups. Proper ven tilation has been supplied where needed, along with good lighting. Reg ular "safeguard" tests are made on em ployes who work with potential!) dangerous materials to keep harmful enemies at bav. Correct work methods are prescribed and followed. A great deal of the work space has been airconditioned for comfort and health. Studies are even being made on re finery noise! Already, at some loca tions, screeching steam or clanging metal has been converted into a quieter companion for those who work around it. The industrial hygiene group works closely with the Departments of Health in all states and communities in which the Company operates. Last year, at the request of emplosees, the Texas State Department of Health made de tailed inspections of Baytown Refinery's mammoth air-conditioned Central Shops, where manv mechanical crafts are housed under one roof. .Among other information carried in the De partment's final report, these state ments were made: ". . . It can be very positively stated that no hazardous concen tration of chemicals or metals was found in the working atmosphere of the refiner) shops building. ". . . Illumination levels at work surfaces were found to be ade quate and within the permissible limits. ". . . In a careful comparison of the environmental facilities, the control of potential hazards and provision of health and medical facilities ... we feel that your company is among the more mod em and Ls to be commended for the concern it is continuously indicating for the health of its employees." Humble management, the Medical Division, and its industrial hygiene staff could not hope to enjoy a higher tribute than the one paid in that offi cial pronouncement. In it lies praise for a job well done, as well as reassur ance to employees that their health is being guarded as closely and carefully as human skills and the best equip ment will allow. 4 EM003034