Document N211aR2OaRYqBBeo2M4v0EZyp

FILE NAME: New York State & NY Times (NY) DATE: 1936 Dec DOC#: NY012 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NY Dept of Labor Bulletin - Silicosis Hazard American Industry \ i n d u s t r i a l h g g i e n e DIVISION o r INDUSTRIAL HUGIRNL, N E W UORR S T A T E D E PgR T A E N T OF LAROR L E O N A R D G R E E N B U R G , M. D., E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R Reprinted from The Industrial Bulletin issued each month at Albany, by the Industrial Commissioner o f the State of N e w York, Vol. IS ; No. 12. D ecem ber, 1936. ...... _ ' . - ' . ' _ CARBON MONOXIDE POISON IN THE HAT INDUSTRY By May R. Mayers, M.A., M.D. Division of Industrial Hygiene Exposure to carbon monoxide gas in workrooms where there are large numbers of sm all gas-heated appliances in operation is very g reat a t th is tim e of year. In indus tries where large gas-heated appliances are used, they are usually installed with considerable care, and overhauled from time to tim e for purposes of efficiency. The greatest hazard to health from constant exposure to carbon monoxide gas in the lower concentrations, therefore, occurs in in dustries such as the h at industry, where the appliances used are relatively small and inexpensive, and the atten tion paid either to th e ir installation or upkeep often is insufficient. In fact, th is in dustry illu strates so well the problems common to such a large number of industries as to w arrant a rather detailed account of the situation as found there on recent investigation. H a t m anufacturing in New York City now occupies a relatively small number of high loft buildings in and about the W est T hirties. There are, indeed, some sixty odd h at factories a t present w ithin a radius of only a very few square blocks in th is district. W ith this con centration of the industry into so lim ited an area, came a sudden demand for quantities of gas fa r in excess of th a t contemplated when some of the loft buildings were erected. W ith th is new development came also the in troduction of large numbers of gas-heated appliances-- gas-heated h at presses of various sorts, and gas-heated boilers for m aking steam-- sometimes in the hands of persons ignorant of th eir proper operation and of the d an gers latent in improper operation. In the early days, the women's h a t in dustry was in the hands of a few stable well established concerns. W ithin a few years, however, the situation was practically revolu tionized, and a t the present tim e, the industry is in the hands of a large number of very small h at m anufacturers, all in the keenest competition w ith one another. Many more hats are being produced than ever before. There has been a corresponding increase in the to ta l q uantity of gas equipment in use. The outlay is small ; a few sewing machines and h at presses are readily obtainable on credit. Almost any employee can go into the busi ness for himself, if he is enterprising, and if he has no luck he can give up his shop, and go to w ork for some one else again The next season. The more or less p rim i tive industrial organization now obtaining in the hat industry is, therefore entirely analogous to w hat is found in many other industries where a small initial investment is required, and where competition is intense. The work is highly seasonal, and subject moreover to all sorts of fluctuations of style, so th a t in the hectic rush of produc tion often little thought appears to have been given to considerations of efficiency of operation of the machines or to health maintenance of the workers. Gas Leaks The uniformity of equipment and of procedure in large and small workshops alike, is very interesting. In general they tend to buy their hat presses and their steam boilers from the same manufacturers--apparently w ith little re gard to safety"approval b_the American Gas Association Laboratories. They , even buy -their rubber tubing for use on th presses from the same wholesale dealers, seemingly through ignorance of, rath er th a n in defiance of, the regulations specifically prohibiting the use of any flexible tubing except th a t approved by the City Departm ent of (Health. . As one walks alongside of the presses--w hether they are actuallv in - operation T>r not-- there is frequently a distinct odor of gas. If one investigates-further, one is surprised and disturbed at the number of places from which small am ounts of gas are escaping, due to faulty connections, worn-out tubing, etc. When the employers, or any of the workers in the vicinity are questioned they usually express very genuine surprise. They have all become so accustomed to the smell of gas they do not appear to notice the leaks. Those most anxious to co operate with the investigator usually strike a match at once, and begin running it along some of the gas con nections, and especially the rubber tubing which lias been the object of special criticism . Sometimes the leak is so large they get a light. Then they hasten to put some kind of a patch over it, and look entirely self-satisfied. More often there is no light obtained because the leak is too small, and they return from their efforts looking dis tinctly injured, for they believe th a t they have thereby proved conclusively th a t no leak exists. One is quite as much impressed with their desire to be informed, and their willingness to cooperate as one is w ith their ignor ance. They all know th a t gas is dangerous and they are entirely prepared to do w hat is necessary to keep their workrooms free from gas-- provided th at their com petitors are required to comply w ith the same regulations. They know fa r less about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning which results from incomplete combustion of the gas in improperly designed gas-heated appliances; and those in need of cleaning