Document MrGOjV9z32rp3XeVE5ZLBkOz

Officers 1941-1942 Central Chairman--Ralph Farnum, U. S. Rubber Co, Detroit, Mich, . Vice-Chairman in Charge of Program--John L. Grides, American Hard Rubber Co, Butler, N. J. Secretary--K. C Loomis, Ohio Rubber Co., Willoughby, Ohio. Newer'Letter Editor--J. E. Lovas, U. S. Rubber Co, Passaic, N. J. Engineering Committee Chairman--J. J. Raytkwich, U. S. Rubber Co, Mishawaka, Ind. Health Committee--"Du. W. S. Ash (ChairmanJ, U. S. Rubber Co, Detroit, Mich. Dr. J. Newton Shirley, Arrow Mutual Liability Insurance Co, Newton, Mass. Membership Committee Chairman--J. J. Loge, The General Tire & Rubber Co, Akron, Ohio/^^f^?;. Publicity Committee Chairman--Paul Van Cleef, Van Qeef Bros., Chicago, IU. \, Statistics Committee Chairman--Roland Kastell, U. S. Rubber Co, New York City, N. Y. Members at Large-- EL W. Beck, U. S. Rubber Co, New York City, N. Y. R. A. Bullock, Corduroy Rubber Co, Grand Rapids, Mich. Oliver Hopkins, U. S. Rubber Co, Providence, R. I. C. F. Horan, Hood Rubber Co, Watertown, Mass. W. H. MacKay, Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp, Buffalo, N. Y. Urban L. Moler, Inland Div, General Motors Corp, Dayton, Ohio. R. M. - Morse, The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co, Akron, Ohio. William Spakton, American Hard Rubber Co, Akron, Ohio. R. M. Weimer, The Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Co, Dayton, Ohio. `Past General Chairman Officers 1942-1943f General Chairman--John L. Grider, American Hard Rubber Co, Butler, N. J. Vice-Chairman in Charge'of Program--Paul Van Cleef, Van Cleef Brothers, Chicago, 111 Secretary--John E. Lovas, U. S. Rubber Co, Passaic, N. J. News fetter Editor--Roland Kastell, U. S. Rubber Co, New York, N. Y. Engineering Committee Chairman--Thomas H. Boyd, The Manhattan Rubber Manufac turing Dir, Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc, Passaic, N. J. Health Committee--Dr. W. S. Ash (Chairman), U. S. Rubber Co, Detroit, Mich. Dr. J. Newton Shirley, Arrow Mutual Liability Insurance Co, Newton, Mass. Membership Committee Chairman--Glen D. Cross, The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co, Akron, Ohio. Members at Large-- E. W. Beck, U. S. Rubber Co, New York City, N. Y. R. A. Bullock, Corduroy Rubber Co, Grand Rapids, Mich. 635 k V PLAINTIFFS PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT EXHIBIT P 9oS P Q IQ* 636 31st National Safety Congress Ralph S. Farnum, U. S. Rubber Co, Detroit, Mich. Oliver Hopkins, U.'S. Rubber Co, Providence R I. C. F. Horan, Hood Rubber Co, Watertown, Mass. J. M. Kerrigan, U. S. Rubber Redaiming Co., Inc, Buffalo, N. Y. W. H. MacKay, Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp, Buffalo, N. Y. R. M. Morse, The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co, Akron, Ohio. William Spanton, American Hard Rubber Co, Akron, Ohio. R M. Weimer, The Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Co., Dayton, Ohio. `Past General Chairman fAs elected hr delegates in Congress Session TUESDAY MORNING SESSION October 27, 1942 Presiding:--Ralph S. Farnum, Safety Supvr, U. S. Rubber Co, Detroit All Out lor Safety By PAUL VAN CLEBF Van Cleef Bros, Chicago, .HL Safety is something which cannot be pur chased like an ordinary commodity, nor can it be captured like material from an enemy. It can only be secured in the largest measure by education and enlightenment Everyone must be made aware of its importance. Every effort must be made to secure it Not until the beginning of this century did any group of people band together to study the problems of accident prevention from the social standpoint Practically no drought had. previously been given to the effect of accidents occurring in the home, in public places and in industry. But as a result of the organized safety1 movement we are constantly gaining ground. As we look bade over the years it seems strange indeed that so little attention has been paid to accident prevention. No doubt; the first man to use a lever to pry. rocks loose had his accidents. The charioteers of ancient Pompeii driving on its narrow streets created a serious traffic problem. Coming through the ages down to the present we still have so-called accidents in appalling numbers. There has certainly been enough time to learn how to prevent them. Are we doing our utmost to do so? The responsibil ity is not only the householder's, a worker's, a foreman's or management's. It is all com bined. The state -too, must bear its share. Safety should be placed above every other consideration. We should stress fbe needless.ness of accidents,' the elimination of die maimed, die improvement of morale; die pre vention of economic distress, die betterment of society. Although we measure our suc cess in terms of severity and frequency rat ings, why not let die whole problem be ap proached more from the humanitarian stand point? It ought not to be too great a problem to solve if we go at die in a- funda mental way. Until recentiy die world has not seen the relationship between die care of the individual and society as a whole. Now we are trying to remedy this by improving the individual's education, his comfort; bis health and his safety. When these are per fected, we will have a strong and happy people. The Rubber Section has steadily improved its conditions, because the personal welfare of the workers was its first thought It has regarded severity and frequency rates merely as a barometer indicating how well it has succeeded. When other divisions of the Coun cil take the same attitude as the rubber group there will be improvement everywhere. If we try earnestly to train our workers more thor- ' Ot OC b tr pi th s Rubber Section 637 oughly, make them better satisfied with their occupations, take an interest in their well being both on and off their jobs we can con tribute greatly to making not alone their places safe to work in, but in making them safer workers. It will take the best that is in ns as sponsors of safety to bring this about We cannot be superficial- about our intentions. We must try . to make society as a whole a better place to live in. We cannot be half hearted about the matter. We must go all out forsafety. Shielding the Plant and Personnel Against War Hazards In the Rubber Industry s By ARTHUR B. GUISE Central Safety Department, United States Robber Co, New York City Starting from behind in the race to exceed ketone, for example, are used in quantity Axis production of war materials, the. United where thiokol and vinyl plastics are bring States Is just getting into its stride, and used. Other solvents in .the ketone, ester, soon our productive capacity will be felt to chlorinated hydrocarbon and nitro-paraffin an increasing degree. Building new plants;, groups are used in smaller quantities. Al installing new machinery, and training new though these solvents' are relatively new to workers have all contributed to the increase the rubber industry, they have been used in in production. But that achievement most be other industries, and for the majority of matched by an equal effort to maintain the them there are some data on their hazards production rate at its peak. Workers that from both the safety and the fire hazard are injured, that are damaged, and angles. plants that are smoldering ruins do not pro duce. The responsibility for maintenance of production falls on management and workers alike; 'but putting into effect the necessary protection program is up to the safety director. Some of the new solvents have a more distinctive odor than the solvmts previously used in' rubber plants. For example, acetone and methylethyl ketone have a strong odor and an. irritating effect on tiie nose .and throat at concentrations considerably below .Air raids'and sabotage are obvious hazards the lower explosive limits and well below and intensive protective measures, lave been tiie maxmuun advisable concentrations for taken to guard against than. Equally ob exposure throughout the work period. It is vious to the safety engineer are the hazards about impossible to continue to work in that are with ns now as in times of peace; hazardous concentrations. However, the va In the first six months of tins year there pors of all solvents are heavier than air and were 1,800 civilian deaths from air raids explosive concentrations can exist near the over Britain. In the same period there were floor unless adequate ventilation is provided. 9,000 occupational deaths in the .United C States.. Corresponding comparative data for Ethylene dichloride has a not unpleasant fire damage are not readily available. odor and is less toxic than carbon tetra chloride. Apparently, some of the reported Our important war hazards are primarily cases of'nausea among workers may be from in tiie class of everyday hazards--intensified .. psychological rather than physiological canses by green labor, less experienced supervisors, because they occur in well-ventilated rooms and tiie sodden introduction of new methods ; with low vapor concentrations even at the and new materials, but still not extraor working points. Although the fire hazard* of dinary. ethylene dichloride cannot be neglected, it is not as bad as benzol or naphthas because of The increased use of plastics and synthetic toe relatively low burning rate. robbers has brought into our plants solvents- new to os from toe standpoint of general - A slight rash may result from toe use of use. Ethylene dichloride and methylethyl the new solvents, but probably the basic 638 31st National Safety Congress cause is removal of the natural oils from the skin which can occur from the use of naphtha or other solvents. The remedies of creams, lotions, gloves and personal cleanli ness are well known. up by a fusible link. An approved wash tank of this type is available in several sizes. Static electricity is always with us and the most practical method of reducing it where brushing cements comprises. an' im Ventilating equipment is difficult to obtain ., portant portion of the work is to humidify even with the highest of priorities. The the room to at least 50 per cent relative hu plants with spare blowers already are using midity. It is fully realized that in the win them. Metal ducts are almost as hard to ter this humidification will require a con obtain as the blowers. Suggesting plywood siderable amount of additional heating steam, for emergency ducts only gains the safety but the alternative would be to provide con engineer die information that plywood and ductive flooring and have the workers wear sheet metal are in the same class of hard- shoes with conductive soles. The difficulty to-get Despite these difficulties, a generally of keeping the floor and the soles conductive excellent job has been done. If room venti where cement is used should not be over lation does not adequately reduce the vapor looked. - concentration at the work point, air line res pirators are obtainable. For working inside Many plant machine shops are working on of large fuel cells the air line respirators are . war orders 'and have enlarged their force of indispensable. Respirators and masks . are machinists. Safety standards in the use of always inconvenient and few people enjoy grinding wheels and the wearing of goggles wearing them, but their use frequently can are needed now more than ever. The gen not be avoided without danger to the work eral use of goggles is advisable^ as will be men, and supervisors should see that they quickly shown by the number of "foreign are used when necessary. body in eye" reports. A pair of goggles for use only at the grinder frequently collects a Because of the difficulty in obtaining motor layer of dust, indicating non-use. driven blowers, some plants with excess com pressed air have installed air aspirators to induce sufficient ventilation. Even steam .operated aspirators have been, installed. These emergency means of obtaining venti lation have their limitations, but they can be used where limited amounts of air must be moved. Maintaining electrical equipment in good condition is vital to continued production. Replacement of motors and transformers may, require 'months. Fire extinguishers of the proper type--vaporizing liquid (carbon tet rachloride), carbon dioxide, and gas-pressure dry chemical--should be readily available' for use on motor fires. Water spray nozzles Water spray nozzles throwing a cone? approved for use on hose lines on electrical shaped spray will move a surprising amount fires should be provided to fight fires in oil- of air if placed in a horizontal duct of 18 filled electrical equipment In rases where it inches to 24 inches in diameter. Those plants would be difficult to fight such fires with having spare low capacity high pressure portable spray nozzles, a piped water spray water pumps might use this method of ob system-is highly advisable. Frequently, a taining positive ventilation, keeping the cost plant ran be kept operating if one trans-' down by recirculating the water. former is lost but may be out of production for months if all the transformers in a sub In many locations, the local removal of station are lost This thought should be kept solvent vapors may be achieved by having in mind when guarding against sabotage. the suction