Document VjJY7nRjwBjk2em9Bxjd4a0Gj

FILE NAME: Insurance Industry (INS) DATE: 1932 Aug DOC#: INS047 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Published Industry Report - Asbestos Mining and Manufacturing i-<* * "y "*E *<*** *c<mx > 9* nm- rosir M l 2 ,1 )93? 87 ( Industry Report Published to Assist Underwriters in Classifying Industrial Hazards Retail Credit Company Atlanta, Georgia $ 12.00 a year Edited by N. W. PETTYS August 1932 Vol Vil. ,Vo 8 Asbestos Mining and Manufacturing (E ditor's Note: Messrs. L. H. Corbett and D. Fortune, of Montreal, and W. G. Weber, of Newark, assisted in this issue by making the field investigations. We desire to express our appreciation to the Canadian Asbestos Company, to Keasbey and Mattison Company, to the Mines Branch of the Canada Department of Mines, and to several other representative manufacturers whose names are not disclosed at their request for the assistance given in the preparation of this issue. Special acknowledgment is also due to Mr. John S. Spicer of the Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.) Introduction being silicates of lime and magnesia with alumina, compounds of silica with an earthy The word "asbestos" is derived from the base; whereas the last, serpentine, is a hy Greek and signifies "unquenchable," "inex drated silicate of magnesia. The principal tinguishable" and "inconsumable." Because asbestos of commerce occurs in the serpen of the similarity in appearance to cotton, it tine variety, which is so called because of is termed by the French "Pierre Coton' its green serpent-like cloudings of serpentine or cotton stone. Under the term "asbestos" marble. In Canada, this type occurs in three is understood generally a group of minerals, varieties, the first named being the most im the fibrous, crystalline structure of which, portant and outstanding : chrysotile, picro- combined with special qualities and charac lite, and soapstone (talc). The minerals vary teristic appearance, entirely differentiates as to color and texture, although in some them from any other minerals. Some va instances it is difficult to distinguish between rtiheatitesthepyossmesasy sbuechcafridneed, ,sislpkuyn, ,elaansdticwofivberne them. Asbestos has similar to wool, been known for flax or silk. untold centu Owing to this ries. Its princi property, t h e pal uses in an m ineral has cient tim es been -called -a were lo r cre- "mineralogical _ mation cloth in vegetable" ; p which to wrap ,, also a physical -human bodies paradox.- l-Lsu ca j In m ineral to be consumed by fire, for the ogy, three min wicks of lamps erals are classi tended by the fied under the vestal virgins, te rm "Asbes and, on the tos," namely Island of Cor anthophyllite, sica, for pack amphibole, and ing tow. It is s e rp e n tin e . Chemically the (Courmy Keasb&y b Mattison Co) r -tbheel.iesvuepdpl-yt hwaats two first-men .. P it o fB e ll Asbestos Mine ; ___. / ____ d r a w n --f r o m tioned minerals Most of asbestos fibre is taken .out through the seen t h e I t a l i a n much resemble on the right, which inclines up through the rock to the mill oh the surface. Alps and from ea-eh o th e r, .88 Industry. R eport August, 1932 the Urals. Historians relate that th-.high cost of making this asbestos cloth retarded its coming into general usage and but brief mention is made of its use during the Middle Ages. Deposits were found in the Ural Moun tains in 1720, and about 1760 or 1765, a fac tory was started for the manufacture-of articles made of asbestos. Uses, however, were few and the demand so limited that the industry practically disappeared.- . _ Extent and Scope - . United States: Asbestos,-of which-chrysotile is the outstanding variety, is one of the few minerals used fn the United States in large quantities which is supplied to a great extent from foreign sources. Of late years, the Western States have produced asbestos in increasing amounts but the limited quantity of--high-grade- material and- the- excessive transportation costs to eastern, manufactur ers still favor the Imported product. The chief sources of asbestos are Canada, Russia, Southern Rhodesia, and the.Cape Colony in_. Africa. According to the October 19, 1931, issue of "Commerce Reports," preliminary figures for raw asbestos imported in 1930 show a total of 208,681 tons, valued at $7,064,824. Pre liminary data for the first seven months of 1931 indicated that 84,146 tons of raw as bestos were imported, having a value of $2,541,206. United States' exports of as bestos products were valued at $3,839 102 in 1930 and at $1,300,546 in the first six months of 1931. Practically every country in the world im ports at least small quantities of manufac tured asbestos products. The countries lead ing in the production field are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ger Collector floor in a mill at Thetford Mines, Quebec. About seventy years ago, asbestos was "re discovered" by modern civilization and since then the search for deposits of the mineral has been incessant. Deposits were found in 1862 in the Des Plantes River region between the villages of St. Joseph and St. Francis in Quebec. Fifteen years later, deposits were located in another district in Quebec, in the now famed Thetford and Coleraine sections. In 1878, mining operations were started on a small scale but difficulty was encountered in finding a market. Shipments of the better grades were made to England, causing a sen sation in the market there. As a result, many firms and a great number of people became many, Italy, Austria, and Japan. Statistics for the last census of manufac tures, 1929, compiled by the Bureau of the Census of the Department of Commerce for the asbestos industry embrace establish ments engaged primarily in the manufacture of commodities (except steam and other packing and pipe and boiler covering) com posed wholly or chiefly of asbestos, com prising asbestos textiles, building materials and miscellaneous products. The "steam and other packing, pipe and boiler covering" in dustry embraces establishments engaged principally in the manufacturing of packing for steam, water and other pipe joints ; in sulating materials for covering boilers and interested. . The industry prospered and took its place among important commodities of trade. pipes ; gaskets, etc. Under the first classification, the following figures apply: Year No. of Establishments 1929 ................ ................ 67 1927 .... .... - ....... ..... ...... 62 Under the second classification, these Aver. # Wage Earners 8.092 6,337 figures apply for Amt. of Total Value Wages of Products $10,736,712 $56,164,036 8,375,502 44,156,388 the same comparative years: 1929 ......................... -.............. 170 1927 ..... ...........-................... 159 7,259" 5,946 9,649,419 7,904,603 45,393,315 43,044,501 August, 19)2 Industry R eport 89 Total for both groups: No. of Estab- Y ear lishments 199Q ... 237 1927 . .. ___________ 221 Aver. # Wage Earners 15,351 12,283 Amt. of Wages $20,386,131 16,280,105 Total Value of Products $101,557,351 87,200,889 (Note- Column three does not include salaried employees.) Canada: According to the Canada Department of Mines, in a 1931 publication entitled "Chrysotile Asbestos in Canada," a summary of "Output of Crude and Milled Asbestos shows the following figures for 1929 and 1928: Wages Paid Rock Rock No. Oper- Aver. No. Men (Mine & Mill No. Employees Fatal Mined (Short Milled (Short Year ating Employed Companies Mine Mill Total Only) Accdts. Tons) Tons) 11992298 77, 11,,,78, 3,3,,59 11,,238549 33,,019243 $-$-33-,-,69--19-70--,,-577346 87 65,,210781,,907600 44,,311884,,014240 With reference to the Canadian fabricated asbestos industry, these figures by the Do minion Bureau of Statistics are informative: No. of Capital No. of Salaries Selling Value Year Plants Employed Employees & Wages of Products 1929 12 $2,949,712 351 $359,433 $2,286,638 i l l s ........... ........... 