and repair. They require a g reat deal of education. The in dustry m ust be treated as a whole, however. No single plant can afford to adopt standards which are higher than those of its competitors. Poor Combustion in H at Presses The h a t presses or hat blocks have passed through many stages of development over a period of many years. Though originally designed for steam, they were later converted to burn gas. Poor combustion in the operation of these presses is due, in large measure, to the fact that in the process of conversion the steam chamber was never properly modified for its new use as a combustion chamber for gas. V arious types of gas in stallatio n s have been tried, bu t none of them has proved entirely satisfactory from the stan d p o in t of good combustion. The Consolidated Gas Company and the American Gas Association have long been interested in this problem, and they have been instrum ental recently in assisting in the development of a modification of the heating elements in the h a t block, now in use, so th a t its carbon monoxide production may be m aintained w ithin safe lim its. Only 1 p a rt per 10,000 of carbon monoxide w as found in tests of flue gases given off by these machines--which means th a t there would be fa r less than th a t am ount in the air of the workroom as a whole. In the case of all new installations, it is suggested th at h at block m anufacturers make alterations in the original castings so th a t the ordinary ring burners may be, jused for heating. W here old installations are used, however, they should be modified along these newly developed lines, so as to make th eir operation safe. A helpful discussion of the problem and its solution as presented by th e American Gas Association follows..: "There are several makes of hydraulic h a t blocks used in the New York D istrict, but they are all prac- - tieally identical in construction. A t the top of the casting w h ic h is to be h e a te d , th e r e a r e th r e e r a d ia l .space 1V2 inch" opeiiings (form erly steam in le t'c o n nections) which are to be used as flue outlets, and a t the bottom th ere-are six 1% inch holes fformerly condensation outlets) which can be uted for firing the blocks (see sketch). " . . . "The burner equipment originally used on the blocks , am Lw hieh is still in use in a g reat m any cases com ... sists of tw o crude pipe burners w ith fixed orifices" and - --prim ary a ir openings, and a single large port. W ith these burners combustion is poor, and- th e flames float. In 1931 th is situation was remedied by heating the blocks with six barber jets connected to a circular manifold a t the base of the castings. However, this burner has not been widely adopted, and now to en courage the safe utilization of the gas, a new burner has been developed which is an improvement over this former burner from the viewpoint of heat distribution. "The netv burners consist of a round burner-casting attached by screws to the bottom of the block, which acts as a manifold for six blue flame je t type burners, one je t projecting into each of the six condensation holes. The tip s of these jets are constructed as shown in the sketch, so th a t the flame produced is flat and fan shaped, and can fit into the steam jacket space w ithout im pingement. The jets have No. 58 orifices and the normal consumption of the burners is about 25 cu. ft. per hour. H P T BLOCK AND SUGGESTED IMPROVED BURNER C /P O SS SC r/C PV 0~ U O (K "Because of the fact th at the condensation outlets on all the blocks are not exactly in the same position the burner castings are blank and have to be tapped (standard y8" pipe thread) on the d istric t in accord ance w ith the dictates of each p articu lar job. This can be done w ith a hand d rill and the proper size top. Holes also have to be drilled and tapped in the bottom of the block casting for the screws th a t hold up the burner assemWy._ Since the entire block casting moves up and down in action the gas connection is made by means of a. flexible tubing. "I t is absolutely essential th a t the three flue o u t lets be left open and unrestricted, and th a t the burner tips be placed in th eir proper position. T h at is, there should be no im pingem ent of the flames on the casting." Steam Boilers The steam boilers used in the h a t industry are., heated by gas, and are ,,the other im p o rtan t source"'oIf '`barbon monoxide production in these" workrooms. A ll-sueh boilers are required to be flue-eonneeted a t the present tim e -$o th a t all flue gases may be" properly exhausted a t th eir "source. Frequently, fans are not kept in operation, and win dow's-w hich are counted op for. ventilating boiler rooms are kept closed-. - The exhaust system provided for all such steam boilers should be kept in good re p a ir and m ust Hbe in operation a t all tim es -when the steam boilers are in use. . Summary Both employer and employee m ust be educated to an understanding of the elem entary principles of safety in the use of gas equipment. P ractically it has always been found necessary to point out the following: a. Injury to health may result either from leaking gas, or the production of carbon monoxide gas by poorly designed ill-kept equipment. b. Small leaks incapable of lighting when a match is applied are ju st as im p o rtan t as the larger ones. c. The fact th a t no one smells a leak is of no significance because it is easy to become accustomed to the odor. d. Improvised patches on gas leaks are no remedy. - They must be properly repaired. e. Appliances m ust be kept cleaned and free from soot in order to prevent unnecessary production of carbon monoxide poisoning in their operation. f. The free maintenance service of the Gas Com pany should be called upon frequently, and their recom mendations a s to replacement of w'orn p arts should be prom ptly complied