Document NG6xB44DZ7bXBvnVwkJXveqoR

FILE NAME: Oil Industry and American Petroleum Institute (API) DATE: 1948 Jan 26 DOC#: API055 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Unpublished Report from Standard Oil Co. Industrial Work Clothes - Their Provision and Laundering or In^crrea:Ico te Herbera of ?. 1 Keiloai Acvlsory Cccnitnee - Ne- Tor Puclloa* 1er EX H IB IT API-5Z. * INDUSTRIAL WORE CLOTHES : THEIR PROVISION AND LAUKTBRINO * * * By ROT S. BOHSIB, M.A.; B.M. * Industrial Eygienirt, Standard Oil Co. (N.J.) * * * l . JANUARY 26th, 19W MEDICAL EBPABTMERT STANDARD OIL I0MPA5T (N.J. 30 Rockefeller Pxata New York 2C, H. Y. ' *:"r : .... _- j* m* *" W (Jar Inforaatlcn to HeofradOf A.P.~1. Htdlcal Advisory C c ^ S E e e Hot For PubllPStit CTDtgTRIAL WJRI CL0C3SS "~5EI3 FSCVISIOK AKD LAUDER IHC - By F.CT S BC-SSIB, M.A. ; E-M. Industrial Hygienist, Standard Oil Co. (I.J. ' Modern petroleum technology and. the production cf synthetic hydrocarbon matei have introduced a number of cexpounds and processor which may adversely affect the health of work*r3 unices certain precautionary measures are practiced. Among these precautionary measures whica are receiving ever-increasing consideration, at the pi time, is the iscuance of iniustriai work clothing to eoployee* and the installation plant laundry facilities to insure that such clothing io properly cleaned end aalst- /ppropnstc work clothes, properly fitted and maintained, ploy a prominent part in an industrial worker's health and efficiency. This Is especially true when persons-; are working '.ritt. more or less toxic or carcinogenic materials or vhare cleanliness ie-'c a factor in the maintenance of product quality. Consequently, many of the more prv-x, -* grasslve industrial organizations, such as B.I. duPont de Honours ft Company, the Cyanaald Company and the Borden Company, have for years supplied their employees vlihj work clothing and hava xnutituted a laundry service. 1 . ' ^ __ More than twenty years' experience has definitely ehovn that this practice' .^-substantial dividends, ooth financial aa vpll aa improved public and. employee -At the same time, there has been very little difficulty or resentment resulting^ the provision of work clothes and their laundering an tbe part of m^loyee_in not receiving this service nor from local outside laundries and merchants.. - c. . . i .. In order to obtain definite data as to the practical aspects of providing woxlCj clothing and the operating of plant laundries, viaits hare been made 'to lib Cheabfl ''Works of the duPont Company at Deep Water, Hev Jersey; American Cysaamid'Company. Calco Chemicals Division's plant at Bound Brook, Hev Jersey; and Borden1s .Haxm^-J3 Division laundry at last Hev York, Hew York. The information obtained during visits is herewith briefly aumaarlred: . _. . ' . ' ` -1. ! D A f Cl 0-y. I I D U S T B I .A l' ' V 0 H I C I O V | *3 ^ Work clothes are usually issued upon requisition from the employee'1a fox supervisor at a store-room at -one end cf tbe Xaployee Service Building (Va^h and' Ro o m ) or adjacent, thereto.There appears to' be no uniform practice as to the 'tp' 'clothing supplied ittloh obviously is determined by the nature of th^'maxPs garaocts make ^P.