Document Ra6n8EE5Rdq39mXX2wNXeqMwk

FILE NAME: Power Generation (POW) DATE: 1946 DOC#: POW006 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Published Article from Trade Journal t**/,riM # CJ/tor-- Francis C . Smith Eugene W . O'Brien iw iiw titrn Editor! Hunter R. Hughes, Jr. Induction Mgr.: W. D. Coogler Managing Director: B. W. O'Brien Butinttt Representativei a, I . Rogers, 18 Bant 48th Bt., ^ Boom 11)04, New York 17, N Y --Phone, Plaza 8-2565 niUam K. Hoffman, 26 Bowdoln v, Bt., Maplewood, N. J.--Phone So. Orange 2-2184. i Uisaard L. Durham, 67 Covlng" ton Boad, Buffalo 16, N. Y.-- ,i,> Phone, Amherst 6882. C. Smith. 206 Auditorium Building, Cleveland 14, Ohio --Phone, Cherry 7852. 0. B. Jobnaon, 168 North "<r Michigan Ave., Chicago 1, 111--Phone, Central 4181 !% B Chappell, Auditorium Bldg., 427 West 5th St., Los Angeles^Calif. -- Phone, Tucker " K J S G f c" 1841 Ub, Dallas, tral 7678. Aaoual Hbborimi^-|l.oo Caasda--| 1.B01 foreign 18.00 -- ---- Vlv-i (eUithed Monthly by w. R. c. SMITH KJBUSHING CO, abets also o f : Cotton, ElecI loath, Southern Hardware, op Automotive Journal. 1 Hooke, President; R. P. t Executive Vice-President; " McAllister, Vice-President; - O'Brien, Vice P reildent; C. Smith, Vice-President; - t Vice-President; O. A. , Treasurer; A. P. Rob- ' ir/. | sd Encotivo Officer WT BUILDING TA, GEORGIA R*w 9rtioo, by F. R. Zumbro ndTtrryM lt^ 4 f e Mudc forSouthern Industry, by Hunter R. Hughes, Jr.. . . . V- . 52 Arkansas Solvent Extraction Plant, by Jane I. G o r d o n , . 55 Automatic Roof Cooling, by Leonard A . Holder.. . . . -------------.... 56 ^''^iS^^h^jirtg- of Barrels... . ............................... , v . . . . 59 ^ Itectronics Malntenance, by R. C. Roetger... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 {^ejectfc H atin g In Furniture Manufacturing, by W , H. Hickock., . . . 64 b* N<Y* Hendrick.. . .............. ................. 68 . The Great Gam# of Gatting Ahead, by Harry C, Walker................ 82 ....... . r>. . . . . . . . . 92 W 1? b y J ^ e j . , M ^ . ; 7 r . T 7 n . . . . . . . . . . 94 ... i&... v ^ _.! H k n ^ If ow Mnah HT,e"^arrTt iwi*fm--Lo---swtf . v. U-'V 6g fi;* i ' ' Belt Blip on Pan Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 6 . ffireet Teacher . . . . . . . . Slow Motion Pays -108 do B a t h . .i.-,*.*,;.*T! tie* M u .r-- - ; m m s: Ii7 : *4? * k ,,V i. 3 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE - Control of W orking Environm ent is This third installm ent is a discussion ot the working environm ent -- its problem th e ir evaluation, and recommended control. E VERY important factor in fluencing our lives and one which is given little consideration is the environment in which we work. The general environment dirtates our requirements as to the clothes we wear, the food we eat, and to a certain extent our mode of living. The average individual will spend at least eight hours a day at some occupation. The re maining portion of the day is usually spent at home. It is obvious that two distinct problems of en vironment exist: the home or com munity, and the working environ ment. There are certain safeguards thrown about the community as providing safe drinking water, proper sewage disposal, collection and disposal of other wastes in cluding garbage, and immunization programs. The importance of these protective procedures in a com munity has been long recognized. Their accomplishment is measured in terms of reduced death rates from various communicable di seases. Some diseases which in the past have taken great, toll of life B y N. V. Hendricks Chief Engineer Industrial Hygiene Service, Georgia Department of Public Health have by these methods been re duced to a point of minor signi ficance. As civilization has pro gressed with an accompanying complexity in our living, the neces sity for public safeguards in the community has been given more and more consideration. It is only through these approaches that the proper public health measures for the community environment can be applied. For a number of years, consid eration has been given to the de velopment of certain methods by which the working environment of an individual may be modified or adjusted to more healthful working conditions. Many plant op erations by the very nature of the materials processed and by the mechanics of the operation pro duce an atmosphere of toxic or otherwise harmful substancesfinal objective in any hygiene program is the of health hazards incident dustrial operations by the scientific methods. Occupational Diseases Industrial operations require use of many materials, some which are toxic and produce ful effects on individuals who exposed to them. In addition, are certain physical which exercise harmful the worker. The deleterious produced by these materiais conditions may, in a broad' be termed occupational In some states, industry has legally responsible tor