Document Rjq5Lo75VwNbgOpRj4G6oyMLX

The Z January-February, 1956 Vol. XI No. 5 Keeping Well At Work STRIPPED of its austere syllables and reduced to warm and friendly in their jobs for any casual excitement it might bring. They are more pleased terms, industrial hygiene is the science with the comforting satisfaction of of helping employees keep well at work. doing their job. and doing it well. And Since this field is so broad and com that effort manifests itself in sound, plicated, those who devote themselves day-to-day recommendations on health to it must be dedicated people. Ideally, safeguards arising from their skill and they should be pan doctor, part diplo training--as well as from the best mat. and part detective. But no matter equipment money can buy. how those three parts are put together, As an example of this emphasis on the industrial hygienist still spends vir prevention, the Company's industrial tually all of his time at the laudable hygiene engineer is regularly called on task of preventing trouble. to inspect, for health reasons, such This is vital work, this business of things as additives used in products, being a constant watchdog over em hand cleaners, solvents designed to re ployee health. It is not so spine-tin move wax from oil wells, and hundreds gling, perhaps, as tracing down that of other materials. Not long ago. he rare offender, or battling that rare ex was asked to advise on a wax solvent ception which proves the rule. But offered for sale to the Company for Humble's industrial hygienists are not use in its oil wells. The product proved it would do an excellent job. but it was too dangerous, chemically, to the men who would have to use it. .\s a result of this study the product was not recommended, and the Production Department chose another solvent. In rare cases, of course, something may slip by the tightest defenses. But when it does, regular precautionary measures set up under the Company's industrial hygiene program will bring the trouble quickly to bay and dis arm it. By way of example, regular checks of body fluids from Humble employees at one operation turned up a man with evidence of threatening lead poisoning. Though his condition was not alarm ingly dangerous, the danger signals had been hoisted, and it was a good Nostalgic charm of the Old South is captured in this photograph of a fine ante-bellum plantation home near the Mississippi River north of New Orleans. 1 G02281 18-0000861 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE I `dustrial hygiene work within the Company is a function of Humble's Medical Division, and is carried out under the general supervision of Dr. V. C. Baird. Chief Physician. Comprising the staff for this work are Mr. J. \V. Hammond. Industrial Hygiene Engineer: Mr. F. H. Pretsch. Industrial Hygienist at Baytown Refinery: and Mr. G. T. Taylor, Industrial Hygiene Analyst, also at Baytown. During the past decade at Humble, industrial hy giene has been increasingly emphasized as a field of preventive medicine. The aim, of course, is to stay ahead of trouble by preventing its outbreak. Air, mate rials, and specimens are scrupulously checked for pos sible contaminants. A hygienist checks, with the assist ance of the supervisors and other staff groups, working spaces where trouble may lurk, especially where dan gerous chemicals or other materials are used as a part of daily routine. Where necessary, control features are designed and methods of wo.rk practice are recommended. To make doubly sure that no harm comes to employees, those who work in such surroundings or with toxic materials are tested at periodic intervals. For example, people who work with mercury, leaded paints, tetraethyl lead, and other potentially dangerous substances are exam ined as regularly as necessary to make sure they are not absorbing dangerous amounts into their bodies. The work of the industrial hygiene engineer also takes him into Company field communities where, in conjunction with the Civil Engineering Division and others, the water and sewage disposal systems are checked. He also advises on insect and rodent control, counsels on good practice in the use of herbicides and insecticides, and generally sees to it that the health of the communitv is safeguarded. Any serious illness or dread communi cable disease in the community may bring him imme diately to the scene--and so far there has been nothing resembling an epidemic in any field community. ; j j I I ! ! j thing for him that the precautionary check had been made. Industrial hygienists from Humble's Medical Division set to work on the case at once. But, disappointingly enough, nothing could be ferreted out from the man's regular work and blamed as the offender. Again and again, the scientists went over the job materials and the job conditions. No lead-poisoning possible here, was their verdict! Later, it was determined that the lead poisoning came from a red-lead primer that he was using to spray farm machinery. Once the source was pointed out to him, he discontinued the practice that might have been ex tremely harmful to him. For him, the hole in the dike had been plugged in time to prevent a flood of trouble. Cooperative Effort Industrial hygiene activities are so many and so varied that Humble's staff could not possibly carJT out the Company's extensive program without a great deal of help from others. They depend, to a large extent, on the co operation of other groups in the Corn- Employees in research arc protected from radioactive rays by shields lead, concrete, etc.) not penetrated by rays. 2 Sewage effluent is carefully checked to assure adequate treatment; often equals quality of the receiving stream. O U 0228,2 13-0000862 pany, on the approval of .staff recom mendations by management, as well as Dn independent scientists and organitations. In the Production Department, inlustrinl hvgienists cooperate with Civil Engineering personnel on controlling anitation. insects which may carry dis:ase. water supplies, sewage disposal, lerbieides. insecticides, and ventilation. Two complete rounds of inspections lave been made of Company field immunities: the first completed about ive or -i.