with. g. A yellow flame or one which appears to spread or float is dangerous. h. If the w eather is cold, and the presses are cold, a dangerous am ount of carbon monoxide gas may be released when the flame under them is started. A gas flame from an im properly adjusted burner im pinging on a very cold surface may release a consider able am ount of carbon monoxide gas. I t is well to s ta rt the gas some time before the workshop opens so th a t the room may be thoroughly ventilated before workers are perm itted to enter. i. All flexible tubing m ust be of the type approved by the City D epartm ent of H ealth. j. Steam boilers should alw ays be properly vented. E xhaust fans m ust be in operation a t all tim es when the boilers are in use. Several tim es in the last few- years workers in establish ments of the general type above described have suddenly been overcome by carbon monoxide gas. All of these occur rences were in W inter and on Monday mornings which gave them something of an air of mystery until investigation revealed the following: The building is cold a fter Sun day w ith the heating plant a little late getting started. The workers come in, and because of th e cold, do n o t open any windows. Frequently, in order to warm the room quickly, every gas-heated appliance th a t is available is rapidly lighted-- even those which will la te r be tu rn ed out as no t needed for the day's work. Steam boilers are started w ith windows closed and fans not operating, in order to get heat for the workroom. The result is an abnormally great production of carbon monoxide gas in th e room--p a rtly because of the flames im pinging on un usually cold surfaces; p a rtly because more th a n the usual number of appliances are put into operation; partly be cause many of the appliances are of poor design and in poor repair, and partly because exhaust systems in connection w ith th e steam boilers have not been sta rte d prom ptly. All of th is added to th e "norm al" leakage of raw gas in such establishments and the fact th a t all windows are kept tig h tly closed explains th is Monday m orning phenomenon. _____t _________r -- r - -- > ------------ GAS BURNER TESTS A t a conference on December 7, called by State Industrial Commissioner Elm er F. Andrews and participated in by representatives of the Consolidated Edison Company, m anufacturers of h at blocking machinery; ftnd the Division of Industrial Hygiene to consider the p^Udem of carbon monoxide poisoning in the hat industry aw ing the winter months, it was decided to launch a series^m practical tests of new types of gas burners for h at machflfery. I t w as the concensus of those - preset th a t improved b u rn e rs w hich w o u ld give u n o re eom plel*) co m b u stio n of -`"gas" would not-only do much to remove t 'M hazard of car- ' bon-monoxide poisoning at. its source, but " could be a less expensive an d .a .more effective remedy tha: " the installation of hoods or exhaust ventilation systems ip ongested w ork room s.' The tests are to be conducted iii.'ia t m anufactur ing workrooms by the h a t machinery nr" .ufacturers and engineers of th e-g as company to meet b^qienie standards set by the Labor Department. ~ _ \ ^ r . t j* f' t 1; *^"(..^--.1 SJWCOSIS HAZARD IN AMERICAN INDUSTRY* * ' '* ' H y Leonard Greenburg, M, D,, Executive Director, Division / of Industrial Hygiene, S tate Departm ent of Labor During tbe past year front page stories about workers who contracted silicosis while excavating the w ater tunnel a t Gauley Bridge, W est Virginia, have made the public -, conscious of tlie hazards of industrial dust, t Although silicosis was news to most people, the dangers ` of dust inhalation have been known for several centuries. Georges Agricola, a mining engineer of the sixteenth cen tury, in his book De Re Metallica, described dust condi tions in dry mines and warned th at dust penetrates into the windpipe," and "eats away the lungs and im plants consumption in the body." P rior to 1900 there is little mention of pulm onary fibrosis or silicosis in American medical literature. In 1907 Dr. F. L. Hoffman, statistician of the Prudential Life Insurance Company, published the first significant American study of the subject. He emphasized the im portance of dust as a factor in occupational m ortality. In 1915, stim ulated by the studies of th e South Africans on silicosis in gold mining, Edw'in Higgins of the U. S. Bureau of Mines and his associate, Dr. Anthony J. Lanza, published a paper on pulm onary disease among miners in Joplin, Mo. The contributions of Hoffman and H iggins and Lanza, m ark the real beginning of our knowledge of the disease in this country. Since 1915 research studies on tlie effects of d u st in halation have been conducted in the laboratory, in the clinic and in ind u stry ; and engineers have worked on the problem of silicosis prevention by controlling dust dis semination in the workroom air. While our knowledge of pulm onary disease produced by dust inhalation is by no means complete these laboratory and field studies have gone a long way tow ard clarifying our understanding of the effects of two kinds of d ust on hum an and anim al lungs. Dangerous Dusts i j . : ! --* h V in 'q i1'?