points at the level of the work table. This arrangement has worked out very The fire and explosion hazards introduced well on a conveyor belt on whirii a large into rubber plants are not new. - They are amount of cementing was bring done and only greater in number andin a somewhat one of the newer solvents was a factor. different form. To be sure, some of the new . solvents are highly water soluble.or are mis- - Stencils should be cleaned in sprinklered cible, and foam extinguishers are not as suit booths with suction to draw the vapors away able. on fire in these solvents. Acetone, alco from the worker. The container for the sol hol, diacetone and methyletbyl ketone are in vent should have a self-closing cover held this class and carbon dioxide or approved Rubber. Section 639 gas-pressure dry chemical extinguishers smokes and are not always carried in dis should be used to fight such fires. posing of the butt The amounts of flammable liquids being; The lack of^choice in hiring has resulted handled in rubber plants have generally in* in a somewhat lower grade of labor. Many creased. In many types of work, large num-; workers come from plants where safety rules bers of cement cans and solvents cans are were unheard of and smoking was permitted necessary. Special cement cans have been generally. These workers also need to learn developed which .reduce the evaporation of to work safely and obey fire prevention rules. solvents to a minimum and still allow the To succeed in maintaining a low accident brush to remain in the can. Safe bench cans and fire loss rate greater emphasis on safety - for solvent swabbing should be provided. But in the orientation course followed by con sometimes the reason for ihe depressible tinued guidance by supervisors is a real ne screen is not apparent to workers and they cessity. C remove it Many companies have branched into, fields . The extinguishers provided for areas where alien to the rubber industry.' In doing so'" it women are'working should not be heavy. A has been necessary to transfer experienced . large number of smaller extinguishers is supervisors from their 'plants and this has preferable. Key personnel throughout the resulted in a dilution by supervisors of less * plant should be trained in the use of extin* .experience. These less experienced super- guishers. visors frequently feel that production cannot j be maintained if the safe practices of peace- i Tampering with extinguishers; .in these time must be carried out They do not realize : times is dangerous, even if it is innocent that by enforcing ample rules they can re tampering, and workers should be warned duce the number of minor incidents and pre- . against giving the appearance of sabotage. vent serious accidents. It is up to the safety The majority of fire doors are automatic closing in case of a. fire, but if blocked open by materialjiiled against them they have lost director to impart to these key men his own faith in the very real value of safe proce dures. their automatic functioning. A fire wall is Some of the problems are being eliminated no better than the lire doors that protect its as conditions reach equilibrium. In many openings, and frequent inspections are neces cases manufacturing operations were rapidly sary to insure proper operation of the doors. expanded beyond any early plans and ex In some locations'a guard to prevent piling treme congestion was the result with its of, material against the door may be advis parallels of poor housekeeping, increased able. minor accidents and increased fire hazard. Engineering departments, winch have been Many of the workers being hired have under an overload in rearranging equipment, never worked in a factory before. They are. planning new buildings, and making existing new to safety methods and are unaccustomed equipment do double duty, have been unable to the discipline necessary in every plant to keep maintenance work at a high standard. Safe practices are unknown to them. De Although we are not yet out of the woods, spite'the orientation course for new workers we can look forward to the time when main they frequently will not follow instructions, tenance will again promptly eliminate phys-. and as a result are injured. They sneak ical hazards. I 640 31st National Safety Congress Some Industrial Hygiene Problems in^fhe Synthetic-Rubber Industry W"". . By FLOYD A. VAN ATTA rad ALFRED M. NOYES^ Illinois State Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Hygiene, Chicago We have much to learn about the special health hazard involved in the production and use of synthetic rubber. In this discussion we will present some of the facts we have gathered and point out some of the unsolved problems which those engaged in the industry are. best equipped to study in their own plants. Such studies should help to prevent industrial disease and are certain to yield economic as well as humanitarian benefits. The economic value of this program was re cently emphasized by Mr. S. C. Sufrin of the Rubber Products Brandi of the War Production Board: "As an economist I would like to point out that if the laboring people discover that certain jobs, although paying fairly good wages, cause the workers to be come ill, die job opportunities are so great that those people leave and go to other jobs, which means a long breaking-in period with attendant interruptions to production." Without. attempting to define either of the terms "synthetic rubber" and "rubber substitute" we shall use them interchangeably in this discussion to indicate any of die syn thetic materials which have rubber-like prop erties. Wc have been helped considerably in as sembling our data by the two Industrial Safety. Series pamphlet*, Ru-1 and Ru-3, published by the National Safety Council from information supplied by Dr. L. J. D. Healy. The other day we received a. copy of the "Condensed Proceedings of die Con ference on Health Hazards in the Rubber Industry," which was called by the Division of Labor Standards of die U. S. DepartS--went of Labor in Akron on May 29th of this year. V---- , Neoprene Neoprene has been rather thoroughly worked out in this country and there has been more experience with it than with most of the other substitutes. The chief potenti ally hazardous materials in the synthesis are acetylene--the real starting material, vinyl acetylene, and chloroprene. Chloropreoe is obtained from acetylene by catalytic conden sation to monovinyl acetylene, followed by addition of hydrogen chloride. The processes are indicated in the following equations: CuCli 2 HCsCH ------------ CH,=CH--C=CH Acetylene Vinyl acetylene ' + HCl------- CH.rrCCl--CH=CH, Chloroprene Acetylene may be classified with the as phyxiant gatts. In fairly high concentrations it has a depressant effect on die rircidadon and respiration and is somewhat narcotic. In the few recorded cases . of industrial poisoning there is a question iis to whether die harm was done by the acetylene-itself or by die hydrogen sulphide or phosphine which it commonly contains as impurities. . Vinyl acetylene 1$ probably somewhat more toxic than acetylene but still Would be an . asphyxiant Like many of `die other chlor inated compounds,; chloroprene--a liquid boil ing at J59*C. (138T F.), is considerably more, toxic than its parent hydrocarbon. When it is inhaled in comparatively low concentra tions it causes irritation .of the respiratory tract Continued exposure may produce a fall in bloqd pressure, reduction in the respira tory rate and cyanosis. The most serious effects are damage to the liver, kidneys,.and testicles, and internal hemorrhage due to the hemolytic action. Von Oetdngen suggests that concentrations of`0.3 milligrams per- liter, corresponding to about 100 parts per million, may cause toxic effects on long exposure... The maximum safe concentration will, con sequently, be something below this value. In addition to the danger from inhalation, chloroprene may be absorbed directly through . the intact skin and produce about the same effects that it does by inhalation. The processes involved in these syntheses ' will invariably be carried on in-dosed, systems ^/ >r inyl e is den- 1 by sses :h s ' 'V r as* ions tkm ode. tri?' "\i tseir J bine ties. . sore : an lorwfljore_ n it tralory fall ira* ious and the that iter, ion, ore. xm- . In ion, ugh" une ' eses- ' *r , Rubber Section 641 and' the materials handled through pumps another workman must remain on the outside and piping. The dangers to be considered, and retain hold of the lanyard. In some cases therefore, are due to leaks in the systems and where the,manhole is near the bottom of the to acute exposures from cleaning tanks and tank it may be practical to omit the manhole piping. One of the larger rubber companies hamess but there still must be another work suggests rthe following precautions in han man detailed to the speafic duty of observing dling processes of tins sort where toxic and the workman who is inside. highly explosive liquids and gases are used:. ' *- * "f } 7. The workman in the vessel must be Escaping vapors must be removed at their instructed to come out at the first indication source by exhaust ventilation. Coupled with, of dizziness or illness and must be removed to this they recommend general ventilation at dean air. > the rate of twenty air changes per hour. 8. It must be borne in mind that the vapors Exhaust ducts should be located at points of many of the materials used in these proc where vapors are likely to be released, such esses when mixed with air are highly explo as valves, gauge glasses and similar loca sive and all receiving, storage, and processing tions and also in pits and other dead air ^ must be handled accordingly." spaces where vapors might collect Intelligent application of the precautions Skin-contact with the liquid should be pre outfitted above mil permit the tnanufacture vented by proper protective dothing.. of ddbroprene, or any similar synthesis, with . little or no hazard to the health of the workers. " Cleaning Pressure Vessels Except for the possible production of Safety rules for cleaning out pressure ddbroprene vapors, no further hazards should vessds cannot be too strict; die following, be|\experienced in the polymerization of precautions'most be taken: chmfbprene. The phenyl beta naphthyiamine *i -* adtied to the polymer to retard aging, or fur "1.. AH valves should be dosed and sealed ' ther polymerization, is not generally consid unless a safety man is stationed at such points ered to be very toxic. We feel, however, that to prevent their being opened. exposure to it should be avoided because of the possible long-range effects. Beta naph- 2. Any agitators" or other moving equip thylamine has been cited as a cause of Msul- ment must be locked out der tumors in dye workers, and the addition -of the phenyl group would probably not de 3. Before entering any such vessd it must crease its carcinogenic activity. be thoroughly purged. This can be done --s by a combination of several of the following: filling the vessd with water, steaming, apply ing vadium, and exhausting. Before open Buna Type* ing such a vessd we evacuate to as much vacuum; as possible, bring to zero (gauge) pressure withjhtrogen, and repeat this proc ess a second time. These are thie polymers of- butadiene and its copolymers with acrylonitrile and styrene. None of the simple polymers has been pro posed for commercial production in this coun try, and the important one of the other two 4. Workman entering rath a vessd most . seems to-be the Buna S type, the copolymer be provided with suitable safety equipment' with styrene. Butadiene synthesis is more of such as goggles, rubber gloves, and forced air a problem for the petroleum and alcohol nrnlw. industries than it is for the rubber industry, but the connection between these industries 5. Any extension light used must be of must be very dose in the future, if it is not the approved vapor-proof type. how. Therefore, some discussion of the syn thesis is pertinent to this artide. Butadiene 6. The workman'must wear a manhole- may be prepared from acetylene by the -harness with a strong lanyard attached, and . same condensation which is the first step in ty/^o 642 31stNationa^Sajety/Congress the production of chloroprene-If^this con densation is followed by addition of hydrogen, rather than of hydrogen chloride, butadiene is the end product This synthesis is the com mon one in Russia and Germany and has die. advantage of producing a material of high purity, but it is said to be'more expensive than the production by the cracking of petroleum products. A third method, or rather series of methods, is through fermentation. The most recent of these depends upon the direct fermentation of corn to butylene glycol and dehydration to butadiene. Butadiene and Styrene What directly concerns the manufacturer of rubber substitutes is die materials he re ceives to polymerize. The material handled in greatest volume will undoubtedly be buta diene. This is a-liquid boiling at --3* C (26.6* F.). It may produce irritation of die eyes, nose and throat, but apparently has no cumulative effectJBelov(tlieiower explosive limit (2%) it is pildfy^narcotic and strongly so in higher concentrations/ There, is very little information in die literature on the, ; physiological effects of butadiene. The re- Fermentation Corn------------------- -> CH*--CHOH--CH*--CH*OH 1, 3--Butylene glycol dehyd. ------------- > CH*s= CH--CH=CH* Butadiene Styrene is ordinarily prepared from ben zene and ethylene, with aluminum chloride as the catalyst, and dehydrogenation of the re sulting ethyl benzene. It may also be produced from coal-tar. corded observations, which are mainly con cerned with die effects of repeated heavy exposures, may have to be modified when _ there has been a more complete study of die effects of continued exposure tolowconcen- A1C1* QH+H,C=CH, -------- ------ C.Hr-CH*CH, Benzene Ethylene Ethylbenzene --2H -----:----- GaH*--CH=CHs Styrene. ` Acrylonitrile may be prepared by any of the three processes shown in the following formulas. The method of choice in the future will probably be the third one involving ethylene oxide and hydrogen cyanide, as .it does not involve any chlorine. trations. It should be obvious that*skin con tact with the liquid is dangerous, due to the low boiling, point Styrene ' is a liquid boiling at 145* C. (293* F.). It is possessed of a powerful odor KHSO HOCH*--CH*Cl+NaCN------- * HOCH*-CH,CN------- > CH*=CH--CN Ethylene chlorohydrin Ethylene cyanohydrin Acrylonitrile heat CHiCO OCHiCH.CN - CH=CH--CN+CH.COOH CH*--CH*+HCN 'o' Ethylene oxide CH*=CH--CN+H*0 There is no doubt that most of the raw materials and intermediates in these syntheses, are highly toxic by inhalation and a number of them also by skin contact In a general way the remarks made on the synthesis of cbloroprene. will also apply here, especially as to the precautions required. I which will prevent prolonged contact with large concentrations if the man involved is a free, agent This cannot be relied on as a" control measure, however, as the senses are dulled as a rule when the sense of smell is r\ offepdedfor long periods. Exposure to die vapors'may cause skin irritation and conjnnc- Rubber Section 643 j'ff4>htplKy8 tivitis. The vapor is also quite narcotic in comparatively small concentrations. Irritation of the lungs, and liver and kidney damage will follow heavy exposures. Concentrations of 200. parts per million are said to be about the safe maximum. Acrylonitrile with other copolymers thus far discussed. When isobutylene itself is polymerized the product formed cannot be vulcanized by pres ent methods and therefore finds limited com mercial application. Trade' names for the polymer are Vistanex and Oppanol. Acrylonitrile is a liquid boiling at 78 tq, 79* C. (172-4* F). The toxic effects of this O Thiokols material are apparently due to the ..formation These are made by condensing sodium poly of hydrogen cyanide in the body after absorp sulfide with chlorinated hydrocarbons. De tion. According to Dr. Neal of the U. S. pending upon which chlorinated derivative is Public Health Service a typical cyanide re^ chosen, a variety of rubbery materials can be action follows absorption. The /safe limit obtained. The two chlorinated^ derivatives should he 20 parts per million or less. This most frequently used are ethylene dichlor is by far the most dangerous substance so ide and dichlorethyl ether, both highly toxic.* far discussed and should be handled only with the most extreme precautions. The effects are Ethylene dicbloride is a liquid boiling at apt to be acute and anyone who shows the 84* C. (183* F.), whose vapors are con slightest symptoms should certainly receive sidered of the same degree of toxicity as immediate medical attention. It is well known - those of carbon tetrachloride. The suggested that cyanides are easily absorbed through the maximum permissible concentration is 100 skin and it would be well to consider that this p.pun. Irritation of the throat, coughing and i compound will be also, at least until there is vomiting have been reported as initial symp evidence to the contrary. ' toms in man. The possibility of liver damage and other effects of prolonged exposure to Polymerization is usually carried out in a moderate concentration indicates tire need for water emulsion, with the addition of soaps as keeping the vapors out of the breathing zone emulsifying agents, catalysts (such as per of workers. Dichlorethyl ether is a liquid mhc oxides, persulfates or perarids), and modify ing agents- which' may be halogenated hy drocarbons, ' nitriles or sulfur compounds. boding at 178* C (352* F.). Its dose rela tion to the war gas, dichlormethyl ether, sug gests that it too may cause irritation of the These modifying agents are generally mate eyes and lungs. One state has set a maximum C. or rials of known high toxicity and should be permissible concentration for the vapors at handled with care. The point-of maximum 15 p.pan. hazard would probably be the removal of tire modifying agents from the latex resulting Because the reaction takes place in aqueous from the polymerization. medium and the product is coagulated with N add, the hazard *of hydrogen sulfide must . Isobutylene Polymers be considered in both parts of the process. Put experience has shown that hydrogen The member of this group which will be sulfide may cause nausea, headache, and ir commercially important is the copolymer of ritation of the eyes, as well as loss of-ap butadiene with isobutylene. This introduces , petite and loss , of wdght when workers are the- new hazard of butenes which are prob exposed even to moderate amounts day after ably below butadiene in toxicity. The butenes day. Therefore, hydrogen stilfide should be are colorless gases with boding points be removed at the source of generation so that tween --<_and 2* C (21* and 36* F.). We the concentration in the workroom air does it have nOreason to believe that the control not exceed 20 p.pjn. At least one artide has is measures should be other than those recom appeared in which the source of thiokol odors a mended for butadiene. In polymerizing butene has been discussed. It is believed that ethylene e with butadiene to form butyl rubber two mercaptan and other sulfur-containing, com is , highly volatile, inflammable gases are being pounds are formed. These may be highly toxic < e handled at the same time, which would make as well as disagreeable. Efforts to keep the >/ the fire and explosion hazard greater than Formula top of next page; 644 31st National Safety Congress SS aCH,CH.CI+Na.S* ---------- CHr-CHr-J-4-- +2NaCl ' Ethylene dichloride Thiolcol A '; SS CICHiCHtOCHtCHiCl+Na*S-- --CH.-CH.-0--CHr-CH^-S-i- +,2NaCl Dichloroethyl ether - Thiolcol B e -> hydrogen sulfide out of the workroom air should be just as effective with these other compounds. Vinyl Polymen Two of the most important members of this group are polyvinyl butyral (Saflex) and polyvinylidene chloride (Satan). Com mon to all of these compounds is the hazard of acetylene, the basis for synthesis of the monomers. The monomer for polyvinylidene chloride is made by treating dichlorethane with alkali. Most of us are-, familiar with the early history of the rubber industry with regard to hazards from accelerators and antioxidants. Aniline and some of its derivatives, "hexa" (hexamethyiene tetramine), the tolmdincs and pataphenylenediamine caused somany cases of poisoning and dermatitis that there was a rush,to develop harmless or less harm ful substitutes. With some of the newcomers there have been no reports of harmful effects, but muds of tins information has cotpe^Eroni direct questioning- of manufacturers rather) from.to"",ogiQ! /* ClCH*CHiCl+NaOH HOCHx--CHtCl HCsCH+HCl Acetylene rH*C=CH.+Cl Ethylene -> HOCHr--CHiQ+Naa -->cH^=CHa+ao Vinyl chloride * CH*=CHCl Vinyl chloride *CH,=CHC1+HC1 Vinyl chloride Among harmful materials involved in mak ing othermonomers and in effecting poly merization 'may be mentioned: hydrogen chloride, butyraldehyde, and several catalysts --mercuric sulfate, benzoyl chloride and uranyl acetate in methanoL The various processes are carried on in a closed system. Therefore, the precautions given previously for such handling--proper ventilation and avoidance of skin contact--should be ob served. i Mixing, Vulcanizing, Extruding, Etc. The synthetic rubbers which will be most important commercially will be compounded and handled in much the same manner as natural rubber. This is more than a coin cidence, for dtherwise the rubber fabrication machinery now available would be useless. The agents most frequently mentioned, in the fabrication of synthetic robber are diphenylguanidine (DJP.G.), phenyl-betanaphthylamine (Agerite Powder), phenylalpha-naphtbyiamihe (Neozone), mercaptobenzothiazde (Captax), tetramethylthiuramdisulfide (Toads), the dthydroqumoline derivatives (Flectols, Agerite Syrup), hexamethyleneammoniuta dithiocarbamate.. (Latec), dinitirophenyldimethylditliiocaihamate (Safex). Because some of these materials may contain known toxic substances as im purities--Neozone D contains free aniline-- and because of the possibility of harmful ef fects after long exposure, direct contact with these materials by inhalation or skin contact should be avoided Among the plasticizers commonly used with synthetic rubbers, those which have already Rubber Section 645 caused harmful effects are dibenzyl ether and Benzol itself is being used to a great extent, tributyl phosphate, both of which have caused ' especially since die so-called safe substitute, irritation to the respiratory tracts even nose* toluol, has been restricted by other war needs, bleeds. The chlorinated naphthalenes have a The controversy about toluol as a safe solvent long history of serious dermatitis and.of poi- seems to be unending. We do not fed that sonings which may be fatal. They have been it has been conducted from an unbiased or recommended as plasticizers, especially for scientific viewpoint Our opinion is that boil* the extrusion of neoprene, but should be used ing point alone does not determine relative very cautiously, which', means avoiding con* toxicity; one must know the actual concen- tact either by skin or by inhalation .of con- tration of vapor in the air. We do know densed vapors. One of the more obvious that toluol has an appreciable vapor pressure . . means of preventing harm from these ma- at room temperature and that severe poison* terials, which are poisonous by ddn contact, _ ing and at least one death have resulted is personal cleanliness. The need of sufficient, from its promiscuous use. dean washing and bathing facilities cannot ,, be urged too strongly, especially since com- Nothing will be gained by seeing how much poUnding of rubber.is a very dirty job at the worker can absorb before blood changes best are observed. The fact that there have been cases of chronic poisoning from exposure to Inorganic Accelerators ' relatively low concentrations of toluol would indicate that safe practice requires keeping Although no dust should be promiscuously disseminated into the atmosphere; the toxic dusts are the ones to be especially avoided. The inorganic accelerators most frequently -recommended are the oxides of zinc and magVjterium; these may create a nuisance but have not been shown to have any definite harmful the concentration as far below the suggested safe limits of 100 to 200 p.pm. as is prac ticable. Several years ago a limit of 75 p-pjn. was suggested for benzol. The A.S.A. has upped. Obis to 100 p.p.m.; why we do not know. We do know of a recent death from tiie use of benzol in an extrusion compound. effects. However, lead oxide and mercuric oxide have'been recommended and used for special properties, and these should be most . carefully controlled both in weighing out and incorporating on the milL Lead has also 1 found use in the form of a soap during poly Ethylene dichloride and monochlorbenzene are the most common of the chlorinated solvents. Both are highly toxic; suggested limits being 100 p.pm. for ethylene dicbloride and 75 p.pjtn. for the monochlorbenzene. merization by emuIsification.Of. course, such use also calls for extreme caution in han dling. The history of poisoning by both lead and mercury .is too well known to require repetition -here. >_ . . Other solvents frequently used, especially for vinyl polymers, are methyl ethyl ketone and butanoL. Methylethyl ketone is considered probably mofe toxic than acetone; therefore the safe limit would appear to be-somewhere below 200 p.pjn. The suggested safe limit for Solvents butanol has been set at 100 p.pjm. A variety of; solvents are used for the Buna S and the butyl rubbers appear to be preparation of cements and extrusion mix the only common synthetic rubbers which are tures, coating fabrics and other materials, appreciably soluble in aliphatic hydrocar and forming7seams in some of these, epated bons. If tiie petroleum naphthas used for dis materials. The synthetic rubbers are a group solving these contain aromatics, as many of materials whose outstanding property is have been found to do, tiie suggested safe resistance to many solvents which cause limit of 1000 p.pm. must be scaled down swelling and disintegration in natural rubber. ward. Before using solvents, or for that mat Therefore; we must use special solvents when ter accelerators, anti-oxidants, etc, which cements and other soft products'are