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lhe Humble^'ay January-Fehruary. 1956 - Vol. XI No. 5 Keeping Well At Work STRIPPED of its austere syllables and reduced to warm and friendly terms, industrial hygitne is the science of helping employees keep well at work. .Since this field is so broad and com* plicated, those who devote themselves to it must be dedicated people- Ideally, thc\ should be part doctor, part diplo mat. and part detective. But no matter how those three parts are put together, the industrial hy gicnist still spends vir tually all of his time at the laudable >ask of preventing trouble. This is vital work, this business of being a coastant watchdog over cm plovcc" health. It is not so spinr-tinuling, perhaps, as tracing down that rare offender, or battling that rare exteption which proves the rule. But Humble's industrial hygienists arc not in their jobs for any casual excitement it might bring. They arc more pleased with the comforting satisfaction of doing their job. and doing it well. And that effort manifests itself in sound, day-to-day recommendations on health safeguards arising from their skill and training --as wgH ^ from.ihc to equipment money can buv. As an example of this emphasis on prevention, the Company's industrial hygiene engineer is regularly called on to inspect, for health reasons, such things as additives used in products. hand cleaners, solvents designed to re move wax from oil wells, and hundreds of other materials. Not long ago, he was asked to advise on a wax solvent offered for sale to the Company for use in its oil wells. The product proved it would do an excellent job. but it was too dangerous, chemically, to the men who would have to use it. As a result of this study the product was not recommended, and the Production Department chose another solvent. In rare cases, of course, something may slip by the tightest defenses. But when it does, regular precautionary measures set up under the Company's industrial hygiene program will bring the trouble quicklv to ba\ and dis arm it. By way of example, regular checks of body fluids from Humble employees at one operation turned up a man with evidence of threatening lead poisoning. Though his condition was not alarm ingly dangerous, the danger signals had been hoisted, and it was a good NV-taJgk charm of thr Old South Is captured in this photograph of a fine ante-bellum plantation home near the Mississippi River north of New Orleans. EMO 03 031 BDEFEINDBANT'.S.. i EXX-MOR-003138 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE Industrial hygiene work within the Company is a function of Humble's Medical Division, and is carried nut under the general supervision of Dr* V, C. Baird. Chief Physician. Comprising the staff for this work are Mr. J. \V. Hammond. Industrial Hygiene Engineer: Mr. F. H. Pretseh. Industrial Hygienist at Baytown Refinery; and Mr. G. T. Taylor. Industrial Hygiene Analyst, also at Baytown. During the past decade at Humble, industrial hy giene has been increasingly emphasized as a field of preventive medicine. The aim. of course, is to stay ahead of trouble by preventing its outbreak. Air, mate rials. and specimens are scrupulously checked for pos sible contaminants. A hygienist checks, with the assist ance of the supervisors and other staff groups, working spaces where trouble may lurk, especially where dangcrous chemicals or other materials are used as a part of daily routine. Where necessary, control features arc designed and methods of work practice arc recommended. To make doubly sure that no harm comes to employees, those who work in such surroundings or with toxic materials arc tested at periodic intervals. For example, people who work with mercury, leaded paints, tetraethyl lead, and other potentially dangerous substances arc exam ined as regularly as necessary to make sure they are not absorbing dangerous amounts into their bodies.. The work of the industrial hygiene engineer aI>o takes him into Company field communities where, in conjunction with the Civil Engineering Division and others, the water and sewage disposal systems arc checked. He also advises on insect and rodent control, counsels on good practice in the use of herbicides and insecticides, and generally secs to it that the health of the community is safeguarded. Any serious illness or dread communi cable disease in the community may bring him imme diately to the scene--and so far there has been nothing resembling an epidemic in any field community. thing for him that the precautionary check had been made. Industrial hygienists from Humble's Medical Division set to work on the case at once.. But, disappointingly enough, nothing could be ferreted out from the man's regular work and blamed as the offender. Again and again, the scientists went over the job materials and the job conditions. No lead-poisoning possible here, was their verdict! Later, it was determined that the lead poisoning came from a red-lead primer that he was using to spray farm machinery. Once the source was pointed out to him, he discontinued the practice that might have been ex tremely harmful to him. For him, the hole in the dike had been plugged in time to prevent a Hood of trouble. Cooperative Effort Industrial hygiene activities arc so many and so varied that Humble's staff could not