^|^H0pr hulk of the clothing, with the exception cf men working with ec given'vool shirts. -- e; _ ' In order usually kept, of ths American keeping records Of clothes issued, * 3" * 3" card-1 1 of such a card Is this One used at the; Bound Broofr; .Company: ^ - . J. ,, ' \`4*'oS - v > :**n a m*i* .' .... . - ` -- ''/fes - v ' iifvSC; Wk'V ? ' O ' [2) - <-*- - A ' V " : ' ' ' >rny? ; cxcci. . ! >*,, ! i ' Ov *S . V ChesT W aist _____ !L T> 1 * --U'.-i - t o l j:'d Locker Ho. S e rti :-- To P a y m s t e r .'im p e r L/vereixs -he-et W aist le g . Underwear Sh irt T c urawers Eack Back :------------------- S ig h -- JSSE lSX B C ----------- Chp.zber3 Wcrk: Upon eap'-cyarnt all operators and Balntananee non are gives tirt-- pairs o f trousers, two 6hirtc , tvo suits of long underwear, two-large towels (T a cake of 9cap and e pair of vc-cdec-soled sandala. These sandals re jtotb vfc to, free Ann -.rising sbcwer barhs. The7 are obtained frea the Beeee Wooden Company, Column-.-?, Kebraske. rtt<-i toex about fifty center a pair. 8pcn requietti nle forsaitjn, u; enploy1 r-sceuvea two m v towels every six weeks and a new cl every -.v; %t-Dia The firBi i-joue of clothing is free after which, employee Is _ with -.wo new acuea a year a* half price, upon requisition frc* the faresaen.1 All -.lothing '-octer.:rated or Iraa^-jod to tush an extent that It Bust be discarded;is *- rep_aced nt Conpany expanse.- Clothing supplied to:employees a n t `be'-j&turnad whin.' are terminated. '' ' ' ' *f ';r*r!-... Bound Brook Plant: Originally all production b bb were given cover-alls uadez soap and tovaxe but recently the Uhlan has insisted that this service be extended' naintenance nee. Three sets of clothes are furnished a year. A set inoludes tefcT; of drawers \winter or suaner weight), ttro Suits; of long-slaeved under-shirts { or suaner weight), two suits of cover-alls or tvo dmgBrees and two' Jackets.' thlB clothing had to be paid for over three pay-days, but It Is now fra. The are "heavy duty" 22 Inches by 24* inches tc size-. The underwear la' Otica Snittijof ^ Company, flexible rib'; steaa shrunk.' The cover-al} ara "Araty Surplus" or *ynthiiv,^ Overalls fraa Patstrsoc, lev Jersey, All sihthlng la .stencilled with the employee 'heck nunber nie* Indelibls1nk, dbtine froa l. Kbhnetasn hCcspany, 63-91 Park Tork, I.T. 'at $4.90 per quart. Thls lnk ls especielly effect^va^ as it will huuroua v&sMnfc*. . ' - * - '~ -- e- . ~ "i.v. - ^_____ Qnlfor38, \a i o a ll / 'coatB',-'pents, sp ro n s; cape anS tc v lk a rs'i^ furniahed frelBPIttl plant an. 'Freination Workars), piatfom an, foreuan, whoie- sale driver* and 'lhoratory techniciens*. Tpvels and eaocks *ars supplled to office-__ es>j.07ae *iti u n ta ths Priaiiag Shop. ` UoltfsrM and tovals'&ra changedaily..'.v" 1 A U I P B I I G .0 P 1 RA T I 0 1 S Plant Laundries are usually located where the! utilities '(vater^ stau^ g andati electricity' are readily accessible for exanple, in one cornar of the Xsployee'a .*C? Service Building (wash and locker room) such as at th Bound Brook P i n t of the Cbeaieoble Division of the /Usarlean Cysnsold Company or In a -- pe* tenriateg jiinh M 'the 30 ft. x 60 ft. corrugated Iran building at the Chambers Works of the dnPwrfci:' Ccopany. Borden's laundry for the Metropolitan Area 1 1 part"of thei^AtlazJtioi^l Avenue Pasteurising Plarrt. ' ' - - ^ ' ' lii. 3 s t3) "t^~ '"<kf *'* FyjlFHSBT - The necessary laundry equipment depend* upon the type and quantity- cf vers clothe*.to be processed. Most cotton end vcolen vork.doth** with the except! of vhito unlf4(S*, ere sim ply