14 3,064:164 345 421,448 2,050,432 (Column six includes brake lining; pipe and boiler covering; packings; building materials, shingles, millboard, and building lumber; and miscellaneous asbestos products.) _ _ Exports of manufactured asbestos prod- ucts totaled $137,833 in 1930, $76,043 in 1929, and $48,162 in 1928. In 1930, 286,497 tons of raw (crude) asbestos having a value of $12,074,065 were exported. This product ranked twenty among seventy leading Cana dian export commodities, compared with 21st place in 1929 (Canadian Trade Index for 1931). . Asbestos deposits are found in the locali ties of Thetford Mines, Black Lake. Cole raine, Robertson, Asbestos and East Brough ton in the Province of Quebec. Manufactured Articles: There are many articles manufactured from asbestos fibres classed as spinning fibres^in the mixture prepared for carding. The short and very short fibres and a limited amount of residual sands are used with other constituents chiefly to produce moulded articles and building prod ucts. The list of products includes, in ad dition to the ones mentioned previously, au tomobile brake-band linings; clutch facings; gaskets; tape, listings and tubular lagging; table mats and protectors; theatre curtains; papers; sheeting; wallboards; blackboards; asbestos-cement shingles; decorative panels; fireproof paints; insulating materials; asbes tos clothing, including aprons, gloves, caps, helmets, and leggings, etc. of various grades. The long fibres are used chiefly for spinning yarns, cords, and in the production of -woven fabrics. Some manufac turers in recent years have used a small quan tity of stock shorter than those usually Conditions at Plants and Mines Plant A: One of the main factories where asbestos products are manufactured is lo cated in the eastern part of the United States. At the present time, there are approximately 1,300 employees, of whom 30 T are female workers.--'In-the office, doing clerical work, there are about 200 employees, and of this number about 60% are female. The personnel Tn- the-plant I s made-up .chiefly of workers, of foreign birth, particularly those of Polish, Hungarian, Italian and Jewish descent. The factory buildings, of which there are 12 including one used as an office building, are of fireproof brick construction. In one of the buildings, there is a chemical labora tory for the purpose of making various tests. .The company also maintains its own power * --- - ,, . ( C o u r f e s ^ K e a s b e y mp h f a t t i s o n L o J Shoveling Arizona crude asbestos jn warehouse. - Bass of Arizona appear in the background. - .plant and pumping station. All of the build ings are- equipped with modern machinery, and every known safety device and preeau- 90 Industry R eport , August, 1932 tion is used to protect the workers. On thejiay roll of this company, there are two nurses and a physician. They are subject, to call at any hour during the night, as well as during the working day. This company has a favorable record for illnesses and in juries, there having been no serious injuries or loss of limbs during the past four and a half years; the injuries sustained are usually minor cuts and bruises. Most of the illnesses of- the- employees are caused by negligence in not taking ordinary care of themselves. The organization does some welfare work among its employees, dealing directly with the families and not through any agency or other medium. The living conditions of the employees in the town are slightly below average, and there is some poverty among the employees and former employees who make up the population of the town where the plant is located. The machines and bins used in the manu facturing processes are covered with hoods and the Pangborn Dust System of blowers is used throughout. Seventy-five or eighty per cent of the raw materials used is worked on when damp with water in order to eliminate the hazard of asbestos dust. The dust hazard here is, therefore, slight. _ Plant B: This represents the Canadian branch of Plant A, where the mining as well as some of the milling and manufacturing processes is carried out. The company's pro duction activities are located in the Province of Quebec. Including the office force, there are 908 people employed here, 98% being male workers. Of the productive workers, 644 or 70% are classed as skilled (50 or 6% represents the clerical force). The personnel consists of native-born Canadians or those of Anglo-Saxon descent, with the exception of 8 who are of foreign birth. Three tennis courts, a baseball and a foot ball field, a skating rink, and a playground for children of the employees are provided by the company. A series of concerts is usually held during the winter months. A clubhouse was built by the company and is used for shows, boxing, wrestling, concerts, dancing, etc. . The factory buildings are of concrete and brick and are equipped with fire-fighting ap paratus. Smoking is forbidden in all of the buildings. All belts are guarded and, in some departments, the gears are covered with from 12 to 14 gauge sheet iron. Explosives are stored in a concrete hold away from all of the other buildings, and it is not necessary for men other than those handling explosives to be in the vicinity of this building. Under ground mining operations are not carried on, as this organization follows the "open-pit" method of securing the crude asbestos. This has resulted in an evacuation approximately 3,000 feet in diameter by 200 feet deep. The removal of asbestos-bearing rock is done by the bench system, the benches having a ver tical interval of 25 feet. This has been found to be the most practical height of working, face to avoid" rock slides with resultant danger to workmen and to equipment. A special system of rock drilling has been de veloped to suit the height of working face and to break to shovel size the maximum percentage of rock in the primary blasting. The pit is kept free of water by means of canals strategically located around the sides of the pit and on the different benches to prevent surface drainage from entering. Some water, during the flood seasons, does find its way to the central sump. This is removed by electrically driven centrifugal pumps. Crude fibre is picked in the pit and cobbed by hand. A fully owned subsidiary railroad fur nishes transportation for the plant and for the near-by town. Regular plant inspections are conducted by a safety engineer and an officially appointeu medical director who are in charge of a de partment for safety and industrial health. New employees are required to pass a physi cal examination, and every employee is given an annual medical examination free. In each department, there is a safety committee to report on accidents and to improve conditions in that department to lessen the possibility of accidents. Each accident is the subject of a report by the safety engineer, and all seri ous cases are referred directly to the manage ment. _ t New employees are given instructions in the prevention of accidents by the employ ment bureau staff prior to starting to work, and thereafter by their foremen. Competition among the departments in accident preven tion is fostered and stimulated by the award of a safety flag to be displayed in a promi nent place by the department having the best accident record during the preceding month. Certain employees are trained in first-aid work, and they have charge of the first-aid stations located at different points about the plant. A hospital is maintained and is thor oughly equipped by the company with an August, 1932 Industry Report 91 operating room, together with the latest scientific apparatus for X-ray and other treatm