Document V1Ro8mDOQxMrb2w00rM4ev8g

December, 1967 Volume XXXI No. 12 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DIGEST Literature and News Industrial Hygiene Foundation 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, Pa, 15213 NEWS ITEMS 1121 Industrial Nurses. The number of nurses working in industry outside the traditional physician-nurse pattern may surprise you. In the spring of 1965 The Division of Occupational Health, United States Public Health Service, published a study bearing on this matter. On the basis of a survey answered by almost 10, 000 industrial nurses, it was found that only one-fourth of the nurses work with a full-time physician, that is, one who is on duty 35 or more hours a week. Furthermore, tk survey indicated that a third of these 10, 000 nurses work without any physician being regularl present at the plant. -- Am. Assn. Indust. Nurses J. ^_5, 15 (Jan. 1967) -- J. Occ. Med. 9, 352 (July, 1967) 1122 The Toll. The economic loss from traffic accidents reached $1, 125, 900, 000 for the month of July, acco: ing to estimates of the Insurance Information Institute. This represents an increase of $27 million over June but about $125 million below July, 1966. The cost to the nation was lower this year because there were fewer deaths, even though both the number of accidents and the number of injuries increased about 6% over last year's figures. Traffic deaths totaled 4, 880 in July this year. The traffic accident cost to the country for the first seven months now stanc at $6,.912, 250, 000, which is a rise of nearly $125 million from the 1966 figure. Traffic injuri for the seven months rose from 1, 806, 260 to 2, 049, 062. The economic loss figures Include such factors as lost wages, medical expenses, property damage and the service cost of insura -- Safety Maint. 134, 8 (Nov., 1967). 1123 How Industry Can Survive Noise Control. Industry will have to learn to live with the increasing governmental regulations in the area ol noise control and hearing protection. An environmental health consultant, William R. Bradley has suggested the following program. Industrial technicians should cooperate with government authorities in preparing noise codes (to prevent the writing of ordnances or laws by people witl little or no knowledge of the science of noise). Industry must be prepared with noise analysis data and employee hearing tests data to fight fraudulent occupational hearing loss claims. Indi must survey its noise exposures to see if a noise problem really exists in any of its processes Excessive industrial noise must be reduced. In short, noise control need not be either an eco nomic or engineering burden if industry assists in furthering its objectives. -- Safety Maint. J_34, 8 (Nov. 19671. 1124 Leprosy Warning. The possibility of an increase in leprosy cases in the U.S. as a result of the war in Vietnam w warned by Chapman H. Binford, M. D., chief of the microbacterial diseases branch of the Arrr Forces Institute of Pathology. South Vietnam has more than 70, 000 cases of leprosy, accordir to World Health Organization. -- AMA News j_0, l (Oct. 30, 1967). 1125 Uranium Mill Tailings. A project to evaluate the health hazards from piles of uranium mill tailings is being developed jointly by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Public Health Service. The joint project will help states and industry to evaluate emissions of radon from the tailings. The agencies will develop techniques for sampling air for radon content and to determine the effects of covering the piles with earth or paving materials. -- Chem, Eng. News 4j>, 43 (Nov. 13, 1967). 1. 03122708