- ( vt/A/i? V W i- _ : . ' - . The first of these dangerous dusts is quartz (crystalline silicon dioxide), the inhalation of sufficient amounts of which produces silicosis. The second d u st capable of doing pulmonary damage is asbestos and the disease it causes is known as asbestosis. The facts about other dusts are not clearly established and any conclusions w ith reference to their effects m ust still be viewed w ith caution. W hen fine quartz d u st is inhaled a fte r passing the defenses of the upper respiratory tract it reaches the term inal air sacs of the lung where the exchange of gases between the blood and air takes place. A t this point the dust, being foreign m atter, is ingested by scavenger or dust cells w'hich carry it through the w alls of th e air sac to the lymph drainage canals ju st outside the air sacs. Normally it is along these canals th a t foreign substances are carried from the air cells to lymph tissue in the lung or a t the point where the windpipe enters the lung itself. B ut when silica is being removed the particle kills the scavenger cell which is tran sp o rtin g it, w ith th e result tlla t the d u st Particles are o t a11 removed from th e lung substance. Instead th ey m ay be found along th e course of the drainage canals and in the small aggregations of lymph tissue along these canals. If no further change in the lung resulted probably all would be well. B ut ap parently these small partiees of quartz dust in th eir new I'oation arc highly toxic to the tissue cells in their immeate vicinity for these cells are altered and replaced by scar or fibrous tissue. This sear tissue does not possess the properties of normal lung tissue; through it the normal exchange of gases between the air and the blood cannot ta k e ' place. W ith the continued inhalation of quartz dust the amount of scar tissue increases and finally encroaches on the nor- mal .Air sacs to such an extent th a t th e lungs cannot oxygenaier.-suffieient blood to supply the body's needs, Tlie victim then finds him self sh o rt of b reath--a t first only w'hen doing heavy "work,, th en a t m oderate ta sk s and finally even"w hen-at rest. -- - ... A fter silicosis, has made m arked progress, tuberculosis frequently develops. J u s t w hy o.r how. th e lungs become infected is not now known, b u t the fact rem ains th a t, many * Survey Graphic, December, 1936. cases of advanced silicosis term inate with a tuberculous infection. A Chronic Disease Tlie term s "chronic" and "acute" used in reference to disease are often m isunderstood. By an acute disease is m eant one which develops in a relatively short time, a m atter of days or weeks, while a chronic disease runs over months or years. The development of silicosis is a m a tte r of m any m onths, in most cases of years. I t is obviously a chronic disease. Since 'inhaled q u artz dust is the causative agent in pro ducing silicosis and since silicosis is a chronic disease, it follow s th a t the more q u artz dust inhaled the more rapid the ra te of the disease's development. A person exposed to a d u st containing 95 per cent quartz, as in sandblasting castings, is exposed to a greater risk than the worker in a coal mine where the quartz concentration may be only 2 or 3 per cent. A second controlling factor is the duration of exposure. I t is obvious th a t in tw o years of occupational exposure a worker will inhale about twice as much quartz dust as in one year in tlie same employment. The third m ajor facto r in determ ining the am ount of quartz taken into the lungs is the concentration of dust ill the atm osphere. If we examine w orkers in a very dusty establishm ent and those in a less dusty plant and study our results, we shall find th a t in the first group silicosis supervenes earlier in occupational life, and the ra te of silicosis incidence is higher th an in the second group, comparing workers employed equal lengths of time. In considering th e concentrations of d u st it m ust be borne in mind th a t particles of all sizes may not gain access to the lungs. Only those small enough to reach tbe term inal air sacs do real damage. These particles range from 1/2500 of an inch down to 1/50,000 of an inch. There is one exception to this statem ent, asbestos dust, which will be considered later. In attem pting to estim ate the silicosis hazard of a given occupation the investigator m ust always bear in mind these factors: the quartz dust content of the air, the concentration of particles per cubic u n it of air, the duration of exposure, the size of the particles present. There is still another im portant factor, not of the environ m ent b u t ra th e r of tb e individual. This is th e elem ent of personal susceptibiliy. It has been noted by many investi gators th at workers in the same plant, a t the same task and a t contiguous workplaces or benches often do not develop silicosis in equal degrees. In fact one worker may be an early victim of th e disease while his neighbor is comparatively free from it. Personal susceptibility appears to play a m ajor role in the development of silicosis. This angle of the problem presents interesting grounds for speculation and research. The industrial statistical studies discussed later, eliminate the element of variations in susceptibility by including large groups of workers. M ortality Rates In attem p tin g to show the influence of d u st inhalation on m ortality one n atu rally tu rn s to the m o rtality returns of the United S tates, England and W ales. B ut silico- tubereulosis, as a rule, runs a rapid course term inating fatally, and practically all silicosis deaths are listed as tuberculosis in these tables. The following table, from the report of th e-reg istrar general, presents the standardized respiratory tubercu losis m o rtality ra te s for 1921-1923 for England and Wales, and compares the eight occupations having the highest m ortality rates from tuberculosis with the rate for all occupied and retired males. Rate Occupation per 100,000 All males, occupied and re tire d .............................. 150 Tin and copper m iners, all underground w orkers. .1886 C utlery grinders ............................................................. 1323 M etal grinders ................................................................ 637 S t o n e w o r k e r s a n d s l a t e w o r k e r s .......... : ................. 5 1 2 ~P o tte rs . ............................................... Barmen .............. r . . . ......................'