ents. The company doctor and two nurses are in charge of the patients, and twenty-four hour service is maintained. These same facilities are available to families of the employees at moderate prices. _ Plant C: The mines of this organization, which is incorporated under the Laws of the Dominion of Canada, are located in the Thet- ford Black Lake, Broughton and Coleraine districts in Canada. Approximately 30,000 seres RT6 either owned or under lease. The company is one of the largest producers of raw asbestos in Canada, the output in one year having reached 120,000 tons. The six active mills have a total capacity of 500 tons of rock per hour. There are seven other properties controlled by this company which are now inactive. _ About 400 men are employed in the mines and mills. They are either native-born Canadians or of Anglo-Saxon descent. Prac tically all of them have been working for a period of over five years; some have been em ployed for a period of forty years. The mills are constructed of cement, al though a number of the older mills are of wood. They are five and six story buildings and are well ventilated and clean. The ma chines used in the mills are of recent design and construction and are equipped with safety devices, where possible, to protect the worker Safety work is in charge of a safety engineer who, with the general manager or superintendent, makes daily inspections o the buildings and machinery. The mines are inspected on the average of twice a week by one of the executives and the safety engineer. Underground mining is the method used by this company to secure the asbestos rock or ore from one of their properties. Two tun nels run into a side hilkJ^OTnckmgiof crude fibre and little sorting of barren rock are done at this particular property. On the other properties, the open-pit method is-used, r or transportation, surface and underground, 12 electric locomotives, 8 steam locomotives and 300 cars are in service. This company recently formed an associa tion with other asbestos producers for the purpose of putting on a safety campaign to eliminate accidents. The accident record for this company has been favorable. Plant D: This mine and mill, located in ' fhp Thetford area, are owned by a company whose headquarters are in the United States. The average depth of the pit is 220 to 240 feet with a length of 1200 feet and a width of 600 feet. Approximately 300 men are now employed. They are either native-born Canadians or of Anglo-Saxon descent. The plant is entirely self-contained, even to engine shops for repairing locomotives. A complete machine shop is maintained, and also a sawmill and wood-working shop. As in the other plants, equipment is modern and guarded against accident wherever possible. A safety department is maintained to give in structions against accidents, as well as to remedy any trouble that develops. The open-pit method is in use here. Drill ing is done in vertical holes 40 feet in depth. On the floor of the pit, tracks are laid on which cars are hauled by steam locomotives to the foot of the incline track. The capacity of the mill is 75 tons per hour. Slow speed, flat shaking screens are used for cleaning out sand and bedding the rock and fibre. Collectors of the pull-through type are used, and grading and cleaning are carried out on flat shaking screens. Eighteen different grades of asbestos are made, the production of 0-0-5-11 fibre being greater than that of any other grade. The maximum production is from 45,000 to 55,000 tons per year. General: All of the organizations operat ing in the Thetford, Black Lake, and Brough ton areas have formed a tubercular associa tion, headed up by a local doctor and three nurses who daily go about among the families in their district, attending to their needs. For a period of three years, a large life in surance company made a special study of conditions at the mines, paying particular attention to tuberculosis. They were unable to find one case where an employee had con tracted This disease through his work. This fact was further substantiated by a promi nent doctor of Montreal who was employed by the producing companies to make--a special study of conditions. However, in making this study, he did not make post mortems, and without this having been done, the effect of asbestos dust on the lungs can not be definitely established. During the "year of 1929, in all of the asbestos mines that were in operation, there were but six fatal accidents; in 1930, there were five and according to -preliminary statistics for 1931, there were only two. 92 Industry Report .August, 19 22 Blower system whereby fibres are sucked up to storage bins before going into collectors which grade or sort various lengths. Mill located at Thetford Mines, Quebec. Mining, Milling, and Manufac turing Processes General: Processes of mining, milling, and manufacturing differ to a certain extent in each one of the plants operating in this in dustry. In this report, general methods are described, and it is recognized that no two plants operate exactly alike in carrying out the various steps of the general process. _ Asbestos, as it is put on the market, is divided into two classifications: "crude" and "fibre," which are sub-divided into various other grades. Crude asbestos consists of veins of asbestos of the cross-fibrous types. Prices vary according to the quality, length, and tensile strength of the fibres. (In 1931, the value of crude #1, crude #2, and other crudes per ton ranged from $132.00 to $431.00. The spinning fibre, shingle fibre, paper fibre, waste stucco or plaster, and refuse or "shorts" ranged in price from $13.00 to $107.00. Waste rock, composed only of sand, gravel, and stone, sold for approxi mately 83c a ton.) Mining At Thetford, asbestos is now being worked to a depth of 400 feet. Specimens have been taken from a depth of 500 feet and from drill cores to a depth of 1,700 feet, and are found to be equal in grade to the material produced nearer the surface. The depth to which quarrying may be carried on is limited by the width of the zone. It is necessary that walls be maintained at a safe angle, and with the known width of zone at Thetford, the walls of a quarry would be too close to gether at a depth of 500 to 600 feet to leave a floor for working. In order to secure as bestos below this depth, underground' mining methods have'beeft adopted in two instances. This method was first started in 1916. Underground Mining Methods: To secure asbestos from the rock either by handcobbing or by milling, the fibre-bearing ground must-first be_stripped of overburden and mined or quarried. Underground methods are similar to those found where other minerals are mined, as,- for- example, coal.. To date, 8 shrinkage stopes have been completed otr the 300-foot level, 200 to 250 feet long, 30 to 43 feet wide, and 120 to 150 feet high. Steel chutes are a t 30 feet- in centers. A steel line man-way raise is at each end of each stope. (Stopes are 80-foot centers. The haulage drifts are 8 by 9 feet. Sub-level stopes are being tried for compari son with shrinkage stoping. Developments are on a 500-foot level; also 500 feet of cross cuts to stope locations.) Holes are drilled in the virgin face for blasts, after which the rock is loaded by hand and by shovel into small tram cars. These tram cars operate by hand on narrow tracks, and are pushed along and finally the contents are dumped into chutes. These chutes are of structural steel and plate, as no wood is used underground. (The reason for this is that wood becomes mixed with the asbestos fibres and it is then difficult to remove the wood splinters.) The ore is loaded into five-ton boxes at the chutes, hauled to the pit floor and hoisted by an overhead cableway. (This method costs but little more than the open-pit or