v-sh sd end dried u d cot ironed. The neceeary equ ie listed be3^j~ ' Cna.itere Morha: jne \2" x 72" Trey Premier Waiter (2 sections) manufactured tjy the American Laundry Machinery Coapany. Cepecity 300 lbs, dry clothes. Used tccr-.y*' overalls, coveralls, Jchete, etc. One 36" x 54" Washer (2 oectiane) aanufactvsredi by the Trey Manufacturing Company. Capacity 200 lbs. dry clothes and used for tovels and socks. One *o" * -8" Mercury Extractor,'manufactured by the Troy Manufacturing Cc and has a capacity of 225 w t clothes. One 28" x 10'' Extractor manufactured by the.. American Laundry Coapany and has a capacity of 75 lhs. of underwear per hour. Tbeae- centrifugal extractors 1amove approximately 50 percent of the water during the 15 minutes operating time. Both extractor*, are equipped with safety derlcaa Which pre'i covers from being opened when machine* are In operation. , * * , w One 4o" x 64" Dryer and two 36" x 90" Dryers manufactured by the American Lav Machinery Coopery. The rvo dryers uee forced steam-heated air and each dries 22J*" pounds of vet clothes per hour at .-a^temperature of 10Or. Wool cloth are hangers and dried alovly overnight In -a ateam-heated {3 radiator) plant room at a temperature of about 130*^f. This room can about 200 peanuts clothes per dey. '~ . ' . ' , * * * ' .. V jT. Bound Brook Plant:' One 42" x 61" Eorvood Washer and two 42" x'^fc" Boxwood Washers manufactured by the American laundry Machinery Company. One 50" and one Eotrux Extractors manufactured by the American laundry. Machinery Company. - T w e l W Zone-Air Dryers manufactured by tbs Aaarlcan' Lerundry Machinery Company. This also has an overhead aonorall system for transporting laundry from the washer to'4 extractors and then to the dryers./ > . ` 3orden Company; roub 8tainlM Steel Smith D n n Washers mad'by'the jLa&ri'c Laundry Machinery Company.', five Extractors, mads by the American Lsnadzy MacL. Ccmpany. One Worelone Xttyer.:-';;All of 'this equipment. ha bemn fn serrlo about ' [- ' ' / " *' V ` . * 'i:\~.fei Modero E<rilpmantT :jPAWaiutote. pirodgeee-hht been'med during'recantjywiane' _ design of laundry marhUiery tern high productloa sterHe-elean washing wltVjbMMt; possible xnp<*w^Asaaadk'mtncwmoet- ofntkds pueh-dmttem controlled, r B*re are" examples of ' Company, Cl "c, _______ _ Vnl^ ^ H P >9f no powltib'ttn/' Bef contained _ . or~bMpplsBmntsdlT`unit far operation.' StfeiaBllnd^ ^ih^-ivja''Mo#lig%prta neloeed for. safety.'- Pull-sXlrtad. frciri' and gutter-plash m a d soapy fftftoxw. Trowed d e s i g n 'sevweqj^ls5*'v. team and water. Built to do the Jotr better, faster, at leea ocmt,:- . . . /.,i Dee AC 220 volts> fio cycle,3 phase electric power. Price- f.o.b. C"indtrtd: *2" x ^ h p motor'. Capacity.235 IbeVtoty clothe*/ 42" x 84" with 7 SP motor,'Capacity 350 lbs.- ^xy c l o i t h M V | 6 ^ . , ^ v _ * ' . - ' .. ' y ~Xjt* "CASCATE AUTOMATIC COYTBOL" la designad for o n as | oorpanlOD nit,with', any American Cascade Washer* to' automatleally perform operations' * the beet predetermined '*'-<1; formula, ft'smvws. waalmma 99 " operations. Price f.o.b. Cinclonatl-for Ppll jwpirmaflc.i for Semi-Automatic Coctroi, -IXV .tw*- 'N'T: n t ti . .Tr.-js. zrnjczr:- .. . - r .i tc : t;c; aurriur water from washed .Laundry fci.' mor rapi .r Lucreuaci crcluc'.lcc cud cute labor coats by J.ilnating a. cui . ..ju. .in? c-J vurx from time It ic unloaded froa the i.cunar until t n i. uc-ai aec :dzlcally a" ".be daap aceenbly or various i-.nhing depcrt-- z.