the on the worker which is about from such exposures, legal responsibility has been nated, codes or schedules have established for a rate of tion covering occupational Such codes vary from all loss to those which cover specific occupational diseases. B EFO R E ANO A F T E R IN STALLATIO N OF VAPO R ABSORPTION SYSTEM IN M ERCERIZIN G D E PA R T M EN T OF B LC AO H ERY AND D TE WORKS. SOUTHERN POWER ft INDUSTRY for JANUARY, In considering the potential de velopment of occupational diseases and the responsibility and cost in cident, management cannot escape the fact that the condition of the working environment is an eco nomic factor expressed in terms of the overall cost of production. Proper consideration to the status of the environment, in many cases, will directly lower the cost. Recog nizing these facts, management should take every possible means of improving and controlling the working environment. For many occupational diseases there is no known medication and the logical method of control is the adjust ment of the working environ ment in oi'der that the exposuic from which occupational diseases result may be removed. Proem lng And The Environment The working environment in any plant will be dependent on these factors: (1) materials, (2) process ing methods, and (3) process equip ment. Many of the raw and pro cessing materials used in industry are specifically toxic and toxic compounds are often liberated as by-products of certain operations. In any case, the type material and its presence in the working atmo sphere will determine the existence of a hazard. Fortunately most pro cessing materials are non-toxic. However, with many industries it is impossible to avoid the use of certain specific compounds which FUME REMOVAL SYSTEM FOR EXHAUSTING FUMES FROM PICKLING TANKS are known to produce harmful effects on individuals exposed to them. The method of processing is im portant as it will determine the ex tent to which materials are dis persed into the working atmo sphere. Important factors associ ated with process methods in clude: (1) temperatures required for various operations, (2) agita tion and other mechanical details, and (3) specific operations where by-products are formed and lib**" ated. , Equipment plays an import role in determining disperdo since the design of such units my r call for open or closed operation* rotation at high speed or close or frequent observation on the port of the operator. Specific desip would determine the extent which certain control installation such as local exhaust ventilation might be applied. OPERATOR EM PTYIN G ftAG OF CARBON B LA C K INTO B A N B U R Y M IX E R B EFO RE ANO A F T E R IN STALLATIO N OF OUST AND FU M E REMOVAL SYSTEM. SOUTHERN POWER A INDUSTRY lor JANUARY, IN* | Environment Problem tremely toxic. On entry into the FumM Of importance to industry is the matter of controlling dust. For tunately, there are relatively few types of dust which are specifically toxic. The more important from an industrial standpoint are silica, as bestos and finely divided salts of toxic metals, such as lead. Silica and Dust Exposures to free silica are more important from the standpoint of population exposed and deserve more consideration than those to asbestos dust. However, asbestos dust is just as toxic as free silica. Wherever sand or materials con taining free silica are processed, exposure to the dust is likely to result. This is especially true in foundry operations, abrasive clean ing, blasting, and the like. Suffi cient exposure to concentrations of free silica often results in the pro body it exerts an affinity for hem oglobin which is about 300 times the affinity of oxygen resulting in a tremendous decrease in the abili ty of the blood to carry oxygen and produces a condition of as phyxia. The more common irritants found in industry include sulfur dioxide, chlorine, ammonia, and the oxides of nitrogen. Although these gases are extremely toxic, they are suf ficiently irritating so that the in dividual exposed usually has some warning as to their presence. Under these conditions the worker can normally remove himself from the exposure before too much damage is done. However, these materials do occur frequently in industry and the importance of ex posures to them should not be minimized. Vapor* Fumes are usually with welding, cutting, or otfxH erations where metal are to high temperatures, From i dustrial standpoint, lead, cadmium are probably the " important. Atmospheric fu^ this type are often found pouring of brass, welding or 1 ing of galvanized metal or on l temperature operations invohbf. surfaces coated with lead besmf[ ;| paint. The physiological response to j inhalation of these materials i vary considerably. The less sert^/j condition is known as metal fu*~ fever which carries symptoms 1 zinc oxide. It is of short duratta: | and no permanent tissue damSP is done. The more