quarry method. The steel mine supports which are now being used have proved satisfactory.) Open-Pit Method: In opening a quarry, the first step is to remove or strip off the over burden of soil or boulder clay which covers the larger part of the asbestos-bearing area. The depth of overburden varies from a few inches to as much as 86 feet. Where the overburden is shallow, it is loaded by pick and shovel into horse-drawn dump carts, or into boxes for hauling by cable derricks. Where the depth exceeds a few feet, steam shovels are employed, by means of which trains of dump cars are loaded and the earth hauled to a dump ground some miles distant. It is necessary to keep a rim of rock around the pit free from overburden, to avoid clay's falling into the pit and discoloring the fibre. As a rule, the quarries are elongated and somewhat irregular in outline, the length being determined by the property boundary lines and the width conforming to the width of the fibre-bearing zone. At times, the i ( ( L August !932 Industry R eport 93 width of the pit is greater than that of the zone, as low-grade or barren rock must be removed to maintain a safe working slope on the walls to enable the full width of profitable zone to be worked at the bottom of the pit. All rock within the confines of the quarry is removed. No pillars or barren rocks re main. Worthless rock is also quarried, and discarded in as large pieces as possible to save the cost of drilling and blasting. Drilling: Two methods of drilling quarry faces are employed; one by short horizontal holes in the face, and the other by long verti cal holes or inclined holes from bench floors. The method most prevalent is to drill rows of holes, each to a depth of from 15 to 20 feet or from 30 to 40 feet, along the face of a bench to be blasted, using air-hammer drills. As many as 300 to 500 holes may be connected up and fired in a single shot, bring ing down sufficient rock for the loaders or shovels to be kept busy for several months. (Care must be taken in so placing the holes that the rock is shattered into fragments of such size that an excessive amount of "block- holing" is not required.) For vertical drilling, a heavy type of air-hammer drill is mounted on a portable derrick so that the holes may be drilled vertically or at a slight angle. The weight of the drill, together with the weight of a metal block, is sufficient to hold the drill bit against the rock. The drill steel is fed automatically, and the workers are em ployed in changing steel, blowing out the hole, and moving the derrick. . Blasting: In blasting, the charge is from 12 to 50 pounds of explosive per hole. The bottom third of the hole is filled with gelatine dynamite in 2" x 16" cartridges. The balance of 40% gelatine is placed next in the hole, and the remainder of the hole tamped with mill tailings sand. Electric blasting caps with 20ToOr wl^es are" attached to a ridges are used. Tailings sand, packed in paper bags, is used for tamping. Block-holes are connected 50 in a series, being joined in parallel, and as many as 200 holes may be fired in one shot. Pickers: When the rock has been blasted, crude pickers gather into boxes the loose long fibre, with bits of rock adhering. As the re moval of the rock pile progresses, the crude is carefully sorted out. Large blocks of rock in which veins of crude asbestos are visible are drilled and blasted to free the fibre. Spin ning fibre is obtained from crude which has been passed over by the pickers or carried to the mill in pieces of rock. Where no crude or hand-cobbed fibre is produced, all the rock containing fibre, together with the fines from the blasting, is sent to the mill. In quarries where the different grades of crudes are re covered, the broken material to be sorted comprises: 1. The long asbestos fibre and pieces of rock containing same. 2. The milling material or rock containing the shorter fibre. 3. Fine material resulting from blasting and breaking up the rock by means of sledge hammers. 4. Barren or dead rock. The material specified in #1 is sent to the cobbing shed. The material indicated in #2 and #3 is sent to the primary crushing unit of the mill. The dead rock is transported to the dump. Removal Methods: The method of remov ing material from the pits depends on the pit location in some cases, and on the nature of the rock in the other. Where no sorting is practiced or advisable, loading into cars is done by means of steam or electric shovels. The cars may be hauled to a storage bin be low pit level, from which the rock is trans- ported on a conveyor belt to the primary l i c l ^ l v n a m i t e i n e a c h Role, -although T h ey -^er u sher, o r it -may h e hauled d ire c t-o n level satriecKnootrocyonnanmecittecdUin the__s_a_m__e,, series. Each or iinnrclliinnpedd ttrraanckkss ttoo tthhee npnrimmaarryy ccrruusshheerr.. cap Is tested by means of a galvanometer be areWshheorveelsloerdtinbgy -ihsacnadrriinedtoosne, poarreataendborxoecsk. fore being used as a primer. After the holes are loaded and tamped under the supervision The boxes are hoisted by means of over of the head blaster and pit foreman, the wires hdeuamdpecdabilnetodecrarrisckast, tbhye swuhrifcahcethoeryinmtoabyinhse, are connected in parallel series. Throughout the pit are lead wires connected to a switch and from there into cars. The ore is hauled in one of the several blasting houses. The tTohetheloacdreudshbeorxeasndmtahye broecklifttoedthbey dbuomopm. head blaster closes a firing switch and sends a 110-volt current through the circuit. Blocks cranes and dumped into cars, the cars being of rock which are too large to be hoisted hauled on a level or inclined track to the conveniently are drilled or "block-holed by crusher, if the boxes contain ore; and if they means of plugger" drills. For blasting these, contain rock-, to the dump. 'The capacity of l""x 8", 25% nitroglycerine dynamite cart- 'rock and ore cars-varies from 5 to 15 tons. ` ' *') ' 94 Industry Report ' - August, 9)2 Milling . The .greater part'of the rock" mined is mill rock containing asbestos fibre; varying from microscopic lengths to three quarters of an inch. The mill rock, coming from the pit, contains much moisture, and before any at tempt is made to lift the fibre by means of a suction fan, the rock must be thoroughly dried, as the efficiency of a fan, when lifting, depends oir the weight of the material: Crushing and Drying:- Mills-are generally composed of two distinct sections: First, the crushing and drying plant, in which coarse crushing^ and drying-of- the-roek take place-; and second, the fiberizing and screening plant, in which the operations consist of fine crushing, fiberizing, collecting of asbestos, and grading. Two types of dryers are in use: 1, the rotary dryer; 2, the stack dryer. The first consists of a long cylinder made of strong boiler plate and lined with sectional replace able liners bolted to the shell. The drying is assisted by long blades which lift the ma terial and allow it to fall through a current of hot air circulating through the cylinder. The stack dryer, some 50 feet in height and 7 feet across, is fitted with sets of grid bars of a certain shape. These hinder the speed of fall of the material which meets a rising current of hot air from fire boxes at the bot tom. The speed of the hot air is regulated by a suction fan which draws off some of the fibre and dust which are caught in a col lector, milled and cleaned. From the dryer, the rock is conveyed to a storage bin to be drawn upon by the fiberizing and screening departments as needed. The bottom of the bin is fitted with gates through which rock may be fed to the conveyor belt running to the mill. The conveyor belt is equipped with an electric weightometer, so that an accurate record of the rate of feed and the amount