Document aJmxponOJ10g476wy6z4zd8QN

FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 1937 DOC#: NSC480 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NSC Presentations [7] by Sayers, Johnson, Lazenby, Starr, Herrington, Brown & Sissman 7 i t k P s l4 U v i'ftL < it b y S i> fc ir $ / (/ -H e rre ^ yfv^ , 'BrWw, L a ,^ l> y , $ ^ r > 0 'Tfcih .. ..... .. ... .^.s-yv ..V-i . r / Y ' ^ - . r . - . V ;' . te'' ` fi& i.k .n l.'fe v 'J `;X ;. %: 1 j':.J'\ Industrial Dusts W ED N ESD A Y M ORNING SESSIO N I O ctober 13, 1937 . The meeting was called to order by Chair ran A. S. Recula, Executive Secretary, In i .ustriai Relations Counselors, Inc., New York City, and Vice-President tor Engineer ing, National S afety Council, vvlto intro duced the speakers. ^ S<< iSfc'- *:,-'. 5. i f .S/ ' -- ; , . r ' .fciwiil j 3r* WS&v fei* i1 1YHu~ What Industrial Dusts Arc Harmful? Why? , By SEN IO R SURGEON R. R. SAYER S C hief, D ivision o f Industrial Hygiene. U. S. Public H ealth Service While dusts exist everywhere in the at mosphere, it has been recognized .tor cen turies that workers in certain dusty occupations are less healthy than those not >o exposed. T h e number o f persons e x posed in dusty occupations comprises one nl the largest industrial groups. The occu pational diseases o f workers in dusty at mospheres have been found to be due to entrance of dust into the system by inhala tion, by ingestion, by direct absorption through the skin, by irritation o f the skin. <r by a combination o f the foregoing. The suspensions o f paniculate matter in air have been broadly termed dusts, fumes, and smokes. Such a classification is neccs-arily arbitrary, since the line o f demarca tion between them is not very sharp, and the chief differentiation is based on the size of the particles. Investigations by the Pub lic Health Service in dusty industries' re vealed that about 70 per cent o f the dust Panicles examined were between 1 and 3 jmcrons in size, only about 20 per cent were T than 1 micron, and the median size was J microns. Industrial dusts are mainly less than 10 microns in size. However, fibrous in -jb-^ ai, m n in ar asbestos, have been svi 0 contain particles as large as 200199 mireons in the greatest diameter. '.Mte. generally speaking, according to oihi. Jests arc more injurious as their composition differs from that or ,,.'-"ta n body, or from the elements of ' 'eh the body is normally composed,' it is difficult to establish a comprehensive definition for toxic dusts. Solimann,' after analysis o f various definitions for poison, felt that it is very difficult to give a definition which w ill not be ambiguous in some cases, but believed that the following covers most of the points-which must be considered in classing a substance as such: " A poison is any. substance which, act ing directly through ili inherent chemic properties, and by its ordinary action, is capable of destroying life, or o f seriously endangering health, when it is applied to the body, externally, or in moderate doses (to 30 Gm.) internally.'' Some dusts are known to be poisonous, while others, in the concentrations usually encountered, are comparatively harmless. However, it may be stated that breathing dust in high concentration is not desirable. According to Fairhall, the damage arising from the inhalation o f toxic dust may be either local or remote, and depends upon whether the material is a protoplasmic poi son, whether It is caustic in. reaction, or whether it is absorbed into the blood stream and carried to other centers which arc in .urn affected.' It is now well established that exposure to certain kinds o i dusts, such as those con taining considerable quantities o f free silica, has increased the morbidity and mortality a te'fro m gPCSgqrry diseases ^vvhilc me-# , dead and its compounds,* . uf oooi::a m itt, r-w -r S6 TtiVttiy.ti.vlh Xational Safely Cornycss have been associated with general systemic poisoning.1 Dusts may be swallowed with saliva, water, or food, and direct poisoning has been traced to absorption by this method; other dusts may act as irritants and produce affections of the skin, irritate mu cous membranes of- nose, eyes and throat, often causing inflammatory diseases of these organs.' Some inorganic dusts are able to pene trate the deep lung tissues and arc sufficiently insoluble to he retained there. Some o f these may be active in the human tissues, causing definite and permanent in jury, while others are inert and may be retained for years, apparently without seri ous damage; some are gradually absorbed without causing pathological changes.' A ll Inhaled particles are soluble, at least to a small exten t It harmless, cell activity is stimulated so that phagocytes remove the dust. If the solute is toxic, the viability o f the phagocyte is affected and an ineffective accumulation result. A t the same time, further solute may diffuse into neighboring tissues, setting up an irritation and subse quent fibrosis. The nature as well as the pulmonary tuberculosi,. The second ty^, o f reaction is caused by toxic dusts like le^ ^ cadmium, and radium. A third type of mil. ady follows the inhalation of finely divide; metallic fume particles such as rine oxid. and is known as metal fume fever. The fourth reaction, allergic in character, , caused by breathing organic dusts such Si pollen and certain types of pulverized woo) and flour. In all four cases the sole can* o f the disability may be dust inhalation, but the reactions from toxic dusts result iron swallosving as well as from inhalation," For various reasons it is difficult to set up an absolute classification tor dusts. Opinion is rapidly changing regarding socalled inert or harmless dusts and further' investigation may prove some of them to be injurious. Some dusts may have both i toxic and an irritant action; while on the other hand, the poisoning resulting from ex posure to a dust may he the combined effect of more than one mode of entrance into the body. However, the following classification of dusts, according to physical character istics and physiological effect, is used for convenience. solubility o f the solute is an important fac I. Organic Dusts tor, but of two-substances of approximately equal toxicity, the more soluble form causes the greater damage However, sub stances o f such low solubility as sihca may ultimately produce extensive injury.* Kettle lias stated that harmful dusts, if inhaled Into the lunsi, may activate a latent tuberculous infection; they may exaggerate Organic dusts arc those which contain | carbon, and were originally supposed to , come from organized substances derived . from animal or plant life. Living dusts come under this classification, and ate thought to be ot the same order ot size as industrial dusts, with which they are irequently associated. Bacteria arc uually be an active tuberculous lesion or a coincident infection. If sufficient quantities o f a harm less dust arc Inhaled, some ot it remains in ihc lungs and causes a mild degree o i fibro sis merely through mechanical irritation, hut such fibrosis is never sumcicnl to inter fere with the function of the lung.1 tween 0.5 and 3 microns, except m a few i cases, such as the anthrax bacillus, which ranges from 1 to U 5 micron in breadm and 4.5 to 10 microns in length and 10 or linierons in diameter. However, it is possi ble that die larger and heavier varieties, like the larger and heavier dust particle.-, Some writers state that while the Influ settle due to gravity, and do not remain ence of nonpoisonous dusts on health is a suspended in the air. debatable subject, abnormally high death Manv thousands oi organic substances, rates from bronchitis and pneumonia are sometimes attributed to chronic exposure to nomoxie dusts. Large amounts o f dust are occasionally found in supposedly normal lungs, at autopsy* According to Drinker, there arc four d if ferent types o f reaction produced in man by the inhalation oi dust. The firt and most important arc the ; neumocottlo'es, such as silicosis and asbcs'.o,:;._ wilier, cause sptcine Uiuit pjvthoMsy and niicn arc toHowcd by carbon-containing, arc made synthetically by chemical prncesse. such as dyestun., explosives, tic. l, s o s u n x e rm c.-txic d u s t s , as the name implic*. thv-e arc comprised nmivialilc particles, v.i'.ic;: may or may m he inherently toxic r,r irriant, -u trw ncvcrihcli'SEtotycc i:mova:d./;llii-i, human n r iS B ^ / ;.',A!,w" ,.c du.ys. M th w liic h P fe rta in person, are ,or may 7i? e t -. r-.xe .-.:o  -.(-omc hvpcrscnsitivc. with resulting dust, or powder form* o: the preparation, e x "siiiina. rhinitis, or other disturbances. are erting a direct irritating effect on the skin." ' -eluded in this classification. ; Dermatitis due to other vegetable ousts " , To rie and/or lrritc.nl. T q x ic or irritant such as vanilla, powdered arnica, pyre- -r. are all organic dusts which produce thrum, etc, have been reported." untoward symptoms, cither systemic or Dental lesions, of occupational origin, local Those producing local symptoms are have been reported among workers in sugar. h L Ily described as irritant; those produc The gingivitis caused by sugar dust is clas ing general or systemic symptoms are sified as purely mechanical, with later- termed toxic. A dust may be.both toxic and developing cartes. Digestive disorders, respiratory' conditions, and cutaneous con irritant . . ditions (especially of the face) were also Jn reported cases of injury or death tol- lowing inhalation o f dust from organic com fou n d ."' _ pounds, among the chief offenders are Dock workers, transporters o f grain, naranitranil'me, the dmttrobenaenes, chloro- workers in grain and flour mills, etc. are dinitrobenzenes, trinitrophenol. and nttro- exposed to dusts during their work. Dusts naoitthalene. Eye damage due to inflamma irom cereals may contain many impurities, tion of the cornea has occurred among which may cause an irritating action on the respirator'1 passages, as well as inflamma workers exposed to methyl violet dust. The dust from paraphcnylene diamine derivatives tion o f the skin. Digestive disturbances, is particularly irritating and dangerous, dental dcfccti. diminution in hearing, and conjunctivitis have been observed among causing not only a severe form o f derma millers, and have been attributed to the dusts titis where the dust comes in contact with to which such workers are exposed. the skin, but also producing acute inftammalion of the mucous membrane o f the -b. Allergic. Many apparently innocuous respiratory passages.* T o x ic dusts may be substances may produce reactions in per -enerated during the handling ot powdered sons of peculiar personal susceptibility. The Ives and in preliminary dyeing operations, term ''allergy" is used to describe this con particularly the hydro-extractor process, dition o f hypersensitiveness or susceptibility, where particles arc disseminated in all di and allergic phenomena most trequently rections.11 Coat tar and indigo dyes are manifest themselves in skin reactions. H ow substances most frequently used. ever they mav cause acute rcaeuons else where in the body. When the respiratory Cases- of amblyopia have been_ reported tract is involved we have such well known irom exposure to inhalation o f. tobacco diseases as hay fever or asthma. These dust." It has been found that inhaled to- diseases may develop as a result ot hyper lucco dust exerts a nicotine action on the sensitiveness to such substances as pollens organism fifteen times greater than that from plants, horsehair, rabbit s fur, iurs, produced by the same quantity o f smoked {titers, etc. . . ,, ._ tobacco with an equal nicotine content. fo r instance, furrier, workers ill c' ul' " " e Severe dermatitis is experienced by many industries who are exposed to wool dii-t. . workers handling powder containing T ,\ .T ,, which is used in making high explosives. etc., may suffer from hay icver or 1, is unnecessary tor the ohendmg dus to Picric acid, which is also used for this pur reach the depths o f the lungs-- giant pollen, pose. requires drying, and in this latter slate for example are reported to produce their has been found to produce a dermatitis. effect a iter being caught in the upper res Picric acid is also the oldest synthetic or ' zanic dyestuff." Dermatitis occurs among handlers of silk with varying frequency, Sills determined that a rash occurring jV -- amaiijp-WOTkcrS In a silk factory was due to dust from silk cocoons imported irom Airica." Persons engaged in the manufacture of `luinine and quinine preparations suiter trom .'bin phenomena, v.-hich occur ior the most lort on exposed parts of the Iwdy. and may ho caused by ingestion or by quinine piratory passages. Should such an substance be finely ground tt cou'd r i : * ^ the alveoli and as a result probably all plivsiologic reactions would be accelerate . in a survev o f a plant where resin is mixed, ground, and molded, it was loun that 80 per cent o f -.he occupational dcr. litis there was due .a. h e x a m e th y le n ctclra m i^ ^ ^ io r''> ^ d' ,^ s - contained in the d u i t f & * * A ' " S were exposed." OOOKO 1 Txvcnty-sixth National Safety Congress I ot cotton spinning, cotton-strippers arc ex posed to dust arising from cotton husks and debris, which produces a typical form ot asthma. .... _, Ordinarywood dust has peen ot inter trichum dermatedes). which is scatter^ when the bark is stripped oil. This powdt, j is irritating to the skin and mucous metn. i branes. M ycclia and spores o i moulds j tt 1 ccoommmmoonnlyly tioouunnod itoo ccaauussee =r*as=h=es.: (iourr nIn.. ,! slanct the black powder coming iron 1 .KS $ due io its purely mechanical action, put still greater care is required r a h w i i certain kinds, especially woods coming tr abroad, because oi the essential oils impreg nating them, which when dreed in the dust may affect the health o i the workers con cerned. Some o f the woods capable ot causing skin lesions are Brazil wood, satin wood, teakwood, cumaru or tonka wood. H-rt- ebony wood, W est Indian mahogany Japanese tagayasan, coccoloba, chestnutwood, olivewood. California sequoia, etc. A ll per sons who handle these woods are not in jured, oniv those particularly susceptible to the substances they contain becoming affected." macerate(j SUgarcane stalks. Among basket, makers, the mycelium and spores, In the ,foQrrmm 0o ff aa wwh(,iittee mmoouulldd ((hhyypphhoommyyccccttcc)) ifrroomn the rhattan canes used, get shaken out who the canes arc split, hammered, and cui, causing painful fissures to develop on tin skin where they alight." A form o f asthma or spasmodic coug, suffered by cotton weavers and known j, ' aspergillosis, lias been considered due to ip. } halation ot spores o f a mildew which somt. times' occurs ou the threads." In a studs' ot silicosis among miners, made by the Public Health Service, a number ot cases o i tvpical miliary calcification were en- . countered. Unstained smears ot those cast | & pre" ouffH t piibran tint, flits; voi- icon Uc.-t -IP line C-t tine rifely F xepo-.ur ._cx lii-d A-jvuiec 2, LIVIN G ORG AN tC. D U STS. These contain particles capable o f exhibiting the phenomena o i life"' (especially tnhe propceirtiy; examined were positive for fungus, two 1 types of Aspergillus fungi being Identified. 1 ,A\lnl otf uthte ssuubdjjeccctus buuuti one were farmers, rytet {T >.ccmr o1 f* repro. dj u_cuti.:o*--n .o.r nm.nulltiirp\lliiPc9attlinonn))., Msuichh AaSs teamsters, feedmlll workers, or residents oi T.-rxcrri bacctteerriiaa aannda isuunnggii.. T. mhejy are usuall/y f-o. u.nd, in11 l.o..w.. c. .o.n. .c.etnmtraitnionnsi aanndd aarrec aassssoocciiaatteedd with nonliving dusts in the air. a. Bacteria. One of the most important among these is the anthrax bacillus, which is contained in the dust from skms, furs, wool, and animal hair, horns, hoofs, bones, etc. This disease may occur in two form s: cutaneous (in which the organism affects the skin), and fiffwoiiory (when tt is inhaled, as in the torm o i anthrax known as wooi- sorters' disease)." Cases o f tetanus, reported in connection with jute manufacture, were traced to the raw material, the bacillus having been found sMmTiaaiiil agricultural t,-oww- ns. w--h--e-r-e grain( iis marketed. Farmers are exposed to tungi ra 53iy z threshing wheat, baling hay, or handling tx;o5vur various small grains." r <t Some other fungus diseases such as actino- ; siicrr- mycosis and blastomycosis are associated i with occupational exposure to du<l, The iormer occurs among workers handling , -traw, haw grass, vegetable debris contanu- j lilted with mould, etc. Actinomycosis u likelv to affect people engaged in commercial rizon handling, storing, and cleansing ot gram 1 (grain distilleries, flour mills, gram crush ing, breweries, and malting homes, etc*)* II. Inorganic Dusts -.t " 7: ill the factory dust." Diphtheria, ,ub* rc" ' losis, smallpox, typhoid, o r other baclllutproduced diseases, may result from exposure to infected dusts. - . ' Bacterial sensitization can be the cause oi anv o f tile allergic diseases, namely, asthma, perennial, hay fever, urticaria, angioneurotic edema, eczema, or migraine headaches. Inorganic compounds are ot minera. origin, not requiring a living organism IP produce them." A number ot dusts no: nsuallv classed as toxic may, under some conditions, produce untoward eitects on tr.c human organism. Classified under inorgar. are toxic and/or irritant, fibrosis-produc ing. and nonnbrosis-producing dusts. rrxer: r.tc I b. Fim c:. Dusts containing the inyccka and spores o f parasitic fungi give rise :a aimovanre and ducoiniort. " Maltster s i---front the dust alone has been reported. ... Provence, reeds used for ceilings arc stacked -visile still wet and undergo icrmentaiicr.: t'-ev become covered with a white powder ra ilrv iiuieiii >: the M uror family: M'orc- a. To.vie and or Irritant. Toxic dusts art i.tost*, which arc inherently toxic when haled, ingested, or otherwise, n.isorcc-. Among thoscjvlnch'produce systemic ! '" if-niiic, siune EScsWtitd* arc. also im taxt. y * the dust < iriil^ fS fjJ ' nictali anaw if^ti! Mich n= I'- uLi^fiSfchry, arsenic. ^ : m = - ' nn? i Js, u* icr J 0*-s-u*" .te) :r:: ,'.r. v.t . oic irritant dusts arc injurious -.y r'osol of their strong irritative or corro l l properties. . . , rule, inhaled irritant substances cause a reaction in the upper " ^ I r ^ o r v tract o l such Seventy that they . . '/prevented irom reaching the lungs, ai r ,,ev may cause lung damage ay vn ion ot inflammation/if the mucous .mUrane is corroded.' Lime, calcium oxide. * 1 t f d V ltroma.es are .examples ot irri- " V d u s u . A n inorganic dust may possess both toxic and irritant properties, and we I roning produced may be the combined Effect o f more than one mode ot entrance ,.,-r ire reported to liave been Caused by exposure to dust ot arsenic confounds. Certain aluminum salts are skin irritant, and aluminum dusts may contribute lo me imection o i skin and mucous membranes, through mechanical action. b Fibrosis-Producing Dusts. The most important o i these are the inorganic slightly soluble dusts which cause fibrous changes in the lung lissues, some o i which are sen..us and some o i which cause little or no disability.' So tar as is known, no inorganic substances other than silicon derivatives cause more than a very moderate degree ot fibrosis o t the lung. Moreover, tl'cre seems to be no evidence that any other constituent niii. rr> into the body. , . ,, OC the directly poisonous dusts, te widely prevalent are those ot certain lead compounds, particularly the oxide, carbori- ... the chromate. T h e dust is readily .lunrl.cd' hv the mucous membrane! tot"* dust passes'into the stomach and is dissolved by tmheeggastri*c iju..i.c..e...* ............................... According to Falrhall, pcriorated nasal seppttuumm iiss aa ccuommm*---on o--c-c-u--rrence among workers with bt-chromate dus s In a studv made by the L . S. Public H a lth Sendee it was iound that continuous idm J exposure lo concentrations o i chromic ac'd mist greater than t m.U.gram m 10 c .b e meters is likely to cause definite mj iry t the nasal tissues.3 It is believed that a similar concentration o i the dust would be equally toxic, ` o i ordinary- dusts can influence so untavora- bly a pulmonary iniection.* Although other dusts, when Inhaled in . umcient concentrations over a long period o i time, -Have been shown capable oi pro ducing a pulmonary fibrosis; the pneumoconiosis characterized 5 n Ilar fibrosis has to adaite obcecen shown cliniriilv aannda eixxppcerriimnwenutwaliliyj t*ow be associ.at,ed - on,ly with the inhalation o f dusts containing free silica. . . Since this dust, to exert its harmtul action, must enter the finer divisions o i the Um the particle s i ot the atmaspheric dust mav bear a definite relationship to the in jurious effect produced. The silica must be present in the air in particles small enough to enter the finer air spaces and oi such dimensions that .he phagocytic .cells may / In the case o i poisoning irom some heavy metals, exposure may be to both dust an vapor, For instance, investigations r.avc : shown the sate limit o f total exposure to . lead oxide dust and fumes to be less man engulf them. T he greater majority ot par ticks iound upon microscopic examination o i the lung tall within the limits o. irons 1 to 3 microns." Examples o f siliceous dusts are granite, quartz, sand, pum.ee, slate, etc. id mg. per 10 cubic meters o i air, except f ` for prolonged exposure." In exposure t mercury dust and vapor, it was shown ...at Iri a recent study among anthracite mi*.1,. correlations betsveen exposure to dust the incidence o i chronic mercurtahsrn in 3: T - f creases rap.id..ly with *in__cr_ansi*ni>gf*irVmercury to the etiological significance ot the dust ir-7-- .."