\ rrice ?.c o Cincl iati- for the 50" site, the moat i^r-rally ui-ei, v t i a capacity o f 320 lba is fdo.oo. 'I.J52-AIP. DKTiC TUHr-IlIR' incorporates en entirely new principle of tumbler engineering which enables It to dry all cloasifications of laundry wort; ' - rcpii_y and at errreaily low coat due to concentration of heated air in "sene'1 where verb la noce thoroughly opened up for greatest exposure to - the drying c.ir. Thle recults In lower ateaa and power costs and sweeter - smelling wo:k -- besaiioe greater effectiveness of the high-velocity, . , heated air menee drying lees dependent on heat. Wort is dried more naturally, as when nuig in-a strong, warm breeze. Price of the 36" x 30" f ZCKE-AIS DHTE3G m S L C H complete Is $745 f.o.b. Cincinnati, Ohio. li'JSrPT r?SCKHEL - The Chambers Verbs Laundry staff has a "foreman and seven ' men cu tea t:CC A.M. te 4: O ? M shift and one man on the 4:00 P.M. to 12:00 Midnight The vK-te rat? at present ie $1-37 per hour plus a $3.00 per day baaua. * The Ztound Brook Blast laundry has a staff of a foreman and eleven men: on day shift, six men :t afternoon shift and two men on the aldAight shift. Tu b . women working one shift of eight heuro making necessary garment repairs. AIL " at the hiring rate of $1.035 rr hour for 30 days; $1.065 per hour for "the uext O dayB, after which the vnahers `ana countersen get $1.10 per hour. The Bcrden Company's laundry has a foreman at $71.00 per week, five women at $44.00 per week, ene eeematreas it $16.CO per week, a driver at $61.00 per week who collects 1 and delivers the laundry fren the various branches and stations. _ There appears to be very little labor turnover among the plant laundry workers.' The average service at the Borden Laundry is 15 years, 6 years at the Chambers Works'^ Laundry and 5 years at the Bound Brook Plant Laundry. . ~- AM017C 0? LAUBDRT FROCgSID - The Chambers Worka Laundry does from 750 to 85 bundle* (pants, shirts, uodaryear, socks, towels, coveralls and Jumpers) per day. u This is approximately 4,000.pieces or about two tona dry weight. The Sounds of underwear Plant Laundry cm an average does about 3600 coveralls, 7200 suits towels per 24 hours,. . The B o r l d B H H & r y is the only one 6f the laundries visited that finishes any .'S C work, the oth e n P e B y do "rough dry work". On the average they finish weekly 400 " coats, 460 pasts, 200 sprees, 22 cape, 10,000 towels, 175 unicanal!a, and 75 shirtsi In the Bough Dry eleas, the daily average output is 1000 coats, 1000 pasta, 00 towels and 4o rmionails. ' . . LAuahftf BBOCKIrtJBZS - There is, of course, boss variation In the laundry procedure- ' at the various laundries ziaitsd, however, the procedure at the Chambers Works Lsundry,: which is outlined belov, tc typical: 7 .sundry bags, ra -. a_r;roxliately 2-t oundiOB, are received iaii- ir_n ie Tari rva t i -j;;. .io'_a?p nr true. 2ach bundle la tied and bowing ccn'r okret z-ember, lvrae end chan,je-house. The baga are eperri end bundles cl c.