. ........................... 402 File cu tters .............................................................. ...3 6 5 . Of the -eight occupations listed, all except one are associated w ith inhalation of q u artz dust. `I t w ill be observed th a t tin and copper underground m iners ffiave -411 - a tuberculosis rate more th a n twelve tim es th a t for all at various occupations and X -ray studies of the lungs of occupied or retired males, and file cu tters who work on workers. sandstone grinding wheels largely composed of q uartz Barre, Yt. is the center of granite stone industry. have a tuberculosis rate of more than twice th a t of all Blocks of granite are taken from the quarries, cut to occupied and retired males. dimensions, surfaced, carved and lettered. This materia] American statistics corroborate the findings of the B ritish investigators. Some years ago Dr. W illiam H. is used for building purposes and for tombstones. The average quartz content of Barre granite is 35 percent. Drury, then in the departm ent of public health a t Yale, reported a m ortality study of ax grinders in a Connecti cut factory. W ith the help of the plant physician who had been there over tw enty years, it was possible to corrobo The Public Health Service study showed th a t the dust content of the air varied from live to forty-eight million particles per cubic foot, depending on the particular industrial process studied. rate all the death returns for the tw enty years 1900 to 1919. The grinding wheels used in this factory were Tabulated Findings of natural sandstone with a very high quartz content. This table compares Dr. D rury's findings with the tubercu losis deathrates for Connecticut, for the district, and for the other employes in the same plan t: D eathrate D istrict or Group per 100,000 In the following table which presents the findings of this study the workers are grouped in four classes according to dust exposure. The table presents average dust exposures, the period of tim e in years required to produce early and advanced silicosis and the tubercu losis deathrate for each group. The relationship between S tate of Connecticut...................................................... 150 S tate of Connecticut (male population) ................ 170 the amount of dust, the time required for the produc tion of silicosis and tuberculosis is obvious. Ax factory d istrict (3 tow ns, en tile p o p u latio n ).. 200 Tuberculosis Employes of ax factory (all) .................................. 050 Average Dust Y'ears to Develop Silicosis D eathrate Employes of ax factory, polishers and grinders. .1900 roup Count E arly Advanced per-100,000 Employes of ax factory, others .................................. 100 A 48 2 5 1950 I t will be observed th a t the tuberculosis rate for grind B 35 4 7 1280 ers and polishers in this ax factory was twelve times G 20 4 9 230 th a t of the other employes of the factory and th a t the ax D 5 10 -- -- factory d istrict had a tuberculosis ra te of 200 as compared w ith 150 for the sta te as a whole. This table also shows th a t the contribution of tuberculosis deaths from a local industry or group of industries may adversely affect the m ortality rate of a general population group. In other words if the high incidence of tuberculosis associated w ith certain occupations could be reduced, a reduction might he expected in the general tuberculosis rate for the entire area. Detailed Studies The m ost valuable silicosis d a ta come from detailed studies in selected industries, but only a few such studies have been made. The U. S. Public H ealth Service through its publication has made available the greater p art of this knowledge in the United States. Among the industries in which the d ust hazard has been studied in detail are: the scouring powder industry, granite stone cutting, and silverware. Some brands of scouring powder contain quartz as the abrasive agent, which m ay constitute 75 percent or . more of the finished product. The q uartz is usually very finely pulverized in order to prevent scratching; hence the dust is potentially very dangerous. Dr. Eugene S. Kilgore of San Francisco w riting in the Journal of the American Medical Association summarizes his experi ence w ith cases of silicosis arising in this industry. In one case which resulted after eleven months of occupa tional exposure, the patient experienced marked shortness of breath in attem pting to climb one flight of steps. Dr. Kilgore cites the cases of six employes who worked from ten to tw enty-seven m onths in this industry, five of whom were dead from silicosis a t the tim e of his publication. This occupation may he regarded as one of the m ost serious types of exposures, closely paralleling quartz rock and quartz sand grinding. Several years ago cases of silicosis were reported among New Jersey w ork ers engaged in grinding and pulverizing sand... This ... pulverized m aterial is alm ost identical w ith th a t used The silverware m anufacturing industry was selected for study by the U. S. Public H ealth Service in order to obtain knowledge of an occupation for which the dust content of the air was lower than in the granite stone industry, and in which the q uartz content was low. In silverware m anufacturing the average dust content of the air is about five million particles per cubic foot of air and the q uartz content 1.7 percent. This dust is pro duced in polishing the product. The study failed to reveal any cases of silicosis. I t is interesting to note th a t a sim ilar stud}7 conducted in textile manufacturing corroborated the silverware m anu facturing study in revealing no cases of this disease. From the foregoing it becomes apparent th a t silicosis is an insidious disease, its victim often completely un aware of its gradual onset until the final stages* have been reached. This slow