-it t concentration, a lte r such concentration cx the air b rath ed . Like correlations were ' f r::`*." *-l__ e ceedus 2*.0y mg. per 10 cubic meters--. . found between the silica expose a n d |.e . " u n r ' i ^ ; Alkalis and metallic oxides are common extent o i pulmonary changes. " causes o i dermatoses. Lye, potash ana Ih a ic d dust consists ot sihea combined *.nder lime ire known to cause irritation to pias- with bases, silicates, sortie degree ot change _ :ibro4U-g"- " ters, cement-makers, bricklayers, matons, in the pulmonary tissue may result-. In .. _ _ . . . . __i -- I -espeet asbestos dust;.* lo among .Uienles- hrWrprtVtvknce amt-se- veritv o i the disease ii,cm s*s . Tll'c chief diPScTtombetwccn silicosis and conditions duo simple reactions ;t^ sc d active prolit erativc hv other dust < r . m ' ' v .V mf c v 0 i iy^?y!fAs' 90 V.\vM/v-.n.w/i Xatlniial Safety Congress i reaction in the tissues which results m progressive nodulalion. Silicosis, when once established, strongly predisposes the lung? to infection, especially with the tubercle bacillus. Chronic interstitial pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema are fre quent complications o f advanced degrees o f silicosis. The relation of the acme respiratory In tentions to the reaction due to dusts other than free silica has never been established,' though a heightened incidence lias often ;bccn shown statistically In workers in dusty trades. It is fairly certain that a dust dam aged lung, whatever the cause, fares much w,orse if an acute infection does supervene itjion it.' in a study conducted by the U. S, Public Health Service among marble finishers in Vermont, it w u found that marble dust when inhaled in the concentrations found in the examined plants produced a mild, bi lateral, linear fibrosis in some cases, but no lerious lung changes were noted and there was no disability due to the dust, even after years o f exposure," . c. Honfibrosis-Producing Dusts. These are inert, that is, they do rot cause fibrous tissue to be produced, but may become encapsulated or lie tree in die tissues; or tjiey arc absorbed without production o f fibrous tissue. Included among them are alundum, coal, corundum, emery, limestone, magnesite, marble, plaster o : ` paris (gyp. sum), and polisher's rouge. "" Dust Control Engineering and medical o.iurul arc the two most important factors in combating he industrial dust hazard, ar.rl are to a large extcnl complementary. ' Engineering Control. A* Lanai" ha -.afed in a recent paper. is a baric :-rlncipIe In dealing with a du=! hazard that :::e dust should be attacked a: Its point of origin and thus prevented from being d is seminated into the atmosphere." After the dust has been spread throughout the air it it difficult to deal with it. and reliance must placed on individual protettion.'which is r.ever wholly satisfactory. Lanza further cites variott methods used :rt controlling dust. These w:i. be reviewed ' it: lirietiy. since a taper dei.ittg with the subject o f dust control in dett-.li. will follow ; r. this program. Dust may be entrapped at its source I, ! suction devices and thus removed and Co/ t lected. Familiar examples are exhaust hood, f in grinding operations, and the devices ultj , in rock drilling. | Generally speaking, the exhaust ventilj. tion method, where applicable, is lo be pt. ferred in controlling a dust hazard. Watft may be used to entrap dust and prevent its dispersal, and under certain circumstances it may be of advantage to combine the us( o f water and the use of suction. Sometimes a dusty process can be completely enclosed in a sealed room or compartment. It must be remembered, however, that any mecltani. cal device o f this kind offers adequate pro. tection only if it is properly designed, installed, and maintained. A great deal o f attention has been .given the subject o f individual protection from dust, and there are many types of respiralory protective devices now available. These are generally of two types: those which provide fresh air from an encontaminated source and those which rely upon a filtering medium for removing durt from the air breathed, Where the use o i such a device is indicated, only one of the types approved by the L*. S. Bureau of Mines should be used. As a rule, it may he said that masks, respirators, or oilier such protective device should be used only where exposure to the dust is intermittent and brief, or where some unusual condition makes a mure ade quate dust control impracticable." Where bacteria or other living dusts in tlie air arc associated with a process, steri lization methods such as increased tempera tu re ultraviolet radiation, and chemicals like chlorine or other bactericidal substances, may be of use. Pasteurization temperature (about 140* F.) will kill most organisms except those bearing spores. Steam disin fection is used for horsehair, and proves to be practicable if the temperature does not exceed 230* F. Wool fibres, however. lose their elasticity by steam disinfection, and the "Duckering" process now used in Eng land includes soaking of the wool in a form aldehyde solution, and drying in a current o f air at a temperature of I(/)' F. There are few occupations in which there would he a sufficient concentration oi dead l,ac- jitoward ci'iec:! in man. Justs producing externa! v proteclive'peasurcs may sjro-iYi-- protective clothing. -rsigl ;hvr ,,,,a. -- c 0c:nc lhoUur.s.*."--* oneh Ulicet--- c closely .= ' phase- ~ . m Ijjtirds. -a placet: health e : al a eh? on control tael me*-" :I vicei- It has- b' found that injur: ~nc rod rueuuca mer.t aae. P< opnreevoeafst=erbne. The ;ree: to citeranit meat: term close mu: p die, rrvea which uxtgh the eraunir. plcvdarx n It *h:did \ {or u * ?at bat work :c c * v/orV.tr 3r.t :o:alr 00013, ` ""M li:tiusir'uii Dust* 91 ,j i s .i at, i nits". i t s -:ri ~-*i ASt . tu acK. 4. 4*.tf ( prir'-'tr.'. tu tine '^5 Sccctiino j|v rxd tlcf n't. 1: ='JB ny => " ieqi=i.:t jn- I v dtficceii, i h'" ' gives ecu:c. trots s o ; rtsptnuilabl- The* iIk " a -on- -rate M - E'.tiHat irorr- the " ,nch i dsvict r s r i t inat mails, c c tirt ddi'it?o -o?sle5 a t - aPro'1:1: ili " e." as !'fo ' -tots, oir.tsienti. or outer com- ca;\L. Vo del'- 1'iminjiH the irritant !HVI neutral rules or hygiene and Rood f `"` wWeepiiS should lli0 be observed. dital Contrcl. Equally Important, and ( k- Interrelated with t^e engineering t) medical control o f occupational rh )u In additicn to directing the proper '? o l new workers, and guarding the medical control .s 1,151 h r, the tr.cacy o( the engineering J " ethods already instituted, or a cmoemars!vir.c Tof Tthe need tor new protecttiivvee de- nC.CS- v ,, n tta-ed that "Industry has onmUhat the best' way to treat dustrial injuries and illnets >s to prevent them. control, ro u g h preemploy- nnd media. examinations. ts r A r f f i i S ! . actors in such gr$ 11ihottld 'be'reicembe rTd of disease." Since some occupauonai dis ease, tend to clear up and recur, records o previous occupations should be included u dm physiMl examinations. T h e frequency oi examinations should be determined the medical direcior. unless otherwise span ned by law. Those exposed to k n o w n " V pational disease hazards ^may have week!} or monthly examinations. " It should always be kept in mind that the basic principle oi physical exammations in industry is to keep men on the job and not allow the physical examination to be merel. a weeding out process."" References >Bloomfield. J. I. Dutt."TM'- S H K LecMreJ, 191$. B t t j P0fiPfharema- c^" * W 7 sS K l f ci.. P W U ^ U . iMg . W,,,,J, ; ousiii coloev. s' " vf P bV ' t " The Camtdln* and A n elp 1' .1 f e i f l A- u T t "D ull Hrercl in Indutiry." Ernes. i. w i adt-S but rather ior a-..t:at.ng him to the t>P j work lor which :.e u P1'-V!,cf lljJ 11 ,,nlew ' worker should te given cm r ojm en vmless C0,. ? ^ S b" r' OceunMlon and Iteahh Series. Oxford slnivtriiiy .fit!!'.iJiM S lo u * 'fm Inhaled Stea.tr. and c-ore* ture .ho.wever, 1#? iH.ittiee:crvi:.an.J""p r .'onn-'* - * ` T U - J n-V T M < f' P TL |ft 11 'W .1 ic-t u man- F .............. !uc: exK' T y tn ref,ni 5 d iv e - loth"'!' rations. , . "The purpose o i periodic physical examinations is to secure and mai t phvsical fitness ir.d thereby lengthen " r h spans."" Reexamination o i employees some.;mtj rcsu|U ,, discover}- o f defects and A b ilitie s which were not observed at me hme of employment. In such cases, an oc- wt^tional adjustment should be made 0 t-tevide continued employment, but rtino " t risk nf pcrrr.v.cnt injury. , Reexamination of employees is rcqiur' law in certai.-. occupations in which the handling of noij-.nous or otherwise dclelen0 substance r n - result in the contraction ,e^ h \ T > . Pro,.. Occupational Afftenen. of Ihe Stdn. ^ Si Co. ClcL* London. ^ ,,1 ;, H atafd in American I ,,duS. i r ^ " r' u . LS.miuhUcLir il, r B duileun So. SI*. r a n " jTME*l' '<^ HyticW " S : '? i r s ^ '. 'i 0 ? m j? 'A h tt journal of Induurial " ffb K W 'a B S .^ m tlg l ^ SCTirt^ The tn iu itiia l Bulletin, Albany, N . ' " u- rot. tfie no. 2 , ti-.-i. tliesitorc, M!ndu<* . r t r f W P^ - 1 l ? n B i Company. In c . Kch` York. I- HatattWi in Awn" I j S & T f c J P * U TM PuSltc^feallh'-Bbtlenn Xo. 229i Sept. Ap^iAition and 3i'U- 0001 - 1 X c V i ^ - m ^ & . K oSSe.Oeneva. .* ti:iib-.-K'Yv m:* %.r} *. * .i! I. i i.-f " ?!`i l -M w-vSs 92 Twenty-sixth i\rannual Safety Congress a Hep*. . \V.. (Iinru, VI*.. and Slallyhr. C. 0. " Industrial Medicine and Kycicne." BatlUere. Tindall and Cox. London, 1923. " Brown, G. T. "The Diafnofti* ( Bacterial Allergr." Southern Medical Journal, Vol. 27. No. 10. Oct. 1934. :1 Savers. R- R. and Mcrewetber, F. V. "Miliary Lung Disease Due to Unknown Cause. U. S. Public Health Reports, Dec. $. 1930. .... * "Actinomycosis,'' Occupation and Health Senes, International Labour Office. Geneva, 1930. , **Holland, J, \V. "Textbook of Medical Chemistry and Toxieolocy." W. fl. Saunders Company, rhlla. del phis, 1930. _ " Blaomftcld, J. I, and Blom. Wm, " Health Has. ardi'in Chromium Plating,'* U. S. Public Health Service Reprint No. 1245, Washington, 1930. * Russell, Tones, Bloomfield, Britten and Tfcomp* son, "Lead Poisoning in a Storage Battery Plant." U .S. Public Health Bulletin No. 205. June. 1933. , " Neal. Jones. Bloomfield, DallaValle and Ed* ward*. "A Study of Chronic Mercurialism in the Hitters* Fur Cutting Industry." u . S. Public Health Bulletin No, 234, May, 1937. m Sayers. R. U. and Jones. R. K. "Rilkous ir i Similar ference Dual Disea Washington, i eDi./ ' Nanonaii C.. April i t SiIicom , 49)6. c,I a Saver, Bloomfield. DaUaValle. Tone*. DreTMit1L Brundace and Britten. " Anthraeo-SiheoM* * r ^ Hard Coal*. Miners.** L*. S. Public Ucaitli Bull3 No. 221. December. 1933. " Middleton. E. L. " InduilHil Pulmonarv d,^ ease due to the Inhalation oi Duji. The Ln<t, JulHy D4raenedueUn,. 1936. Waldemar ^ <wir C. *Effect , of s Marble Dim as Observed in Vermont Mirtl. .F..i.n..u..h...e..n...'.....V.. ....S. . P~ublic Hhe;alth Service Repria* No. 1630. a Lima. A. J. "Control and Prevention of Sit;, eosis." Symposium on Silicosis. California Tube*, culosis Association, San Francisco, 1937. " NewQuist, M, N. " Medical Service in Indtmry and Workmen's Comnensation Laws.'* America* College of Surgeon, Chicago, 1934. * "Medical Care of Industrial Worker*." (tonal Industrial Conference Board. Inc. \'c York, 1926. jullir.s r" `- iaeWD the o"-~- I "ir ` (luiuio 's A deticu- !=-- tccti0:: tern0 v`safety , mir-rcrs ysf-lina - " that * the rea.--- i the " - The Engineer's Part in Eliminating Dust Hazards B y A R T H U R S. JOHNSON Assistant to M anager, Engineering Department, Am erican Mutual Liability Insurance Co., Boston, Mass. When ony realizes that control o f the dust hazard depends upon the combined contribu tions Of the physician and the engineer, lie ap preciates that the solution requires scientific, treatment. By scientific treatment I mean the technical analysis of the hazard^ to discover the causes which contribute to injury or ill health, and the development o f control meth- . ods which obey physical law and physiology, and which will be directed at causes that admit of most immediate and economical treatment.. That goes for handling the dust hazard in a given plant it goes double fo r acquiring knowledge to the end that the whole problem may reach ultimate solution. Right now our knowledge of the problem is in big chunks, loosely put together and largely empirical. There arc estimates only to jndge the mag nitude oi the dust health problem, and it is so doseiy associated with odier health problems that a clean-cut estimate of it alone is imimssihle. W e do know that it is great in the aggregate, and for the individual plant it may be very bothersome and expensive, Wltat actually makes quartz dust cause silicosis is not known. It does, so the air breathed by workmen must cot contain harm ful quantities of respirable quartz dust. Inex pensive methods for making the air clean are -till ill the realm of dreams. Much work must he done 10 know more about silicosis and more how to make atmospheres safe iur.rp.'/ijtsv/v. As an accident prevention job, dust control lies almost entirely within the admin istrative responsibility. The control measures are capital expenditures oi considerable size A plan; with a dust hazard is sick, it needs an expert diagnosis and sclent! tic treatment, which may include expensive major opera tions. Home remedies are seldom much good, and supervision and employee saietv con sciousness alone cannot accomplish anything. There may be observed in countless shops installations (or exhausting dust which are derisively called "tin knocker" jobs in which the horsepower dissipated is out of all pro portion to the alr-bome dust moved. Tonnage efficiency of material moved may lie the proper yardstick for pneumatic conveyors hut if the material to be moved is air. contaminated with nearly weightless particles oi cust. the entire health hazard can lie In the kali oi one r-C cent oi material not moved. I do no: mean tin u nn ks1 a du?i supre--i" :1 i..h was cnglncertfKaccfm-bc no-gopd.,.There ' Retired ` Rations tkat-vccic r.cvtf ail hu S iiyv-lik d T ip s S |0 :k,` rj" . Let - which "'1 leaving n in '.H i nter' ' a s<e?enmvs.t whief. - `-J prLT.i"'. poncr.i- * expc*f~v lieai inui" -- a fe W-: and tfx: coir.: iuso- * that V : recu:?: 0- * Le Vr. * tne r. i J` lo oi hin. ' lH jr K07*.; ' lr~~~ industrial D usts 93 R. " Silicon'! idultirE freedom from dustiiicss was so satis- >Milul14,SH19ic1o6.tii (V 5| ^ jg \ " Setory that efficiency held little interest to She owner. This is exceptional, however, and ;,Jone, Dfe*5JrL KoSiiie6su oibob. \ L v pi offer the opinion that dust suppression jobs Hie Heiltfc RulUdo>| g Fffiould be engineered. ti Pulmoiury Jx*I5 HtiL** The Ctoi 'Effect of InSt!^ Vermont Uftttfc * ih Sernce Rcpriuttl Prevention of S & y l :d,Ci1l9i3fa7m. iA T t+f f&. i1l Service in Udoitry , 1U4,wfc** ArnrF1 * 1 al Work*." Botrd. Inc. Mnr^`1 ~t ' A dust-suppression installation is a safety 'device, designed and operated to provide pro jection against possible disease and provide a ae of security whifih must be absolute. Its ysasety is not rushing air and rattling chips but B j minimal residual dustiness. There is no S*'ore pathetic defeat for a dust control job S fe n W find faith in its effectiveness so low Sjthat workers must wear respirators to find | "tbe reasonable safety that was expected from |' e hoods, ducts and fans. D iagnosis and Control [H i * L et us examine some of the features by ' ' we recognize this dust hazard problem. _ 5 out the sodo-legil aspects. irds il L iability ,j iS'Jn order to develop more fully the engi" r's place in this dust control program, it ns desirable to separate as sharply as we , the diagnostic considerations from those .jiuieh deal with control. In the first compartment we can place ail the analytical com- W: ' ' *iij^ he . . . dean ti7 __ .uch work mwt out silicosis 1^ 1 res safe intxfti ention job, dufl... thin the admhiT '.ontrol measure msiderable size is sick, it needs itific treatment, ijonents which describe the hazard and-its exposure, the probability of its producing ill " ilth and ail the rest of the medical and lustrial hygiene facts which make out a S ^I against the existing dust. Ill the second compartment place the knowledge of physics yind engineering necessary to plan the dust .control program and so design it that when installed its performance follows prediction ^H-that the probability of industrial disease is ;8j reduced to insignificance e major open- The Industrial Hygienist ion, much good, $' ee safety coo- " 'Our first feature of interest would naturally nplish anythin*, be the specific and relative toxicity oi silica, countless shops ^j'lOica-bearing and other .dusts which tiSUe up dust which W tn `toe dust health hazard. Much might be said " jobs in which ' to advantage about the quality and quantity out of all pro- fo f hazard in many dusts. The acquiring of toved. Tonnage.1'! ' fills knowledge has been, and must remain a ay be the proper g'nedtcal problem. It involves gross and miero- tyors but if the >lcopic pathology and x-rays, and experimental ruminated with .I.animals. Engineers do not talk that language dust, the entire ^ ""Industrial hygienists do; they are a happy half of one per( -' Combination, half doctor and half engineer. ,y of them are quite capable of handling dust supressiooi no good- Thexejfhat were netrfjp ,'opsy. The tt^T r*ye dust health hazard in all its phases ot Sjrtstigation and control. Tor the purpose oi * discussion I throw their interest in with doctors. [ want to go so far in my opinion as to state that the engineer should not attempt to define the quality of health hazard in a given plant or industry, nor should he establish threshold limits of safe or permissible dusti ness. This may be debauble, but I shall con tend that the engineer who writes.the speci fications of hazard and dust tolerance is really an industrial hygienist, and is using a very much broader knowledge than engineering alone. ' ' In the first case the quality of the health hazard is an opinion arrived at after studying ail the environmental conditions including the general sanitation, occupational analysis and a scientific analysis of the dust exposures. In the exploration of dust exposures, the nature of dusty operations must be viewed from physical, chemical and mechanical aspects, the determinations of dustiness must be not only counted and classified by particu late sizes, but chemically and mineralogically analyzed. T h e plant layout must be studied with respect to dust production and distribu tion. and the housekeeping and existing dust control equipment evaluated. The presence of specific hazards, such as toxic gases, abnor mal temperature and humidity conditions, etc, must be explored for their complicating effect upon the whole picture. This is distinctly an industrial hygiene Job, and some of the most critical data requires only medical viewpoint. This is absolute in the case o f tuberculosis study and the qualifying of men for employ, mem. _ So far, not one atom of engineering to suppress dust is involved. It is entirely anal ysis of hazard. The diagnosis must be that the dustiness is hazardous to health or that it is sate. If it is hazardous, it must be brought down to a specified residue If it isn't, leave it alone. .On the second point, if the hygienists " can hot specify threshold limits graduated upward for relatively less haaardous dusts, let the engineer not worry about it. The diagnosis is dust which is harmful and too much of i t T he remedy is control of the dust. The engineer designs controls which will produce the lowest practical residual dusti ness. He should not attempt to write hts own specifications of threshold limits or permis sible dustiness. This may be an important goal in the study of dust health hazards. " Safe Lim its A t the pr&i&t'tm le lhe-.me<ftei;men and hygienists f e e 1.that quartzjjqst Is:safe 000K 0 Twenty-sixth National Safety Congress lielow five million particles. They seem will- tricat phenomena which bear upon dust be-s ' 'system. Loss at th li., mmegdiutom gsrialdicuaataendup5w0armdilltioon2i0ormliollwionsilfiocar haTvihoors. e are all principles o, f physics which1" ipnidpelodsessiignn thmeudstuet 0( the metal and percentages. Five million particle) is virtually dust frep, and is very difficult and expensive explain the behavior of dust and upon whichi pressures and erosi to achiere and maintain. The declaration of engineering practice must be based. They: safety of the installation) must remain in the must be understood and be taken into aeeotm The selection o f . hands of the medical and hygiene groups in Dust control is not a matter only of genn^ ' is a matter of cal. whose haitds now lies the responsibility for ventilation; the engineer must study the pro. Power consumpcior determining the hazard. duction