of rock going to the mill may be kept. Milling consists of reducing the rock in size by successive stages of crushing, at the same time opening or fluffing the fibre, screening out the fine sand, and lifting the freed and opened fibre after each crushing operation. The sand screened out goes to the waste dump, and the fibre is lifted by air suction to collectors, and then it passes to grading screens, each grade being separately cleaned and bagged. On first entering the mill, the rock is sized by screening, so that free fibre and fines will not pass to the first '- ' - coarse ^rusher which. breaks the larger sized rcJk. ' * " " The y.rst mill breaking of rock may be done il^one of several types of crushers: hammejtnill, roll, jaw crusher, or gyratory. The plrduct of the crushers and the "througns" from the sizing screens go either to screens or to fiberizers and then to screens Four types of fiberizers are infuse to re duce the rock so that the fibres may be- ex tracted." Screening: From each crusher the broken rock, falla on, or is conveyed to, a screen where the sand is shaken out, the fibre lifted by suction at the lower end, and the "overs" passed to the next crusher. Shaking screens are used throughout the mills, and the shaking or bumping motion is imparted by means of an eccentric drive. In addition to screening out the sand, the motion moves the mass forward, causing the fibre to rise through the rock fragments to the top layer from which it can be lifted by air suction. The fibre is lifted by air suction through a vertical pipe, and the product is collected in a container made of galvanized iron. Fibre is dropped from the collectors to the graders through lengths of pipes equipped with traps. Both flat and rotary screens are used for grading. Fibre is fed into one end of the screen, and revolving paddles beat it up and force the short fibre through the screen of the first section, the longer fibre through the screen cloth of the second section, and the longest fibre out at the end. Each grade falls on to a flat cleaning screen where sand, dust, and unmilled splinters of fibre loosened in grading are cleaned out. Extra grades may be made by allowing portions from each screen section to combine. Any grade may be split into a number of grades in a second rotary screen or on a flat screen. From the ends of the cleaning screen, the fibre is lifted by suction; the unopened fibre and rock are allowed to fall from the end of the screen to be returned to a breaker for milling. The fibre, lifted to a collector, is dropped to a store room for bagging. From the bagging room, the asbestos is carried on conveyors to the warehouse where the bags are piled ready for shipment. Hand Dressing: Hand dressing applies only to the preparation of fibres sold in the crude form, as all other grades are produced mechanically. Long fibre with adhering rock y i i \ ) ) August. 1931 Industry R eport 95 is brought from the pit to the cobbing shed and dumped on a horizontal coil of steam pipe to dry. After drying, it is parcelled out to the cobbers, who work at benches in rows. (As many as 60 may be employed in one plant. Each cobber works in a separate compartment.) A flat stone or iron plate, 10 to 12 inches square, is fitted into the bench. Close-up of a "cobber" with cobbing hammer poised on its way to split the piece of asbestos. Note that operator's thumb of left hand is bandaged due to having hit it with the hammer on morning picture was taken. The fibre is flattened out and freed from rock particles by being struck with a cobbing hammer, which is from three to seven pounds in weight. Each grade of fibre is placed am a -separate -box, -arid-The refuse, rock, dust, and short fibre are dropped into a receptacle under the bench. The #1 crude is "screened on a flat shaking screen with % " holes, and the #2 crude on one with 3,16" holes. The-refuse from the screens and cobbing benches is sold as screenings, or added to the mill feed for the recovery of such fibre as it may contain. The crude fibre ready for the market is put up in bags hold ing 100 pounds each. It still contains from 3% to 20% of rock, dust, and short fibre, which material, useless to the. spinner, is cleaned out when the fibre is opened at the factory in preparation for spinning. - - Manufacturing Asbestos is received from the mines or mills in freight cars. It comes packed in bags into which it has been forced by compression. It is unloaded on hand trucks and taken to the receiving department. The fibre is sent to the picking machines, to be graded and separated into different kinds and sizes. Carding: In the carding room, it is carded or combed by machines into strands. The purpose of this is to lay all of the small fibres in the same direction for use in a spinning frame. The fibre is then sent to the spinning room w'here it is put through a spinning machine which converts the carded asbestos fibre into yarns of various types. (For some uses, a certain percentage of cotton or other vegetable fibre may be mixed with the asbestos upon receipt at the factory.) Twisters may insert copper or brass wires into the fibre, in order to in mease the tensile strength. This is passed on to the weaving room, where the asbestos fibres are made into sizes and thicknesses varying from an eighth of an inch to 120 inches wide, and from an eighth of an inch thick to an inch and a half. The product is now practically finished, except to go to the different buildings to be used in the manufacture of products, such as shingles, pipe coverings, etc. Asbestos Paper: Asbestos paper is made much like any other pulp paper, the fibre being put into beaters where the binding material is added and thoroughly incorpor ated, after which it is placed in the mill board or wet machine. The water is drawn off through a fine-wire gauze on a revolving cylinder on which it leaves a thin coating of the asbestos pulp. This is picked up on a felt belt and run over a series of large re volving cylindersheated with steam to drive off the "remaining moisture. The paper is wound into rolls, and sold for linings of buildings,letc.-- - - _________ ' Asbestos Millboard: Millboard (asbestos cardboard) is madedn a similar manner, ex cept that the eoating is built up on the cylin der to its proper thickness before being cut across the roll and removed. It is then pressed between plates in hydraulic presses, hung up to dry, and cut into convenient sizes for use as lining for hot air_furnaces, gas stoves, etc. z - '' " Asbestos Shingles: Shingles may be com posed of asbestos fibre'and Portland cement. 96- Industry Report . August-. 932 These are- subjected to tremendous hydraulic, pressure, so that Ihe resulting product possesses elasticity and great density. _ Other Products: Asbestos, when fiberized and properly prepared, is spun into thread and woven into cloth like cotton. The uses to which asbestos is put are innumerable and are increasing annually. Potential Health Hazards^___ Mining: If the quarry method is the pro-, cedure followed, then the attendant hazards include the danger of falling rock and other objects^ exposure _to_ varying; kinds o f weather, and physical strain, as well as ex plosion hazards. Dynamite in addition to its dangers of explosion is capable of producing a toxic state characterized by severe head ache and tachycardia, particularly. There is also the hazard of noxious gases arising from blasting. In underground work, the latter named is especially dangerous, as the failure of ventilating systems or the entry into drifts not within the ventilating system may lead to asphyxiation. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence. Air drills controlled by hand lead to tenosynovitis of the hands and forearms. In blasting, carbon monoxide is produced. It may also be formed by incomplete com bustion of mine timber in case of fire. The depth of the underground mine leads to exposure to temperatures which are not conducive to good health. Also existent is the hazard of wetness. Wetness is not al ways a guarantee of freedom from dusts. The International Labour Office comments on this subject in an interesting manner in their Occupation and Health Brochure Num ber 27. We include extracts from this "The worker engaged in the extraction and manufacture of asbestos is constantly exposed to danger from dust, more es pecially, however, in the operations of spin ning and weaving. "The baneful influence of the dust in rela tion to the production of tuberculosis is brought out in the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories for England and Wales for 1910, which records 5 deaths from tuberculosis amongst 40 workers engaged in an asbestos weaving factory, where the most dangerous process was revealed to be the weaving of asbestos mattresses composed of bags of woven asbestos filled with short as bestos fibre. They were placed on a table and beaten out flat by a man with a wooden flail,' which process occasioned the produc tion of, much dusf. .Women sewed the mat tresses into sections- using asbestos threads, and as they worked beside the heaters they also of necessity inhaled much dust. "Towards the beginning of 1924, a fatal case of poisoning by asbestos dust was re ported at Rochdale (England). The victim was a woman who had been employed in an asbestos-factory.- Ar post-mortem examina tion revealed death_as due" chiefIjrto_a fibro sis-of the lungs due to the inhalation of mineral particles and in part to tuberculosis. A microscopic-examination of the lungs and of dust samples taken from three different workshops of the factory revealed the same black particles present in each, alike in form and dimensions. "A striking example of the noxious prop erty of asbestos dust is instanced by the fol lowing case: In an asbestos spinning and weaving factory (Calvados), there were 40 deaths in the five years 1890-1895. The mor tality rate decreased considerably with the installation of a good system of local ven tilation over the carding machines. "In an asbestos weaving factory in Sax ony, the workers complained of headaches and loss of appetite. These affections were caused by fumes given off by a rubber solu tion with which the asbestos cloth had been coated to eliminate dust. "An investigation carried out in Canada in 1911 revealed that hygienic conditions were greatly improved as a result of the adoption of an effective system of ventila tion. Nevertheless, a local doctor with long experience stated that respiratory troubles, and in particular tuberculosis, were of very frequent occurrence amongst asbestos workers. "Rambousek drew attention to the risk of lead poisoning during the weaving of as bestos when a thread of lead is added to the weft, as is sometimes the case. "Marked frequency of chronic conjuncti vitis with hypertrophy of the rims of the pupils has also been noted amongst the as bestos workers of the Island of Cyprus. The workers in question were chiefly engaged in grinding, screening, and packing the asbestos in sacks. "The weaving of asbestos has only de veloped importance during the last twenty years. All processes from extraction onwards unquestionably involve a considerable haz ard...................... "The lack of more accurate and detailed August 931 Industry Report 9 7 data in medical literature regarding this in the bugbear of the manufacturer, the cause dustry in its various branches, including the of `dust,' and a danger to the health of work utilization of by-products, is to be deplored ers in the process of manufacture." in view of the self-evident importance of as The article comments on three papers deal bestos dust as a predisposing cause of pul ing with Pulmonary Asbestosis which ap monary tuberculosis, more especially since peared in the British Medical Journal of De the rapidly increasing development of in cember 3, 1927, prepared by Dr. Cook, Dr. dustries utilizing asbestos adds greatly to McDonald, and Sir Thomas Oliver, as fol the urgency of studying the ^conditions with lows : a view to their amelioration." . "The limited evidence of pulmonary asbes Messrs. S. G. Hopkins and L. E. Ludwig tosis contained in the above papers does not of the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company waradrroafntthdoesfeineitxepocsoendcltuosioasnbsesatsostoduthste. hTahze prepared a paper on "Asbestos Mills," cov ering conditions in the United States. The modern conditions in the United States un paper was read at the Fifth Informal Inter der which the average employee works, along company Occupational Rating Conference with such protective devices as dust elimina held at the Home Office of the John Hancock twioenll-lisgyhstteedm, s,wemll-oviestnutirlea-tleaddenbuialdtminogssp, hperree, Mutual Life Insurance Company, Boston, Mass., on May 23 and 24, 1928. Of particu sent a decidedly more favorable picture than lar interest, are these excerpts: in former years. We do, however, feel that "During the carding process, and to a less until we have the benefit of our experience extent in all the processes, a very consider with this class of workers we should con able amount of dust is generated. In up-to- tinue to look upon those who may be exposed date factories, all machines are fitted with to large quantities of dust, such as em exhaust systems and the dust removed. This ployees engaged in the opening, picking, dust is what will be of interest to those of screening and carding, as risks to be selected us who have to do with occupational classifi with great care and only at an extra pre cation and ratings. mium that will provide for an estimated "Microscopically, asbestos fibre is seen to extra mortality of 50%, disability not to be consist of two very different elements. The granted. bulk of the fibre is translucent and glisten "Our personal inspection of the plants at " 1 " " ---- who ing, with here and there black opaque angu- -------- -----.convinces us that all those lar particles. Minute black granules also are are engaged in operations prior to the spin present. These black particles are actually ntoingexatrnedmweleyavlianrggeofquasabnetisttioess aorfe dsuubstjecthteadt part of the fibre, but their appearance sug gests a different chemical composition and must, from its natural chemical form, con different physical characters from the tain a high per cent of injurious material. translucent portion. The dust generated dur Our conversation and correspondence with ing manufacture is seen to consist of these physicians in these towns bear out to some sharp angular particles and minute granules, extent the unfavorable findings of our suggesting, of course, that they are more honored investigators abroad." brittle than the translucent part of the fibre. An investigation was made in June, 1932, These particles are found in very small nummi-- in a Pennsylvania State asbestos products bers in the finisLed articleU Analyses of--manufacturing plant employing about 500 samples of dust have shown that the dusts people when working full time. A doctor containing the greatest number of these employed there told of a condition peculiar black particles contained the largest-amount - to asbestos products. Tt aeemsMhatt h e short of iron. T he' iron content of the finished article, raw material,,,and dust is as follows : Finished Article: Iron (As Ferrous Oxide)-------- 0.1 % Crude Material: Iron (As Ferrous Oxide)-------- 2.81 % Dust from Carding Room: Iron (As Ferrous Oxide)------- .18.4 % "From these results, it appears conclusive that-the-blackened brittle parts of the asbes tos fibre are the iron-containing portions-- fine fibres sometimes become embedded