serious con* I tions arise from the exposure fumes or metals which are i cally toxic. duction of fibrotic growths in the lungs of the exposed individual. This condition is known as silicosis and is one of the prime disabling occupational diseases and has cost industry considerable sums of money for compensation. Asbestos dust although specif ically toxic, does not result in a numerically great number of ex posures due to its infrequent in dustrial applications. However, in the production of asbestos cloth and other products, a serious prob lem of dust control is presented. Certain heavy metals and their salts produce specific toxic reac tions. Many industries employ lead and cadmium, and their application to plant operation usually results in the creation of an actual or po tential exposure. Lead compounds are particularly important in such operations as the manufacture of storage batteries, printing indus tries, and the production of paints or pigments. Gases Vapors come from organic com Physical Conditions >;/i pounds both of the aliphatic and Physical conditions such at aromatic series. They play a tre working positions, temperature, mendously important part in mod humidity and abnormal pressures, ern production and their number play an important part in the abil and use is limited only by the ingenuity of the chemist. They are used widely as degreasing agents, ity of the worker to produce. The correction of such condition* b ] primarily a problem of engineer intermediates, solvents and clean ing compounds. Most of these materials are ex cellent fat solvents, and on entry into the body tend to go to the nervous system. This is true of the aliphatic series, including distil ing and when given proper consid eration will do much toward in creasing production and lowering costs, through improvement ol quality of the final production, re duction of spoilage, and increase in the final plant safety. lates and petroleum. From the standpoint of pure toxicity, prob ably the most important of these materials would include benzol, its homologues and the chlorinated compounds. Sufficient exposure to these compounds results in chronic disturbance and in some cases dis Evaluation of Environment In order to properly evaluate the exposures in an industrial plant, a detailed engineering study and analysis is required. Such a study in the form of an industrial hygiene survey is a mechanical ability. Mists means by which the plant is ob served department by department I for the purpose of noting occupa i Acid and alkaline mists are as sociated with plating, stripping and cleaning. Chromic acid mist is tional hazards and unsafe practice* so that they may be appraised. Such a survey should include a Gases are usually classified as probably the most important of work analysis, analytical procedure either asphyxiant or irritant. In this class of material and results rating of hazards, analyses of the dustrially the more important as from electroplating, anodizing and hazards and recommendations for phyxiants include carbon monox similar operations. Exposure to control. ide, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen such mists may result in perfora The work analysis should be cyanide. Of these, carbon monoxide tion of the nasal septum, and if made by noting each and every occurs more frequently. This gas is cuts or abrasions arc present on job carried out in the plant, associated with the combustion of the exposed parts, ulcers may de method of process, and hazardous carbonacious materials and is ex velop. conditions to which each worker 74 SOUTHERN POWER & INDUSTRY for JANUARY, 1944 COMMON PRO CESSING M ATERIALS W ITH SAFE CONCENTRATION AND P H Y S I OLOGICAL SYMPTOMS TOXXO MATERIAL EHDUSTBIAL USB SAFE COMCENTBATI0N8 PHYSIOLOGICAL BESPONSE Acrolein AnuuonU Aniline Arsenic Compounds Ureinlue betisol Cadmium Carbon Dlruldde Carbon Monoxide Cerben Tetrnehlorlde Cblorlneted DlphmiyU Chlorine Chlorobeneene Chromium Compounds Ethylene Dichloride formaldehyde Hydrochloric ! Hydrogen Sulfide 1 ibeed I treury 1 silice Duet I (Km) 1 ejler,, 1 IHoetdr I Seliurir I Acid 1 Weene J Ww Orgnniv byn thesis; mfg. m ilitary gases; soup and varnish; fertilizer. Organic preparations; refrigeration; bronz ing; dye and color mfg. ; sugar refining. Organic synthesis; dye uifg.; paint and varnish; disinfectants; explosives. Paint ami pigments; leather industry; in secticides; mining and smelling; dye and vuruish mfg. Orgauir synthesis; dyes; bromides; ex plosives. Solvent; paint and varnish removers; dye; varnish mfg.; rubber industry. Alloys; cadmium salta; electroplating; storage batteries; lead uud zinc smelting. Solvent; mfg. viscose rayon; varnishes ; insecticides; carbon telracliluridu. Mfg. iron and steel; enamel; Illuminating gas; kiiu operations; smelting. Solvent; mfg. el.Mtning com pounds; dye; paint uud lacquer industries. Electrical equipment; lacquer