as well as the dispersion. The problem tie, fans follow cer should be analyzed to determine the appliQ, ; oust know the beh W e now enter the chapter of our discussion bility o f segregation, enclosure, wetting, locg * peller type, radial intended to demonstrate that dust control is exhaust and general ventilation. other fan periormat an engineering job, that it must be given scenttfic treatment, not guess work, applying In some instances, substitution of non-hir". v ardous material, or non-dust-produdng oper. Jdore physics an. goes into the iir-i engineering methods which are based upon a atlons may have specific application, and they lection of graviu knowledge of physical law, the behavior of should be explored first This implies plant method depends up dust, the performance of air-moving machin ery, etc. engineering. I am convinced that many badv' calculation for any installations are bad because plant engineering; edge of discharge t Prerequisite Knowledge was not used. In the designing of exhaust : systems installed to capture the dust at the t mutation of sizes o behavior of cyclone: t e Let me recite briefly, a few of the things which, in my opinion, the engineer should know to do this job correctly. He must know how to make a survey. Surveys depend upon sampling, and sampling is not a catch-as- proposition. It involves the place, the time, the frequency, the amount in a sam ple. and the number of samples so that maxi mum, minimum and average data mean some points of generation, the physical behavior of T air moving toward hoods and in ducts must'v be known, and that knowledge used. Eadt system must consist of collection hoods, pip. j mg, air-cleaning plant and a source of suction. V Before selecting a hood for a job the engineer? must know dust dispersion by dynamic prc-ii jection as well as dust dispersion by air car-,5 rents, and design the hood accordingly, * a filter, and if so. v perform,.how big it resistance and how i say nothing of the relation to cleaning, items for accurate er '' Apparatus to checl thing, so that credibility can be given them. F o r the type o f sample Involved he must know how to weigh or count respirable dust, as distinguished from large masses of non respirable dust which complicate the picture. He must know How to observe the sources of dust floods as distinguished from conditions of normal dustiness. He must know the sources of dust and the principles involved III the dispersion of dust. He must determine how much dust enters the problem because it is part of the material, and what dust is created in the process by the fracturing o f the material A n y less survey cannot tell the engineer Knowledge Needed The aero-dynamic characteristics of suction': hoods appear to be little known because link ' thought was given to them in designing thousands ol hoods which can be found every where in industry. Alt the possibility ior entrapping dust and much of the efficiency 1 V the system lies in this factor. Air velocity, * static suction, and rate of air flow are ail J related, and they must be known. It is essen tial to use high velocity of air in certain typo of exhaust systems to entrap dust projected at high velocities as in the case of a granite surfacing machine, and low velocities must 1 'ri--' The I . Chief E Considerable conk past as to just what tion in the prevent: just what Is the eng vious upon even ca two sciences must \ their efforts to solve t what his task of dust control is. To visualize that task intelligently he should know the physics o f Brownian motion, laws of resist ance to the motion of particles moving in air, b.o.th _when the .a--ir iVs in", turbulence -anvdi fivotr V used in others, as in the case of cleaning asbestos fibre of dust to prevent wasting material Quantity ot air and its velocity must be deptermitnted, tnhen tnhe piping sthtoutlda be ndecc.s-j Stream-line motion. He should lm o^erm iniL,.f*sttH vrtake-trtt<riccoiuit the behavior o fi velocities, movements due to) centrifugal mo- air-flow through pipes at low and high veloe-k lion i flocculation and the effeactes o*vff sir m_-o.t1i_on i*ties. vWtnhere t..he problem .is comp.l.icated. bj 4 and the effects of humidification on it. He the large sfzed-tartides which go along with must know all about the difficulties of wetting the fine dt sffiruJpythese behitfi'rhst be takgpi and what is known about overcoming these into accot R -Pressure losses are very impor-.c difficulties. He should know the several elec- ' tant etenfeS*. in,"the design ol an exhaust ' l-';-TM--4 __ _ .-tu. .. . The physician thro must be able to tell t are dangerous and v know how those dm the manner in which .must be trained in tl sons who are to be dust, and to discover diseased, or are pe dust disease. He mu: ,,first signs o f diseast '.posed to dust, and Industrial Dusts 9S [ttm Loss at the hoods, loss at the bends, tions must be known and used. Performance j |0j5 n the duets must not be guessed at. cannot be left to guess work. Supplying suffi physics why :d upon why: bated. *" *" i- S g K " Jesign must take into account the gage ' hi the metal and reinforcing to withstand J&prosures and erosion. ' i into iceoiBT^ ^ ^ T h e selection of a fan and its motive power '!) o f gent S r j '- a natter of calculation, not guess work. aud y the pig" ^ p CWer consumpu'on in the! system is calcuia- The problif W^ble fais follow certain laws, so the engineer s the ipplkgt " ^tbust know the behavior 6f axial flow, pro wetting, 1035s peller type* radial flow, paddle wheel and cient air to be exhausted is part of the prob lem. The same may be said of heating. - Do 1 give the problem too severe a build up ? I think not. Remember these two things: 1. You are dealing with hazardous mate rial so small in size and so little o f it by weight that it is as invisible as the air that bears it. .other fw performance. , n at non-laj ^tWiore physics and engineering calculation 2. Physical laws involved in the behavior during 0pS5 gbes into the air-cleaning apparatus. The of dust and air do not permit Inexpensive methods of control. I am acquainted witli don, and thS* .Selection of graviBtion, inertial or filtration budgets set up for this purpose which amount implies pbiy. method depends upon what the dust is, the to more than a quarter of a million' dollars, at many y j j 1 ?calculation for any methods requires knowl- and I know of many where 60 to 80 thousand t engineering : ^ ed ge of discharge through stacks, the deter- dollars is involved.- of exhautt wS'inmition of sizes of settling chambers; the ' dust at the ^behavior oi cyclones. The use or non-use of The need for this much engineering is rec ' beiuvior filter, and if so, what type, how it should ognized by men who know. Already much ducts m ar a y `perform, .how big it should be, what kind of has been done toward getting the knowledge used. EadT/ resistance and how much each kind offers, to Into handbook shape. Perhaps the best jah hoods, pij2 iS^eiay nothing of their - proper location with of this sort to date is " Fundamentals Relating e of suctiob^ *(relation to cleaning, accessibility, etc., are all to the Design and Operation of Exhaust the engines ^Jjitans for accurate engineering determination, Systems" developed under American Stand ynamte pti? '-uts-'-- tus to check the behavior of installa ards Association procedure. - by air ctiS dinr '~ zs of suction -.' cause little' designing und everysibility for fficiency of.r velocity, -w are alt it is essen*' tain type* projected a granite es mustbev cleaning : wasting must be d be dehavior of gh veloc- icated by ong with be takoi^ y impor-4 exhaust " T h e D o c to r 's P a r t in C o n tro llin g D u s t H a z a rd s B y A . D. L A Z E N B Y , M.D., F .A .C .S. Chief Surgeon, M aryland Casualty Co., Baltim ore, Maryland .' Considerable confusion has existed in the past as to just what is the physician's func tion in the prevention o f dust diseases, and just what is the engineer's. It is very ob - vious upon even casual lhought_that .she .two sciences must work -hand' lit hand in their eflorts to solve the problem. The physician through his special training !. " mujl be able to tell the engineer what dusts are dangerous and whit ir e n o t H e must know how those dusts enter the body and the manner in which they do their harm. He must be trained In the examination o f per sons who are- to be employed to w ork in dust and to discover those who are already diseased, or are peculiarly susceptible. to ' dust disease. He must be able to detect the . prst signs of disease in workers who are ...exposed to dust, and must be prepared to recognize the disease when U is fully de veloped. _ It Is not necessarily the physician's func tion to analyze dust. That is a task for the -chemist and the'petrogtapher. It is not the physician's function to count the particles of dust in a given industrial atmosphere. That, in reality, Is the function o f the engineer. It is not the physician's function to devise ventilating equipment for the removal of dust, nor even to be more than an adviser as to the means that must be adopted to render the atmosphere safe. The physician nevertheless must correlate with his medical knowledge and with_ his studies of-thi-industrial w orker the findings o f the engineer. ,8ntM .sis o f silicosis, for example, requ iref'fel;m crely dianffittristiq- occupational histqn!i|td tffiamcteHsti<iHysi;` - -a,`-- - -i-. 0 0 0 1 o *# 0 96 Twenty-sixth National Safety Congress 'LW - 1 c il findings, but the knowledge as well that W e have no real knowledge as to trut worker himself, but r the patient has been exposed to hazardous figures, but as a simple rule, we can adopt; jnd the public genera dusts in dangerous concentrations. for practical purposes the thought that the ing susceptibility to tu A ll dusts when inhaled in excessive human body can withstand successfully a .*- Complicated b quantities may be considered as harmful, but concentration o f dust containing 100 per cent, only a few can be regarded as dangerous. silica dioxide in a particulate size less thaai 10 microns, in a concentration not in excess.. Silicosis per se does "as a complicating fac From the Standpoint o f their dangerous properties, they may be divided into three o f 5,000,000 particles per cubic_ foot. If yt decrease the percentage o f silica dioxide,1, recovers despite trea general groups. present in the dust, we can correspondingly., 'virtual so afflicted is ".led himself, but a i 1. Those which are dangerous because o f increase the concentration with comparative; with whom he comes r their poisonous action, such as lead, arsenic, safety. W e must, of course)-take, into a c the fellow worker wt liK' mercury*) and simitar substances. . - count the-portion o i the worker's time spent, So perhaps the mosl 2. Those which cause only irritation in the in the dust>* atmosphere. ' which the services o f t respiratory tract, resulting in such condi T o arrive at a rough conception o f a safe: trade arc necessary ar iV tions as bronchitis or local inflammation; atmosphere, we multiply the percentage or discovering and barri such substances as vegetable fibre, cork dust, free silica in a given dust by the total num.; a silicious dust those flour, starch, and other relatively innocuous ber of particles per cubic fo o t If the result, ready have arrested I organic or inorganic materials. . is under 5,000,000 the condition may be coo^ ondly, discovering iho 3. Those which tend to produce fibrosis o f the lungs, thereby predisposing to respira tory infections, especially tuberculosis, such dusts as asbestos, silica dioxide o r m ag nesium silicate. I shall' confine my remark* chiefly to dusts occurring in the latter category. It has been generally believed that the harmful effects o f dusts inhaled into the lungs depended more upon their physical sldered relatively safe. If the result is over? 5,000,000 the condition must be regarded asj unsafe. . -3 Bear in mind too that silicosis is essential!;; a disease of great chronicity. Except in * few exceptional instances it will requittz from seven to thirty years for a worker to develop advanced silicosis. It is evident tor that coincident dusts may either retard the development o f silicosis or hasten it Recol research seems to indicate that the admix-.! - posed to dust, possibi . whom tuberculous inf ..veloped. 'f. It is well recognin .'.' should be expostd to '' dioxide until he has i '' physical examination. : '*made and interpreter . chest. It is likewise < miliar with silicosis t exposed to silicious c structure than upon their chemical. It w as ture o f aluminum dust to a silicious diati the privilege o f frequ believed, for example, that silica dioxide, or will greatly Inhibit the reaction o f the latter;) fions and x-rays of t quartz, was particularly harm ful because o f whereas a silicious dust combined with sooti , to discover the existen its crystalline structure, and the hardness alkaline coincident dusts may hasten the de-j j but to discover a cou and sharpness o f its particles. This concep tion is now known to be faulty. T he dusts which cause their damage by mechanical in terference with function are the dusts which are relatively innocuous, whose symptoms are transitory, and which subside upon re moval from exposure to the dust. velopment o f silicosis. - ; Much research is now under way in proK. iems such as this. W e h avi never learned heto cure silicosis, but we are learning rap'd?, how to prevent i t Our knowledge in tM, respect seems to be limited to the removal Wj dust from the breathing zone of the wrko- snch exists. ' A man so diseased s thimself and to all v in contact, be remove me emphasise the use examination, unless i properly taken x-ray Chemical E ffeet la H arm ful Later discoveries may show us how ' ot gross'tuberculosis. The disease o f particular interest to us today, silicosis, owes its harmful effects very largely to a harmful chemical reaction oc curring between silica dioxide and the body tissues. It so happens that silica dioxide is decidedly a tissue injfM lt to Jh.e_body,-re gardless o f the"part o f the body it invades, it causes local irritation, local destruction o f tissue, and the replacement of that tissue by scars. * _ Thus, given a dust containing silica diox ide in sufficient concentration, in sizes small enough to permit its entrance to the ultimate air spaces in the lungs, we have a situation which offers danger to the worker. m odify existing dusts with conlam^^ dusts that will render silica dioxide mnoc*; ous. , vi Owing to its very great chrontdty, *J j only the rare' case who actually develop - disabling silicosis during his industrial J*. time. It is realized, o f course, that tional instances take place, but the ravages o f age usually keep pace walk effects o f dust, so that much lb " -; ability usually attributed to silicosis is in fact, M tsally' atiitnriubuuitaubilec two wo*thTMe'r , eases or*As -*- --_..t.iLesf.LwhaiJcihAiatadinstgfjwVwn*g'Jf bring in { Sr wake, T o tnejJiV? silicosis,* i peril not o n ly.ji& tii W'd"1' ' It is the function o fort, to conduct in a t! * . gent manner the pre: . .fito of ail'persons . in a dusty trade. Th joination should be .* i discover and bar fror _Wy person who is ..miosis in an active, . ed state. . ; '"^r ^ possible except!' ^" dividual! suffering I .iTSIff^aty complex, or .fiction. lr is well kr f e " .0001. c as t9 we can Jght thj ; 100ptf i not in e S foot. iica dio^t r P o tu iu k com pany ike intojS' '%time ~ ~ >n of i rcentagelj total np&' f the rt^ok !> suit i] o y ? egardedlT esseni xeept m T iIl*l reqm'|*Ttt": ' * 0"' & evr to' eta.. 1S', it. Rtcta^ :he admit., clous doit' the latter; with s o o t. n the de- r.l in prob- med ho* 5 rapidlr e in this moval of : worker, how to camhunt innocu-' :ty, It is, develops ill life : excepinddait ith the he dis s often, er dis-! ? years ' peril of lustrial -- Industrial Dusts 97 X V himself, but his family, go-workers J die public generally, is the accompany >susceptibility < tuberculosis. silica dioxide is very1 likely to excite Into activity a turberculous lesion which may be quiescent or arrested, and once such a lesion is reactivated, (he chances o f recovery are " -.Con>PlicSlted by T u b e rcu l si5 ' biicosis per sc does not kill. Tuberculosis i complicating, factor o f silicosis rarely .yers despite treatment, and the indi- , 0 afflicted is not only totally dis* lkd himself, but a definite menace to all i whom he comes In contact, particularly fellow worker who may have silicosis, wo'perhaps the most important places in iwhieh the services o f the physician in a dusty I'tnde are necessary are-- first, along lines of `discovering and barring from exposure to jjlldous dust those persons who may alTtady have arrested tuberculosis; and seciiodly, discovering those persons already ex i t e d to dust, possibly already silicotic, m iwhom tuberculous infections may have de- frdoped. T/lX j well recognized that no individual remote. The second problem which confronts the physician at the pre-employment physical ex amination is whether a given individual is. by reason o f secondary physical detects, more susceptible to the development of sili cosis than a normal. Is he suffering from diseases of the nose or upper_respiratory tract, such as chronic sinusitis, disease of the lungs or air passages, or obstructions which produce mouth breathing? W e must remember that silica dioxide is not dangerous until it reaches the lungs, and that the normal individual retains in the nose and the upper air Passages a Urge quantity o f the dust Inhaled from the atmos phere. In. instances where this nasal reten tion is disturbed, exposure to silica dioxide dust may be dangerous to that individual, where it would not be to another. rihouUI be exposed, to dust containing: silica It i$ believed'that certain diseases of the oxide until he has undergone a thorough heart and circulation, o f the kidney., possi [physical examination* including carefully b l y syphilis, chronic coincident diseases ot made and interpreted x -ray films o f ms rchest. It is likewise obvious to anyone.u'miliar with silicosis that no person-who is exposed to siUdous dlut should be denied the privilege o f frequent physical examma. fions and x-rays o f the chest, not entirely . to discover the existence of possible silicosis, but to discover a coincident tuberculosis if such exists, A rnan so diseased should, in protection to the lungs, all may render a man J ? " r* ! ceptible to silicosis than normal. The physi cian at his pre-employment examination must follow certain established en ter tn this respect, and bar from exposure to dangerous dusts those persons who through extmg disease may be more ready prey to silicosis or tuberculosis. Re-Examination Needed himself and. to all with whom he comes in contact, be removed from industry. Let me emphasize the uselessness o f a physical after the applicant for employment has successfully passed bis Physical examination and is engaged in a dusty trade the d u^ examination, unless it be accompanied by. -o | the physician is not yet ended. T h u work properly taken x-ray films, 'except in cases man must be periodically re-examined, first of gross tuberculosis. to discover the early appearances o f pul- It is the function of the physician, there fore, to conduct in a thorough and an Intel" gent manner the pre-employment examina tion of all persons who are to be engaged in a dusty trade. The purpose o f this e x amination should be threefold. to discover and bar from employment m dust, monarv fibrosis, but what is even more im portant, to detect the ear y evidences of complicating tuberculous infection. A man should not be dismissed from em ployment In a dusty trade!merely icause 1he has evidences o f non-disabling silicosis. W o r k e r s " dusty trades, especially stone any person who is suffering from tuber* . cutters, moulders, pottery ' rk e r s and culosis in an active, a quiescent or an r-. similar craftsmen, are usually highly skilled, rested state. * . A possible exception might be made in individuals suffering from a so'called Healed primary complex, or a healed childhood in fection. It is well known that exposure to and it seems unfortunate from a social and economic point U i f i f e i P deny them em ployment so long S $ $ r e phys>11^ ^ to carry on. e s p e ^ s m e e the actual di>abling qualities ofttfhooqis arc in doubt. Ik '! OCOKU Twenty-sixth National Safety Congress o f fames. Such operations are usually per* Metal Fume Fever . Exposure to exirer. manent'-and exposures tend to be more con A strict interpretation o f the term " mtui 'onset of fever and c stant, although as a rule the greatest amount fume fever" does not place it in the class of, worker awakens frt o f fumes is generated during tapping opera conditions termed "metal pojsomng." T V temperature and chill tions. reaction set up in the body is not directly br to the chills me Likewise, in the molding processes the mol attributable to the toxic metal, or depend! attacks of malaria . ten m e a l is the source o f metal fumes. In upon the inherent toxicity of the metal jar., oped, nothing in the welding, cutting, and salvage operations, the tides inhaled. T h e superficial action of tb< hot baths - appears metal fumes may originate from metal prod finely divided metal destrovs.the tissues, mi Toward the end o i tl ucts processed, coated surfaces o f the metals, the absorption o f these altered body prottia sweats profusely ane fluxes used, or from the .coating or core of affects the individual much the same u of marked weakness the electrode used. typhoid inoculation or the injection of othu cues some weaknex These latter operations may provide ex foreign proteins. ` day. It is commonly posure to a greater variety o i toxic metals, Metal fume fever has long been reeogniud ind hot drinks o f tea but as a rule such exposures are to lesser concentrations. Exposure usually is less as an industrial disease. Other terms con* monly applied to the condition are: " Brat, ceed in partially ai t>Wn at the first sign each as a dry throa regular since the operations vary from time founders' ague," "brass chills," "zinc fever, the chest. Drinker : to time both as to extent and raw materials or "zinc chills," "spelter shakes," etc. For!