-'cing -able. Cue man removes teg end passes . VrrJ r.c another I'cr/er \rhc enters ~<acie and number on a laundry check sheet. Fcrer xsr. *r.r.n caj.l= out pie:as by name (pants, shirt, socks, etc.), which second - ruin enters cn check liet. A numbered identification safety pin (10 to a set obtained iron H. Eoznateiun & Company, Caaden, 3ev Jersey), is pinned to each _ piece of clothing. Clothes are separated in laundry baskets as to voolene, towels % underwear, and socka; pactf. shires, etc. The clothes are than washed as follows: A. Clothes (not from dye operations: Opera tion Rinse ' Wash .Suds Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse , 'Gala, of 2 * 111 Washer H 1 r'S 1 : 33 : 76 1 ~ ! 76 1 78 Ingredients Usad Wator Perlite Simplex Simplex Water Water Water Water Amt. per 100# Dry Clothes -- 8 oz. 16 oz. 16 oz. -- -- . -- . Temp. . of Water 1007.-120^7. , --- i6or. i6o f . . nor. ' ikoy. Cold Cold Running t Time 5 Min. -- 10 Kin. . 10 Min. . . - 5 M3' ", 5 MO. 5 Mini '^ 5 m s . V< 32 B_, Clothes from Dye Operations are washed as shore with the exception that 12 szb\ of Perlite .alkali} Is used Instead of S ozs., and 2k ozs. of Simplex instead of Jo oze. ' . C. Greasy and Paint Stained Clothing: OperatioD Wash Suds Rinse Rinse Rinse Rinse Gala. of R0 in Washer 38 . iMt . V Ingredients Deed , Amt. per 100# Dry Clothes (Perlite ' (Pentroll - . ' (Msrcoloid . Jli^lex . Water Water - -. Water . Water- .l oz. 1 Pt. AO oz. . 32 oz. --- . Teap. . of IpQ ' A-*: 3 * ^ i- ' Running),. Time V : 180F. ---* 170P. l60T. 100-. , 100*. - Cold . - _ ' ,. . . . 10. Min, - ; --- -- . , v- 10 Min.- ; 5 Min. >, % 5.mi* . \ ..;> . 5 Wi 5WA. - Ci. Wool cintMwg (Hot, from Bye Operations) are washed In 78 gallons of water'd:! __ 100T. with one pint of Pupoeol IS Paste per 100 lbs. of dry clothes far 10 minutes .v; sad glren two rinses vith 7O gallons .af water at 100F. for 5 ninutee each. > . r- E. Wool clothing from Dve Areas la given sane treatment as dbove except,for.an extra wash. Laundry bags are washed dally with wool clothing. . ", (The compounds: Perlite, Simplex, Pentroll and Merc01old used In the vaglag opgratioog are products from E. Eotmsts-- . Co. , Knv York and Chicago, DuPoaol IS Paste Is a DuPont -product.) VJ O 0 v_:-> igi3ts.n: pr-L".tac?r:~ :f Clo After clothe* have been washed and -.^'7 aro left ;t . -~e :m-cr :oxtrsccor where approximately AO gallon* -f Fetafdaat CV ao .?o-far.ttB oduct made by the DuPont Company' Bclttict '1.1 Sp. gr '. is :.:dsi. H r hr 3 ar? scaled in this solution for two minutes,^ vr'crc tid dried. The a.lJilc; :c .cc-v'rd, brought up to the original strength and ,*j reui'i All pieces c' .'.aie-'i't.ted clothing are cteaped (3 diagonal bar*) with V v-ot?r solunle yelicv dye ''"llthooc-'' F 7e_lcv 3 G paste, a dye starch mixture made ^ by Cranoers Vcrxs Du^nt It -pury Te'-hriral Laboratory and applied by a rubber staaqp), * before they ar-a returned :: tiu areae. This give* area supervision a check on who are required to wear 3uch clothing. Sorting "d Bundl,1ng: After clothe* have been dried they are sorted an nuitoered book* cn moveable rack*. The rack* are then rolled tc outgoing "bundling" table where# each man'* clothes i* checked with original "check H a t ", then bundled. Bundle* are .