in the skin of workmen. Apparently they do not cause an infected wound, but form a slight lump in the skin which must be cut out, if the foreign material is to be removed. There is no serious effect in connection with this. The doctor stated that when the ma terial gets into the skin it does not fester as other foreign matter would do. Tha-body apparently tries to build up tissue around the -foreign substance. ' ._ < * ) 98 Industry R eport Aug'" '{, / 9-i1 ) / ,, Another feature which: might be mentioned _ OvDerrbivuerdren(SwurhfeancebrOeanklyin)g: hHeawulsgron&unady athnde as found pregnated in th coal is ta r plant 'is the compounds fact which that -are imused - -also hauls supplies and equipment t^the mill in asbestos products of this kind might form and warehouse. Horses are used onMurface. obnoxious or inflammable vapors. However, Chief Hazards: Physical strain; iwnotony. suitable ventilation methods would eliminate Dumper (Surface and Underground): The this hazard. Dumper underground is really the Car Loader who follows the small car to the Glassification and Index of Jobs chute. The Dumper on the surface works at ( Alt employees are male except where th e point where cars are loaded, at the otherwise indicated.} - crusher chute" and at the" dump. Stands by and, with a large pole which has a hook Mining attachment at the end, dumps the load into Blaster (Open Pit and Underground}: larger cars for-transportation, to the mills. Fills holes with dynamite and explosive gela (These loads of rock come from the open tine ; prepares wiring for a blast; attaches pit. A crane may be used in some places and fuses and final connections and shoots the small boxes in others.) At the crusher, cars charge. Works under Head Blaster who su are dumped so that the rock goes into the pervises the work to see that everything is crusher feed. Cars of tailings are dumped attended to properly. Chief Hazards: Explo at the dump. The Dumper works on the sions; falling rock; gases subsequent to side of the car opposite that from which blasting. , the rock is to be dumped. Chief Hazards: Cager (Surface): Operates a cage or ele Open pit--physical strain; dusts; falling vator from a small cement building at ground rock. Underground--physical strain; dusts; level, using a lever, to hoist and low'er men, underground hazards. tools, or steel equipment for timbering pur Electrician (Surface and Underground): poses. Chief Hazards: Mechanical; mental Installs and keeps in order the electric lines. strain of elevator work; slight variations in Also does the wiring for light in the main atmospheric pressure. tunnel of the mine. Keeps the motors which ) ) Cage Tender: See Cager. carry a voltage of 2200 in running order. Car Loader (Open Pit and Underground): When making repairs, works when opera Loads ore into small cars by hand, using a tions have been suspended and the lines are shovel. (In open pit, these cars are elevated dead. Chief Hazards: Electrical hazard; all by incline or crane. In underground work, the Loader assists in pushing the car to the chute and in dumping the rock down the chute.) Chief Hazards: Open pit--physical underground hazards. Explorer (Surface and Underground): Studies surface and underground indications of ore, new drifts, and new workings. Neces strain ; dusts; falling objects. Underground - sary for him to go into all of the working usual underground hazards; physical strain, places. Chief Hazards: Surface--no charac teristic hazards. Underground--usual un Carman (Open Pit and Underground): derground hazards. Rides on ore cars acting as a brakeman to Helper (Surface and Underground): As brake cars at proper time. In some mines, sists Driller or Blaster. See occupation in small electric engines are used, operating on which he helps. 110 volts. Chief Hazards: Marked mechani Hoist Operator (Open Pit): The work of cal hazards as in railroading; danger of falls; the Hoist Operator who is in charge of the underground hazards; some electrical hazard. hoist in the underground mine is explained Driller (Open Pit and Underground): under Cager. The Hoist Operator above the Operates hand air drills as well as those ground may be in charge of a derrick with mounted on derricks to do vertical drilling. which he raises bottom loads of asbestos Drills holes into the rock to be filled later rock from the pit by means of a cableway. with explosives by the Blaster. Chief Haz He stays on the derrick or hoisting machine ards: Vibration; dusts; falling rock; all haz and operates the lever when he receives the ards of underground work. Underground-- signal from the Signalman at the bottom of driller works ahead of miners, etc., often the pit. Chief Hazards: Mechanical; physi without conveniences of adequate lighting, cal strain. ventilation, propping, etc. This is hazardous Loader: See Car Loader. work. ) ) August, 1952 Industry R eport 99 Miner: In some asbestos mines, a Miner does the work described in this report under Blaster and Driller, the other named workers not being employed. In other companies, he does the work described under Car Loader, working both in the open pit and under ground. Chief Hazards: Explosions; falling rock; dusts; all underground hazards; physi cal strain. Motorman (Open Pit and Underground): Operates a small electric engine which hauls tram cars. (Voltage in the mill is 220 and trolley wires underground carry a voltage of 110 volts. Required to wear rubber-soled shoes and to take other precautions in view of the wires' being so low in the stopes.) Chief Hazards: Electrical hazards; mechani cal ; limited underground hazards. Mucker (Underground): Usually a begin ner; has the hardest work in the mine. Cleans up after a blast has been fired, and has duties similar to Car Loader. (Usually either a Car Loader or a Mucker is employed but not both, as duties are same.) Chief Hazards: Physical strain ; dusts; all under ground hazards. _ Powder Man (Surface): Works in the powder house to see that powder is properly guarded; gives out powder by order to men. Has helpers who carry the pow'der and fuses to the various jobs. Chief Hazards: Explo sions; danger from nitroglycerine. Prospector: See Explorer. Shovel Operator (Open P it): Operates either an electric, gas, or steam shovel by levers from a cab on the shovel. Makes neces sary small repairs on the machine. (Voltage on the electric shovels is usually 2200.) Chief Hazards: Mechanical; electrical haz ard if operating an electric shovel. Signal Man (Open P it): Watches the loads of rock which are to be hoisted to the surface,__and. from there_.takentq the mill, When-the cable Tiaa--been -attached To the loaded bag, he gives a signal by pressing an electrically controlled button, to inform the Hoist Operator bn the surface that the load is ready to hoist. This man remains in one place practically all th e time at the "bottom of the pit. He is not usually able to see the derrick or hoisting apparatus. Chief Haz ards: Falling objects; monotony. Switchman (Open P it) : Inspects all switches on the tracks to see that they op erate properly. Also operates switches^ so that cars may go in., the proper direction. Chief Hazards: Mechanical as m railroading. Teamster: See Driver.