-: their experimental used. merly it was thought due to the polsoooni show that even exet Atm ospheric Concentrations effects o f zinc and zinc alloys. Varwof, Individual 2 to 4 he workers in the past quarter century hart} tered the reactions in Data relative to the minimum concentra tions o f metal fumes which w ill produce shown, however, that it may be produced bj.; "fiA Examination of the fumes of metals other than zinc; notably,* suffering from meta metal fume fever are limited. It is believed copper, magnesium, manganese, and probaHyj : gradual Increase in by some-that, except In case o f the super lead. Koeisch* In 192J reported upon tk> e leukocytes which be: sensitive individual, metal fume fevers can occurrence o f metal fume fever among eav fi'the attack and pertt: be avoided by keeping atmospheric concen 4 ? trations below 10 milligrams per cubic meter ployees in a copper rolling mill. o.T 1 the fever has disapp o f air. Drinker and his associates* suggest Investigation showed the pten to be worliv white blood cells ap 15 milligrams per cubic meter as a safe limit ing under conditions which caused them Br . bearing upon the dr breathe air containing heavy concentraticoc mnnity established. where workers are exposed to the fumes of zinc oxide, provided the fumes o f such im of copper dust. The symptoms rcsembWi . . This probably acct "brass lounders' ague.". In his report lx- acteristie clinical ob: purities as lead, cadmium, and arsenic are not also present in harmful amounts. quotes Kissalt* as showing that meretuK nickel, and probably other heavy metaw. an most likely to be Period. More cases O ur knowledge o f safe Umits_ from the when inhaled in vaporized form caused or on the first day viewpoint of chronic metal poisoning is like symptoms similar to those o f "brass fouwv \ absence of one or tv wise meager. Prolonged exposure to lead ers* ague.' i>.Jne condition is f concentrations in the air breathed should be Drinker and his associates* in 1927 re^ ' fleering new emplc kept below 1j milligrams per 10 cubic meters ported that men experimentally exposed h- .. returning to work af o f air.* In the study o f chronic mercurialism fumes o f magnesium developed the classic* from exposure. among fur cutters* it was found that cases developed after prolonged exposure to at symptoms oi metal fume fever, ; As a rule, gastroin ,T seldom complained < mospheric concentrations varying from .6 to 72 milligrams of mercury per 10 cubic Clinical Picture o f M etal Fume Fev" The clinical manifestations o f metal fa* * exposure has been jflectirig the dig tr meters of air. fever are as follows-'. A t the end o f the W s ;r. Jf well josov>-n. tha ' 1,Le'i5"`tha5n r 5cf*iin t t)i those exposed to or 2 to 12 hours following exposure to mwb toxic me concentrations which did not exceed 2 milli fumes, .the ind..i.v..i.d...u..a..l not-ices a dtynessf OiiHlJ-^-.^tldiiig and emtio grams per 10 cubic meters o f air developed the throat in addition to the metallic W > ,=>"j substances Ic symptoms o f chronic mercurialism, and all cases that developed under such exposure which most workers commonly e x p e n e n ^ ^ _ zinc, as wc during exposure. A. feeling of i V ? * which arc use were mild. Canavan and his associates' re- no cond ported upon a ease of'^hronte maiiSnes'e the chest.'tying with the ^poisoning which deve-lIonpneedd ffoollllmowviinnng eexxpo<a ^ ^ d ic a te s the severity o f chills and !; effects proc sure to manganese dust, where the concentr: SiSiVgjfch are toriollovt.. In mil4.ca$fi*-4 >cJ iv to zinc fumes. ^*2?* *h lion in the atmosphere was `from 10 to 4J&- viddal may not;fc&a>vare of any complajffffifof of a chilly sensation C ^ c in g attacks o milligrams per cubic meter o f air, 9 to 12 pi cent of which was manganese* lowed by sweating and general wcakn ^cwhat poorc. 000143 Industrial Fumts, Casts and Vapors 101 Me ,c TMt " m s f in tiic clu jS r Msoning." j g ; ii.not direct I. or depeidethe metal ^ : (an of (jj :he tissues, j ,j : I body prottij the sjm e JJ ;ction o f oi een reeoi. ir terms ,7 n are: "Bn* ' " cine fever* es." etc. For-' the poisonous avs. Variota century - produced by -in c; notablj1, and probably :cd upon tbe r among- cut/' n to o f f iseo j n to' mccntratiom cis resembled is report bt n t mercury, eavy metals orm caused irass found- in 1927 re exposed to the classical me Fever metal fume o f the day, ire to metal dryness of ttaliic taste experience tghtness of are, usually and fever :s the indi fever and ation, fol takness. 'aposure to extreme cold may hasten the ; ht of fever and chills, but as a rule the * iicer awakens from sleep with a high perature and chills, which are quite simi- [O the chills and fever experienced in Jacks o f malaria. A fte r they have devel- d , nothing in the w ay q f extra covers or jt baths appears to affect these chills, 'owafd the end o f the attack the individual eats profusely and is left with a feeling Sot marked weakness. In the majority of s some weakness is still felt the next _H, It is commonly believed that hot baths snd.bot drinks o f tea or lemonade may sue* ibced in partially aborting the attacks, if jr a fa n at the first sign o f respiratory difficulty ``gioch as a dry throat or tight sensation in ' ithe chest. Drinker and his co-workers* by iliTtheir experimental work . were unable to rth ow that even excessive "sweating" q f an .'Individual 2 to 4 hours after exposure al"tered the reactions in any manner. '"{-Examination o f the blood of workers .-affering from metal fume fever shows a "gradual increase in the polymorphonuclear leukocytes which begins toward the end of 4%thc attack and persists for some time after ''-"tbe fever has disappeared. This increase in white blood cells appears to have a direct `bearing upon the degree of temporary im- Z enmity established, .,, This probably accounts for another char acteristic clinical observation, The workers are most likely to be affected alter a vacation period. More cases develop after a holiday or on the first day o f the week, after an absence of one or two days from exposure. Tbe condition is found more frequently affecting new employees or old employees . returning to work a fter a prolonged absence from exposure. As a rule, gastrointestinal disturbances are__ seldom complained o f except in eases "where" exposure has been to fumes o f substances affecting the digestive system. For instance, it is well known that line coated metals con tain other toxic metals as impurities. The welding and cutting o f these release the toxic substances together with the fumes . from the line, as well as fumes from certain Duxes which are used. W e have no conclusive evidence regarding chroniiuffectc-neodaced-bw-KPCttcd expo sure to line fumes. A study o f workers in brass foundries11 showed that the group ex periencing attacks o f metal fume fever were m somewhat poorer physical condition than were those who. did not,develop fever and chills. Theoretically, those experiencing ir regular exposures and complaining o f re peated attacks o f fever and chills which leave them in a generally weakened condi tion would, in a measure, develop lessen! resistance to acute and chronic infection. Detailed information regarding the pa thology of metai fume fever is not available. A search o f the literature at hand fails to show any record o f death from metai fume fever, uncomplicated. The illness is of such a transitory' nature that most o f our knowl edge regarding blood changes is the result o f experimental w ork and Isolated case re ports. In view o f the fact that zinc is relatively nontoxic, and o f the conclusions expressed by Drinker and Fairhall" regarding the hy'gienic position o f vine, it is difficult to show why chronic illness should result from ex posures producing simple metal fume fever. It would seem, however, that in considera tion o f the recent work showing the role played by zinc in the treatment of diabetes with insulin, possibly some investigation should be made to determine if exposure to metal fumes capable o f producing metal fume fever may not affect the endocrine system, especially in persons with some metabolic disturbances, such as potential diabetes or thyroid dysfunction. Differential D iagnosis Metal fume fever may sornctimes be over looked. unless the physician considers occu pational environment. T h e condition may simulate attacks o : grippe or bronchitis; or, if in a malarial region it may be mistaken for a fresh attack or a relapse from a former attack o f malaria. Careful study of the blood vviH.aid in diagnosis; those suffering with grfppe or bronchitis seldom show the increase in white cells usually found present in persons suffering from metal fume fever, while those with malaria usually show the organisms present in their blood. The dura tion o f symptoms is usually less in the ease of metal fume fever. However, it is not uncommon to find per sistent rates upon examination o i the chest several days a fte r an attack. However, in persons w ith grippe or bronchitis, these rlly asaoyt4*gjlh a sUgiir-n-T . peraturejivRzjHtjjj not found ; (fjnetal fum{;"j3$jdr, uncoropll-: ive exposure' p'fflduclnc metal '' i 102 Twenty-sixth National Safety Congress fume fe y e rm a y be followed by attacks of bronchial pneumonia, as a result o f pul monary irritation and infective organisms commonly present in the respiratory tract. Metal particles are not the only injurious substance present in fumes generated by some industrial processes. The use o f an acetylene torch in a space with poor ventila tion has resulted in incomplete combustion o f the gas and the liberation of carbon monoxide gas. D oig and McLaughlin" reported upon an illness affecting welders o f galvanized metal, using an electric arc. T h e men complained of lu n f irritation so severe that their sputurn was often blood-tinged. Investigation showed this to be caused by excessive con centrations o f nitrous fumes generated bv the processes. X-ray examination o f the chests o f several in this group, who had been employed for many years, showed d u n * thought due either to the prolonged irrita tion caused by nitrous fumes, or possibly to the fumes o f silica inhaled. The electrodes used were silica-coated. Chronic Poisoning by Metal Fumes toxic, the possibility of poisoning from haling fumes generated in the processing ol any metal should always be given consider-: tlon.' W hile zinc itself may be relative!, nontoxic, it is seldom used in industry in form free from toxic substances such a ; lead, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, and minyY others. . _ . ----- -- -- w Following tRe initial attack of metal fume, fever, because of the temporary immunity which they develop, workers may condone under conditions which caused the attack, and not suffer a recurrence. It must be-, borne in mind that these very conditions may ; afford exposure to other toxic metals which- have cumulative effects and tiler la d to * chronic poisoning. I f atmospheric concentra-, tions o f the fumes are kept below those^ capable o f producing metal fume fever mthen new worker, the chances o f chronic poiioo--, ing by the to x ic metals present as iropunna s are definitely reduced. On the other hand, however, these _ purities may be p r e s e t in amounts to lead to chronic illnesses later, although^ the concentration o f fumes has never pns-j. duccd metal fume fever. " * It is generally recognized tin t the most serious exposures to toxic metals tn industry occur in occupations where the worker breathes air contaminated with these poison ous substances. It is true systemic poisoning by metals may develop in an acute or sub acute form, as a result o f masS.ve p o s u r c However, the vast majority of such cases are chronic, caused by frequent and pro longed exposure which leads to an accumu lation o f the tox ic metal in the body. P ` s " entering the body by way of the >" ne s' be eliminated must be taken up hv the b ood and lymph. W hen present in the blood, they are carried to all parts o f the body. Poisons taken in by way o l the mouth may .noi-be.absorbed but be passed out with the " 'feces. I f absorbed, it may be trapped tn the liver and returned to the intestinal tract in the bile, and eliminated with ` h* <** Some, it is tru e may be transferred by the blood to distant organs. Most heavy metals and their salts are true protoplasmic poisons. Some, such as iron and zinc, are more com mon constituents o f body tissue. The action C lin ical P ictu re o f Chronic Poisoning b y M etal Fume* The symptoms produced (rom metal fumes will-vary. Some metau affect chiefly the nen-ous system, o hert ^ l lining of the blood capillaries, while others , exert most characteristic injury upon the- blood-forming organs. _ - . Generally speaking, the clinical Pjctaare * metal fume fever, regardless of the me responsible, varies only m seventy, that o l metal poisoning per se varies he particular metal fume Inhaled and the degree o f exposure. For example t m issive dosts of lead fumes inhaled produce such acute conditions as lead encephSlTtti and severe gastrointestinal com ply cations; while continued exposure to concentrations will cause such c h r o changes as anemia, lead palsy, and chron* nephritis. . Exposure to heavy concentrations of m _ ccuurryy vapor leads to Mtethneem^orrte'5c' omm^*" tablishcd if exposure is H h e T a r t t . metals are ,, s u a l . K ^ s t i c ffl& i of e h r o n * m e r c u ^ ^ tr i' ' `"V,-. ' , 0001-15 Industrial pmes, Gases and Vapors 103 rom a.' sin* 0( nsidera.-' :l*tively. try in * such u' -d 0121 ' 'ife '' peaking, there are no signs or symptoms o f ^poisoning from metals which can not be due fa other causes. For this reason diagnosis is 'always a matter o f differential diagnosis and fstelal poisoning can only be established by Joreful consideration o f all factors, including fgccupational history, medical history, clinical (itd laboratory findings. Engineering Control It has been found practical to exhaust, locally, most processes generating metal fumes $o that the toxic fume is trapped at Its source and does not gain entrance to the workroom atmosphere. This is done by means o f hoods or enclosed processes. Spe cial hazardous processes can usually be iso i i (urat I! While laboratory findings a re ,| very Im lated in the plant, thereby making potential nmunjty portant factor in diagnosis, they can not be exposure o f ail employees unnecessary. :ontinue relied upon as the sole evidence necessary. Both local exhaust and endosed methods : attack are more effective if tpedal attention Is oust 1* ` Preven tion of M etal Fum e P oison in g given to general workroom ventilation. Dis 2ns may i which i .i ! While the responsibility o f controlling health hazards associated with exposure to posal o f fumes trapped by endosed proc esses and local exhaust or isolation methods I idtcetnotraa- Jumes o f toxic metals rests primarily upon wreaqsuteirsesdothantotatcteonnttiaomninbaetegitvheen atihratdrsanwcnh those r in the the employer, effective elimination o f such hazards can only be secured by the whole into the w ork places by general ventilation. poison- hearted cooperation o f employers, employees, ' M edical Control purities the State, end other regulatory inspection tgencies. Three fundamentals contribute Adequate medical supervision entails spe- most to actual prevention. They are i Good d al care in the placement of workers, and :se im- housekeeping, supported by engineering con should not be aimed at the selection o f only :rfident trol o f hazardous processes, and intelligent super-men, since it is practical to make work though ncdieai supervision. places safe for the average man. Individuals :r pro- with serious kidney, respiratory, or other ' Good Housekeeping systcmle diseases should not be placed where they may be exposed even to minimum con We think of good housekeeping as ap centrations o f toxic fumes. plying to clean floors and w ork benches; W here processes are known to be poten oning metals x r s the others n the are of metal while * with : with ample 1 may -.cephjroplimaller nronic materials, tools, and processes arranged and maintained in good order: adequate lighting, and no overcrowding o f work places by men and materials. All these wilt do much to les sen the concentration oi toxic fumes in the .atmosphere, but seldom is the control o f processes so effective that some fumes do not escape into the general air o f the work room. From here they may be inhaled, or may contaminate the bodies and clothes of the workers. So general workroom ventila tion is a factor in good housekeeping. The provision o f adequate w a sh in g ja d li-- tics is a prerequisite. Under-certain condi tions lockers and showers for workers are necessary for the safe operation o f many processes. tially hazardous, an important cheek on the effidency o f engineering control is gained through regular periodic examination of workers. B y this practice, in many instances, not only will evidence o f absorption be de tected before serious injury has resulted, but an opportunity is afforded to correct control measures so effectively that the workers showing early signs o f absorption may saielv continue at their regular jobs. Routine rec ords o f illness should be kept A n y abnormal rate, o f absenteeism due to -illness'among an occupational group, regard less o f the diagnosis reported, should call fo r special investigation to determine if there are any environmental Conditions aggravat ing the primary illness. .-ironic A s a rule sweeping and cleaning should be Personal Protective Equipment done after regular working hours. Hot only ' mer- can a more thorough job be accomplished, I f proper attention is given to the three aliva- but what is more important, other workers fundamentals mentioned-- good housekeep -nmon will not be subjected to any increase in at- ing, medical and engineering control-- only intra- mosphgric captaminants occasioned by clean spedfic and unusual emergency exposure I ycphiatar-l- iunsgedm, eatchcoudms.ulIa[t'evdac'duuusmt oisr wmeotremeetfhfeocdtsivaerley wteicltlivcealil for the p |? il5ttm*ot personal rictly and safely removed. ' - The i 0001 .ft; ;V. 104 Ttecnty-sixth National Safety Congress in du. ers who must necessarily be exposed to metal fumes should be of spedal construc tion and adapted tp the processes and ma terials used. The-'United State Bureau o f Mines" has, after testing, approved certain types o f masks for workers exposed to spe cific metal fumes. ; No filter type o f respirator capable o f pro tection against toxic metal fumes has been submitted for approval. While two or three filter type respirators have been approved for protection against lead dust, the use o f . which may in a small way reduce the hazard of fumes, they cannot be relied upon ior full protection. Filter type respirators approved for protection against nuisance and pneu moconiosis-producing dusts will not protect the user from toxic fumes. . Several of the hose-line or positive pres sure type masks have been approved, but there are certain limitations to their applica tion which make them impractical for use in same kinds of work- , Substitution In a la st majority of cases, resort to substitution is an impractical method o f eliminating health hazards due to metal fumes. The raw materials used usually have special application. Furthermore, substitu tion is often a dangerous practice, even though it is practical. Instances may be cited where the substituted product has proven equally as dangerous as the one it replaced, the only difference being that less was known a t the time concerning Its toxic properties. Bibliography 1Exp*rimcnui Studies en the Effect* of EihH GuoMac and Sayers A. C. FIitc*ldaCeorr,abWu.iiiPo.a \*Pmro,duacntd*. B. RG,, R. ft Thomas. U. S. Bureau of Mioex, Monorraph No. 2.' 1927, * Quantitative Measurements of the InbaUuoa, Retention and Exhalation of Dusts and Fume* by Man. 1. Concentrations of SO to 4S0 mf. per cubit meter. P. Drinker, R. M. Thomson, and /nm J. L jour. 2nd. JHyx., voi, 10, No. 1, Jao. 1928. Same as 2, n . Concentration* betenr JO m(, oer cubic meter. Brown, C. E. Jour. Ino. Hyr-. ol 13, No. I, Oct. 1931. Studies in Dust Reienuo*. 111. Factors involved In the Retention -of Innalcd Dust* and Fames by Man.** Jour. Ind. Hyi., \ oi. U . No. 9, Nov. 1931. * Metal Fume Fever. IV. Threshold Dow* of Zine Oxide. Preventive Measure* and Chronic Effect* of Repeated Expoiurw. P. D nnker.R, M. Thomson, Jf. L Finn, Jour. Ind. Hyg. \ ol. 9, No. 8, 1927. 