* pecked In the Change louse Laundry Bags (which have been laundered). After tying uj> V ^ and tin-tagging a carbon copy of the "check list" Is placed in each bag which is of .3 value to the change house attendants in hanrtl1ng distribution of clothing. ri ` f'-1 Sharp articles, such as razor blades, loft in pockets of dirty clothes presents < 2 a serious hazard. Care must be exercised In handling laundry pin*. Clothing can- - ' taminatei w t h toxic materials such as Betcnaphthylamlne, Benzol, etc., are given a~ special treatment at the Laocretory before being sent to the Laundry. They ' ` " kept separate and handled with rubber gloves. Bound Erock Piano Laundry Procedure: The washing operation at the Bound Brook'.''"' Laundry is vei-y similar to that outlined above except that all coveralls are gives.: a 10 to 1? minute soak In ca agitated solution of 4 pounds of Soda Ash In 80 gallons* of water at if,0F., rinsed, then washed for 20 minutes in 9 ore. 92^ Armour* Soap _ Powder in 6c gallons of water at 150F. In a Norwood Cascade Wa*her, rinsed, placed in a centrifugal extractor for 20 minute* and dried 20 to 30 minutes in a Zone- A ir , . , drier. " The following formula has been reeamende4 for laundering work clothing soiled with grease and grime: \v "Use a mixture consisting of 2 part* by weight of Sodium Metaslllcate to 1 of soap, or k parts of Sodium Metaslllcate to 3 of soap, and add sufficient to tbs wheel to give desired amount of suds. For flat work and soma colored goods, 3 parts by weight of soap and 2 parts of Sodium Met&alllcmte. USPta* a M y CARMPTrs - The Chambers Works of the duPoot Company report ;; that covera3J^HFidBzvssr on tbs average withstands to 20 -washings before they must be rep!SJKm* Rile le probably duo to the type of compounds, encountered rather" than to the laiitadsrlng operations. The Bound Brook Plant of the Calco Chemicals Division has bound that the life * of their cover-alls is 150 washings; and their underwear, about 200 washings. ^otal Cost Of laundering Work Clothes - According to Mr. A. C. Pease, Cenarmi Superintendent of the Bound Brook Plant Laundry the total cost (including labor, , ~ <i materiale, rent, light, steam, water, interest and amortization) of laundering work ^ clothes is $3,035 per pound o' dry clothes. The eoet of labor ad materials alena is cnly $0.C1 per pound of dry ciothaB. The beet price that could be obtained from outside local laundry was $0.00 per pound dry clothes. *' 1 Mr. V. H. Kite, Foreman of the Chambers Works Laundry reports that the total.* cost, including all direct and Indirect charges was about 1 0.'03;per pound of dry ' clothes We vere unable to eecure the cost rcr pound of vork clothes laundered at ' -at. lew Yorb ItiU.r'ry o:`Hornon1 Tarc Product, however, hire are the price ;cd oiol.-.e- th.j vi.r*oos dcptutaost e ta-ing work dona. rough r.vr WORE . Coets ............ Pants...... . . .. .. 0.05 Towel ........... Rage ............. Union-AU ....... Machine Cover .... .. 0.395 ` Dish Cloth ...... Pulver Bag ........ 0.1G rjHISRSD WOBE - -..,-r.`'V -C? Coats ............. P e n t ............. Driver-* ' Shirts ... Overalls ........... tonli ........... Kurses1 Uniform .... ....... 0.315 Doctor' Coate ..... ....... 0.315 Un:.cn-Alls ........ C5 9 S _I 0 Ji 5_ - At til pcirt3 visited thsro vis general agreejmnt that it vas 'good bulcc."P" to prcvid? wtrk elothSB and und'-rvrsr to eaployeee on Jobe vaich involved erj-osure to tuxi- and irritant vateriala or particularly dirty Jobe involving oil, gviuo: . gria.? ml soot. It vas aleo goaerally agreed that a plant laundry troperip r-nipped and operated v b r. p.-ofitable investcent which iaeurel tnat w;r> r-c-.m wruld be prspcriy lnundried urd aaintLinei. c -~-o-_>C-- R07 S. B D : !M :F u Yadusxr I 1 E.-ci?!.: -- Standvri Cl. C-.rpry I' ; 51 Re'-;:-. - _ '. r 3 i , : j Her _'`c: 1 c"'. R Y-