Document Rj1ey4Lb5Eak10oQqEVDo9Ba

u*> r:a*jszc-'.y. -Cs: i:i:ss1 .i'jw you where .. causes iL car. r.T.:u;.`.:s . .. Jr:aue ceep nan honestly be- ocd is aamebcdy l;ow it. he .-nesting is id- Occupational Diseases FRIDAY MORNING SESSION October 9, 1936 The session was called to order by ...u chairman. Dr. Kart E. Fisher, Vice-Presi dent for Health, National Safety Council, and Chief Surgeon, Chicago Rapid Transit Co,. Chicago, who presiced, introducing The speakers. The Lesser Known Facts About Common Occuoational Diseases By DR. ROBERT B. HUNT Medical Advisor, American Mutual Liability Insurance Co., Boston Probably the leader in the parade of industrial diseases is an acute or chronic inflammation of the skin which we call dermatitis. This disease may present it self in any type of shop, factory or foun dry. Any paste, powder, gas or liquid which comes in contact with the em ployee's skin, even the water supplied by the town in which he lives or works, may be the potential cause of such a skin disturbance. The wide diversity of causes together with the varying susceptibility of differ ent individuals makes the problem of control difficult. Much investigation is under way to determine why one person nuy be sus ceptible to a certain substance while an other is not. It has been proved many times that a poisonous substance formed within the body has been able to prolong the action started by some external influ ence. A printer developed a marked dermatitis from ink which persisted for two years. Finally food tests were made and showed that he was susceptible to lettuce, which, when removed from hia diet cleared the skin. He returned to his usual occupation without a return of symptoms. The poisoning of allergic substances is usually an accumulative process. It takes time to produce a manifestation of dis ease. but let any other substance cause the disease, and the irritating food may be of sufficient strength to magnify its action. All cases of dermatitis cannot be cured by eliminating offending foods, but fur ther investigation along these lines may give us a clue with which to lessen the loss of time from work and the discom fort now produced by industrial derma titis. Lead Metals The distribution of lead poisoning is quite extensive. The skin of the body is a protective covering, and as long as it remains in tact it does a good job except in the case of tetraethyl lead, which is used in blend ing gasoline and which is readily absorbed through the skin, having a tendency to create changes in the nervous system. The effect of other forms of lead, through that avenue of entrance, is practically nil. which explains the extremely low poisoning rate in type>etters, painters and others who continually come in contact with metallic lead. Lead in any form, introduced through the mouth, acts rather slowly when com pared with the inhalation of lead dust or fumes. However, no matter what the portal of entry may be, lead is acted upon by the body fluids and so converted that it may eventually be deposited with in the bones. Those bony safe deposit vaults may retain their lead contents for days or for years, and if the exposure is removed, may also free the employee of all signs ; 1 !:#* i ?riy^a ' i z n c - Si-13 fKiHnn ? 2 " ^ 1 i 1 : =- 5.5 5^ S = S I : _ S. = E S 5 .. -,,.s, = HXM 5 s-S.ii k Sis :-5 Ss i a^ :== i.r!;i 1 1alls % a-I s|l 2-fllrl Jill J lil MI = U sU s=|i jss*^8 s:&i oiib-e in* illll.Idj dddidd S 3 si c -S"'=-? itSdlilili ddiiiM; !H gJI Is III o U 3 <^- woin -C y tn 2 *a .0 [3 1a *= 3 2 *3 r > z t il a. sS un ^S uo I *f I1 I* T 'a c:o..S;;di5 J o"3!!.5 = .5" " ^ ~ ZX -- X^ .ilid; ?-== 5 C- 3 w - Z ~= "* -r. J-: ' 1*'y .t*. = 5s,S - j;:? ^'41 " i -s r = 3. ;?53i1:-tss c - ; y = ;'; = " <-. f =i I; n = f K5 E J i- i- = ~ c-=^.l : i M lP.i5',s s-i s'l :- -Z. -5 : i L2 /= s! . 5 s T ii5 4 E?-5115 Is iiJlPiili! iH-j-iSIl'l c^ltl = : : : : : i- 125 Twenty-/; :h Kntioual Sefety Congress tilation. Instead, hirh velocity ventilating ever. the engineer interested in ascer apparatus should be installed, functioning taining not only exposure but also effi as closely to the point of generation of ciency of control should realize control the harmful substance as is possible. cannot be fully effective nor the efficiency Individual machines should be so equipped if possible. Baffles may be in* troduced to prevent air stream disturb ances or to increase the intake efficiency at the nozzle. Down-draft systems should be preferred for the collection of dust or gases of high specific gravity. Even after the installation of exhaust systems, the engineer must study the of any protective device determined with out scientific tests. Assumption, guess work. unscientific procedure or apparatus .have no place in an engineering program. The engineer must test each step unless it has been previously proved, carefully cal culating in advance to avoid false protec tion. He must be familiar wjth dust counting, type of maintenance required to keep air sampling, and chemical analysis tech them operating at peak efficiency. Noz nique. having such determinations made zles should not be permitted to become by established and proper methods. If covered nor moved out of proper posi such tests are beyond the scope of his tion. Exhaust piping must be kept dust ability or equipment and if the engineer tight. Blower efficiencies must be con considers such tests absolutely essential, stantly checked to insure that intake ve then his executives should permit him to locities are proper. The best ventilating obtain experts qualified to make such sur system is a false protection if it does not veys as his problem may require. The function properly or if it is so poorly need for an accurate engineering approach maintained that it falls below its designed to any control measure cannot be over rating. The engineer must exercise ex- emphasized. tren e care to provide a clean source of replacement air for the work place. He may find it necessary to install Altering and heating devices. The engineer must study the proper disposal of the collected or expelled material to be positive it will not drift back into the work place. Conclusion. Every engineer realizes control of any industrial disease expo sure is divided, part of such control fall ing within the jurisdiction of the indus trial physician and part within his own engineering province. Medical knowledge is invaluable in the detection of eariy Employee Protection. While the pri symptoms and in the administration of mary engineering means of protection suitable preventive treatment. The en against possible occupational diseases gineer should gladly obtain the services should be mechanical correction, the en of an industrial physician to make a gineer will find instances where even the study of the plant, to assist in the classi best systems must be supplemented J>y fication of the hazardous operations and individual protection. He must carefully working locations. By such coordination study such exposures to provide the high he will speed control of the exposure. est efficiency of protection, yet obtain a device easy ior the operator to wear con tinuously. When the engineer has been successful in obtaining such a device, he must educate workers to use it. Sanitation. Clean washing facilities and toilets should be provided. Lunch rooms should be not only clean hut also well lighted and attractive and should be un der the supervision of the plant physician. Each individual occupational disease exposure must be studied, analyzed, and controlled individually. While general data may be available upon common ex posures. the solution can be found oniy in individual treatment. Such exposures cannot be compared to ordinary safety engineering efforts. A 'circular saw is a circular saw wherever it may be operat ing. but industrial disease exposure varies N Scientific Tests. Up to this point the within plants and certainly varies between engineer has deduced that, an exposure different manufacturing establishments, exists, and from accumulated data has even though they may produce a like devised his means of prevention. How product or article. ADJOURNMENT Tr Char free tifiewinacn cost mar tha'. un:t F and into Mafou1 gen of dar safi Str-: wh req ac*. i,:rea lo*.: m< V test tiu< on* be!1 ha-. 1 an-