1t*ad Poisoning in a Storage Battery Plant Public Health Bulletin No. 203. June. 1933. A study of Chronie MetcunalUm in the Hat. ter* Fur-Cutting Industry* Public Health Bullcu * ''Chronic Manganese Poisoning, Report of a Cue with Autopsy Finding*. Canavaa, M. >U Com,JL Drinker. U K.J Arch. Neurol, and Psyeblat., 9:279 1934. -t. *Metal Fume Fever. Kocl*ch, F. Jour, Ind. Hyf.| VoL S. p. 87, July, 1923. Ueber das Cleufieber und vervandtc ccwcrMIcfe .t Metalldamphnhalationi-WranLhetteiu KissalU 6-v- Ztftcbr. t Hyg., 1912. 71. 472. . Metal Fume Fever. U L The Effect* of lobak , ing Marnesiura Oxide Fume. P. Dnnker. Thomsoa. ^ JL T 7 in iu , J. L Jour. Ind. H>%, \ ol. 9. No, 9, * 1927. ` ,, ^ u Health Hazards in a B riu Foundry. PubGt Health Bulletin No. 157. " Zine in Relstion.to General and IftduitiW Hyriene. C, K. Drinker. L T FurhalL PuWk - Health Reports, \1. 48, No. 32, Aug. 1933. .j X-Ray Appearances of the Lunp of Eltctnt '* Arc Welders. A, T. Dotr and A. X. C. McLautfU* Lancet, April 4, 193d, p> 771 ' U it o( Devices for Respimorr Piuorveeadu br of the U. Mine* S. Bureau of J'hntr*. Information Cireular W. P. *** No. 6915. . Electroplating Fumes and Vapors and Their Elimination B y P . B . R A S T E L L O , M .D, T crn sted t M anufacturing D ivision , G e n e ra l M oto rs Corporation . D etroit, Michigan The industrial physician is responsible fo r the health o f all employees in his plant. In so f i r as their health may be affected by their occupations and their environment. Consequently he must be familiar with the various jobs and conditions under which the men work to know definitely the associated health hazards. He must work closely with the safety, maintenance, chemical and pur chasing departments to keep himself in- formed on changes in methods and materisb- that m ay influence those hazards. > Thus fortified, the physician occupies ` strategic position in the hospital, as the env ployee invariably comes to him first wiw complaints which he may associate svith W* ' yeqyivhich are,^i..feature tharWj*- _jSVisMl investigation"which may 1" TM, ^ la eo very o f 'arf'ufibealthy condition.- a fie/fit the proccsTes' which may be sus- 0001"`i I peted of involving a health electro disposition of metal metal for plating as well as d ing operation, and in the re. _vage material after plating, chemicals are used, such as i allalis, metals and salts, and c offensive fumes and vapors While it is true our prime int the injurious fumes and vaf ,|so interest ourselves in the offensive types, since they n worker's mental attitude, pvr satisfaction which in turn ma efficient work. Poison is commonly Imroc body by three routes, ingestic mouth, absorption through thi lation through the lungs, In our greatest hazard lies in t route; the ingestion and alxare o f lesser importance. Fumes and vapors, such a' may enter the respiratory true and produce local reactions throat and lungs, while others . cyanic add pass through the producing any local symptom* blood stream. , Skin absorption is imporlan with the coal tar derivatives, eneand xylene and the pctrole as carbon tetrachloride and U Since these are all volatile, occur by inhalation as well as Ingestion Is Ra . Ingestion o f poison by mout r and is usually the result of . i:. dent However, in the lead industry, rigid precautions m .prevent the ingestion o i lead have been deposited on the body of men while working a ing tanks. In general in all cleetrolyf respective of the constituen : only "two gases are liberated, anode ana hydrogen at the ,d>e anode efficiency is alway oathode efficiency relatively fjjrther fact that the gases ; V, "Se relation of two hydrogen l* h e gas from.the anode is Pared with that at the catho :;..;-.Thc amount of oxygen an J'.i- i? :0!, as such, is of no ec Cement and Quarry Sections Cement Section . Officers 1936-37 . u Hi-VT Nazareth Portland Cement Co., Nazareth. Pa. ,,,,,1 cl "nr" ,m> F x v " T" , M'eduia Portland Cement Co.. Toledo. Ohio. * ? "..... C ^ rP o rtla n c l Cement Assn.. Chicago. Ul ~ t t "c 2 Z Z * . A. * s - * * * -- c - " L" KAngeles. Calif. . M ....... \ R e-niNOER, Lehigh Portland Cement Co., im itn hip Committee Chmrmoa-H L M tt A. KEM.no a, AHento'Vn, Pa. K a s s io v Huron Portland Cement Co.. Detroit. Mich. I<r Committee Chnrmmt-J. ^ A jh Grove Lime & Portland Cement ardin Conmittce Clminmm-.K. It. SUM3t.HL.vao, . ^Kansas City, Mo. J ? B CoUUA-nTMissouri Portland Cement Co.. SL Louis. Mo. I r! b Fohtois, Pennsylvanii-Dixie Cement Corp . Natarc b, I a. I b o S . Hunt. Vnlvcrsal A lla, Cement Co C h . ^ Ul. S x . P05SF.U, Lone ?tar Cement Corporation. N eu Zook. Great Lakes Portland Cement Corp.. Bu . . . Officers Elected for 1937-38 ^ R. Curtis, Portland ^ L e t t e r d;io ^ .t C K l :Em ,TE . Can a C . ^ *5w <rm j C om m ilf Cheirman--W u-uam .uoclu. Montreal. P. Q. Canada. ^ ^ ^ DlUas, >rr. , , N. Southwestern Portland Cement Co.. Los W uny Committee Clmirmm-- M. A . K o r ftt.'.. sS S iS ,,, , a , TM , , , - , a . *. t*w Ct" " c"~A""' S i 'c ,,.,, C W .. - ! . W. * = * H u t." h W C-- ot Large-- _ . , .. B m ix itu . Missouri Portland Cement W . .' . >j."-B.,I5. V(.*tuin, Penn-vivzria-Dixie Cement Corp.. - 1 . c . Hutu. Inivertal A llas C em en t Co.. Chicago. 1.. P'c.n:,.r, Lotte Star Cement Corporation. Sety \o rk . N. '>. V :4 > U T ,, Wn, yuousa Pcrdand Cement Co.^Manitotvnc. " k, Great Lake4 ?oniaml Ccir.<m O r ? .. Bulla .............. 0 -* * * _ Cement and Quarry Sections / V v^1^-',S> ' --.d s, noni,c siimilUarity 0o1f procceudurce m11 udi- die work of any man on any job; but / industries employ suck different H||l Eive ri '.'EK?3-viyd"if"f,:r'o''f, pe. 0o]p>llee,, mmuinteer saumc-h., aa w" ide variety:l10". U . V t c i 01** ,,,,L.vLt,tnancce%cs., and place such a diver- ':n cll i\. i't/'i1 'requirements .upon them that the V ^jence jupervisory training in its more '--. r `"uetrafiivojj . slft/y.1" h,ensivc .aspects is peculiar to each V -ttvp c 01 . , ., ,, . r < r tn ,i,, ,1(J Iieral treatises on leadership give ^ ^ i p o i n d w o r k . but the subject matter for ""} Inedia--; wh all 'ii, . any supervisory training course for any par ticular industry lies within that industry. We must go out and see how our job is being supervised now; analyse tire procedure oi every foreman and supervisor; compare them and select the best; look upon supervision as a process in itself, and see how best to direct die work of the people. It is a long, tedious, and costly process, but one which, carried through to completion, will pay dividends in the end. . . d a r Ih, ast ashjQ.' .' our morire ::es and ti,eV a 'l " 00 noi stj . - i f cent.:`C; W EDNESDAY LUNCHEON SESSION O ctober 13. 1937 M ^ Chicago `'A, .''V nii biems ijoag' reman Wiyfff g of th jobs. ,'c Y Mira? tha . 5 3 ? ility and feelv .ning about It..'. .ccident on a euiarly has i v u ^ 'i h e Wednesday Luncheon session o f the S ^ & m e n t and Quarry Sections was addressed ---- Kvllsalah Hale, Superintendent o f Safety, hison. Topeka and Santa Pc Railroad, spoke on " The Common Sense o f Safety." The address was substantially the same as another address by Mr. Hale before the Steam Railroad Meeting. The complete paper will be found in the Steam Railroad section of this volume. W EDNESDAY A FTERN O O N SESSION . O ctober 13,' 1937 : ioreman or :t the work : does and riming pro- -joriiy of ail . directly or :r: of super,-t properly. training .i necessary, ry training procedure -l! or vota ci the techi not.scein ":;re is. Work of the National Silicosis Conference . By R. "CAM PBELL STA R R Assistant Safety Engineer, U. S. Department o f Labor, D ivision of Labor Standards. W ashington, D . C. Silicosis is strictly an occupational disease. Medical science has not reported silica dust as affecting any individuals except those who, over relatively long periods of time, have worked in an atmosphere where the air which they breathe contained excessive con- eentraiions of free siiica. The interest o f the U. S. Department of Labor in a broad social and economic prob lem such as this lias its origin in the Organic Act, effective March 4. 1913. which created the Department. This act, among other tilings, gives the Department ct Labor tiic duty " to foster, promote, and develop the welfare o i the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profit able employment." W ith this nH^ijld. and believing that through joint e -K'-jpll tdriqggSteHjtscr, rottiti be done a te th < *fft$ n :i th<! Secretary oi L fed sngethtr^MKs'cash- 0001:1 TSSi IP.! 1 f mm :w5* t . y *** t j*. * `: -`/vx.-w' L'- $/ **w . Sa... ' ,.5'''`ii-'j'-'i.'"!*-'! .''-`"r.'ii'v - s>.v. A - . A . .? -`.vi/Vi. ' .. LS S'atiiDul i'll: V Coitqrc.n ington on February 26, t936 a group of about 73 men representing leader? :n indus tries having g silica problem, labor leaders, and ouistandjng representatives ot rise medi cal, legal, and engineering professions, as well as insurance carriers and State adminis trators. _ Alter considering various phases of the silicosis problem, this group generally agreed that through a pooling of knowledge and a frank discussion through the conference method important advances could be made toward, first, overcoming the hysterical at titude on the part of employers, labor, and others; second, after careful investigation, to consolidate in one place all ,mown data with regard to the preventive engineering methods; third, analysis and recommenda tions in connection with adequate standards of compensation for those workers disabled as a result of the disease. As an outgrowth of this initial meeting, another group, similar in composition to the first conference, but expanded to include some 200 individuals, was invited to come to Washington on April 14, 936 to outline ways and means of attacking the preUcm, After hearing silicosis discussed from the stand- point ot the employer, labor, and the medical profession, by outstanding experts in the field, this large group endorsed '.'.c confer ence method as proposed, and as a result tour main working committees were ap pointed by the Secretary ot L a :;r with the advice and consent of the group to investi gate and report upon the outstaying phases of the silicosis problem. These committees were: (1) Committee on the Prtvcntion of Silicosis through Medical Ccr.trul, (2) Committee on the Prtvcntion of Silicosis through Engineer;-C ontrol, (3) Committee on the Ec'.r.omic, Legal and Insurance Phases o f Silicosis Problem, ` (4) Committee on the I! .jlatory and Administrative Phases of '.'.i Silicosis Problem. A fifth committee, known a v.c Correlat ing Committee, was named. It -.as under the chairmanship of W. H. Camer'.n. Managing Director of the National Safety Council, and consisted of the chairman of the (our tech nical committees just mentioned and two ad- visors, one on labor problems and one Cp .-ose already pcrmancic mining matters. - lc\t employment by rca* These committee members served without compensation and gave freely of their iime and effort in studying the problem from (heir respective viewpoints. After nine months of careful and searching study, these commit tees advised the Secretary of Labor that they were ready to report. Consequently, on February 3, 1937 the Second National Silicosis Conference was called in Washing -OSlS* . Tlte status ot the to the hazard oi si US by the committees ; A percentage of I workers having silicon ''partially disabled beer 'w d have their thtTict 'plicated witlr lubcrcul ton. At this tim summary committee re ports were presented to the Secretary and considerable discussion was given them. ' The remainder oi it " tillcosis and disability po tuberculosis. - Shortly after this second national confer ence the Department published, as Bulletin No. 13 of the Division of Labor Standards, the summary reports ot the four committees Yr: referred to above, together with an abstract ' v version containing the principal findings and recommendations written in non-technical language. 5^ .Approximately 10. but no disability and i .b. Approximately 900 'silica dust, but have n j'base. .Contrary to popular t ''develop. Usually it Joore o f exposure to sd .T he full reports of the committees, t t , .([ contract the discos prising several thousand typewritten p a s ^ 'lavc'bccn known to < are now being edited and will go to .the^J leirjdd as one and om printer very shortly, ift is expected that jmder ee=x"trTMem"e' "a"n"d ur they will be issued in four separate volumes* ^6eother hand, m y sometime during the fall or early winter,. , 3y- etaiddeerr oorrddiinnaarryy ce.xpi ost . ihau' 30 years withoi . . titrable whatever that Nature and E xtent of Silicosis ,',AS -silicosis. ., . Physicians generally agree that silicosis, `f ' Silicosis J in the layman's language, is a disease of the " lunsi. caused by breathing air containing Silicosis can Ijc pre silica dust, in which tile normal lung tissue ways*. First, by pret is replaced by fibrous or scar tissue. rilica dust i second, Persian o f dust inlc Silica dust is found in many industrial - working area: and l operations, but the hazard is acute only w it> apply the first tv such industries as metal mining; anthracite of personal protect mining; quarrying, drilling, and tunneling11' respirators, lo prove granite, ganister, and sandstone; smelims dust * and refining; foundries: psoatltteries; gi "w**5 works; stone-products industtrriieess; grinding: I1n carrying out burnr.g; and sandblasting. nany agencies must . t 'i T ' o1f the committees s' Of the 49,000.000 workersi iinn tthhee L iut^ employer is called o. Statesronly 1000.000. 0r 2 per cent, it t* *nd to spend most limatcd, arc in any way exposed to the ' . *ork and money " ard of silicosis. About halt oi this nu"' !' n^ximum results u or l per cent of the total number m2 to cooperate at ' :h.e country, arc exposed to a serious 1 ' iroximatcly 110,000 of these responsibility ior ^nd for using the ; ^ Jcgree,,.,Mctlil < went. [Illy at wofjSJSilirtet 1jjf-i,:.;. d 5,000 wdW ? TM 5` ;aM>': the disease,"iniatldition 0001 I Cernait am) Quarry Sections 259 an^ one Vtj,"t :"?M ho , , . . 3dy Cnptebrmy arneaesnotlny odf edtaiscahbeldingfrsoihmnriflieir *v -eryedayitlio",^ ' 0[ t|,e 1,000,000 workers ex , o f their tin ,.; ,cm from Ibdr.r monthi ot': these commit. M $ T *'e Hazard of silicosis was analysed & io ? < 4 ,0.r'. ..,,,,,,,,iticcsm iakin g the survey! ciitccrs, insurance companies,-.legislators, ad- minislrators. and others. The reports o f the conference committees on engineering control and medical control recommend specific, procedures for attack ing the problem through those two avenues o f prevention. A partial list of these recom mendations follows : lidi sk, iSitf m of Labor .tint'-" Consequently,'"h, cond National z) id in Wa'slung.' committee re-v Secretary and i. ;iven them. VA-*"* .ational confer.^ :ed, as Bulletin'^ tbor Standard,' 'our committets1/ with an abstract.^ ;ial findings andi 1 ^ ^ A Bb v ed"hrirddtfficulties iurthcr com- l^ ih lic a te i w-lth tuberculosis. | | iA T h e remainder o f the 4,000 to 5,000 have ifi^ le o iU and disability in some degree, but y$P.a tcV-.rculosis. ' Approximately 105,000 have silicosis, ^ , K,. -disability and no tuberculosis. ^ .A p p r o x im a t e ly 900.000 are exposed to ' l i i i B a dust, but have not contracted the dis- ^ ie . . , tontiary to popular belief, silicosis is slow Survev the working conditions to deter mine the severity o f the haiard and lndtcate what needs to be done to decrease it. Secure information on best procedure. Design.plant for dust control. Provide building ventilation. , Store dusty materials in dusttight bins. Enclose material-handling equipment. Isolate dusty processes. . Provide wet methods o f operation. Water, oil. and other liquids may be used effectively-- .t non-technieiii j-":Tv; committees, coi ypewritten pagotV 1 w!'1 'o to tlie^ is . ted tta i" '.epaiuie volume^: .r earlv winter.- " ? % ! Silicosis Sh.'deveiip. Usually it lakes seven years or Sdre o: exposure lo iiliea dust for a worker .contract the disease. A few cases that tie bten known to develop in as short a nod as one and one-half years occurred ii& e r extreme and unusual conditions. Oil hbi'othsr hand, many workers have labored Sltotder ordinary exposures to silica tor more K-hlun Ji years without demonstrating any trouble whatever thpt could be diagnosed as ' (Ucosii. ,,c that silicosis, ! Silicosis Prevention 1 1. To suppress dust at the point of origin in such Operations as rock-drilling ; han dling, pulvcrixing, and milling rock and 6re ; grinding metal on grindstones; abrasive-wheel cutting o f granite and sar. i- stone. 2. To prevent the redispersion of dust that has settled on the floors, walls, and other surfaces such as in the granite in dustry and in foundries. Design equipment to control dust. Establish good maintenance and housc- IfaSr a disease of the air containing rmal \m\% ^ uc - tissue, ninny industrial j$ acute only m minpf; anthracite ,, Siii:`.*U can be prevented lu three general "ways: First, by preventing the creation Ot h silica l.o05s1t ;j second, ! y prwev. ewn..t.i.n..g. t--he dis I . persi:-. of dust 'into the atmosphere ol l . work-.j area; and third, it it is impossible to a;;ly the first two methods, by the use of ftrional protective equipment such a. keeping procedure. Provide respirators. Instruct the workers. . Responsibility o f W orkers The cooperation o f lite workers is ncces- . sary ii the haiard of silicosis is to be re n i'll& Ig i SiiMi'iibji and tunneltnff,n .Istonc'i smelting potteries gte* :ftrics; grindings . respirators, to prevent the inhalation ot the (lust. In tarrying out a prevention program, many agencies must cooperate, in the view e i thi committees the pfohlctlt, the rs in the L'nilcJ ; empr-.yer is called on ;o do most nf the work per cent, h i5 i i ' ; and spend most the ttumvy. I'-ut Ins posed to the h*' i i o p this mnv.bcr. - ; .tuilier ot worker# to a serious l'ni` wore and money wt'.i never accomplish the fttai.r.-Jm 'results m-.'n-s* the worker is wt Ilag cooperate a:;-.', carry bis share ot the rc=t-..-.iil,iliiy for k.drill* to ewur.d du-1 .000 pi the-"-: b"' ' 1 f'.r iNint? ilw v 011:1: } rntcctivc Medica! :itiii,|,!S` vk indicate' 1,l .m -k-r- p:iy- fl; J'hlV J1 /.`inUe d*0 !l- duced to the minimum. The worker should rcalile that the safe practices recommended and the equipment provided arc designed to prevent injure- to hlmselt and to US u l OW mpie;, ccs. The equipment should be used as direct-; ! and every ettort should be made to main-air. it in good working order, l-urtnermorc, the worker is frequently m a post imi! IO observe faulty equipment and imsaK .,,actites. and he should matte u a Pat > report ail such cntiditiotii lo Ins supervisor. Statutory \Xion __ !s; primary. :-l !. llw 1rc to the prohmm tlinv.niHhsU oooi;;3 L' l -i-r:S him: -mi'A; ;'P m TM ' *.-.--I-A_rdtl m 'T ; . y.fJ A V f,.-, ,2. tl^.1.. --dx-- . 260 r.\v/,` f v-.ei.n7i .ViJ /i.*.:/ i - f t 'ly Ciiiifin'sf c i the hazard, the fact must be recognized tliat until silicosis has been wiped out. workers who now have the disease, as 'veil ns those who may contract it. must receive workmen's compensation just ns do those workers 'ho are injured in accidents. Accordingly, the committees o f the silico sis conference were unanimous in presenting the following recommendations : . Coverage for silicosis in the compensa tion dots o f all States. This coverage should be compulsory. Because o f competition between the same or similar industries in various Stes, the laws, rules, anti regulations oi ih t several States should be as uniform as practicable. Should B e Insured The employer should insure his obliga tion or compensation either through selfinsurancc subject to the posting o f ade quate funds, or with an authorised in surance institution. or the cunversion o i known facts n medical ami engineering fields workJnj toward prevention, ami in the legal, insurance and regulatory phases looking toward ide. ; quite workmen's compensation, into a prac. tical. readily understood program which will ' adequately take care o f the silicosis prob. M e t h o d s L` lcm. ;,i in its program o f cooperation with the -id States, the Department o f Labor has In- ' eluded a section covering silicosis and simi lar dust diseases. This breaks down into Safety Direc three main sub-headings: (1) Assistance in V the preparation of reasonable and adequate ' codes, rules, and regulations prescribing;methods o f prevention ; (2) assistance in the'-,. establishment o f equitable^ standards of'-' workmen's compensation for those etn-- ' plovces disabled as a result of the disease;5? (3) a general educational program amtmf-a. State officials, faclory inspectors, etc so; that they will be equipped with adequate.*/; knowledge concerning the disease, ' its method of prevention, and its proper treat-*; ment under the workmen's compensation lasa?