possibly cartT out the Company's extensive program without a great deal of help from others. They depend, to a large extent, on the co operation of other groups in the Com- 2 E 1*0 03 032 pany, nn the approval of staff recom mendations by management, as well as on independent scientists and organi zations In the Production Department, in dustrial hvgienists cooperate with Civil Engineering personnel on controlling sanitation, insects which may cam dis ease. water supplies, sewage disposal, herbicides, insecticides, and ventilation. Two complete rounds of inspections have been made of Company field communities: the first completed about five nr mx years ago. the second com pleted last year. Between routine in spections. of course, any trouble or potential trouble at anv location may bring the industrial hygiene engineer hurrying to the spot. I.jm year. Houston research .groups moved into new quarters in the Hous ton Research Center Before the move was completed, a new safety manual had been written, and the industrial hygiene engineer served with represent atives of other groups in writing the manual. It is his responsibility, also, to cooperate with safety engineers on problems which involve health hazards as well as safety hazards. Company committees offer much help and advice in analyzing and solv ing health problems. Company-wide, the Toxicity Committee of which the industrial hygiene engineer is a mem ber -erves this purpose by studying and making recommendations on ques tionable materials used in Company operations. At Baytown, the industrial hygiene staff works closely with the i re.finers '? Health and Sanitation Cotnmitiee On Mime occasions, to help solve particular problems. Humble has made use. on a fee basis, of personnel and facilities at the Houston Medical Ccn| ter. Baylor Medical College, the Uni| verity of Texas Medical School, the Universitv of Houston, independent rc-varch organizations, and others. A Fertile Field | One of the most fertile fields for 1 industrial hvgienc in all the Company's operations is Baytown Refinery., Here. compacted., arc to be found all the elements which challenge the hygieni-t s resources and skills. Here are complicated refining procer-ses using all of acids, caustics, and other chcmi ir.i! compounds. Here are all the po ' temial trouble-makers of heat. cold, and fatigue. Here, ton., are the dusts. Ventilating device used in welding operations at the Baytown Rtfinerv Central 'shops protects welders by lemming irritating I unurs, gases from working area MO 03 03 3 I I| i EXX-MOR-003140 Mercury collection traps used in repairing meters at the If allowed to spill bn floors, mercury seeks crevices and Baylow n Refinery instrument shops protect employee health. small cracks, vaporizes to give off hazardous fumes in air gases, paints, and sprays which could cause untold misery if not held in proper checK- With the industrial hygiene staff working through the supervisory and safety groups to hold a tight rein on all these materials and working condi tions, any one of which could cause great trouble if left unguarded, work at Baytowm Refinery goes on with an amazingly low accident and injury rate. The figures themselves prove that the employee is far safer inside the re finery on his job than he is at home! To arrive at a happy situation like that, some tremendous work has been done by management, acting on the advice of all staff groups. Proper ven tilation has been supplied where needed, along with good lighting. Reg ular "`safeguard" tests arc made on em ployees who work with potentially dangerous materials to keep harmful enemies at bay,. Correct work methods are prescribed and followed,, A great deal of the work space has been airconditioned for comfort and health. Studies arc even being made on re finery noise! Already, at some loca tions, screeching steam or clanging metal has been converted into a quieter companion for those who work around it. The industrial hygiene group works closely with the Departments of Health in all states and communities in which the Company operates. Last year, at the request of employees, the Texas State Department of Health made de tailed inspections of Baytown Refinery's mammoth air-conditioned Central Shops, where many mechanical crafts arc housed under one roof. Among other information carried in the De partment s final report, these state ments were made: . It can be very positively stated that no hazardous concen tration of chemicals or metals was found in the working atmosphere of the refinery shops building, . Illumination levels at work surfaces were found to be ade quate and within the permissible limits.. ".. . In a careful comparison of the environmental facilities, the control of potential hazards and provision of health and medical facilities . , , we feel that your company is among the more mod em and is to be commended for the concern it is continuously indicating for the health of its employees." Humble management, the Medical Division, and its industrial hygiene staff could not hope to enjoy a higher tribute than the one paid in that offi cial pronouncement. In it lies praise for a job well done, as well as reassur ance to employees that their health is being guarded as closely and carefully as human skills and the best cquipment will allow. 4 EM00303A