and unperceived development complicates workmen's compensation. In many states compensation claims m ust he filed w ithin one year a fter the onset of disease. Clearly th is is impossible in most cases of silicosis, where the date of onset is n ot known. F urther, the unsuspected cases of silicosis make it diffi cult to set up an insurance scheme covering th is occu pational hazard because at the inauguration of the pro gram they constitute an accrued liability for which no financial reserves have been set aside. The labor turnover in certain dusty trades is high. A fter working in one plant long enough to develop early silicosis, of which they are not aware, workers often transfer to another establishm ent where, after a relatively brief interval, they are stricken with disabling silicosis. Should the first employer, the second employer or both jointly pay this compensation hill? ` A just compensation plan for silicosis victims can only be drawn and adm inistered after careful study of the p roblem 'and its m any fa c to rs....Hasty--legislation _may produce far-reaching evils. in the m aking of scouring powder and the sand p u l - verizers w ere found to develop silicosis after about two Incurable years' exposure. In view of the fact th a t silicosis cannot he cured and According to the best available studies, approximately th a t the advanced stages are practically always compli one to two years represents the shortest time required cated by a term inal tuberculosis, the importance of pre for the development of silicosis. I t is conceivable for the vention is apparent. The improved techniques of modern disease to develop in a shorter period when exposure industry w-ere developed in response to a demand for a to pure quartz dust is encountered b u t clear cut evi greater o u tp u t of fabricated goods and m aterials. It is dence on th is question is lacking. _ im portant to realie&Aliewever, th a t these production meth- In 1922 F. L. Hoffman in c o o p e ra tio n -w ith ' The N a -ods have in certain instances increased old health hazards tional Tuberculosis Association published the first study and brought about new opes....Studies demonstrate that " of the dust hazard among "Barre granite workers. In -dust production in g ra n ite . Slone cutting and in rock d rill 1929-a fte r several years of study the U. S. Public H ealth ing has been-increased trem endously since the introduction" Serviee brought- out an exhaustive . report on th e same of. pneum atic tools. ' ........... - ........... " - - problem. ' This study includes determ inations-, of the ' The first method of preventing silicosis is to substitute atmosphere, as determined for-w orkers a t different tasks, harm less m aterials for those known to be harm ful. morbidity and m ortality statistics of workers engaged Obviously if we could..remove quartz from all industrial operations we could a t one stroke eliminate the silicosis hazard. This is, of course, impossible. B ut it is possible to su b stitu te other m aterials for q uartz in certain indus trial operations. Many foundries employ sand (practically pure quartz) in cleaning castings by sand blasting. It has been shown th a t the substitution of small fragm ents of steel, known as steel g rit or shot may in many cases be used w ith equal efficiency. This substitution does not completely eradicate the health hazard, since a certain quantity of sand adheres to the surface of castings made in sand models and it is th is sand which the cleaning process is designed to remove. Studies reported by JJr. C.-E. A. W inslow of Yale U niversity and the w riter made in sandblast rooms showed a dust concentration of 970 million particles per cubic foot of air when using sand as the abrasive as compared w ith 155 million particles when using steel grit. A second example is the substitution of abrasive wheels made from synthetic abrasives (practically no quartz) for those made from n a tu ra l sandstone (about 95 per cent quartz), practically eliminating the hazard. A nother method of dust control is by the use of water. This has been done w ith considerable success in a n th ra cite coal mining, as dem onstrated in the following tab le: D ust concentration Millions per cubic foot Operation Controlled Uncontrolled D rillin g ............................... 33 568 Loading coal or ro c k .. 32 636 Preparation of coal... 24 380 H andling c o a l............. 1.2 17 (D ata from th e U. S. Public H ealth Service) Control measure W et drilling. M aterial wetted while loading. W et breakers. W etting coal and cars. The results are obvious--in each case a very real re duction in dustiness by simple, inexpensive means. A th ird m ethod of preventing silicosis is to enclose the process as completely as is possible without interfering w ith work, the w orker being outside the enclosure and so removed from th e dusty zone. A fo u rth m ethod of d ust control is to w ithdraw the dust laden a ir from the workplace. This is done by p ro viding exhaust hoods or enclosures equipped with suction ventilation. In certain industrial processes it is impossible to pro tect the worker by any of these methods. In such cases the w orkers m ust wear masks or respirators which filter the dust from the air before it enters the respiratory tract, or use helmets which cover the head and are sup plied w ith clean air through a hose line. B ut such equipment, while highly efficient when properly m ain tained, is cumbersome and the w orker is a p t to find its use a burden. I t should only be employed where other methods do not adequately clear the air. Education Necessary If every industry today utilized the known engineering means to control dust hazards in shops and workrooms, our problem would not be completely m et but certainly we should be a long way tow ard its practical solution. There is need for a program of education and guidance which will help industry understand the silicosis problem and th e m ost efficient means of solving it. Common law suits for damages, the passage of compensation acts, the Gauley' Bridge w a te r tunnel and other tragic experiences have served to make employers silicosis conscious. In d u stry shows an increasing re ad in ess- to cooperate -in elim inating the dust hazard from its work places. Progress in the field of public .