^ Tbe Lyman-Rich* Btion operates 22 p the state. Each \ individual unit, n foreman and from ihiit Total annua 230, with an aye mao hours. ;-,AII production odredges, involving insult In elcctrocu .drowning. .viUthough our s Insurance should not be denied any em ployer, provided the State authorities certi Follow s Tw o Lines ;h`Brae as those of * j-reeprd in the year fy that he complies with the State require This application program, which is ^jram was 79 lost- ments as to proper safe working condi now getting under way has been commencrfM'.j:ean hours' expos tions, and pays the premiums involved^ W orkers having active pulmonary tuber culosis and silicosis should be removed from employment. Such workers should be granted suitable compensation payments and medical care. W orkers disabled from silicosis (but widi no tuberculosis) should ultimately be granted the same amount of compensa tion as those disabled hy accidental in- |ury. - , . T w o years is a reasonable minimum limitation period (or filing claims sulisc- queiit to the date o f the last exposure. Further A ctivities o f the. Departm ent of Labor In carrying out its duty as stated in tile basic law, the U. S. Department o f Labor has conceived that there is immediate need along two.principal lines t ( 1) The compuiiig\s "sTipany accidents of practical information concerning aztmEjsL .'nry.unfavorablc dust control Installations in typical .Compensation Con hazardous plants, together with ttpproxwaj^; ince firms flatly ri dons as to cost, not only o f installation, hnyr /. -It was evident also of maintenance of dust control equtpvjj, - flint looking out -cu t in such plants ; (2) a program of vtspbg e-ucation supplementing the summary >.`1 full committee reports of the National 5tli- ,-;sis Conference. It is contemplated that,* this field such media as film strips, ` 'ides, posters., illustrated bulletins, etc. ' ; utilized. Further, in connection with * various exhibits o[ the department, shoTM." -r7 various large'expositions, trade a" 0? ' a .'7 meetings, labor and technical meetings, etc., it is contemplated that * .y; factual mforrwation will be used, PO -.sward ways and means .of correcting ' / hazard and o f establishing adequate st ^ ird$ o l workmen's compensation. ' . haywire," so a sa was decided upon - the following mm First, an old ci , plant operations rector, devoting It '--' Stcmd, all cm ' . Piss a physical c ' employees passed comber were fou Third, all mael awde as mecha -cards placed n "owing parts, 1. >n|i guards built e boards- place. ....' -ctr ifm mm Zyr&M.ft:a .V^'V / feS n - .. .. -4 Construction Section 291 V welt, i*as expressed tlic considered opinion are subi*-* (l using tomptn. aU. /: t f X body of oulilandin: dust expert* as (oil'. '.L~." "There' is no satisfactory medical answer V, at present to this, question, but the engineer ;" }j making a bad mistake h he Jets 'men 'breathe heavy dust concentrations of any .-.material. If no oilier reason for dust control s-s'ean be found, then one should read tranntseripts of some of the recent suits at comt/'mon law in which fantastic damages for ^alleged nsili.c.o..s..i.s....w...e.r.e. xgr-aunted to mmeenn wwnhoo 'v`>` VaratibfleiPdfi dduuestt crrotnnttaatinntinnrgr lKittlUe o_r_ n_o_*silica, 5o.Tiie courts and compensation boards arc not consequent lu z A rT s '^ ^ T a ^ i' / f ^ PC0f ; - =">' d iu Have d e t r i ^ j ^ ects ot sanous kinds on property as diitm v e !ai `r0m Pcrs.ons- Machinery, growlTM vegetation, animals, dwelling hoises and - dusts and*5 f aTM damaged3by fist oobbl-.innecHdf?rommPCi-nn5dJau,,s0tnrialfcSoOnmceCrnksintdhrooEutgChn damage suits or othenvise. ? f,, E S " It u ' S S ' l & t T 7 , harn'- ally knowledge Sn this U|rh actu` certain) that the m M P i * ^y ,no mcans ^impressed with subtle distinctions between dusts sv.tli 10 per cent ind <1,0per cent quartz, Ihat o f f ee s S t a \ ffe M USi *" ? versclv upon emertox the t 5 l,callhLad- ^tj*e~spr--ecially iwh>eni m--edteal expertlsa arce reuliuctiant .jr?lo make denmte statements as t*o t"h>e ccoomm. ^(ratii-e significance o f such differences. .iv "ft would lie well to realize that men ^.working in dusty trades suffer far more c - , ^irem respiratory troubles of 'all kinds than y ever)' **> men who work lit clean air. The evidence yearly _ gShat excessive dustiness o f any kind is harmrjm, die,/'.' SjSIul is beyond argument." - interest wp; It-should also be remembered that the that am less thJ l O m toons d l persons having d i f f c r S e k as ,o wfauTe' maximum may b e -1 0 microns or 8 or d and some say that the harm really is done by particles less than 2 microns in size. As against this, it is stated that fibers of as bestos (lust as long as 200 microns have been ceddljh ^tht hesaei lloUnMgffSasbkens'toCns'' afinbdertslue*xuenrdteodubat-t least some detrimental effect nediatei/./'i `e j of dust is by no mcans its only Since a micron is only about one twentv- studying ils * '-is' duzard in industrial work that may require dpmpensation payment: and even here the i1h1,a8n,1 tlh*.." nnaak'keedi e^ye ca'nnCshee' ,*-Fit misUudsluSamllyalla=sr ! .1 ^harmful effect o f breathing dust is not nec- sumed teat the larger dust particles that can O innably, rveys to j i f Sdusf-COn'^"Wl * <I''C lun? s' ** lton,c hinds ^of dust arc known to have detrimental health ^effect on the nose, throat, and bronchia! r e l l t h ^ T T arc an'Qr'tanhHdaarrmwmlf,fiu,:lU tsocth,lecealthiu,.< U'W '* t so, as the larger par- `ilations ..sulum 'p-assage,s as w--ell as i('ind'ir-e.wctvliy; /) vo>nn uthice uliccaarr[i, ttooimnaacc!.;.,, aanndd pnoossssiibhllvy ooiiilmierr iinntie,.rrnna, li _or_g_a_ns, externally, dust may cause injury to the m ti! air (some of them ,1u0u0 or 'm"oorree miiccrroons iIn size) if ------- - conside.-aiilc 1,1,am ities clog the air passages is conoccur* n V' e.a.r i,,am' sk in : and som e dusts, in conIJCt witn the perspiration, arc nhsorlicd with ha n-.Pi' i r 01" ' ' i TM Rcncics 0.rt^lnary c c ndhon.% nlcrccpt dust :zc not tiicioi My the found t even :!css it and is ' more ierable ighttul \i*eom* heahli Binnne harm to tlic health o f the victim. Dust Cuts Visibility Moreover, heavy concentrations o f dust in r.cdu visihiliiy matcriallv. Oljvi'ndustrial occupations ill which hut imiten amounts o f natural light arc avail- (ni r.? f 1,1 nrtificial light is used air a ' ` an>' dccrcass 111 visibiliiv due to 'isibff-' '? " " " 1?'*,01" (and ,,!.C d' crca5c TM ! / / 1 under some circumstancci, fids CV-!'?' 0rei` lcy ' ' n rench Hmgs and - a- s the smaller and imhal,., most dangerctis dust (o enter the lungj '.T.impcdcd. A ccmmon-scn.se opinion as to what con stitutes r.n atmosphere so dustv that <luSt- iannvi '0a, ^ii:'."' .ph.aCcr,ic"in SwhCnUilc1h1 dbuc st,iickacnn he stelieant i , !* P1^ d e>'c IS, *<}. not only for Health I j also, at least hi mam- cases, for sajety -zr.i vefmficiency. Iif the visible dust Iis elimina: id. nmcli of tre ;nvi'-ih'A n - , st.,*' ist if II p i/ ! 1 Ijl '.if |.w ;:!,ij '.|||!! BiH.fl I . < Ifift -M js are of nay \ Proi*hnir* Com* Pitts* Iso ----- V-' --"" 6 .wiicy anil ,norc frequent occurrence of nc- ai'c'i'triictl l.y an iiwrense in c m - zinc"`l ,n ! S.iine dusts (rnal, ,T.| annum, ami score of others, min- ' ant .-.niinmmrah arc explosive.uni nitinv mllUl^zCedll O/'. "ve0il1l - '>`f e iw > ? rds-'lnui:n ininl-- After :: ; visible i p ^ i i e e n r e m i t s It wuii ' ' u^c ^oi i i e conditions or -* .-.* :ypes wt-pifstr (o r,:nkc more in- 5S>" 0 0 0 1 r;j . . V ^ ' 292 Twciily*xLiii :V(//i, nu: o (ic`iv l'HHtn-ss tricnte in'-.cstigatiens as to (lie occurrence oi invisible test, using the impinger, konitnctcr, or oilier r.struinents; but unless litigation is in effec or threatened, those intricate studies .-re relatively unimportant if the visible d:ust is eliminated from the air oi wdrking "laces. stcad o f dry drilling, wet crushing fts. . ot dry crushing, wetting or wash;,,- lloorj, walls, and rock faces. In general isTM use of waier in industrial processes il* Otherwise is one of .the most effective avail able aids in the prevention of air Austin,' even though in some cases wet drilling dou ' -3 be done, ami It \ct wet drilling, Oilier. Good Vcn Ventilation is pr Prevention Is Best give off some dust. Notwithstanding , /asKontrol practit growing tendency in some quarters to deov tries, though i Vanitejily, if dust is not produced, it can't the effectiveness o f wet methods, up t0 ,, o i s^thods in others, get into the air or become harmful other the use of water is probably our best defense pplied effectively, wise ; and some relief from dust troubles against dust dissemination, especially m min ' nem the air or : m industry can be achieved by using con ing and tunneling, 1# (tpt so diluted as struction. practices, processes, or equipment Dust-exhaust devices, such as hoods, traps'- rmless to workc that tend to eliminate dust formation. for drilling, etc., have a definite place iii dim ' ze dust hazards In designing and equipping the places in control, particularly in surface plants and-' hiding spontancou which employees must work, tiic forward operations. Under some conditions exbauit- oay enhance Uazarc looking industrialist will be wise to prevent systems, when well installed and kept in re fame instances. Ir the making o f dust or to control it if it pair and operation, not only remove dust but', .fcoyld be induced must be made, by using machinery, methods, also more than pay for themselves In dollars a others forced or processes and construction with dust-elimi and cents value o f recovered dust -It cosu note effective, tlm nating characteristics rather titan those that approximately $7,000 to Install such a device V inunderground wo produce or spread dust, even though some in a surface plant processing one of the.?- temperature air d additional expense in construction or opera metals, and the value of the dust recovered^ wter or other con tion may attach to the dust-prevention fca- dally averaged about $23. In addition, th?' ation of surround lurcs\ T*'4 cmP*,as's now being placed on device kept the air of the plant as w e ll.u i ..To obtain really dust in :is various phases and the expense the surrounding walls and other surfaeS" * ;juch work as tunne . which c a st may cause make it almost im practically free o f dust fiffiaiU usually bet perative that ^in the future much more ' On the other hand, the use of dust traps? ^pening is driven in thought be given to dust prevention and in dry drilling, while definitely applicable Id'?, in/pzirs is in coal handling titan has been given in the past certain types o i surface or near-surfing lows in one openiu ' rock-excavation work, has not been foiintf-y, n u d air in the ot For .-.stance, processes or practices that applicable to general rock-drilling practice s'- `ibout by dust may produce excessive dust should be discarded underground work. There are several rO-_';'' openings in many t for others that produce less dust, or they sons for this, some of which may be over-,- ing operations of ( should e isolated somehow, such as by come in time. - ' itanding the v; housing them tightly in a separate part of the plar.t or using them at times when the Some types o f rock cannot be drilled diy'V suggestion will rail with any degree o f effectiveness, and as wt" for believing that ir least number o f persons would be exposed to them or when there is ample time to remove the available types of rock-drilling traps arc 1 not workable with wet drilling; if dry drill be definite dollars parallel-opening syr tlte dust from the atmosphere o f the working places, such installations or practices must ing can be done, the traps ordinarily will da. ` a good job of removing the dust from drift' ventilation, health, vantages, were urc< be operated efficiently at all times, however. Commm sense should lie used in handling a ing, but this will leave the rock surfaces ; (top, sides, and floor in many cases) dry, w i - one-opening system vantages and hazard dust ccr.iro! device or method; certainty it is foolish to use an elaborate exhaust system subsequent operations (blasting, mucldnftimbering, hauling, etc.) will throw into the v real advantage the i ta n customary. to take the dust out o f part o f an establishment and then exhaust the dust-laden air -,t air dust certain to be created in large q"*nh' , lies by the other processes. The dust thus ; Ery drilling is ur ^orkin mining, tun such ptint or in such manner that it will !,c thrown into the air will settle on dry s"r' ; J continues to be i taken ir.to the same or some other part of faces, ready to be thrown into juspensie"-' United Slates; cer the establishment or Into an ttljaccnf one throug.t doors and windows. subsequently by any or all activities. P";; . 1 Howcd at all, it traps are somewhat cumbersome, espe'-p''-'. ; twist drill's * If dust must be formed, several effective when used in the ' more or less confine-1 Uic of up-io-datc (h methods are available to prevent the dissem ination ; f dust into the air or into places where it may cause (rouble. Among these are w e: methods, such as wet drilling in- places lit mining and tunneling. ; ' (tLtlusttrapsjatlidn-drillingjff* ; rfjgriicability for tfs{ in surfa^, 7** ?afic operationswhere dry drill,ni t Wet drilling' as ?**** with water V* dnll steel by n u under fire mm Conslruclion Section 293 ,. \` ;* .rss^ < . - | u*iVn numerous advantages :iccs. In general jjJ '"J^4,|,er. -trial processes. Ventilation Needed most ncctive a v a l ' s L, oou :ion o i air dustine' _ : orobably the most effective * Notwithstanding Y * nracticc available Cor many tn- me quarters to'de^i ; i methods, up lo>V*-fjipeUioos I '* ----- large quantities of dust even though the ma terial floating in the air usually ts wet: some o f this criticism is undeserved hut, some oi it is legitimate. The trouble is due largely to th e ' fact that the holes are co lared or started dry and, in some cases at least, arc drilled dry for several inches after starting, and live dust created by this dry starting imorcenates the usually stagnant air of the ordinary underground-tunnel or mctal-mme working place for much if not most of the .ably our best d el ' '%'pphed . J,*,s conccnlratioh can be working shift. , Ion, especially in.>; Jlrom " e * . : to render it practically In some cases the driller drastically limits ^ ^ f e ^ s t o ^ t S r s ; ventilation can mini *. such as hoods, ^ ? n1fiust hazard of-almost all fctnds. u\- the amount o f water sent through the dri . steal and, while nominally drilling wet. the .. definite place in did.;' .Lntaneous combustion, though it ;i surface plants `laT haiards of dust explosibihty; m ,.c conditions exhaua-; .ifs?w / X n e - In some cases ventilation .mllcd and kept in re'. i i s?m ,i v/induced by exhaust methods, but only remove dust but . |orcctl or blowing systems arc the themselves in dollan .fejM 1" _ . c (his being particularly true actual practice is closely drilling with compressed air, which flows through the drill steel and forces out of the drill hole and into the air of the working place undue quantities of water-entramed dust or particles. In some cases when the overed dust. It costs. TMSilf,l0u"na,e.rrgerruouutnt(v'i| WOrk 7inplaces having high- o install such a deyictnf^^.y",,,,,irff 4|r due to rock or dripping recessing one o'C.'tKt t^fwlcmi ltp.r*roartuortehearircond,i?ti.otn0. s:uch ns rapid oxi o the dust recovered pf0&oSinonoo?fsusurrrrroouunnddining 7rro<k or limber. , $25. In addition,iIhi;,. f e : obtain really effective vcntihl.on .n .i the plant as weUV.:' ; { g u S work as tunneling and meta TM " i Its and other surliest,- JltoHieuU usually because ordinarily but one . st. - . O pening is driven instead of having l, t. .sc o f dust tra#.; ^ ^ ^ a ir s as in coal mining, where f . esh at definitely applicable ISi S ffid is in one opening and return or contami- trfa.ee or ncar-surfact, &roUsd air in the other, Cradrttons breuffhj k, has not been fooM,f ^iiibout by dust may force the use o f parallel vuck-drilllnc practice.; li'Openings in many tunneling ami u`. There arc several (Wr /Operations of the future, and. n o w h drill Is out o f repair, the driller allotvs far too much compressed air to flow through the drill steel. When present types of wet drills arc used properly, the dust from drilling can be kept wUhin reasonable limits, and this is actually being done by numerous alert and conscien tious mining and tunneling companies. Some companies fn the United States and Cana a arc experimenting with rode d r I s that not allow compressed air to go through the drill steel but require the w ater to be forced fhriugh the steel by Us own P r - - ; 'uch ,tri(U arc said to produce less dust than lilt ,f which m ar be ov ..stLding the violent objections this ' ' suggestion will raise, there arc good reason usual types in which the steel hy compressed air. be* the .practice ; cannot be drilled dry to? believing that in many cases there would bill,v of the newer type.of drill is quest.en licctivencss. and as y<* .be definite dollars and cents savings if t:e able and it has been used relatively little m rock-drilling traps | parallel-opening system, with us V t drilling: lii dry drnill- ij ventilation, health, drainage, and otilhier auniraps ordinarily will do j vantages. were used instead o f the P the United States or Canada. Must Use Judgment mg the dust frem drill- . one-opening system, with numerous i * avc mthe irwotc.ikv *s"ur*fs'i L *.,<i maunms-' ceas.eSs^) dryy, ^*** i ns (blasting. muekin& . ic.) will throw into 1 l created in large quanii- J i,cesses. The dust M* ! will settle or. dry' sar* I thrown into suspeiifl" ; r all activities* l:` ,, ' cumbersome. *ipccis> more or less collin' ttmncltn?. ,-s with dry dr-iing ** for u?e in iU rf^ c * .ir ui.-jre T.r* ilriiM11 ..vantages anndd haiuarradss anuo w ithabo. ut its , . > ifrteaalUaddvvuintfUoece tlhi*e fact that i.ts U55C t?5 and ha*s been customary* * . Dry drilling is unquestionably the dustiest work in mining, tunneling ami quarrying, * it continues to 1 used far too r.uich in H e United Slates; certainly, it dry d n ling .> allowed at ail. it should,be d.me .*nly u u h auger twist drills or with the simultaneous use oi up.io-<l;itc <h>. Irai'*. . - Wet drilling ns practiced in the l imed Stales, with water forced or drawn thronyii the drill steel lie mentis of com press! a... is now under fire .-* producing r e a ti'u .. However, air dustiness can he kept well widdn safe limits if modern types o f drills are operated with care and ,udgm , 1-, collaring wet with plenty of dean dirt tre cw a te rl if the J r ! . ^ " f ''0'1 " ,; ,,air- if the ; .-portion o i water and /,,,,pressed air flowing Ihrough * drrt *.ccl are adequately regulated: it me e-x _u . ,'rom ihtt '`.rill is prevented im' nearby.dusty surfaces ol muck id!- floors. i--* dust into Jettatv * amt. .J*. imvur-j '- asihle, the tipper holes rc 0 0 0 1W- !- --------- .- Kfl--{i3 ist- ttU :* t i mm Iff# i M J# "** ..5 V t' m 1 i-j!: liil1 -si 294 Twcnty-si.rth National Safety Congress drilled dry or wet, are relatively heavy pro ducers o f dust in the air o f working places. Next tq dry drilling, blasting causes more finely divided dust to be thrown into w o rk ing places than anything else; and, in addi tion to throwing violently into the surroundins air immense quantities o f finely divided dust, blasting with the heavy charges o f e x plosive required in many mining and tunnel ing operations also impregnates the surrounding air as well as the muck piles with considerable quantities o f poisonous gases, such as carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and, in some kinds o f rock, hydro gen sulphate and other dangerous sulphurous fumes, practically ail o f which occur in such quantities and percentages under some circumstances as to asphyxiate persons who may breathe them or to cause serious illness, often o f a more or less permanent character. Many persons who have studied the inci dence o f dust disease are of the opinion that the breathing o f even small quantities or percentages o f extraneous or Itamful gases, such as carbon monoxide, oxides o f nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide, etc., inflames or other wise adversely affects the respiratory organs, especially the lungs, and makes them much more easily and readily susceptible to harm from the breathing of dust particles. Past blasting practice most certainly must he modified and reformed if the employer is to avoid heavy penalties it compensation and other charges cue to the-inclusion o f legislation on occupational diseases (one be1 ing dust disease) In the laws o f the various States. If at all feasible, blasting should he done at the end of the working shift or on an off shift, and the dust- and gas-laden air should lie removed or thoroughly diluted before the men return to work. Ventilation is, o f course, an essential agency In cleansing the air where blasting lias been done, but in addition to ventilating the place [" sltotihf be tltofouclily" veiled (walls, floors, roof or top, timbers, etc.) be fore blasting Is done, and a water blast should be kept in effect during and after the blasting; the reeion should be thoroughly vetted upon return :o the face region a fter blasting, and the muck pile should he kept well wetted at ill times while loailing it out. as the water not only tends to allay the dust but also cither ab'orlis or otherwise aids in the dilution or elimination o f harm ful or poisonous gases from blasting, which usually ding to the blasted material, In general the larger the quantity of CI- feasible, in diut-iieli plosive used, the more finely divided Ik structures, the tightucs blasted material, the more heavily the air j maintained; ledges or impregnated with dust and smoke, and tk dust may lodge and greater the quantity o f poisonous gases ki tbro'vn into the air by at the places; hence, methods should be iuq oent, should be cltang- vhieh will tend to reduce the quantity q tunity for such accur explosives used and of gases and dust pr> cannot be done, such duccd, In tills it 'ill lie found that the u dcaned periodically by of stemming or o f some types of blastiq plugs nov available will more definitely cu. fine the explosive; hence, increase Its taeicncy and reduce the quantity of uxplosht ashing down, ur by being a relatively poor.i employed only when as as possible arc precn used and also reduce the amount of poisos ous gas produced and possibly reduce Ik violence of the blast and its tendency 1 produce (lust and disseminate it into Us kept as free oi du>t a by washing them u ith air for the working pk from dusty sources. surrounding air. Physical examination And it would he veil for users of exp! ' portent part in tltc drii sives to investigate types of explosives tl Kira from dust ill in- are known to give off minimum quantity coulrbversy has been of harmful gar.:. on detonation and to i i - fltheni that their cffcctivi llicm; also th- elimination o f the u se? .nullified, Unqucstional. fuse and tltc < dilution o f electric Mastiff played in an industry would aid in r icing the amount of pois 'dost.may be found in t ous gases ire blasting. Explosives tU idly'examined by a cc liaec been held in storage too long or 1 . ' vious to employment, a have been stored under unfavorable cut, reveals the presence o ditions as to moisture and temperature, sd the person should not likely to give off maximum quantities c: especially true U tube harmful ga*cs if they detonate at all; ho** At six- or tivclve-mont utmost care should he taken in the stem? ton in dusty industry of explosives and to *ee that they are o* rigid physical examine' held in storage too long before being u' , shown to be developing transferred to nondust Respirators Available 5 . is available. -Handling f Du.