-- - . . Timberman (Underground): In an asbes tos mine, duties are similar to work carried on in any other underground work. The only difference is that all wood timbering has been done away w ith ; this work is now being done with steel girders and plates. (With wooden timbering, particles of wood became mixed with the asbestos w'hich lessened its value. The new method does away with this difficulty.) Examines the roof and faces of the mine for weak spots; scales loose rock and wherever necessary puts steel protec tions in place. (Must be familiar with the joining of steel basis so as to assure proper support for the roof and sides of the mine.) Goes into mine after explosion has taken place and prepares supports so that others who are to work here are protected from slipping ground or falling rock. Chief Haz ards: All underground hazards, especially falling rock. Trackman (Open Pit and Underground): Lays tracks for the tram cars, repairs the tracks when necessary, and also sees that the bed of the track is in proper condition. In each level in the underground mine there are tracks on which individual cars, or trains of cars consisting of 5 or 6 cars, are operated. Chief Hazards: Usual underground hazards; severe mechanical; wetness. Milling Bagger: Fills bags with graded asbestos fibres and places them on an automatically operated conveyor to be taken to the ware house. This is hand work. Some companies use automatically controlled machines to bag the asbestos. Chief Hazards: Asbestos d u st; monotony; strain. Carpenter (General P la n t): Does general wood work about the mill, such as making repairs or installing new equipment. Oc casionally he might have to work outside the mill, above the g ro u n d n u t this work would not occur very often. Chief Hazards: Acci- .dent due to falls; falling objects. Cleaner: Inspects"the"asbestas which has_ been -separated from the rock and removes all m atter "which should not be there. (Work is done on large tables by hand. This process applies only to the better grade of asbestos, as the mill asbestos is put into bags -direct from the machines.) Chief Hazards: Asbestos dust; sedentary work; postural hazards; monotony. _ Cobber (Usually a Young Girlkir a Young .Bov): Breaks up the rock,-using small ham mers. Separates the crude asbestos and das- ; - ;) ' " ' Industry R epo rt^ " - Augustr 1952 1/ sifies it into various trays according to grade.. (Works standing up*ata long bench.) ^Chief Hazards*? "Physical strain ; dust; fatigue due to standing; mechanical. Conveyor Man; Checks and regulates op erations of the conveyor which takes rock, asbestos, etc., from one department or worker W arehor' Man: Receives and,piles bags of asbesto ^for shipment. "(These bags af sent to thjbwarehouses by automatic con veyors an(|\when they are shipped out to their final stin atio n , they also are moved by means-W conveyors.) Chief Hazards: Physical strain; monotony. to another department or worker. Chief Haz Manufacturing ards: Mechanical. Beater (Paper Mill) : Places asbestos fibres Crusher Man Stands near the feeder to. in four-foot vats and sprays--them withsee that rock is fed in a steady^ stream to water before the fibres are put through the the machine. Occasionally uses a-metal"pole beating process. Chief Hazards: Monotony; to guide the rock. Rock from the pit is fed to the crushers by gravity. Chief Hazards: asbestos dust wetness. Mechanical; monotony7 `fatigue due to Carder (Textile Department) : Operates a standing. v TT , , carding machine which winds fibres on cylinders preparatory to spinning. Chief Fireman (Furnace Room): Usual duties of a fireman; shovels fuel into furnaces for Hazards: Mechanical; dust. heat. (To operate the dryers, the hot air Feeder (Shingle Department) : Feeds as must pass through the dryers to eliminate bestos ore into a mixing machine. (This ma moisture from the rock.) Chief Hazards: chine is located beneath the floor and has a Physical strain; occasional slight burns due chute on top with a screen through or across to contact with hot furnaces; humidity. the opening to prevent the operator's putting Floater: Inspects and supervises the op his hands into the machine. A hood over the eration of screens which are vibrated by an opening carries off the dust through a pipe.) eccentric drive. The purpose of this is to Chief Hazards: Mechanical; eye injuries; screen the sand out of the asbestos fibre and dust. at the same time to cause the fibres to rise Foreman (All Departments): Supervises through the rock fragments to the top layer work done in his department. Chief Hazards: ) ) from which they can be lifted by air suction. No characteristic hazards ; hazard of depart Chief Hazards: Mechanical; asbestos dust. ment in which employed.^ Machinist (Machine Shop): Makes repairs Machine Operator (Shingle Department) : and constructs various parts of machines. Operates a spraying machine which colors Chief Hazards: Usual to the trade. and paints shingles. Does no spraying by Millwright: Repairs and installs machin hand; watches a valve on the machine and ery. Chief Hazards: Physical strain; me keeps it adjusted. May also operate belt and chanical. . bucket carriers. Chief Hazards: Fumes from Oiler: Oils machinery, such as derricks, paints; mechanical. engines, etc., so as to keep them in good Mixer (Shingle Department): Supervises running order. Chief Hazards: Mechanical. and controls operation of mixing machines Ore Sorter (Crude Asbestos Worker): which are of the type of cement mixers. Takes out rubbish from regular deposit and (Cotton is combined with asbestos in propor separates various grades into trays. All tion depending upon its ultimate use.) Chief hand work. Chief Hazards: Sedentary work; Hazards: Dusts; mechanical. postural hazards; monotony; asbestos dust. Picker (Textile Department) : Operates a Painter: Duties of a general painter. machine which grades and separates asbestos Keeps buildings (outside and inside) in first fibres. Chief Hazards: Dusts; mechanical. class order. Chief Hazards: Usual to the Pressman (Shingle Department): Oper tr&dc ates a press which prepares shingles into bundles of definite size and weight. (This Sheet Metal Worker: Makes pipes and spouts which are used in the crushing mill is not a hand feed machine; feeding is done for conveying fibre to the next process. Be by a belt carrier.) Chief Hazards: Mechani- sides the making of these pipes, worker in Ci stalls them on the machines. Chief Hazards: Puncher (Shingle Department): Uses a Mechanical. punch machine to make holes in shingles. Sorter: See Ore Sorter. Chief Hazards: Mechanical. Sweeper: Sweeps the floors of the null. Spinner (Textile Department) : Works on Chief Hazards: Asbestos dust; monotony. a spinning machine which spins the fibres ) ) C f \ August. 1932 Industry Report 101 into a definite thickness. Chief Hazards: Dusts; mechanical. Stacker (Shingle Department): Piles shingles in "Fog Room" for 30 days' season ing treatment. Chief Hazards: Physical strain ; dampness. Stripper (Shingle Department): Separates shingles, when finished, from the steel plate used to keep the shingles in shape while they are being run through their various processes. Chief Hazards: Cuts. Twister (Textile Department): Operates a twisting machine which inserts wires into the fibres and twists them together to make the product stronger and tougher. Chief Hazards: Mechanical. Unloader (All Departments): Unloads bags of asbestos fibre and ore from freight cars and transports them to the various de partments. Chief Hazards: Physical strain ; monotony. Weaver (Textile Department) : Male and Female. Operates a weaving machine which makes the desired asbestos product. Chief Hazards: Mechanical. Winder: See Carder. ( ( / j * From Anywhere! R etail C redit C o m p a n y I n s p e c t io n R e po r t s provide dependable u n derwriting information concerning individuals. These reports are available from any point in the civilized world thru a network of branch offices and correspondents. These facilities for the investigation of applicants are at your service . . . 100 branch offices. 800 full time inspectors in 266 cities. 40,000 correspondents in rural communities. Reports mailed direct from 800 cities. Contacts in foreign countries. Are you using these facilities to the greatest advantage? THE RETAIL CREDIT COMPANY Walter C. Hill, President Home Office-- Atlanta, Ga^-------