made. are identified only by trade names, you will Coal tar solvents are especially popular. be using proper caution only if you learn what Some have recommended coal tar naphtha they really contain. If you have the facilities (solvent naphtha), a mixture of benzol, toluol' you. can have it analyzed In your own labora and atyloL having definite toxic properties. tories. Often It is simpler to communicate 646 31st National Safety Congress with the manufacturer or your Labor De operations frequently produce excessive con partment tamination when,done in the open. Because so many instances have been ob served in industry where a window exhaust Summary fan or wall fan is considered proper ventila tion, we mention here that we do not general ly approve such installations. Positive con trol of solvent vapors calls for removal of vapors as dose to the point of generation as The data we have presented in this, paper can best be summarized by a review of the most hazardous operations and die proper' meansfor their control. possible, and in such a way as to carry the Synthesis and Polymerization'-- Highly exhausted air away from the worker. Nor volatile liquids and gases, most of them quite is the current rage for down-draft exhaust toxic and highly inflammable^ are pumped entirely justified. The vapors of most of these from reservoirs into reaction vessels. Con-I solvents are header than air and should fall, trol measures include ventilation wherever certainly, but it should be obvious that a leaks may occur, prevention of sldncontact, down-draft exhaust beneath it cannot possibly and a strict set oLssJety regulations, hs out remove solvent vapor from the top of a lined above, for all^operations requiring a broad table without the workers along the worked to enter tanks or reaction vessels. edge of the table getting it first Tins does not mean that ventilation near the floor should not be used to reduce fire hazard, but it does mean that it is not necessarily effective in protecting the workmen from inhalation of vapors. There are a multitude of cases of ill ness from these operations on spreading tables, and numerous deaths. Fabrication--Avoid use of the known bad actors among accelerators, antioxidants, etc. if possible. In any case, wherever potentially toxic materials are handled, the resulting air borne dufts and vapors should be removed at source by exhaust ventilation. The processes which may be the. source of these contamina^ts^are: weighing, mixing on mill or Ban Vulcanization bury, i extrusion, vulcanization, dusting, -`-spreading and cementing. This admittedly complex proce&caa give rise to a number of toxic gasls, such as hydrogen sulfide carbon- disulfidfe,_mercaptans, etc. When Neoprene was introduced into fabrication processes there were frequent The greatest enemy of industrial health, as well as industrial safety,' is ignorance. If we acquaint ourselves with the actual and poten tial hazards in our plants, install the proper control measures, and educate our workers to complaints of a "tear gas" generated during vulcanization. Most processors claim that re cent grades do not give off obnoxious gases. The Thiokols, however, still retain die reputa the potential harm in the materials they han dle and how to use the protective devices provided, we will get better production and less turnover. tion of being die smelliest members. These possibilities of poisonous and irritating gases during vulcanization show die need for ade References quate control by exhaust ventilation. - 1. "Compounding Materials Used- in the Rubber Industry. Accelerators, Antioxi Dusting dants, and Dry Organic .Compounds," National Safety Council, Industrial Safe For a long time it was thought that free silica and asbestos were die only hazardous ty Series No. Ru-1, Part i, 1937, 16 pp, revised' by L.' J. D. Healy. dusts from the standpoint of pneumoconiosis. In recent years it has been shown that sili cates--talc, mica, etc.--are capable of cans- * ing a lung disease called "silicatosis." For this reason, and the fact that it makes a great difference in plant housekeeping, dusting ' should be done on tables provided with en closures and exhaust ventilation. Our own 2. "Compounding Materials Used in the Rubber Industry. Part H, Dry Inorganic Substances; Gums, Oils, Resinous Mate rials, and Waxes; liquids and Gases," National Safety Council, Industrial Safe ty Series No. Ru-3, 193% 12 pp, .based on a paper presented by L. J. D. Healy. observations have shown that these dusting 3. "Condensed Proceedings of the Confer- 2L . ?P if * 8 . ^ 9- * ? & ? .5. g*$ /" \. m- .) le iM cX te ic essd rrT Rubber Section. 647 v-. ence on Health Hazards In the Rubber Industry," called at Akron, Ohio on May . 29," 1942. U. S. Department of Labor, Division of Labor Standards. 4. Lawrence A. Wood, "Synthetic Rub* bers: A Review of Their Compositions, Properties, and Uses," Circular of die National Bureau of Standards C427, U. S. Government Printing Office, 1940, 29 PP- ' . Inst Rubber Ind. 14, 266-78 (1939). 12. B. Karmin, "Specific Vulcanization Properties of Synthetic Rubber," Jour. Rubber Ind. (U; S. S. R.) U, 1144 (1935), Chem. Ab. 31,4531 (1937). 13. Howard W. Starkweather and Herbert W. Walker, "Influence of Metallic Oxides on Neoprene Properties," Ind. Eng. Chem. 29, 87240 (1937). 5. WVF. von Oettingen, The Halogenated 14. Albert Koch, "Buna Rubbers," Ibid., 32, Hydrocarbons: Their Toxicity and Po- 464-7 (1940). ^i^UjOanger^Jour. Ind. Hyg. & Tox., 15. -Aristid von-Grasse, Jacque C. Morrell, and Julian M. Mavity, "Catalytic Dehy 6. Ibid, Toxicity andfPotential Dangers of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbons," U. S. Public Health Serviced Public drogenation of Monoolefins to Diolefins, Source Materials for Synthetic Rubber and Resins," Ibid. 32,309--II (1940). Health Bulletin No. 255, U. S. Govern* 16. W. J. Sparks, I. E. Lightbown, L. B. ment Printing Office, 1940, 135 pp. Turner/P, K, Frotich, and C A. KJeb- 7. -Ibid, "The Aromatic Amino and Nitro Compounds, Their Toxidly and Poten `-sattel, "Rubberlila Properties of Polyr butene,Mbid. 32, 731 (1940) . tial Dangers," U. S. Public Health Servr ice, Public Health Bulletin No. 271, U. S. Government Printing Office^ 1941, 221 PP* 8. "Occupation and Hralth," International Labour Office, Geneva, 2 vol. and supple ments. 17. S. D. Douglas, "Vinyl Resins--Influence - of Chemical Composition upon Properties and Uses," Ibid. 32, 315-19 (1940). 18. N. D. Zdinski, V. L Denisenko, M. S. Eventova, and- S. L Khramov, The Source of Thioknl Odor," Jour. Rubber -> Ind. (U. S. S. R.) 11, 111 (1934), Chem. 9. W. J. S. Naunton, "Synthetic Rubber," Abi 28, 7590 (1934). Macmillan Co, London, 1937. 19. J: C. Patrick, "Formation of High Poly 10. Howard L Cramer, "Industrial Progress in Synthetic Rubbertike Polymers," Ind. Eng. Chem. 34, 243-51 (1942). mers by Condensation Between Metallic Polysulphides and Dihalogenated Hydro carbons and Ethers," Trans. -Faraday Soc 32, 347 (1936). 11. J. G. Anderson, "Processing and Ap 20. P. A. Davis, "Industrial Dermatitis^" plications of Synthetic Rubber," Trans. Rubber Age (N. Y.) 36, 179 (1935). rf 'A 1 648 31st National Safety Congress ... * ' " \ TUESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION October 27, 1942 w' PresidingGeneral Chairman Mr. Ralph S. Fabkuu, Safety Supervisor, U. S. Rubber Company, Detroit /'*> Presentation of National Safety Council Awards in the Rubber Section Safety Contest By J. I. BANASH Consulting Engineer, Chicago, and Past President, National Safety Council The Rubber Section Annual Safety Contest July 1,1941 through June 30, 1942 For reasons of national security, man-hour reports are omitted from die results given here. Outstanding facts about the Contest are: Thirty-erne plants competed in die 19411942 Rubber Section Safety Contest. The average frequency, rate for all con testants was 6-57. ' Frequency rates averaged 12 per cent higher than for the 1940-1941 Contest. Large plants had the lowest rates in the 1941-1942 competition* They averaged 6.49 for frequency in comparison with 8.13 for die small group. Large plants had the best results in com parison with die previous contest--an in crease of 11 per cent Frequency rates aver aged 30 per cent higher in die small plants. Six plants went through the contest year without having a reportable injury. Van Qeef Bros, Chicago, Illinois, again worked die largest number of hours without a re portable injury. Group No. of Freq. Change from Units Rate 1940-1941 All Groups....... 31 Groups A &B. .. 20 Groups C & D..,, 11 6.57 6.49 8.13 +12% +11% +30% All units shown as No. 1 received trophies, all units shown as No. 2 and No. 3 received certificates. Final Rank . Frequency Unit -.Rate r \_____.;o Group A & B Average Rate-. 6.49 1. United States Rubber Co, Indianapolis Plant_________ .85 2. Ball-Band Plant, Mishawaka, Ind. 37 3. United States Robber Co, Naugatuck Footwear-Plant Naugatuck, Conn. .... 1.13 Final Rank Unit Frequency Rate Group C & D Average Rate ...................................8.13 1. Van Clod Brothers, Chicago, DL ----------------- ---- 0. 1. United Stain Robber Co, General Development Dept.. 0 1. Gollyer Insulated Wire Co, Inc, Providence, R. I.--------- 0 - 1. Canadian tastes; Ltd, Montreal, Qtte. ............. . 0 1. The Lobl Mfg. Co, Middleboro, Man.----------- ... . 0 1. Fabric Fire Hose Co, Sandy Hook; Conn.________ . 0 THE `EFFECT OF LENGTHENED HOURS ON SAFETY PROBLEMS IN THE RUBBER INDUSTRY - A Symposium Presiding:--General Chairman Mr. Ralph S. Farnum, Safety Supervisor, U. S. Rubber Company, Detroit CHAIRMAN FARNUM: On the very bly hydrogen sulfide, and possibly some car excellent paper this morning from Mr. bon disulfide. Noyes of the'Industrial Hygiene Division, Department of Labor, State of Illinois, there It is with the things that .are losing modi was wTopportunity for questions to be asked.: stearin, that it will be necessary to get rid Therefore I have allotted twenty minutes, of the thing from the comfort point of view during which time we will have questions and answers on this topic, "Some Industrial because it is irritating. The mercaptans that come off the tiuocols are considerably more Hygiene Problems in the Synthetic Rubber poisonous and probably considerably less Industry." I will ask Mr. Noyes and his irritating. Hot nulling those might easily be associate, Mr. Van Atta, to make themselves dangerous; possibly also extruded. available for answering any of these ques CHAIRMAN FARNUM: Are there tions. any farther questions anyone would like to MR. PAUL VAN CLEEF (Van Bros, Chicago, I1L): When die along this line? Evidently there are none. turer makes his applications of these syn thetic rubber materials, there will be such annoyances/^Tbad odors, acrid fumes^ and so . on. I wonr whether it would be possible for- Mr. Noyerto indicate which of these jutbetics are likely to .be most harmfid. In _ci^cctioa with the process of manufactur ing. It is quite possible that traces or residues of some of the. more hazardous chemicals used in producing the synthetics may still remain, and when the product is. . headed bn mills or extruded from tubers, . and so forth, these might get into the air and cause trouble. We will proceed with the program as. originally outlined. The next section of the program is in the form of a symposium, to be presided over by one of our former Robber Section associates. Mr. Ufford, for merly connected with the Ohio Robber Com pany of Willoughby, Ohio, was a member of the Rubber Section. Unfortunately, a few years ago, due to severe illness, Mr. Ufford was forced to give up his work and remain away from it for sometime. I was highly elated today to see Mr. Ufford able to come back. He has kindly consented to come down here from^New. York and preside at tins MR. FLOYD A. VAN ATTA: I think there is a fair possibility of that We haven't a great deal of information as to exactly .bow modi unpolymerized material 'remains symposium which is to follow on tins pro gram. He has a slate of people who will as sist him in this, and he will make his own introductions. in these, synthetics but, certainly, there is some. The pure Bunas will stink to high heaven of acrylic nitrate, and on milling you* are bound tp get some of that released, par ticularly on hot mills. $he Buna-S loses Mr. Ufford is an old .friend of all the Rubber Section men from way bade. . . Mr. C. W. Ufford, Barrington Associates, New York City, assumes the chair ... Mme stearin. Of course, some of those will CHAIRMAN UFFORD: ^Thank yon lose some butadiene on milling, too, but that very much, Ralph. is not important because it is not awfully poisonous. The Buna-S will lose some .stea The meeting this afternoon is on the sub rin and the tiuocols--I wouldn't want to say ject of "The Effect of Lengthened Hours on exactly what does come off those tilings on - Safety Problems in the Rubber Industry." smiling but; certainly mercaptans and proba It is a real pleasure to introduce the first 650 31st National Safety Congress speaker on this afternoon's program, a lady who is new on the programs of the Rubber Section and who conies to ns with real authority, having been in training, person O' i:~'^ Her subject is "The Effect'd Lengthendd^ Hours on Employees" I take great pleas ure in introducing to you Miss Lucy O* Norton. nel and safety work with Wellesley College, Mutual Life Insurance Company, New'York, Syracuse University, R. H. Macy Company, Montgomery Ward, and now with General Electric, where her position is Assistant Supervisor of Personnel for the General Electric Company at Erie, Pennsylvania. MISS LUCY O. NORTON: I can see you are not used to having a "Miss" on the program. This is. really a wonderful op portunity because I am practically one, lone woman among a lot of men. A lot of women would give*a lot for this opportunity, and I assure you it is appreciated. The Effect ofLengthened Hours on Employees In War Production--Male and Female Employees By LUCY OGDEN NORTON Assistant Supervisor of Personnel--in Charge of Women, General Electric Company, Erie, Pa. The General Electric's work week has in the past been a 40 hour, 5 day week. During this pre-war period, this work week started on the upward swing. During die six months prior to Pearl Har bor, the number of hdurs worked by our men rose to an average of 477. In regard to women, the State of Pennsylvania has for some years set a limit of 44. However, the state has now relaxed its limitation in the interest of the war effort, and permits 48 hours per week. Wherever possible we held our women's hours to 44 until Pearl Harbor. With our entry into the war, working hours of necessity increased. For the nine months following Pearl Harbor, our men in the shop have averaged between 50 and 56 hours per week and our men in the office, 52 hours. Our women have worked a six-day, 48 hour week. We still cling to the belief that a 40-44 hour week is a desirable goal but present conditions make the increase imperative. Therefore, it is obvious that our produc tion efforts since Pearl Harbor have been intense. For the second successive year we have foregone vacations. The plant is oper ating on a straight six-day week and in some divisions on a seven-day basis. We operate 24 hours a day, around the dock. We have worked "as usual" on Memorial Day, July 4th, and on Labor Day. Effect of Increased Hours Naturally, after a period of sustained ef fort, certain effects are goingto appear. Em ployees are human beings srwkan stand Just so much pressure udess/somej&ing is done to assist them to maintaiivthejr morale. The problem which results fronHengthened hours, and which can cripple industry if not con trolled, is absenteeism. At Erie, we have more than doubled the number of employees on the payroll at the same time that we have increased the hours. Increased hours, more employees, higher earnings, added together, can produce absentee problems which tear' down any production'program. At Erie we are trying to approach this problem from two angles: (1) To set un a program which, by creat ing certain workmg conditions, will tend to forestall fatigue and thereby eliminate an absence before it occurs. (2) To set up a program for dealing with the absence alter it has occurred in an effort to discover and eliminate the original cause. Employee morale is influenced by two im portant factors; conditions in his working environment, and conditions in his home en vironment and the morale of his family. Therefore our efforts to deal with absentee Rubber Section 651 ism have been directed along these {ines. We also have made a distinction between justi fiable absences such as illness and inexcusable absences such as "payday richness" or "Mon day morning blues." Both types are impor tant but require different methods of handling. tractive building of colonial architecture which has been completed to house employee activities. It is set apart from the Works, with the factory in the background. The beautiful landscaping makes the Center one of the most attractive structures in the city. Improtring Conditions It is not an athletic*club--these facilities are provided elsewhere in the city. Rather, Our answer to the problem of fatigue on it is a homelike building, completely equipped, the job has been to set up certain conditions where employee groups may meet for parties in the plant or where individual employees and members of their families may come to enjoy its facili For men, we have provided restrooms and ties. smoking areas. For women, we have' sched uled definite rest periods and provided rest Assembly djxj^eo^nmittee rooms are avail rooms where they may rest smoke and pre able along with completely: equipped kitchen pare food. Definite standards of cleanliness ettes and ldtcngn. -Lounge rooms are provideq > and sanitation are maintained and are im portant in building morale. A canteen service provides hot meals and milk to employees on all shifts. with pianos, tamo, record, player, cards, games, magazines, dance floor, etc. The Cen ter is already booked weeks in advance for evening parties and is fast becoming a meet ing place at the.noon hour and shift change We 'have organized several men's and hours. women's bowling leagues for after working . Our most recent use of the Center has been hour relaxation. We have about 33 women's to hold wartime nutrition classes for etd- bowling teams participating in various ployees and members of. their families. Our leagues. Home Service Division conducts these pro We have a broadcasting system for use throughout the shops. This is employed dur ing the lunch hours to broadcast local and grams with the approval of Washington, in jan effort to provide proper nutrition for war workers. national news, and to play recordings for When this Center was started, we were relaxation. not at war. However, it is helping us tre The Personnel Department has worked out special programs for budding morale and these have been held during the/noon hour mendously in maintaining the war production pace. It represents an investment of about $40,000 but has already been well worth it. on each of the three holidays we have At the time this report is made, the all-out- "worked as usual." War Production Committee of our Works is malting a survey, on absenteeism in the plant The celebration for Labor Day was turned in an effort to speed up war production and over to the women, and an elaborate parade to determine any other steps which might be was held to show the part that women arc taken to improve general conditions. The in now playing in war production. Each division formation collected over thc..first few weeks produced a float to show the special contri indicates that about 10 percent of the em bution being made by them. This was an .) ployees arc absent during the week.. inexpensive but colorful way to indicate the importance of our participation in the war effort , Absentee Check-Up We have put up cleverly illustrated posters Our approach to the problem of absentee calling attention to the assistance rendered investigation has been from the welfare the .Axis by absenteeism, in an effort to clar angle and is the outgrowth of a public rela- ify the importance of good attendance to ,the tifffik program which was set up in September, individual, worker; 1941.--^For some time we realized that our ^empIoyees' w.ere> of necessity, working under Finally, we are particularly*'pfpud of our unusual pressure and tension, yet the company new Erie Works comraunitj^center, an at could not afford to have any employee away 4 652 31st National Safety Congress from, work any oftener than absolutely neces absences and date of return. We can also act sary. In an effort to deal with this situation, in an advisory capacity in spedat cases of we set up a program of employee visitation, discipline, etc the purpose of which was two-fold:. About 15 to 25 rsuch employee contacts can 1. To assist employee and family to adjust be made per day with continued application to conditions under which he was working. on foe part of foe visitor. The number of 2. To acquaint the employee and his family with Company benefits and policies. such absences reported for investigation has varied from 545-in February to 745 in April. Since that time, the number of requests for Our philosophy was that an employee's . investigations has remained between 600 and morale depends as much on his home environ 700 per month, which would indicate that our ment as it does on working conditions. We set-up is having some effect on controlling therefore set out to make the G. E. fondly the inexcusable absence rate. aware of Company aims so that the vital part played by each employee was appreciated at home, as well as at work. The program was initiated by visiting the homes of employees who were ill or absent from work. These figures do not represent .foe total. number of absences in foe plant.. Such figures are not available They do represent those absences concerning which we know little or nothing to start with and which the depart With our entry into the'war and the subse ments want checked. ... quent upward swing of hours, foe problem . of absenteeism, as such, became acute. Di visions began requesting check-ups to learn reasons for absences and dates of expected - In foe few months of experience, we have found foe general reasons for employee ab sence to be: returns, so that production could be ade C 1.'Personal fitness or fatigue { quately planned. The need for check-up in an effort to reduce absenteeism became more and 2. Illness or death in foe family. more apparent. 3. Domestic difficulties. Therefore, foe visiting program has been altered somewhat and is now concerned with the two phases of absenteeism: The visitation of G. E. employees who are away from work because of illness or some welfare problem. This involves visiting em ployees who are confined to foe hospital or to foe home, paycheck deliveries, taking em ployees" receiving compensation to and from doctor, fondly visitation in case of death, etc. The checking of absentees to determine foe reason for absence and foe date of return. An attempt is made to interpret to foe family foe part foe employee is playing in foe war effort and to impress them with foe importance.of his being on foe job. For foe duration, our emphasis will be on getting these employees bade to work as quickly as possible. The mechanics of absentee check-up are simple. A visitor is assigned to this phase of foe program. Absences on which check-up is desired are reported daily by 10:00 a. m. Visits are made by personal call and reports returned to foe departments by 5:00 p. m. First hand information is secured and we are able to advise departments of foe reasons for 4. Dissatisfaction with some condition of work. 5. Appointments with draft boards, physi cal .examinations, enlistment appointments, etc. v__' 6. Personal business which foe wife can not attend to and which mnitbe done on a weekday. 7. Car and transportation trouble 8. Too much money to spend-7-taldng va cation on own hook without regard for war effort . 9--Trips to foe home town (case of em ployees who are away from home). 10. Too much Celebrating foe night before, alcoholism, etc. Personal Illness cases vary with the seasons, being heavier in' foe spring and fall and light in summer. Fatigue.due to "just too tired to work" is on foe Increase, particularly when earnings have been higt^TIfo^ipvestigationi Q Jplus doctors' statemenus, detenmne payment r of our rick insurance ^benefits. ... Rubber Section U653 Domestic difficulties are becoming more ' mining factor of continued employment acute with wartime conditions and emotional stress and often lead to social problems with which we are not equipped to deal. Referrals are made to proper agencies. . .. The reaction to the program has, for the most pajjipbeen good. Our foremen avail . themselves of the service daily and feel it is a necessary part of planned production. Absences due to enlistments and draft board appointments-and to transportation are on the increase and will probably continue for the duration. We are trying to avoid the role of "truant ' officer1.' and much of our success here has been due to the fine personality of our visitor as the contact person. Although there has .Housing facilities in Erie are limited. ' been some resentment on the part of those Therefore, absences due to trips to the home employees who present the discipline prob town increase as we hire out-of-town labor, lems, the program has been well accepted in because they cannot bring the families with general by employees as an added sendee. them. We avoid the police idea except in cases Cases of alcoholism and self-appointed va where it is necessary and in those instances cations increase with sustained high earnings.. we do a good detective job. We do not want We play a definite role of disciplinarian in. this angle but under present conditions it has these cases and our evidence isoften a deter been necessary to accept it temporarily. Cooperation Between Purchasing; Engineering, and Safety Divisions in Obtaining Equipment By HARRY A. WALKER Safety Eng, Goodyear Engineering Corp, Charleston, Ind. C The place to start safety in any well-organ to sell himself to the other two divisions ized safety program is at the beginning or, by friendliness and cooperation and by mak in other words, the planning and purchasing ing; them aware of the fact that .he is not of equipment This will tend, to prevent, if it infringing on any of their prerogatives, hot does not eliminate, the need of revision of in is s$njply endeavoring to aid them to avoid stallations and equipment after they have malfcng any errors which might result in loss been put into operation. of life or property after a project is com When engineering, purchasing and safety divisions are working band in hand, there is an awareness, of. projected operations which enables, all to plan for' safety be cause each knows what is to be done and pleted. Of amrse, the safety director or engi neer must have in* his possession, or know where to get, the information which will en able him to intelligently work with the other divisions. .how it is to be done, ante they are familiar with the layout of the project, the processes to be used, and the materials and chemicals which will be employed. It is up to the'safety director or safety When tile safety engineer has the backing of management and the co-operation'of the other two divisions, the means of providing for safety to tlew installations is compara tively simpler'' engineer, whichever he may be called, to secure this co-operation between his . own division and the other two divisions in order to attain the results that I lave mentioned.