-t respirators o i various tyjies are a4', available for use in excessively dusty aim** j lihorcs, and if hile llicy are cumbersome^ j have numerous features that make undesirable ior constant year through0"' ^ working shift (though ;hcy ran, be i readily for several mimt'.cs at a tunc)' f - do give adequate protection 1 " c against dust but give essentially u j lion against cither poi-onotis orasphy*11 fq j gases. Dust respirators O.ould be riM\ gs ^ as being temporarily ti-eftil ior omcriir;1j~ only, whereas protection for workers a, t dust should lie more sulislantial. ' if What might be designated "good ^ ^ 4 ' icping" has a definite place in tUkguPusty materials should i^EMeBtonlaincrs &r bins!. d1' p ' . - ' i u IP & lq d m g the h^jliiug ( * \ ifKg^rditld be carficdiun, 3i * Safe Practic My personal t to work rn(*gc building mtQthese two c y ver tt`ork c >hceurios ,rCr o>vpienr! - class! ' t," vy bridge !TS dteir found dredged. J**'' ' d , *nd ,,.I K S a 0001G8 H f&m V i&Vg- m a st ' W'.'.>;i*;'W'J'i * Construction Section quantity 0( '-is- d..i.v.i.d..ecdq i^>+ umvily the smoke, arid ij-,. nous geases. lie.,i!` ^ Sl'Ould b e ,,^ Hit quantite 0( -a and dust W mid that the -.''PCS of blasiine rc definitely t0o. increase its (g. lity of explosive usount of poise, silily reduce fl*.,. its tendency i0 ate it into' th, fleausmibilse, -- dust-tight compartments or ,;r)Jcturcs. the tightness of wliicli should be } . . . . contained; ledges or surfaces on which . - . d j s t may lodge and accumulate, to be ^ .-,,,,-a into Use air by some shock or move. Kent, should be changed to prevent opportrait)' for such accumulation, or, if this -cannot be done, sucij surfaces should be cleaned periodically bv vacuum process, by tip. ashing down, or by sweeping (the latter ..: Icing a rclattvcly-poor method, and should be employed only when as few o f other workers ,;.'_as possible are p r e s e d ); floors should bo kept as free o f dust as possible preferably t;(: .by w i5iting them with w ater; and, certainly, ' ^ i i r for the' working places should not com e' from dusty sources. '!' a ialr to the worker as well as to the employer should be worked out and it must be admitted that to date this.has not been done at all adequately, Prevention oi dust disease is chiefly an employer responsibility he should shoulder willingly, not only to safeguard the health of persons in his employ but also to relieve his iW,ttV? known33 t0 lhe 0ncrmtl,Oruf,t.he heav..y ,financial burd,e-n----l-i-k-e--l,y -to abueththorruitsiet suPpho,niniiitmUby cc0oTMmpPennssaattiiioonn oorr lleeggaa.l J j S H" ' u!d mP'?yees become af. - , ` f ,th " " st dlJ" f e :,ini<i when one takes ` " le d`.scase 3d how to relieve it if ,,/ Incurred' ,l 'vou'd sem to be the acme common sense to do anything practicable . K' _users of cxpV i explosivesjfca| :v> ; Physical examinations should play an fan. , ponant part in the d n v e to mmtm.ae health from dust m moustry, but so much places w l,ere\m p1o v e t m m t' w m rk^Thh does no. mean that the emplowc should no help himself, as it is n a q S S t o imuin quanOlia" i l i i !USrtbce.n arouf :<1 because o f the interest o f the employee to avoid dust ution and to utt that their effectiveness lias been largely or any other occupational disease as to avoid t o f the use oi Ifeneiitfied. Unqucshonauly. every person cm- haying accidents. However?" foraw ion f electric blaitirg J ^ j y e d in an industry where considerable to'occupational disease (including dust dis .mount of poison-' 1 y be *" nd ,n ,hc a,r should be rig- case) is not readily available to die worker Explosives that ' S W > cf " mncd to a rempetent doctor pre- in U_nd-e--r-s-t-a-n- davbilne, foirmm,uiacndemUptleoyeemr olove a too long or tint tt^nous to employment, and if the examination -sih--ou, lud -c-a--r-r-y---o-n---a--n ed!uc'at.,ional-uc,eamepma?ig'n5ttor i un* 1 t -table coo*. ..^>als the presence c i respimtorv trouble. ratufc, mi &} ` P*rson should not be employed: Ibis'is inform his safety and operating oflicials um quantities el 'Jf.f.espedally true if tuberculosis is indicated. about occupational disease matters and to .ate at all: hence ' r .v`u six- or twclvc-mor.-.h intervals every per- have them transmit the information to the ten in the stonft Ak*?1! in dusty industry should submit to ,v workers so the latter can cooperate whole ' hat they are act ' ngid physical examination; and if disease is heartedly in trying to eradicate these dread i-forc being utti liU blc -.awn to be developing tltc victim should he tr*fisicrrcd to nonduitv employment if such u Mailable, *H.nnciling 7 hysical examir aions diseases from industry or at least control them to a far greater extent than has been done, us types arc r,iw I vcly dusty Mi* j cumbersome j that make j enr througkost 1 cy can be wos < at a lime), tbfl Sinn to ntially no proitf*, :* or ajphyxiitifc* j ulti be regard"*-1 I for emerpwf^ j r* worker* i.V*1**' ` iliM. j :vl `'eod ; no* in dust P* 5 mid be ' t ms dusty i r`- T/ Of fl!K' '* '* Safe Practices in Use of Heavy Construction Equipment By E. A. B LA N PIED Safety Engineer of Kansas C ity Bridge Co., Kansas C ity, Mo. Hy personal experience lias been confined - ipiy to work of river improvement and !-*?? Our records Arc divided these two classc*. -Jver work consist; o f driving pilu dikes fw river To>..-i.1Ji. Govcnuncu:. , ... . generally for ` skilled labor, differs greatly from the more complicated bridge w ork which uses mostly -willed ar.d sem i-skilled labor under greater liaiartls. The bridge classification is sub-diviilal into erection and foundation as each has its own i.'.cial l.asarils ami treatment. ------- O v e r w o r k has been the subject of ex- :!;<:ir foundations, V -,'.n dredged." :-,vtr w'n',1. 1, - 4 - a,,? , ,,K! ! n u b a ta r ... ",,,,eiim aiie" an 1 ,,, . w reaua-e ..`fi* u:,,i*. '" " r `c" r"5 Prevc,ui2 "!c l ". S. C o r p s ^ F n g in c c r s and r-.st o i :!:c fataliiie. ar S B ^ \lr o w t n C T r a ! C 3 -! -m'iv 1c.11,irm i paSfoh.-s.H -n. i h i i ' ^ S ' . ,, r.l : i . e R i,, W c. " ' IM 000.1 ' .4 S L ....... . 1 .4 ".1 Industrial Nursing Section 337 If css ~~ '-?s handy man about the , ~cs into the dispense o a fine itching tasS nurse notes the condition^ the work. He states hej ro years and has been do sf w ork. H e has been oiiy jk ends, but does not thiqkH id to poison ivy. althmigliT not know what it looksj8 ut at present but will t e l ion. The nurse knows} o f the drafting rooming jpon inquiry finds that a j_ k is to carry blue printj>u am. A new process has beSt? blue printing within the Jlffc n is given routine prelltr J :'-moensation for industrial disease & " 7 a time when new legislation >s i ^ e t e d so rapidly, but most of the im industrial states now compensate , or all of the conditions which can SShuted to occupational diseases. Some coverage for all such condi1*Whileothers name specific diseases or f c occup^ons. There have been m L to both employee and employer, but Hme add increased study of conditions we shall eventually arrive at fairer, more equable adjustment's. The Industrial Nurse finds herself today in this arena of changing policies and evolu tionary social adjustment. U is her pr.vd gc to be one of the connecting links between employ and employer. If she is the type that commands the respect antitrust of the men and realizes her responsibility she will likewise be most valuable to her employer. * ,The Nurse's Part in the Sickness Prevention Program p *' -- B y P H O E B E BRO W N , R.N . ation is submitted* to the.. -rival, and when, next day,. *.s much worse, the diagnosis nehed. T he'doctor maka anges the man's job, the to^ up., and the nurse d e su m , .ping steer the o aseintojhe^ . >|s. ' she not known s o n g tut . contact dermalitivgh the work, and had sh ew l.g proper authorities in the drait^ .c case might have become e tlic doctor saw it, and it :n into disability and compm^ rf tnce o f occupational diseases b 0 overlooked now that so mu in the press on the sublets. proximatcly SO miilion peep * loved in the U . S. at the pres 1 these, about 15 million are ndustry- A statement is " " .* ; . Si Public Health report," .d we arc spending five b'lljoe illy for compensation and otnw injuries anti occupational _^ ( C o , . . . ! m * r " .` & extent to which the nurse enters into `sickness prevention program depends a the type of industrial medical service Ncot"tlo_wn_gu. a"go" IT' "wtv4asC rcalilfetd to Uthe home o an employee who had been reported sick at frequent Intervals during the past two years. H ew as underweight, nervous, and i-ta b lc . obined. a ,me industrial plants maintain a nurse On my first visit he w as eonfined to bed and vomiting excessively. H is w .fe m fo m d me wily for their Employees Benefit Asso- that he had attacks o t this type periodically. Sen, and thus her work isthiefiy tltat of V e . She administers not only to the iibers but to their families as well, He would not have a doctor.because t a doctor did nothing fo r him except give him a prescription that cost too much and tel! ut a fine opportunity she has lnfiuenc* him to be careful what he ate h employees and their families to a While in the attack he was arefuUnough; oer understanding of good henUlt in gleaer living. For after all, the problem ot ' sickness prevention concerns not only the in- or he ate nothing i r two or three da s. but as soon as the illness was over^he^ vent back to his old diet ot meat, potatoes, plen glividuil employee, but also his family. of spices and relishes, copious amounts of % T o fill her place successfully in such a coffee two packages of cigarettes a day. program the nurse must recognize one basic plus a goodly amount of beer each week-end. ^principle--ilie must be o liumamtariali, and At one time the doctor had said he should regardless of the prpblem_confronling. .her . have an X -ray of ^ e *tom" h ^ \ v h t a h M e must give relief through aid or counsel, nlrined that this would cost him pw "m en ipkichever the case may be. Slie must have ? . couldn't afford, and anyway he couldn t ^knowledge of the personnel she serves, their get away from w ork when he wasn t sick. nodes of living, their idiosyncrasies. their Pzailics and environments. By keeping n *!far to the ground constantly she learns o " -r problems so that she may then solve * L i l y made him realize Out he w losing much more time znd mojW' * * * or every two or three months, losing io five d w s at a time, than if he were to find , only a small percentage of jTM for occupational diseases. ,im a much higher fisure*.*' toward a reversal o f this. A een controlled to a great e* - cost is decreasing, while oe" eases, though probably not certainly receiving a great <u^. on than heretofore. -i!i lies to state how many states rW*. Naturally a knowledge of the community enred is vital, for often through construccriticism-she is able to elevate the l ea th Wtandards through better sanitation and civic ffcinde. , , Perhaps a better conception of the sickness ^prevention program In connection with * fare work mav be had by actual case anal ly ' -,4:- out just w hat did aii him and then do som thing about it. , ,, I took him to a clinic which was conducted IUUW*v sv- ------- work. After he was vaj sity of a proper dleUf trequent, he gained * pleasanter fellow at W ' 1*.: d of the neces|t s hd3HiiTtss r; ind w a ^ m u c h rf* OOOlt Twenty-sixth National Safety Congress In another instance an employee's w ife had Undertone an operation at a local hospital. Visiting her later at home, I teamed that she was recovering satisfactorily but that there were desperate financial troubles. T h e hus band earned 92 dollars a month. There were seven boys in the family, the oldest 18 and unemployed. Questioning the children, I dis covered that one, aged 12, was graduating from school but did not even have a g r lion suit His father couldn,''t afford it because he was paying $5 weekly on his w ife's $90 hospital bill. He was taking care o f the doctor's bill by doing some repairing and cleaning in his office. A fter discussing the problem with the em ployee, I visited the hospital authorities. Hearing the story' nd realizing the effort the man was making, the hospital gladly discounted $30 from the bill. Payment of the remaining $30 was made by the Em ployees' W elfare Loan Fund, and this is turn was deducted from the employee's pay check at the rate o f $2 a week. T h e total cost to the W elfare Association w as slight, but the assistance and feeling o f security given this employee was immeasurable. But let us leave this type o f program and turn to the industrial nurse who serves chiefly in a first-aid department and very seldom contacts the family or the home of the employee. How does she best serve in a sickness prevention program? Here, again, her knowledge o f the person nel is indispensable. She should review the personal record o f the employee with the employment manager to obtain a better un derstanding o f the individual. This should be followed by a study o f the employee's job; svhere he works and under what con ditions, especially sanitation; the product manufactured and the raw materials it is made of. There the nurse may obtain valu able information as to latent hazards that eventually may-affect '.lie health o f the em ployee, oftentimes recognized too late to cure effectively. From this and a study o f past sickness she maps her program o f prevention as follow s: 1. By suggesting better working condi tions, such as improved illumination, sanitation, housekeeping, ventilation, and use o f proper and adequate protective equipment. 2. Education o f the employee to higher health standards. This requires constant attention through bulletin boards, miy --/A high frequcnc meetings, news items and personal eot ' `'and fatigue is otic tacts. _ 3 ventilation, suggesti 3. By advising and assisting the e5 ing or protective eq ployee in securing correction o f physic^ feuard. defects and social maladjustment - O j t is quite true tl The following ease is an example: :.'iatU a real problc: . An employee had rep_e_at_ed . att,ac,ks op ' sickness prevention ' lienee and frequen a d u a - >'" vised by &A lost through sickne bf au"t h!ley dJ.ihadysn,oatakLn,o0whwlvhLeer1"i `he* "w*ould get results. necessary dental fee. I wish to quote a : W e had introduced a plan whereby 2 employees were allowed dental services, 3 special cases, through the W elfare AssoeW tion. I f an employee tvere a reliable worii man and had been with us for more than 3 months, we had an opportunity to inyaifA "reports of disabling employees in 1936 a jean. This report vision of Industrial ; Institute of Health ^K. Brundagc. gate his financial condition. If he were hi ^ i n Respirat est but having a difficult time establi: . hts credit, he 'was given an order to one ei . i i j h e respiratory three dentists whom wc were assured we ^ccanted for most of giving our employees fine dental care it' 'io deoce of illness in 1 minimum charge. The dentists were glad' {i'HtqbercuIosis of tl: render this service, for they were not rift diseases of the ph; sure o f their accounts but were also ncros? ep.itspiratorv disease ing their practice by developing new contidg fi. higher incidence rat This employee as well as many othi ` .a -\ 1933. . profited by the plan. e `U'Vz.The frequency of {^1536 (13.1 cases per The following are only a few exampli ttrjprt higher than the of a nurse's function in an industrial hui' 15^ 1.000 men) and program: 1914 <10.1 cases A sudden increase in the number of ath lete's foot cases indicated that someone a carrier and was spreading the germs m l Vy.'1fTMZ*** raie verage *or rate Liff-ycaf period.'* shower rooms. A suggestion to the swee brought the condition under control w j proper spray and foot baths were installs ^^r'Anoiher develop . ^ rc ft*as an incr l/i&T? oi bronchitis, The use o f comers by employees ja * 'jtr- disease or place to expectorate was effectively _so,t5 * & * * * P<r 1,000 men by painting white triangular areas m corners and providing cuspidors W 1 ing a disinfectant, thus reducing the spi o f diseases from respiratory infection?". In another instance three employ* the same department made regular tr the first-aid station for aspirins each Reviewing their personal record dicated normal health and habits, the department revealed inadequate a ing lights. A proper survey not ono reetttdL*ihe condition from a P ; * f e Ul a\traKcin .^1-1935. The inci and tonsils 25 than in ^arUctow* p for pneumonia "? P * 1.000 men ? te for 1935 0 ,1? turn cxcccdt 1^29. Amoni !*** of the Met o u r* lhft deatl - is compare stanfitSmOfut likewiseafttcjas'^ pr i to jttpFVft.extcnt th ajfla^ ^ jB r f'' mat p4l|;ojjghout' tfu rjilif^ ^ .'l 00lG (;i Industrial Nursing Section 339 BV-'hii'h frequency of indigestion, nausea . " w i *. `rsonjj J j fatigue is often traceable to improper Shtilation- suggesting proper air-condition ' or protective equipment to eliminate this 'i f Phys^ri 'm l. ' <3# .am ple:^ osarth ' - ' S r , s quite true that such a program pro "nts * real problem in selling the idea of Kiefcness prevention to executives-- but pa- ISotee and frequent reference to the time 'l,hseedxtrarq ji vould jgjjJj 5 *.Vf"< .V . g r t through sickness will eventually bring Results. ' Ki , gbi wish to quote a few paragraphs from the j>orts 0 disabling illness among industriai whereby oq3 1 services, a * lire Asseds-t liable hployees in 1936 as compared with earlier' uS. This report was released by the DirJsjon of Industrial H ygiene.of the National f l o 'titute of Health and compiled by Dean more thas gj 'j I t Brundage. :y to nrtsii. * he were h. R espiratory Diseases establUbsj Jer to ooe o( assured r o t 1 tal care it '"V w e re g lid te 'i ' ere not ddy' : also ro co 7 new ronmit S many oieri'i r r fi 'ess epics trial fctalth .