(health is, as a rule, n o t achieved until those vitally concerned become aware of the bearing of a suggested program on their own well being. Publicity and educational effort have thus become vital to the public health movement. Frequently the public is convinced of the im portance of public health measures w ithout being aware of educational propaganda. A small ^epidemic m ay achieve^ wide educational results. I t is characteristic of the public h ealth movement th a t the transfer of information from physicians and research workers to the general public m a rk s--the final' stage, in the conquest, of disease. There is great likelihood, th a t this w ill b ep ro v e d tr u e once again and th a t the atta c k on silicosis which is now developing m arks the real begin ning of the ^eradication of dust hazards in American industry. ` HEARING ON PROPOSED RULES The Industrial Board on Jan u ary 4 and IS will publish in the newspapers of th e S tate the legal notice oi a p u b lic hearing to be conducted by th e Board on Ja n u ary 28 on proposed rules relating to the control of silica d u st in rock drilling operations. The notice will read: PUBLIC HEARING STATE OF NEW YORK INDUSTRIAL CODE DEPARTM ENT OF LABOR P u rsu an t to Section 29 of the Labor Law, the In d u strial Board will hold a public hearing on Proposed Rules R e latin g to the Control of Silica D ust in Rock D rilling a t: NEW YORK CITY Thursday, Ja n u a ry 28, 1937, a t 10:00 A. M. Office of D epartm ent of Labor Room 419, 80 Centre St. A copy of the Proposed Rules m ay be obtained from the Division of In d u strial Code, 80 Centre S treet, New York Citv. * THE INDUSTRIAL BOARD ELMER F. ANDREWS, INDUSTRIAL COMMISSIONER. ---------- ^---------- "BAKELITE" In the October issue of The Industrial B ulletin appeared an article on "B akelite" which was the second of a series on "Health Hazards in the Plasties Industry." Since there appears to be some question as to the meaning of the term "Bakelite," a few words of explanation may be desirable. The word "B akelite" is the traile-m ark of Bakelite Corporation registered in the U nited S tates P atent Office as well as w ith the Secretary of th e S tate of New \ o r k and manv other States. The trade-m ark "Bakelite" is applied to some 2,000 different products produced by B akelite Corporation, a number of which contain no phenol-formalde hyde resin. Bakelite Corporation m aintains no factories in the S tate of New York, and the studies upon which Dr. Mayer of the Division of Industrial Hygiene, based her article were not made in any factory of the Bakelite Cor poration. In her article, Dr. Mayer used the term Bake lite " in a generic sense to differentiate th e m aterial under studv from "C atalin" which was the subject of a previous article. "B akelite" is one of the best known of tra d e names used to denote the sources of similar products, and the fam iliarity of the public with the term prompted Dr. M ayer to" use th is term to denote phenol-formaldehyde resins of a certain type. ---------- <>---------- PLAN EXAMINATION Summary of plans for ventilation and exhaust equipment systems acted upon by the Plan Examination ol the Division ol Industrial Hygiene during ......-the month of November 1936 V en tilatio n of In d u stry S ubstance p la n s M ach. P erso n s a ffe c te d A c i d - h a n d l i n g .......... R e t a i l - c h e m i c a l s ___ B l o c k i n g - t a b l e ____ M isc. c h e m ic a ls... C astere -lin o ty p e... G r i n d e r s - m e t a l ___ N o v e lty -p re sse s... M i s c . d u s t ................ C arbon-m onoxide. S prayers. . . . . T a n k s-w ash iu g .. .. W o o d w o r k i n g ........... S h o e s ................................ M e t a l ................ - M iscellaneous-m etal. M i s c e l l a n e o u s .............. M is c . d u s t ............... L e a t h e r - d u s t .......... L acqner-fum es... L acq u er-fu m es.... L ac q u er-fu m es., . C h roittio-acid. . K erosene-fum es.. W o o d - d u s t ............... W o o d - d u s t .............. 1 1 1 1 12 94 104 2 9 5 10 26 45 10 52 80 1 4 3 1 8 2 2 5 50 4 10 14 8 21 339 5 66 644 6 6 5 8 3 3 10 2 - .11 34 1 4 2 24 16 3. 21 13 79 " 377 1 ,4 0 1 -------------- --- DIRECTORY OF STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ALBANY OFFICE STATE OFFICE BLDG. Phone: 3-5511 NEW YORK OFFICE 80 CENTRE STREET Phone: Cortlandt 7-9800 INDUSTRIAL COMMISSIONER ELMER F. ANDREWS, Flushing DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SECRETARY WILLIAM J. PICARD, Albany MAUD SWARTZ, New York INDUSTRIAL BOARD RICHARD J. CULLEN, New York, Chairman EDWARD W. EDWARDS, Elmhurst NELLE SWARTZ, New York JAMES A. CORCORAN, New York JOHN J. CARROLL, Niagara Falls Offices of the Chairman and Members of the Industrial Board: State Office Building, 80 Centre Street, New York City; Phone: COrtlandt 7-9800. ALBANY State Office Bldg., N inth Floor--P h o n e: 3-5511 Office of tlie Industrial Commissioner. Office of the Deputy Commissioner. Division of Statistics and Information. Division of Inspection: Bureaus of Factory and Mercantile Inspection; Supervising Inspector of District No. 6; Bureau of Boiler Inspection, Chief Boiler Inspector. Bureau of Mines, Tunnels, Quarries and Explosives. Division of Industrial Relations : Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration. Division of Engineering. Division of Workmen's Compensation. Division of Bedding--Inspector at office 9 to 12 A.M. Saturdays. 