< ; I want to outline to you a method by which the engineering, purchasing, and .safe ty divisions can. work together to provide aide working conditions in any manufacturing He can do this ,by selling the safely pro , establishment In the first place, production gram to his management in such a way that or management issues orders to proceed with they will desire that the program be effective. any'project Usually these orders are issued It is also necessary for tire safety engineer after careful investigation as to feasibility 654 31st National Safety Congress. and relative costs have been made. There are ability the ratio of female employees will in no definite plans as to how the project shall crease considerably in the near future, the be accomplished; only surveys have been safety engineer will be interested in know made which will acquaint management or ing that all facilities are provided for han production divisions with the aims which dling this , type of labor. are sought to be accomplished. The safety engineer will also be inter After such okays have been received from ested in equipment; particularly as to loca management or production, the engineering tion. He must analyze the uses to which the division issues the necessary orders to. have equipment is to be put and he must point out the work done. In a great many instances, to the engineering division the necessity for this will involve the erection of buildings providing proper handling space; - adequate and die installing of equipment In other aisles, and clearances of every description. instances, it mil mean the rearranging of a department within existing buildings. Which When the location of equipment is mu ever the case may be, plans must be made tually satisfactory-'to the engineering and for the providing of housing, layout of equip safety divisions, there is the matter of the ment the actual equipment itself. The ' individual pieces of wpripment: Are they safety division should be empowered to scru properly guarded to prevent striking, shear tinize'all such plans to acquaint them with ing, and crushing accidents? Is all equipment what is going on and to enable diem to point properly grounded to insure against static out safety features which should be incor sparks, especially when'such equipment may porated into such plans. . come in contact with dust-laden air or with volatile vapors? Is the ventilation adequate One way of accomplishing this is to have all orders routed through the safety divi-sion for their okay, not from an engineering standpoint, but amply to make certain that no safety feature has been overlooked.' For instance, plans for buildings should be checked to make certain that exits and fire escapes-:are properly placed and sufficient to handle die personnel which will occupy the and is it.adapted to the particular installa tion? Does the ventilation provide the neces sary change of air? Is it adequate to remove dust and fumes which may be generated in process'and, in the cases of volatile vapors, does it take into accodnt whether the vapors will rise or sink as they are given off by the liquids or materials from which they: come? buildings. The safety engineer should make certain that fire walls are provided for, that open stairways and elevator shafts are avoided, that there is an adequate sprinkler system and that such system is adapted to the service-which it is.to render; that is, it might be a wet or dry pipe system, depend ing on location and the use to which it is to be put Ori the dry pipe system, we might advocate fused or unfused heads. The safety engineer will also be interested in knowing what sanitary arrangements, in the wash rooms and toilets have been provided for ami he will certainly want to be sure that ade quate provision has been made for proper lighting facilities, taking into account the nature of the work to be done. In addition, the wiring system throughout the building should be checked to see that it conforms to all safety requirements and electrical code, taking into account the nature of the prod uct to be handled within the building. The safety engineer must take Into account, in scanning engineering orders, the materials and chemicals which enter, into, the manu facturing processes because'it is often neces sary to visualize the possible hazards wfeis^fc may be involved, due to splashing,' cc&tact with vapors, and also contact with the djtanicals or materials themselves. Also; the safi engineer must visualize the possibilities respiratory hazards. Where die safety engi neer determines, in his own mind, flat pro tective equipment or clothing are necessary in conjunction with other equipment to be used in the process, he must make certain that such equipment or dothing is going to be on hand at die time the process goes into operation. This may involve the order ing of gloves, aprons, leggings, goggles, or in some cases it may require respirators. However, well-designed equipment should eliminate the need for respirators insofar as possible. Inasmuch as war industries are using an In the purchasing of equipment, specifica increasing number of women and in all prob- tions should be drawn -pp, covering all ma Rubber Section 655 chinery, tools, and accessories. You who are engineering and safety divisions to insure connected with, war industries are aware that that the results anticipated are going to be such specifications are necessary, in order achieved by the substitution. It may be even to enable the purchasing division to make in necessary to re-write the specifications. quiries for bids and it is my belief that in dustry in general can profit by adopting the same system in their everyday operations. In connection with war industries, we find that the low bidder on any. particular piece of equipment is given preference; providing These specifications are particularly valu he has met. specifications, but we are all able to the safety man because they enable aware that there are variations in standards him to scrutinize them carefully, to see that set up by vendors of equipment and we know all safety features are incorporated. Need :that, while it would be possible to get by less to sagQPjE^XQUfine of any organization with certain equipment, it is sometimes highly shonltLfee''setfini so that such specifications desirable to award the contract to a higher receive ti*e:1approv5d''6f the Safety Division bidder, based on the quality of the materials before being turned over to the purchasing he .uses and the service which his product divi^io!}/ renders. It is not necessary to go into detail After all the preliminaries of the engi neering order and specifications have , beat handled to the mutual satisfaction of the engineering and safety divisions, most plants write out a purchase requisition. This purcbase requisition may be made by the stores division or fay the enginemng divirion itself. Such purchase requisition,' o^ourse, should require that the specificatiohs, which, have been'agreed on, be adhered to by the vendor in submitting his bid. on this as you are all familiar with such instances, but it is necessary for the safety ;engineer to justify asking for tbe~ better product regardless of price when sudT in stances as I have mentioned occur. This is just another problem confronting the safety man in war industry. After we have set up the engineering order, written specifications, and purchased material, -the safety man can not rit back and fed satisfied that everything has been handled. It is necessary for him to keep in constant This is where the co-operation of the pur-' touch with tiie purchasing division as to the chasing divirion is very essential, for as yon progress of material ordered and to be aware all know in tins day and age of priorities when such material arrives at the plant He and scarcity of materials, vendors are prone must then co-operate with die engineering to suggest substitutions as an essential change division to satisfy himself that the equipment in order that they may have an opportunity or material received meets specifications and to bid on supplying something which might incorporates all the features which were an-. fill the bill but which does not conform to ticipated when the equipment or material was specifications, and this may be something ordered. Needless to say, this co-operation that we are forced to da However, in mak with the engineering division continues dur ing such changes, it is certainly necessary ing .installation and after the process has thatjbe purchasing division consult with, the gone into operation. The Effect of lengthened Home on Safety Problems in the Rubber Industry By HOWARD L. LEAVITT Liberty Mutual Insurance Con Chicago ' Overtime; two shifts; three shifts and swing shifts were just words to most of us until several months ago' when orders came from the front to Increase production We felt the full..impact of the real meaning of these words when the third shift was added. Not until twenty-four hour operation is the order of the day does the safety engineer .and the production supervisor free the full significance of the many problems that mil arise that never existed before. They immediatelymust acknowledge that added hours 656 31st National Safety Congress and dunging shifts produce accidents of tm-. train a capable staff of reserve supervisors. expected types and disappointing frequencies. Your management has been obliged to rapkt- Safety and production men look to other ly up-grade their more skillful and responsi plants expecting to profit from their experi ble workers to supervisory capacity. It does ences. Producers of rubber products turn to not follow that responsible workers become other rubber plants hoping to gain therefrom capable supervisors: Such up-graded men, and some indication of the logical steps to be likely a few-of the' experienced supervisors,' taken to minimize production loss through accidents resulting from increased 'working should study modem courses in the responsi bilities of industrial supervision. These hours. Unfortunately the results of retooling courses are available through correspondence, and substitutions are that plants, machines, - materials and men are subject to adjustments, new formulae, uncertain hours, and numerous government:authorized schools, private in-, ^stractors, moving picture and soimd slide dis tributors, insurance carriers, etc. other changes. These produce so many new arid unknown factors that very little about trefids is available even in the larger plants. It is not necessary to employ scores of new workers each day to make practical some form of training for "green.hands." At least If the acrident frequency and severity rates ' in your plant are increasing to the print of alarm can you put your finger on one or two causes? Unlikely1 Too many factors are in volved! Who can say to what extent the simple factor of added hours of employment an orientation period, and perhaps a short vestibule course, will pay dividends, by re-, during the adjustment period of die new worker. If daily instructional periods are im practical certainly meetings each week can be arranged. contribute to your increasing frequency? Our . study is further complicated when an at tempt is made to evaluate the contributing . - effect of experimental materials, illumination, swing shifts, rapidly up-graded supervisors, replacement of men by women, fatigue, etc, - - not overlooking outside influences over which we have no -controL Experience has dictated the advisability of having a representative of tbe safety depart ment, perhaps a safety inspector, available on all shifts to make certain thatstandards re quired by the safety department are bring maintained. This responsibility on tbe second and third shifts employ the newer men who will, be, therefore, less skillful and experi Trends in the rubber industry are not yet enced, as a group, than those on the daylight available, but shift frequencies in one of our shift The physical condition or the machine larger defense plants, recently published by guard tint was adequate and safe for. the the National Safety Council, indicates what experienced Worker may not be adequate for we may expect tbe less skillful. The adding of the addi Shift Na 1--8:00 AM. to 4:00 P.M.