- 4 imber of itisomeone r a .The respiratory" l;roup o f diseases acleoiinted for most o f the increase in the ind|dence of illness in ,1936. W ith the exception fp f tuberculosis o f the respiratory system and hjbeasei o f the pharynx and tonsils, each gepiratory disease sub-group occurred at a Ebigher incidence rate in 1936 than in 1934 or |935. . , , The frequency of influenxa and grippe in M936 (15.1 rase per 1,000 men), was 19 per Scent higher than the rate for 1933 (12.7 cases "fper 1,000 men) and 50 per cent greater than - fo r 1934 (10.1 cases per 1,000 men). Never- f&theless, the rate for 19J6 was 4 per cent be- tr;,ltooww tmhe average rate (15.8) I .: the preceding s germs in the V five-year period." o the sweeper < 'Another development o ' an unfavoi-ibl control *aen 5 nature was an increase in the number of ere insuiied i eases of bronchitis, acute and chronic. In ) 1936 this disease occurred at a rate o f 4.8 .including diseases o f the upper respiratory tract, showed a siieable increase in fre quency in 1936 as compared with all the former years. M ost noteworthy in the rec ord since 1921 is the dowmoard trend in the new cases o tuberculosis of the respiratory system. The incidence has decreased from 1.9 eases per 1,000 in 1921 and 1922 to .8 cases in 1936," This is an excellent indication of the effectiveness o f educating the child and the adult . "Rheumatism, acute and chronic, which showed definite improvement in 1934 and 1935 (4.0 cases per 1,000 men) as compared with earlier years increased to 4,2 cases per 1,000 in 1936. T h is rate was below the five- year average. Diseases o f the organs of locomotion, except diseases o f the joints, oc curred at a rate o f 22 cases per 1,000 men in 1936, which exceeded the rates for 1933, 1934, and 1935, as w ell as the average for 1931-1935." ' H ow frequently and to what extent sick ness among employees is a factor in causing lost time accidents is often revealed when a thorough investigation is made of ail inci dents leading up to the accident: such facts properly presented enable one to improve plant conditions fo r better health, - A good share o f the sickness prevention program is education. Few employees, (or example, realise that they have more leisure time than they have ever had before. The employ ce should be taught to use this with discretion. T o d a y we practically have a na tional 40-itour w ork week, and allowing at least 56 hours for sleep, we find the employee has 72 hours le ft out of every week to use as he wishes. ' cases per 1.000 men which was 41 per cent Does he spend his idle time disastrously, i- above its average incidence during the years thus adding fatigue to an already fatigued 1931-1935. The incidence o f diseases of Jlie. - b o d y ? T o safeguard against this you may ji. pharynx and tonsils in 1936, although 4 per find it worthwhile to afford him recreational qetm higher than in the preceding five-year facilities, stimulating in him a desire for E1. period, was below the rate for_ 1935. The hobbies, home ownership, or any other ees from , &i-rate for pneumonia (all forms) in 1936 (2.6 activities that m ay enable him to spend his trips to ) . cases per 1,000 men) was 13 per cent above time more profitably. ch week :arii in- i. the rate for 1933 (2J cases per 1,000 men), ... and in turn exceeded the rate for any year Plan a definite program of Better Health \ trip W since 1929. Among the industrial policv- ' talks during the winter months. tnc jUr- r holders o f the Metropolitan Life Insurance T he .National Safety Council and leading mly eor- Company, the death rate from this disease insurance companisBMsuLProvideexcellent physical .e.-J,93fi-ct*-compared with 1935 increased 5 material fo r th e s a p o n sr`, Aiap-4 tate . odettion |/ Per cent." , and national h c a l t f l j j m ^ e m s a r t glad to . vev I1 "Other diseases of the respiratory system. furnish valuable ii fifijjlFnbn freftj?f Charge. ^ri-j 1 0 0 0 1 0 7 S~ 4 .rintendent made his roundi tcncver he observed a Soft lire floor he picked it up, ;he time and the department ioundi and handed the bottle Unless the overseer could ee who was responsible fo, .ttie on the floor, he wai ry it constantly in his hands the shift. squired to acknowledge pub. s o f his department to ob. with respect to placing these containers provided, it was z every" overseer had, in bis . fashion, discovered a way the guilty employee and thus to this unsafe practice, mple of what may be done to wcurrence when the overseer ;s job seriously is found in a mill in eastern Alabama iximatcly two and one half ours per year which, for the y 1, 1934'to January 1, IMS fits will a frequency rate of - period January 1, 1935, to 36, had 18 accidents with a e o f S.02, and for the period 36, to November 1, 1936, had .ill quency rate of 4. En>iot rfied by this progress, t designated the month ol " No-Accident" month. They iul in achieving the record ring the month o f November. '. their campaign through the ember, A t the time this paper en, tile plant lias operated apiwo and one quarter million ithout a single lost time acci* -orted. Wood Products Section Officers 1936-37 (acral Chairman-- Harry J. K elley, American Seating Co,, Grand Rapids. Midi. fiee-Chairman-- W illiam Haggerty, Edward Hines Lumber Co., Hines, Harney Co., Ore. Secretory-- M, C. G oodspeed, General Electric Co., Erie, Pa. Hfitt Litter Editor-- H. E. S ef.ly, The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., Chicago, III, 'fytg'mecring ammillce Chairman---}. H. L ee, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Rockford, III, leuibership Committee Chairman-- S. T, Dibsoale, The J. G. Brill Co., Philadelphia, Pa. fester Committee Chairman-- R. L. W oods, Fisher Lumber Corp., Memphis, Term. program Committee Chairman--NtLs JuEt.r, Hayes Body Corp, Grand Rapids, Midi, Publicity Com'miti/e Chairman-- Rau.nn Jones, The Surty M fg. Co., Inc, Chicago, III. Statistict Committee Chairman-- F. A. Pollock, Lumbermens Mutual Casualty C o , Chi- cago, 11!. ` ilemln'rs at Large-- ' R. C. Bare, Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co,, San Francisco, Calif. F. W. B ral'n, Employers Xlutuals, Wausau, Wis. E. Ross Karra, Grand Rapids Safety Council, Grand Rapids, M idi, Lous W. Iveriierg, Mengel Body Co., Louisville, Ky. I. A, P urdy, Michigan Mutual Liability Co., Detroit, Midi. Officers Elected for 1937-38 . General Chairman-- H. E. S eeley, The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co.. Chicago, 11!. VUt-Chairman--}. H. L ee, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Rockford. III. Secretary-- SI. C. Goodspeed, General Electric Co., Erie, Pa. Ktzes Letter Editor-- S. T. DmsoAl.t, The J. G. Brill Co.. Philadelphia, Pa. itembersliit' Committee Chairman-- H. L. W oods, Fisher Lumber Corp., Memphis, Tenn, PiiW:.-:\-y Committee Chairman-- Roland Jones, The Suriv Manufacturing C o , Inc., Chi cago, 111. . Siallsties Committee Chairman-- F. A. Polijock, Lumbermens Mutual Casualty C o, Chi- cage. Hi. Utmcers at Large-- K. C. Barr. Lumbermens Mutual Casualty C o , Snr. Francisco. Calif. F. W. B raun, Employers Mutuals. Wausau. Wis. E. Ross F arra, Grand Rapids Safety Council. Grand Rapids. Midi. L ivis W. K krekro, Mengel Body C o , Louisville, Ky. .1. A. T urov. Michigan Mutual Liability C o , Detroit. Midi. Harry I. K ei.i.ky. American Seating C o , Grand Rapid.-. Midi. MONDAY AFTERNO ON SESSION O ctober 11, 1937 ` Tl'i 'ession was called to order by Genvlniirniar Harry J. Kelley, American Seating C o , Gl'JaUliJfapids, M idi, who in- troduced ihe spkjtrA. -------- - 611 ocoico 612 Twenty-sixth .KaIional Safety Congress ' ' Combating the D ust Problem in the Wood Products Industry B y J. G. SISSM AN . D irector of R esearch , Surty M anufacturing Company. Inc.. C h icago, III. Tlie best protection against fire in wood working plan is dust control cleanliness, which means keeping the a ir dust-free, pre venting the accumulation o f litter on floors, benches, and tools, and guarding against the accum-ul-a-t-i-o-n- o---f dust on oilv. ImMoUvfIiUnUg .parCt where tnction..will-readil1y' rais. ei ,the, tem perature to lhe burning point. An adequate dust collecting system is the best protection against wood-shop fires. Remember, a dust collecting system itself must be designed with this fact in mind: fire as well as air and. dust can be carried through air ducts. . The fire hazards in wood plants are well known, A sludy o f sueh hazards, made by the National Fire Protective Association which published a report in 1932, gives a full analysis o f some 1,700 fires in wood working plants and shows the proportion o f danger in different parts o f the plant and the* ratio o f fires o f dust origin in compari son with others. The explosion hazard also has been care fully surveyed. It is present when dust is sufficient for combustion to be instantaneous over a considerable area. Explosion hazards, like fire hazards are best controlled by ven tilation which precludes the accumulation of dangerous dust in plant atmosphere. Fire danger Is present in wood working operations whether performed in open sheds or totally enclosed buildings. Explosion hazard is increased with enclosure o f the process in closed buildings. Bulletins 362 and 617 L.Js. Department o f Labor, Bureau o f Labor Statistics, and several pamphlets o f the National Safety Council contain com plete safely information fo r prevention of dust explosions, They sum up the collected, classified knowledge in this field and point out the dose linkage between fire hazard and explosion hazard and show that either may be the cause of or the consequence o f the other. These bulletins in conjunction with the rules or laws effective in your own state for removal of dust and gases,, will enable you to work out a campaign against the haz- ard of dust explosion. ~ , , The nuisance problem in woodworking plants also requires dust control. Nuisance problems fall into several groups. Dust may impair the value o f the product by marring Its finish. Furniture factories and cabinet makers suffer most from this nuisance. Dust may cans? accidents by making the footing --'Uu-_nn c err.ttai n7, bhvy * hk ilrdlin?c T !?* oyohwbaitItriTMuy",u'"o_yS_niU_sl_"o_en ^O_rfddfl.ne8i- fects m floor* or the exact location o f knives and cutting edges. Dust o f any kind in the eyes is a nuisance and a dangerous nuisance. Nuisance dust, likc.fire hazard dust and ex* plosive dust is adequately and satisfactorily controlled by ventilation. Wood working dusts, with the possible exception o f a relatively small amount of abrasive material which they contain, .are bulky. There must be continuous removal o f wastes o f manufacture to leave room for men, machines and work In the plant For many years this was the only aspect of the considered. Broom and shovel methods, which once were standard in the wood work ing trade fo r removal o f wastes, were suffi cient and would still be sufficient, but, the presence o f other hazards o f wood dusts complicate the problem. Broom and shovel method* are no longer acceptable. Moving air is the one effective means of disposal of wood wastes because it docs so in a satis factory manner and because it fits into the scheme for guarding against other hazards. The material so collected Is frequently usable either as fuel within the plant or is salvagable and saleable which helps reduce substantially the cost o f safeguarding the plant. This is die only phase o f the dust control problem which shows a direct profit The others are an immediate charge on the industry* which must be met as part o f gea- eral overhead. They show their profit in directly in the prevention o f injuries to men and the saving of the cost o f injury to industry. -- The last o f the quintette, according to my classification, is wood dust as a health has* . ard. This quint has several characteristicst' effect o f wood dust on the human system; ^ fef,f,ce?ct o f aa.brrVas`irve dusts oonn tthhee hhuummaann ssyytl-- 77 \ 5ffec` o f .d" st r materials other than , fJ P * ,r. lb !as,vo used in place of wood or v. fgBMBjynation w jt|U t.on..tlie Ire r a iS ttc t of from the fjg^ gjuion system. We of si! innoct quant, dust it The York Adeiai ship be ease is wood (he dut respira: workin: are not more si Studies present not bees fail over statistics /working there i s : bythe hi. miosis. Y In (he death rat of the r< standard ISO; stone wood wor heturers is a true p tog trades u compar obvious th; JB^ntal to h K t\ .7n._. Products I n d u s tr y iy, Inc., Chicago, III. -T - >lo several groups. Dust mjv' :e of the product by, marring niture factories and cakii,e` nost from this nuisance. Dust dents by making the footing tiding obstructions on or de- >r the exact location o f knives ges. Dust o f any kind in the tee and a dangerous nuisance like fire hazard dust and ex. adequately and satisfactorily cntilation. ,~ :ng dusts, with the possible t relatively small amount o( rial which they contain, are must be continuous removal lanufacture to leave room for and work in the plant For is was the only aspect of the J. Broom and shovel methods, re standard in the wood workremoval of Wastes, were suffi- uid stilt be sufficient but the other hazards o f wood dusts e pr n, Broom and shovel no , ,r acceptable. Moving ffective means of disposal o{ cause it docs so in a satiscr and because is fits into the larding against ether hazards, al so collected is frequently as fuel within the plant or Is I saleable which helps reduce lie cost of safeguarding the > the only phase o f the dust m which shows a direct profit, e an immediate charge on the h must be met as part of gen* I. They show their profit in he prevention o f injuries to saving of the cost o f injury the quintette, according to my is wood dust as a health hazmt has several characteristics: ,d dust on tlie human system! asive dusts on the human sys* i dust or materials other than sicevjsed in place-of-wcod or m with it on the human $y** : dust resulting from the finish- on the human system. Wood Products Section 613 r.yfood dust is 'riot dangerous in the sense cabinet makers do not rank well. Other wood silica or lead dust; but wood dust is not workers seem to occupy a middle place. Nocuous. Any dust inhaled in sufficient sjjantitics is detrimental to health and wood Jest is not excepted. Dust in yood working trades is thereiore a definite hazard to the health of workers and o f particular significance in the impetus The industrial bulletin o f the state o f New Jprk for July, 1936, contains an article by which it gives to diseases of the respiratory system. Adelaide Ross Smith in which the relation- O f less actual significance, but of consider jjjjp between wood dust and respiratory dis able interest because it is seldom considered use is se^.`forth. Dr. Smith points out that as a hazard to wood workers, is contact with ood working is a dusty trade and while woods or wood dusts which are poisonous. %t dusts are not primarily siliceous, more Bulletin 616 issued by the U. S. Bureau Respiratory .disease is found in the wood o f Labor Statistics, also the Handbook o f perking plants than in plants where dusts Labor Statistics, 1936 edition, contain two jre not present. She suggests that perhaps interesting references to poisonous woods. W e silica dust is present than is suspected^ - T h e first o f these, which appears on page '.Studio* to determine which of the dusts 'present in woodworking are dangerous have got been made, at least not with sufficient de.nD over long enough period o f time. But Matistieal evidence definitely places wood rorking.in that class o f industry in which there is some exposure to silicosis, as shown 3SO, refers to an outbreak o f dermatitis in a wood working plant employing 100 men. A s a result o f contact with Brazilian wal nut wood dusts, 11 cases, a rate o f about 10 per cent developed dermatitis of varying severity which, in some eases, incapacitated the man for several weeks. The inference kythe high mortality from pnlmonary tuber- w as that a large measure o f tolerance o f Tolosis. toxins in that particular wood can be devel- it oped.( V ln the study made by Oliver, in which the death rate o f the agriculturist from diseases An extensive account appears on page 35-1 of the respiratory system was taken as a o f the tam e bulletin. It is a reprint o f a . itandard or 100, the rate for potters was bulletin issued by the International Union ISO; stone quarriers 261 j eottoh workers 244; o f W ood W orkers for September-Octobcr. 'rood workers 238; masons 213; wood manu- 1931. This bulletin states that there are W u re rs 202; and bakers 177. If this figure many woods, particularly those grown in the h a true picture of deaths in the wood work tropics, which contain active poisons. ing trades due to respiratory diseases, 238 T he actual number o f eases reported is u compared with 100 as the standard, it is relatively small. This is due to the slow ac obvious that wood dusts are definitely detri mental to health. tion o f the dust and the fact that many physicians are not familiar with occupational exposure o r the resulting disabilities, and so Reports from the Registrar General o f do not associate the illness with patients' England and Wales, show the same general trades. -.tu,iti.o..n........U. nd.er . th.e English syst_em_ wood. T h e most frequent symptom of wood poi- ,Wh agri.acrutl,trural, worlkersPtwrr".ona^re rated at ' ,S9 per cen t Woodworkers rate 339 com'fired with the general population rate o f :120. In the case o f cabinet makers the rate is higher, perhaps because more dusts other -Bun wood dusts are present in the atmos phere they breathe. One hundred and sevpty-eight trades are listed in this report, jilted from 1 to 178. Under the heading "respiratory tuberculosis" cabinet makers 3zte U7, other wood workers 81, Under ^bronchitis" cabinet makers rank 121. other *01 workers 64. Under "pneumonia" cab let makers 51, other wood workers 28. E x cepting under the heading of "pneumonia," SO" * d0etrhmeaftitis which . mbae'v ppbaae|lppiisttleai,tgiihoontn ooi rf the heart, shortening o f breath, or dizziness. Such symptoms also come from inhaled dust. Repeated contacts do not confer a tolerance o f these poisons; in fact they may make one super-sensitive, so that working on ordinar ily harmless woods causes a re-oecurenee o f incapacity. The toxic substance occurs as volatile oils or alkaloids. Quite a number o f woods are enumerated. It is the good fortune trade to be able iargelf the most serious dusts &WS& the proW jm .... o f silica dust, since sq is li(tfc&A>. 000 1 o .. ;:f r fit 614 Twenty-sixth National Safety Congress show that silica is a substantial danger in the wood working field. ThU is true despite the reference to the report o f Dr. Smith. While that danger is slight at present, it is a growing danger, due to the use o f ex tremely high speed sanding devices fo r finish ing operations, using siliceous material as abrasives, and to the growing use o f products o f non-wood origin in the woodworking shops. Many o f the panels now being worked ut wood shops contain high proportions o f asbestos and other silicjous minerals. Where this is done, the worker may be exposed-to*concentrations"^ ` silica dust sufficient to present a definite hazard. It is well to make occasional survey o f your plant to determine exposure continuous, or intermittent. W hile perhaps finishing operations are not properly a part o f the woodworking operation they do occur in so many plants that thdr existence should be pointed ou t Changes in the stains, paints or other finish ing coatings causing lead poisoning lessen that hazard compared to 20 or 25 years ago. T h e nitroeellulous and pyroxylin finishes which are displacing paints, are distinctly dangerous. Volatile materials comprise about three-fourths o f the mass, which is then thinned by the addition o f other vola tiles to several times the original volume. They are dangerous, in addition to health hazard these finishes add to the fire" Lid explosion hazard of the wood working ni* Acetone and acetates, ethylenes and alcohols are the principal toxics which enter the new finishes. Descriptions of'these ingredients m il be found on page 337 o f Bulletin 116 previously mentioned. It appears that, from the point o f view of health hazards, these conclusions can be drawn: (1) Wood dust is dangerous to -health and increases the incidence of respira tory disease. (2) Dermatitis is a result o( contact with woods of tropical origin and Iheir dusts, and will follow exposure. (3) Silicious materials are a factor in the high incidence o f pulmonary diseases in the wood working plants. (3) New materials, partial, larly those having appreciable silica content, present new dangers which must be carefully guarded against. (3) The new surface fin ishes, to a large extent replacing the lead pigment paints, obviate one danger and introduce new dangers o f their own. Dust then presents five different problems to the wood working trade. A good ventilat ing^system will solve all five problems, re ducing dangers in four instances, and in the fifth reducing direct costs. *. COSI hou hooc man; very' Chine const open sticki ment gencr exhai dangt The fire ii buildi: 1 space sheds, . his fin ,znd fir " Wit) .n inti .'.Italian .points .regular gram, Good Housekeeping in Woodworking Plants B y JA M E S C. W IL SO N V ice P resid en t, Lum berm ens M utu al C asu alty Company, Chicago, 111. C h ica go , 111. Good housekeeping is and always has been one o f the most important features o f a successful manufacturing program. Funda mentally it is the outstanding feature if considered in its broadest terms. It includes not only a sensible, intelligent handling o t sales, accounting methods, packaging and shipping, but, more specifically, production methods and the habits o f the men engaged in production. ' It seems obvious to us that when a new plant is being designed op when an old one is being rebuilt, the plans should include and . provide fo r good housekeeping through the following details: - A complete and efficient dust collecting system is a basic necessity, and once installed it roust be serviced constantly to retain its efficiency. The removal of all waste mat*" rial from floors and around machines is * full-time ;ob requiring definite assignment to a .clean-up crew. - - c In laying out the machine setup, g^ housekeeping requires an intelligent plan <* der which the machines are grouped so1" the progress o f stock being processed" suchJhat there is a continuous flow rjwith' rro,hadedracking. < r-. ^ f^ ft h e ^ a n t s .t h e ^ h a s K K iW d and n ygjtaehines haveJj ?_Is ea Job? I quires blow t) running " *>ricosi *ng lum .keeping cause o *'orking Why' Problem * so ir .ju st ha; lOne d -Jtcident: -P.nsider: -pensatior Uportan "ess h. induct ^ M d by : I p ocois.-i -'