100 State Street, Eighth Floor--P h o n e: 4-7107 The State Insurance Fund. Arcade Bldg., Broadway, Fifth F loor--P h o n e: 3-3218 Division of Unemployment Insurance-- Main Office. 11 N orth P earl Street--P hone: 4-8108 Division of Employment.* NEW YORK CITY State Office B ldg.,80 Centre Street--P h o n e: COrtlandt 7-9800 Office of the Industrial Commissioner. Office of the Deputy Commissioner. Office of Secretary. Offices of the Chairman and Members of the Industrial Board. Bureau of Accounts. Bureau of Cashier. Division of Self Insurance and Bureau of Finance-- Office of Director. Bureau of Publications. Division of Inspection--Office of D irector; Bureau of Fac tory Inspection--Supervising Factory Inspectors, Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 ;--Chief Factory Inspector. Bureau of Mercantile Inspection--Chief Mercantile Inspector: Bureau of Building Inspection--Supervising Inspector. Division of Industrial Codes--Industrial Codes Referees. Division of Industrial Hygiene-- Office of Director. Division of Industrial Relations--Office of Director : Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration--Chief M ediator; Bureau of Labor Welfare. Division of Statistics and Information--Office of Director. Division of Women in Industry and Minimum Wage-- Office of Director; Bureau of Homework Inspection; Bureau of Enforcement of Women and Child Labor Laws. State Office Bldg., 150 Leonard Street entrance--Phone: C O rtlandt 7-9800 Division of Workmen's Compensation--Office of Director: - Bureau of Claims; Medical Bureau: After Care Bureau. 625 Madison Avenue--P hone: W Iekersham 2-1900 The State Insurance Fund--Office of Manager. 124 East 28th Street--P hone: AShland 4-2650 Division of Bedding-- Office of D irector. ......... 342 Madison Avenue--Eleventh Floor--P h o n e: M U rray H ill 2-9560 Division of Placem ent and^ Unemployment Insurance-- M etropolitan Office--Office of Executive Director. Division of Employment--A dm inistrative Office. Employment Offices in G reater New York M anhattan In d u strial Office-- 124 E ast 28th S treet-- Phone: LExington 2-0900.* - M anhattan Service Office-- 40 E ast 40th S treet--Phone: AShland 4-8960. Professional and Commercial Office---363 Lexington Ave nue--Phone: AShland 4-5010. - . Brooklyn-Office---214 Duffield Street-r-P hone: TBiangle 5r6400.* - ~ - - Bronx Office-- 332 ,E ast 149th -Street--Phone: MOtt ' Haven 9-173-5.* " . ' ... . H arlem Office-- 200 W est 335th S treet-- Phone:. EDge ' - comb 4-6211.* - * A J u n io r D ivision serv in g boys, and girls, 16-21 y ears of age. is lo c a ted in th is office. . Queens Office-- 25-07 Bridge Plaza N orth, Long Island City--Phone: STillwell 4-8411.* Day Work Branch-- 46-11 Skillman Avenue, Sunny- side, LIC. Phone: STillwell 4-8411. BUFFALO State Office Bldg.--Phone: Washington 4720 B ranch Office of th e In d u s tria l C om m issioner. D iv isio n of W o rk m e n 's C o m p e n sa tio n . D ivision of S tatistics and In form ation. D ivision of In d u s tria l R e la tio n s-- Office of In v e stig a to r. B ureaus of Factory and M ercantile Inspection ; Supervising In s p e c to r of D is tric t No. 9. D ivision of B edding-- In sp e c to r a t office 9 to 12 A.M. S a tu rd a y s 369 Main Street--Phone: Cleveland 1011 The S tate Insurance Fund. 80 West Genesee Street--Phone: Washington 4242 D ivision of E m ploym ent-- In d u stria l, Labor an d Service Office. 43 Court Street--Phone: Washington 4242 D iv isio n o f E m p lo y m e n t-- C o m m e rc ial a n d P ro fe s s io n a l Office.* ROCHESTER 70 Exchange Street--Phone: Main 1487 B ran ch Office of th e I n d u s tria l C om m issioner. D iv isio n of W o rk m e n 's C o m p e n sa tio n . D ivision of S tatistics and Inform ation. D ivision of In d u s tria l R elatio n s-- Office of In v e s tig a to r. B ureaus of F actory and M ercantile In sp ectio n ; Supervising In sp ecto r of D istric t No. 8-- P h o n e : M ain 2729. D ivision of B edding-- In sp e cto r a t office 9 to 12 A.M. S a tu rd a y s. 65 Broad Street--Phone: Main 4876 The S tate Insurance Fund. 154 Broad Street--Phone: Main 9060 D ivision of E m p lo y m en t-- C o n stru c tio n a n d F a rm Office. 34 State Street--Phone: Main 9060 D ivision of E m p lo y m en t-- I n d u s tr ia l a n d S erv ice Office. 65 Broad Street--Phone: Main 9060 D iv isio n o f E m p lo y m e n t-- C o m m e rc ial a n d P r o fe s s io n a l Office.* SYRACUSE 214 South Warren Street--Phone: 2-2241 B ra n ch Office of th e In d u s tria l C om m issioner. D iv isio n of W o rk m e n 's C o m p e n sa tio n . D ivision of S tatistics and Inform ation. B u re a u o f F a c to ry a n d M e rc a n tile In s p e c tio n ; B ra n c h Office of S u p ervising Insp ecto r of D istric t No. 7. D iv isio n of B ed d in g -- I n s p e c to r at office 9 to 12 A .M . S a tu r d a y s 232 West Genesee Street--Phone: 2-4344 The S tate Insurance Fund. 410 East Genesee Street--Phone: 5-4131 D iv is io n o f E m p lo y m e n t-- I n d u s tr ia l^ __L a b o r __a n d Servju* Office. t 109 West Onondaga Street--Phone: 5-4131 D iv isio n o f E m p lo y m e n t--'C o m m e rc ia l a n d P r o fe s s io n a l Office.* UTICA 131 Genesee Street--Phone: 2-4313 D ivision of In d u s tria l R elatio n s-- Office B ureaus of Factory and M ercantile v isin g In s p e c to r of D is tric t No. 7. D iv isio n of B ed d in g --In s p e c to r a t office days. 210 Columbia Street--Phone: 4-2161 _ D ivision of Em ploym ent.* of Investigator. Inspection; Super 9 to 12 A.M. S a tu r _ - --` W.* ~ BINGHAMTON - -34 Chenango Street--Phone: Binghamton 2-7258 D iv isio n o*T E m p lo y m e n t. ' ' - ELMIRA - 410 East Market Street--Phone: Elmira'5274 _ D ivision of Em ploym ent. - . ROME 204 North James Street--Phone: Rome 756 D iv isio n of E m p lo y m en t.*