-- 736 accident frequency rate Shift No. 2--4 .*00 P.M. to 12:00 Mid night--632 accident frequency rate tional shifts requires more than the average diligence by the safety department in making certain mechanical conditions are practically without hazard. Look to such machines as your calendars, areolar knives, extenders, Shift No. 3--12 :00 Midnight US 8:00 trimmers, headers etc, few substandard AM.--15.00 accident frequency rale guarding when viewed toward protecting your new worker. Substandard protection^ :'Many believe that the fatigue factor is the not adequate. .*''* major, if not the only, cause of accidents due to lengthened hours of employment Fatigue is a blanket excuse used to explain away in juries on Ihe late shifts when in reality^ there are many other important reasons. Ventilation Presently installed and operating ventilat ing systems have been doing a splendid job for eight hour exposures. They, will bear in ' ^ -j Supervisors vestigating for ten, twelve and fourteen boors of continuous exposure. The psychological First, look to the caliber, training and abil effect of gases and fumes on tire IwinWn fr ity of the supervisors that will handle the proportional to their Jtooririty, concentrations work beyond the normal day. With" very few and, just as important, tbe length of time the. exceptions your industry has been unable So worker Is exposed to them. The exhaust sys- isors. apidr onsidoes Dome ,and son,' onsihese Hice, Iq.. ais- oew jome least Kbit re new imcan f of art- oak nod Rrbo eriight line the for Miage 30g fly as en, aid ing lat-. inon ical . is gas 7 Rubber Section 657 O ton in die batching room, over die mill or on ' few of the other controllable factors incident the cementing table, may be satisfactory pro to the lengthening of employment hours. In tection for eight hours a day yet grossly in dustry is accepting die responsibility of at adequate for twelve hours of continuous tempting to control fatigue. It is doing many exposure. remarkable tilings to minimize Its effect on Likewise the respirator filtering medium may provide sufficient protection for right production schedules, accidents, workers' health, etc. A few will be mentioned briefly. horns of continuous use^ but dogging, caused An attempt is bring made to reduce fatigue by more hours of use per day, nay raider it and increase die health levd of workers by ineffective during die later hours. Filter re providing vitamin capsules, much die same placement must be stepped up asthe working as salt tablets have been dispensed. This, hours are increased. however, is properly the function of the med ical department What has-been said for ventilation and respirators applies equally to workers' per sonal cleanliness. Dusts, fumes and chemicals Relaxation on the skin for right hours a day have pro duced no symptoms, but lengthening the ex posure without increasing the deaidiness. fac tor could produce unnecessary dermatitis; Rest periods have proven their worth in increased production alone, Rest periods held too frequendy and too long defeat ihtir pur pose. It is generally accepted practice to Consider your Qluminatibn for a mijor provide two periods per shift of about ten three-shift problem. Most plants have light minutes each. ing designed for solving occasional dark-day illumination problems. Such lighting is far underderigned for, twenty-four hour operation. The avenge plant requires illumination intriisties eight to ten times above its pres ent capacity. Snack wagons, smoking rooms, even roped-off smelting areas, are gaining more accepted approval in helping to minimize the fatigue factor as it affects production and accidents. <- Music at die production line is no longer Lfgliting an experiment; although it is far from popu lar acceptance. Such representative concerns Lighting is not a handyman's job. Proper light distribution, dimination of strong con trasts and standard`intensities in die impor tant work areas is die work of a lighting specialist. Foot candle intensities for general* work and for specific machine operations have been scientifically determined. This in as tiie Utica Drop Forge & Tool Gorp, Westinghouse, Curtiss-Wright Aircraft and Bristol-Myers are no longer experimenting. They know die proper hours for playing music and know die exact type of music that produces the most favorable production re sults. '. formation is available to you through yotir local dectric utility, the American Institute of' lighting Engineers, fixture and lamp Noises, particularly those of higher pitches, produce fatigue andthere is plrixty of evidence that some noisy operations^ bring on 'Industrial deafness." In atterppting to Recent accident experience has made it ob vious that insufficient maintenance personnel have been provided on die. second and third shifts. Most men imagine themselves capable electricians. Electrical apparatus breakdowns, in die absence of an electrician, invite tinker ing which has produced more than its share eliminate noise fatigue there is nrochl&at can be done in a physical way, including isolation and soundproofing; Some plants report favor able results from the use of small ear appli ances which screen out die high pitch fatiguing noises, yet provide adequate hearing for ordinary, conversation. of minor and serious dectric shock cases. This applies equally to/ most of the main- -tenance trades. C\ * , Up' until now I have avoided the subject . The practical application of reducing fa tigue will more.easily..be.solved when we -realize that it is more a factor of psycholog ical reaction rather than physical exhaustion. f 'of fatigue with the hope of emphasizing a lengthening of production hoars confronts 658 31st National v Contjress us with three important responsibilities. 1. Job and safety training of both super visors and new workers are needed more than ever before. 2. Physical conditions, under which the work must be performed, requires a higher de gree of perfection than was considered necessary for one eight hour daylight shift 3. Fatigue is an operation problem which cannot economically'be overlooked. It can be reduced to a surprising degree through a combihation of several proven methods. CHAIRMAN UFFORD: Mr. Leavitt, thank you very much -for that dear and comprehensive analysis of a mighty com plicated subject -s I wonder if, after the breadth and variety of material covered in the presentations by Miss Norton and Messrs. Walker and Lea vitt, you would not like to ask some ques tions .or make comments, or possibly give some brief experience in your own plant which might illustrate the use and success or failure of some of these methods which have been discussed here. MR. LOUIS LYONS (Monsanto Chemi cal Company, Texas City, Texas) : I want to ask Mr. Leavitt to give me some in formation on where I can get some data on music in industry. MR. LEAVITT: That is available from several companies. Yon can get it from the companies I mentioned. I will give you this leaflet that was part of the information that I got hold of. If you want more, 1 will be able to get it for you. MISS NORTON: I might mention that we get our music through our local music stores, what they have left. Some, of them lend us their programs. We were going to have Lucy Monroe but it got too cold in Erie, and we could not do it You have to be careful what you have, at certain times of the year. We also happen to have a company band, a union band. During our War Bond Drive we used the band to go around and play at the different buildings that had the highest subscriptions for that week. We have had the band only a year, and we have found it had done us a lot of good. CHAIRMAN UFFORD: Mr. Lyons, there are two or three companies that have simply plugged in the music from night dubs and hotels. They have had moderate success with that. MR. LYONS: Do you give them the music during working hours, or during lunch hour? MISS NORTON: Ours is being given during the lunch hour. MR. JACK KIDNEY: I think it is a lot of bunk-to use music. I was in a plant in Cleveland, and they were Masting news, mu sic and everything. It is the only experience I ever had with it As far as I am con cerned, it is out. MR. HOPKINS (W S. Rubber Com pany) : We tried the music;out, recordsand music. We also have' moving pictures. We try to give it between the incoming and out going shift; so it doesn't interfere. MR. J. E. LOVAS (U. S. Robber Com pany, Passaic, N. J.): On the question of restrooms and smoking areas, do you permit smoking during the working period? MISS NORTON: We have exactly what was mentioned for our men. They Have reg ular smoking areas that are roped off, right in the middle oFtbe plant If a fellow wants to smoke, he walks over there and tits down and smokes. Before that they were sneak ing into the restroom and wasting time. The girls have to go to the restrooms to smoke. That is why we have a scheduled rest period. I dont know why we don't hut we don't allow the girls to smoke. Probably in some of the offices they da But they have to go to the restroom. -MR. LOVAS: Do you have a smoking area in each department? MISS NORTON: Yes; in each division. MR. VIZETTI (Coming Glass Works, Carlisle, Pa.): I would like to know if any of your plants have any first aid training of any kind and, if so, how yon go about it CHAIRMAN UFFORD: Can somebody Rubber Section 659 give us some information on that now? instructor's courses. During the day we MR. McEWEN: We started our program with first aid training, to prevent accidents. When we first started our program, we had no instructors in our plant It is. hot com pulsory, but we request each of our men to pick out people who wish to do first aid work. In that way we have several men on first aid work. We pay some of them. The supervisors and salaried help usually are willing to come back and take the course. take this Red Cross training. Of course, MR. A. L. SOMMERFELD (Van Cleef there are two different kinds. .You can take Bros., Chicago, III.) : I think if there is any either the Red Cross .or the Bureau of time when first aid should be taught, it is Mines. It so happened it was easier,,for us now. We have tried it for the first time in to get the Red Cross than the'Bureau of.- our plant. We started out with a gconp^of Mines. about. fifty, although we did not Since we started that three years ago, practically all of our. men have had first aid training. Of course, that lasts for three, years. Just recently we have had three'men with them. But we were fortunate^ough, for our size plant, about 230 pqopleT to com plete with nineteen, who will receive their certificates. complete the instructor's course! From now We were also fortunate to obtain one of on are are going to teach our own men. We the best instructors. I do not think it is a have found that it is very good. . ^ hard job getting instructors to teach first aid. MR. LYONS: I might state, with my twenty years' experience with the Arkansas ' CHAIRMAN UFFORD: That is the Fuel Company at Shreveport, Louisiana, in favorable side of the subject Has anyone *26 we started our first add program, had 'stn unfortunate or, shall we say, unsuc- firming what you said, we-have done wbre - cessfrn experience with first aid in the plant? in safety work by teaching first aid through any other medium. MR. KIDNEY: Yes, we have had. I am trying to stir up a little fun here. I don't I find with the new employee,' want you to take me too seriously. First aid get' him to take first aid work, is being overdone in this country. We take solved a great thing with your after the English. Our whole civilian defense gram, because the man who teaches first aid program is built around first aid. Now we work will get to know the new employee, and discover, as we did with the bombs, that first the new employee will get to know him and aid is not so important in England. In fact, respect him if he teaches a good course in in England today in an air raid if a fellow first aid. gets knocked over, they say, "Leave him . lay there until the truck comes.'' We have gone in for contest work down there for years. In the petroleum industry as a whole, throughout the South, first aid work and first aid contest work is one of the principal forms'of safety educational work that we ha1 ve. ."'l If you have a plant and you have a hos pital in that plant, there is grave danger in promoting first aid too hr. If it is possible to get the fellow to the hospital within twen ty minutes or one hour, unless he is bleeding real bad, nobody should touch him. MR. LQVASIs first aid on their own time? In all of our plants in Akron we have about 46,000 people. In spite of tire fact that MR. LYONS'?, It depends on the com we teach first aid in the civilian defense set pany. -In some it is on their own time, and up, we will not permit any man to bother some it is on company tune. with any man that is- hurt The only job is the transportation. We will teach than how