mfg.; paints, wax mfg. Organic synthesis; textile bleaching; water purification; chlorination. Solvent for cellulose acetate, resins, oils, fats; dry cleaning. Dyeing; m etallurgy; electroplating, print ing; tunning. Organic synthesis; solvents; thinner fur lacquers. Organic synthesis; dyes; rubber goods; leather; synthetic resins and lacquer*. Leather industry; organic synthesis; dye stuffs; mfg. chlorides. Kcugcnt ; analytical chem istry; vLcose rayon spinning; leather tunning, mining and sm elting; paper mfg. Chemical equipment lead pigmenta; olio}; storage buttery mtg. ; insecticides. Prep, mercury salts, scientific instruments, chemical processing. Fouudriex; atone industry; ahrusive clean lu g ; bln ling. ltefrigeration; blenching; cellulose; paper; mining and smelting. Fertilizer; refining, explosives; organ hsynthesis; leather; textiles; chemicals. Solvent; paiut and varnish; organic prep ration*; dye and varnish; rubber industry. Mvlallurio' ; KtilvNniiiiiif, liman timmh le ainciting. 1.0 ppm 1ou ppm 5.0 ppm U.s I I I / M"' i.U ppm 100 ppm 0.1 Ili/M" 20 ppm lo o ppm 11)0 ppm 1.0 m g/M " 1.0 ppm 75 ppm 0.1 mg/M 100 ppm 20 ppm 10 ppm 2 0 ppm U.15 m g/M " 0.1 mg/M" 5,000,000 p.p.e.r. lo ppm 2 u ppm 200 ppm 10 mg/.M irrita tio n of skin and mucous m em branes of eyes and respiratory tract, dyspnea, bronchitis. irritatio n of respiratory passages, cough, pul monary edema, severe eye irritation, caustic net ion on skin. Muscular weakness, vertigo, cyanosis, _ faint ing, nervous symptoms, loss of equilibrium, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Fains in stomach, vomiliug. diarrhea, headaehe, gastric disturbances, skin diseases, loss of hair, weakness. irritatio n of air passages, bronchitis, conjunc tivitis, skin eruptions, discoloration of skin. Headache and vertigo, gastro intestinal dis turbances, hemorrhages, injury to blood form ing organs with changes in blood picture, In ju ry to blood vessels, heart, liver, kidneys, etc. Loss of appetite, weakness, nausea, inflam mation of the lungs, cough, soreness of chest. Headuche, vertigo, weukness, mental disturb ances, irritation of skin. ileadache, painfulness of eyeball, throbbing of temples, weakness, nausea, vomiting, incroused respiration and pulse, collapse. Irritutiou of nose, throat und eyes, nausea, headache, vomiting, confusion, narcosis, injury to liver, dermaltills. Acneforin skin eruptions, jaundice and atrophy of liver. Acute cardiac paralysis, burning, blistering, cough, bronchitis, chronic anemia, uasal und bronchial catarrh. Headache, giddiness. Wood changes. Bronchitis; bronchopneumonia, anemia, neph ritis, ulcers of skin and membrane, perfora tion of nasal septum. irritatio n of eyes and nose, vertigo, uncon sciousness and death if exposure is prolonged. Irritation of mucous membranes, conjunctivitis, severe derm atitis, degeneration of liver. Coughing, bronchitis, destruction of teeth, con traction of throat, caustic action ou skin. Conjunctivitis, exhaustion, pallor, pain in eyes, nose uud throat; headache, convulsions, p aral ysis. Weakness, pallor, loss of appetite, lead line, anemia, constipation, cramps, colic. Inflammation of gums uud mucous membrane of the mouth, necrosis of the jaw, enteritis, anemia, tremors of the hands and fucc. k'ibrotic Iiiiik tissue, development of silicosis. Bronchitis, coughing, laryngitis, bronchopneu monia, digestive disorders. Acute and chronic bronchitis, bronchupnuumunla, derny of Icclli. On the skin, pain, demii and ulceration. Narcotic effect, headache, vertigo, gastro intestinal disturbances, injury to liver and nervous system. Metal fume fevers; Irritation of resplralur> tract, headuche, tiaukea, chills, pain in limbs. w to \m L ''1 timm NOTE: F.P.M . ~ P a rts of substance per million purls f air liy volume, tn.p.p.c.f. wk Millions of particles of subMar.ee per cubic foot of air m g/M 8 * Milligrams of substance p rr <ubie m eter of air. POWER & INDUSTRY for JANUARY. 1946 75 is exposed. Toxic materials when present are investigated from the standpoint of the liberation into the atmosphere; physical state, whether or not the employee is re quired to be in the area where this material is dispersed, and the probable effect on the individual. Analytical procedures usually in clude the collection of field samples and their analysis and the comple tion of other measurements when necessary. Atmospheric samples are collected from the breathing zone of the exposed worker and are taken in such manner as to be representative of average working conditions. Actual sampling and analysis of the atmosphere is the only scientific means by which a known exposure may be ac curately evaluated. Some toxic ma terials make their presence known by odor and other properties, but these do not offer a means of de termining their concentrations. The rating of a hazard or ex posure is a measurement to de termine the degree of a