\ years ago, the second com pleted last year. Between routine inpections. of course, any trouble or potential trouble at any location may pring the industrial hygiene engineer lurrying to the spot. Last year, Houston research groups noved into new quarters in the Hous.on Research Center. Before the move was completed, a new safety manual lad been written, and the industrial lygiene engineer served with representttives of other groups in writing the nanual. It is his responsibility, also, .o cooperate with safety engineers on problems which involve health hazards is well as safety hazards. Company committees offer much lclp and advice in analyzing and solvng health problems. Company-wide, :he Toxicity Committee ' of which the aidustrial hygiene engineer is a mem ber serves this purpose by studying and making recommendations on ques tionable materials used in Company operations. At Baytown, the industrial hygiene staff works closely with the refinery's Health and Sanitation Com mittee. On some occasions, to help solve particular problems, Humble has made jse. on a fee basis, of personnel and facilities at the Houston Medical Cen ter. Baylor Medical College, the Uni versity of Texas Medical School, the University of Houston, independent research organizations, and others. Vacuum above this planer in the Main Office carpenter shop sucks up dust and fine particles of wood to protect operator; conveys the refuse to a collection bin*. A Fertile Field One of the most fertile fields for industrial hygiene in all the Company's operations is Baytown Refinery. Here, closely compacted, are to be found all the elements which challenge the hy gienist's resources and skills. Here are complicated refining processes using all sons of acids, caustics, and other chem ical compounds. Here are all the po tential trouble-makers of heat, cold, and fatigue. Here. too. are the dusts, Ventilating device used in welding operations at the Baytown Refinerv Central Shops protects welders by removing irritating fumes, gases from working area. n . t > i ; i) u'Je ' 3 0 1 p-r'nnnpp^ Mercury collection traps used in repairing meters at the If allowed to spill on floors, mercury seeks crevices and Baytown Refinery instrument shops protect employee health. small cracks, vaporizes to give off hazardous fumes in air. gases, paints, and sprays which could cause untold misery if not held in proper check. With the industrial hygiene staff working through the supervisory and safety groups to hold a tight rein on all these materials and working condi tions, any one of which could cause great trouble if left unguarded, work at Baytown Refinery goes on with an amazingly low accident and injury rate. The figures themselves prove that the employee is far safer inside the re finery on his job than he is at home! To arrive at a happy situation like that, some tremendous work has been done by management, acting on the advice of all staff groups. Proper ven tilation has been supplied where needed, along with good lighting. Reg ular "safeguard" tests arc made on em ployees who work with potentially dangerous materials to keep harmful enemies at bay. Correct work methods are prescribed and followed. A great 4 deal of the work space has been airconditioned for comfort and health. Studies are even being made on re finery noise! Already, at some loca tions, screeching steam or clanging metal has been converted into a quieter companion for those who work around it. The industrial hygiene group works closely with the Departments of Health in all states and communities in which the Company operates. Last year, at the request of employees, the Texas State Department of Health made de tailed inspections of Baytown Refinery's mammoth air-conditioned Central Shops, where many mechanical crafts arc housed under one roof. Among other information carried in the De partment's final report, these state ments were made: ". . . It can be very positively stated that no hazardous concen tration of chemicals or metals was found in the working atmosphere of the refinery shops building. ". . . Illumination levels at work surfaces were found to be ade quate and within the permissible limits. ". . . In a careful comparison of the environmental facilities, the control of potential hazards and provision of health and medical facilities ... we feel that your company is among the more mod em and is to be commended for the concern it is continuously indicating for the health of its employees.'' Humble management, the Medical Division, and its industrial hygiene staff could not hope to enjoy a higher tribute than the one paid in that offi cial pronouncement. In it lies praise for a job well done, as well as reassur ance to employees that their health-is being guarded as closely and carefully as human skills and the best equip ment will allow. !.p-f)nnnp,fq4 Mr> , > >