MR. E. J. EFFING: We found we can to get the man to the hospital or a doctor. bring back some of our men after working .hours, mostly salaried help, who are usu When anybody is hurt, the No. 1 problem ally too busy to take a first aid course dur is to get a doctor. Then there is the other ing working hourst and train them, with our problem: if the man is bletdmg, or some own ^men av instructors, who' have passed thing like that, or it is a matter of trans- /i 660 31st National Saf&y'Congress portation, then I think the first aid comes in. on-tost aid and qualified on toe standard MR. WALKER: The safety manmi specifies that one out of every fifty emplpees in a plant shall be instructed in first aid. So, it was necessary for qs -to institute a 'first course of toe Red Cross. But just as' some other gentlemen laid here we were- afraid of toe mob psychology that conies in when there is an accident. aid training set-up. To get around that we set up in each de All of our men are versed in first aid. We started classes in our explosives area and have trained approximately 250 people. I won't say whether that is one in fifty or not -But our instructions to our first aiders are partment an individual first aid station with only toe bare necessities, equipment to step bleeding, or a splint that could`be. used to make the patient comfortable, and appointed two men in each department-on each shift.. just what Jack has outlined, that it is only Thor function was to get that injured to make the patient comfortable. They are person comfortable, on a stretcher, to.the not to try to set any limbs; unless there is hospital, stayvwito him until such tone as excessive bleeding, they are not to try to the doctor or toe nurse dismissed him, or stop that. they were turned over to toe ambulance ser However, we have had some very good experiences from people on outside cases, .where they have been witnesses of auto vice, taking-that patient to toe hospital. We have found that that/has worked very well in our place. ''~J mobile accidents, where they have rendered CHAIRMAN UFFORD:. There are very valuable assistance to other'persons. probably many other things thatcan be said We have never had occasion to use our first aid, except in very minor cases. But, of course, we are always on the brink of some on tins particularly interesting ubject but there is both pro and con. We hope it will answer your question, sir. thing big happening, probably involving Are there questions or comments on other burns and fractures and every category qf subjects covered by tills program? injury, if anything did break loose. We do feel in that event we should have a certainv MR. A. B. PETIT (Synthetic Rubber number of people who will be able to make "Division, Buta Gum Rubber): Miss Norton the patient comfortable until he can be trans and Mr. Leavitt both mentioned increased ferred to the doctor's care. working hours. Miss Norton mentioned per week and Mr. Leavitt per day. But toe M. .VAN CLEEF: I just wanted to add, question in my mind was what they found in in passing, our organization, as referred to the combination of continued working. by Mr. Sommerfeld, although we developed a first aid group, they are reserved, to be According to the information I have, Eng used in case of necessity. Our rule also is land and. Russia both tried to work contin that, in case of accident, get the patient to uously seven days & week. They found that the doctor as quickly as possible. There is the thing did not work out, that they could one angle I think we often overlook, .and probably work twelve boors a day as long, that is the .fact that anyone who renders as they had one day off in seven, but they . first aid becomes liable under the law for could not work successfully eight hours a what might happen in an adverse way. In day and continue to wotfc. I would like, to other words, if, through the wrong soft of know something of the experience you ought measure, the first aider causes greater, in have had in that { jury, or the injured can prove that he was influential in making the case worse, then MISS NORTON: We have found that the first aider is subject to daim. out I think, in general, a lot of companies, including General Electric, as soon as war MR. C. M. GARRETTSON (Electric was' declared, just went to town, and felt Hose & Rubber Company): We started that seven days a week was toe tiling, but first aid approximately eighteen months ago.. we have cut out now, as- much aspossibta, We set it up on each shift We work three in almost all of'our divisions, Sunday work. shifts, six days a week. Each shift had ap ..Of course, that is followed through by the proximately fifty employees who finished up women's laws in Pennsylvania! We-cannot waj lam par Sta day tra woi woi 3 froi toi per: 3 like you woi tori mal .1 'too abs i ble. vid my eve cult to tha V ves Thi kite cau are - hav tiro > the run on is : eta tha da; can for 3 inv I Rubber Section 661 C.) Work'them seven'days a week; we can .-only woman who, while she is not a profession work/ them si*x days. We found that very satisfactory. That, was set op it Washington, through Eng- ' land's experience and with the various De ally trained social worker, has had practical training. She is about forty-five years of age and a very nice person. She does a good job. _ '1 partment .of Labor- heads from the United! That is a very important, point because States. They decided not to have a seven- you can get the.-employees very annoyed at day week but a six-day week. I think'the you if- you start prying into their private trend is to bring die men's hours to the lives. You -really have to have a good rea women's hours.. Before long'T am sure we' son and do it in a tactful way. won't have very much, if any, Sunday work., We also have a man doing the same thing. MR. KIDNEY: I would like to hear A lot of the alcoholics and so on, we know from Jimmy Quirk in California. He used by name. The man does the investigating, to~be a safety man; he is-now a "big shot" and he often has to take them home. personnel man. MR. HARRY WALKER: What area do MR. QUIRK: I am listening. I would you.have to cover?. like to ask Miss' Norton, though, the success.... you have had in investigations. Is that worked through .your personnel office or MISS NORTON: We are in Eri<$>ennsylvania, a rural district We have through the foreman? Did the.'foreman few small towns surrounding the city/and make the request for the investigation? o we did cover them. I. don't think we are going-to be able to do that when gas ration . MISS NORTON: Yes. We would have ing comes in. We have a couple of little ' too hig a job if we investigated every single . towns in New York_State that go right by absence. We try to co^ed asjpany as possi- the border. We probably cover about fif ble. -The- request comes -thtaugh the indi- ' teen or twenty miles now. That really does vidual department, and it is centralized in . the trick. my particular office. We get all the requests every day, by ten o'clock. That is the diffi cult thing, because the foremen have plenty to do before ten o'clock. If we don't do that, we cannot investigate the same day.-' MR. R. A. BULLOCK (Corduroy Rub ber Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.): Geting back to this absentee business and will ingness to work, I think it fs a part of the production problem, in order to keep pro We have' not done an awful lot of. in duction going through, without interruption vestigating on the second and third tricks. due to absenteeism. I don't think the pro That is an important phase, but we don't duction^ set-up is proper if that is not taken know how we are going to do thatnow, be into consideration with the. problems we cause, while we are not in the., rationing 'have today. I think that reserve help should area yet, we are going to be shortly. We be available, that is, should be planned - have only one car available to use alt the ahead of time to be available to maintain time, and there are a lot of other things. a certain production schedule. We 'realize we should be investigating on the second mid third tricks. We are also running into this now: A*man who works on the second or third 'trick and is absent, is reported the next morning. He is . very clever, because they have gotten some signs that say "Night worker sleeping during the day. Dio not disturb." (Laughter) Then we' cannot find out what went on the night be fore. - MR. QUIRK: Does your'nurse do your investigating? MISS NORTON: No, we have oa , For example, in a foundry in Muskegon not so long ago, this story is reported on management themselves. It happened on a key operation, a tank motor job. .The key operator, through his own carelessness, was involved in an automobile accident and held that operation up entirely for the eight hours the day he was hurt, and severely curtailed production for the next three days before he returned. v The management criticized this employee for being careless, which was justified,- but I criticize management because of the fact ti v rtnJ i : iiL 662 31st National Safety Congress that they had a key operation and only one Practically every organization represented man trained to do it I think it is definitely in this room is vastly bigger today, five management's responsibility to -plan that in times, ten times,, twenty times bigger than the production schedule. it was two years ago. The safety super- '' visor is faced with not that many problems On this willingness to work and absen teeism we run into, with these hangovers, and half-day fishing parties, too tired to work, it seems to me if it is possible for a but possibly twice that many problems again, because they do multiply in greater propor tion than the mere personnel involved man to fight twenty-four hours a day, it certainljr'Tought to be possible, under our The Planning Job present industrial set-up for anyone to work two foui^hour periods a day, six days a week. ^ Do the safety supervisors in general take into consideration this point :that the bigger the organization gets to be, the less their When it comes to absenteeism, I think joh<is^ohe\of doing, which is perfectly all something has to be done in order to dean right to y small organization, and lastly up the problem. We can only partially an- .< moTe a Job of planning, training, coordinat swer it through training and education. . I ing, developing other people who in turn don't know how many of you people have "will do? 'That applies to all levels of super ever gone down to Union Station to see vision in industry, doesn't it? And yet how 200 draftees leave your city. If you haven't . few of us have really changed our thinking "done it, you should do it It does make me that way. _ sick to play with these men who take time off-without good reason, knowing that we are sending men away to fight against their best wishes. i So I think that not only safety men but everybody may be in a position of where a company is working miracles every day,' by comparison with regular standards, and I think the answer is it has to be a workor-fight proposition. If they don't work, send them away to fight I don't think we will solve the problem until we - get some thing along that line. We have plenty of yet we let ourselves be balked by the little things. Mr. Bullock has hit a point here-- the planning of a miraculous operation yet no planning for that little key spot there. We just take it for granted. other rules and regulations. It seems to me that something like that is in order. Maybe if we could take away the thought that has built up here, through all. this dis CHAIRMAN UFFORD: I imagine we could have 100 per cent assent to your spirit from this group. cussion, it seems to me, -put it together, can we do a job of planning, of flunking, of searching out these little/things in principle and eliminating them, if we cannot get away In order to keep to our schedule, ladies and gentlemen, let us just.have a minute . here in which to try to pull two' or three things together. from the problem:, that so many personnel men, safety men and other people concerned with the human aspects of industry are bothered with continually, and that is of continually haring to beg for the little I just wonder if possibly we people who things. are very much concerned about safety aren't in much the same fix as everybody else right We need to do the.big things that must be now. We have gone into an awful-frenzy done. Is it possible^that we become enough of production. We have to do it, there is concerned with those little details, which no question about it, .but sometimes when are endless, that we have not thought to-go we are in a frenzy, we don't think; we don't back of them and plan a pregram such as plan. Quantity of thinking and quality of Harry Walker has talked about, here. in thinking don't go together nearly so well as principle, and such as bliss Norton has gone we would like to think. How often we have into in detail, which links the problem once told'that to other people! I wonder if we and for all w-ith selling the idea to manage might not all of us take that same thought ment and which gives you a policy and a to ourselves. road to travel? Gi V St Pi M Si Ct i Pi Sc N> H