condition and the effectiveness of existing control methods. Much work has been done in establishing safe permissable concentrations for some of the more common toxic ma terials These threshold values of fer a means of determining the ex tent of individual exposures. By an analysis of processing methods, rat ing of hazards and study of ef ficiency of existing corrective measures, a baseline for adequate control procedures may be estab lished. In most cases processing methods will determine the type control indicated. Application of Data When the industrial hygiene study has been completed and ob servations and data analyzed, it is necessary to translate this infor mation into terms of specific con trol procedures. Unless these data finally result in corrective meas ures, a great waste of time and ef fort will take place. Although the plant or process engineer may not be primarily concerned with ac tivities other than strictly process ing, this individual should take ad vantage of information obtained through the industrial hygiene sur vey. In many cases, a study of environmental conditions under which a job is carried out will of fer the production engineer a means of increasing the efficiency of the particular operation. The plant engineer Bhould also be concerned with the industrial hygiene information because the control procedures applied will be based on an analysis of these find ings. The design and installation of such control procedures as local exhaust ventilation should be worked out with the plant engineer in order that the final installation may be entirely consistent with processing requirements. Control Procedures Hazards associated with indus trial operations can either be eliminated or reduced to harmless limits by the application of public engineering methods. Procedures for the control of such exposures usually consists of one of the fol lowing: Isolation of the process. Fre quently a job which is productive of dust or tends to disperse other materials into the work area can be removed and located at a point so that the liberation of such ma terial will not contaminate the genr eral working atmosphere. It ia-occasionally possible to close off in dividual operations so as to isolate them from other areas and control the exposure. Substitution of non-toxic ma terial occasionally offers a good method of alleviating specific ex posures. Where toxic materials are used and it is possible to replace them with non-toxic substitutes, the exposure can be removed in the easiest possible way. Wet methods can sometimes be applied. These are frequently used in the stone industry in drilling, crushing, and grinding. Where ma terials being processed must be kept in the dry state, this method is obviously eliminated. Personal protective equipment offers an excellent control pro cedure where the exposure is in frequent or of a short duration. Where this type of equipment is used, care should be exercised in its selection in order that the equip ment used be designed for the particular exposure. Only equip ment which bears the stamp of approval of the U. S. Bureau of Mines should be purchased. Some exposures may be con trolled by means of lation. By this procedure cient amount of air is ini into the work area to dll contaminant to a point toxic limit. This method hitf tain disadvantages, such handling of excessive air, and the failure to reduce centrations of the material aft; point of liberation. It is usually or close to the point of lib where real exposure occurs general ventilation, in most does not correct this situation. Local exhaust ventilation the most effective and ge the most efficient means of trolling individual exposure* - hood or similar type of coll device is located as close as sible to the point of liberation. the contaminant and sufficient handled in order to remove material in such a manner that it not dispersed into the work This type control should the material before it has an op tunity to come into the breat! zone of either the worker on individual job or the workers- the surrounding area. > In considering the matte, local exhaust ventilation, it is! ly essential that these installati be properly designed and neered. In too many cases he and the entire exhaust systems i installed by mechanics o r .( individuals in the plant and thought is given to their design the principles on which they i operate. Unless such systems based on good engineering de there is no assurance that the stallation will operate in such mini ner as to control the exposure. The next article of this series teflj cover organic solvents and similar^* dustrial materials, their propern** and uses as they influence the **, vironment and health of the toorfc** using them. 1945 INDEX A vailable to Subscribe If you keep your back issues -- write the editors for a :j free copy of this Index. See Page 68 76 SOUTHERN POWER & INDUSTRY for JANUARY, I