Document bKVyVbevexNJNJ3z0JZnx2Z1

FILE NAME: General Motors (GM) DATE: 1936 Oct DOC#: GM004 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Transactions - National Safety Congress m ctre ss N A T IO N A L SAFETY COUNCIL, I n c ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY OCTOBER 5 to OCTOBER 9, 1936 Ambassador, Chelsea, Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Atlantic City Auditorium Copyright, 1936, National Safety Council, Inc. w <W W* T ill'. Transactions of tlic T w en ty - fifth National S a f et y C o n g r e s s , 19.50, are p u bl is h e d b y the Nat i onal Safety Council in two volumes. This, the first, contains the general, the special subject, and the Industrial Section sessions. The second volume contains the ses sions of the Child F.ducatiou, I feme Safety, Street and Highway Traffic and Vehicle Fleet Sections. All industrial members of the Council automatically r e c e i \ e V o l u m e I. V o l u m e II is s e n t to m e m b e r s b e lieved to be interested chiefly in the sessions it covers. O th e r Council members, however, may obtain it upon request. M a n y m em b e rs have found it worth, while to distribute copies of the Transactions to supervisors, foremen, and others in an administrative or supervisory position who may make practical use of them for reference purposes. T h e following quantity prices are quoted on extra c o p i e s : 1 to 10 copies of the large v ol um e , $1.50 ea ch ; 11 copies o r more. SI .25 e a c h ; copies of the smaller volume. 50 cents each. W TH E T r a n s a c t i o n s are published as a condensed record of the proceedings at the National Congress. The papers of each session or division of the Congress have been edited carefully to eliminate extraneous matter and to abbreviate the less essential portions because of space limitations. Tints the material herein presented is not a v e r b a t i m r e p o r t of all the speeches presented at the Congress, but rather an abridged version made as com pact as possible, yet without injury to the technical aspects of a n y address. T h e original manuscripts are on file in t h e C o u n c i l 's B u r e a u of I n f o r m a t i o n , w h e r e t hey are available for additional reference. Where illustra tions were sent by the speakers to the Council, these also a r e o n file. T h e National Safety Council at its Congresses seeks to eliminate from discussion matters which are not perti nent to the aim of the Congress or which are contrary to Council policies. It cannot accept responsibility for the views expressed either in the papers presented or in the discussions based upon the papers. N A T IO N A L SAFETY COUNCIL, I n c . 20 North Wacker Drive Chicago Council Officers and D ire c to rs ........................................................... 4 Council P u rp o s e s and P o lic ie s....................................................... 9 A nnual M eeting of M e m b e r s ............................................................. 11 Annual B a n q u e t ....................................................................................... 31 Subject Sessions-- E x h a u s t S y stem s. . . ..................................................................... 37 F ire P r e v e n t i o n ............................................ ' .............................. 53 Industrial Health--American Association of Industrial P hy sician s and S u r g e o n s ......................................................... 51 In d u s tria l N u r s i n g .......................................................................... 69 Indu strial Safety L e c t u r e s ........................................................... 79 I n ju re d W o rk e r , T h e ..................................................................... 99 M aintaining I n te re s t in S a f e t y . . . . ^ ...................................... 109 O ccupational D is e a s e s .................................................................... 117 Safety Belts ..................................................................................... 127 Safety Equipment 141 S afety E x c h a n g e ............................................................................ 151 S afety F u n d a m e n ta ls for B e g in n e rs ........................................ 159 Safety T ra in in g .............................................................................. 171 A eronautical Section. ^........................................................................... 181 A. S. S. E .-- E n g in e e r in g S e c ti o n ..................................................... 191 A utom otive and Machine Shop S e c tio n .......................................... 197 C em en t S e c tio n ....................................................................................... 205 Chemical S ectio n ....................................................................................... 223 C on stru ction S e c tio n ........................................ `...................................... 241 F o o d S e c tio n ............................................................................................... 253 M arine S e c ti o n .............................................................................................. 269 M eat P ack in g , T a n n in g and L e a th e r In d u stries S e c tio n .........287 M etals S e c tio n ............................................................................................ 299 M inin g S e c ti o n ........................................................................................... 319 P a p e r an d P u lp S e c ti o n ......................................................................... 347 P e tr o le u m S e c tio n .................................................................................... 361 P o w e r P re s s S e c ti o n ............................................................................... 395 P ublic Utilities S e c tio n ........................................................................... 405 Q u a r r y S e c tio n ........................................................................................... 425 R efrigeratio n S e c ti o n ............................................................................... 443 R u b b e r S e c ti o n .......................................................................................... 461 Safety E q u ip m e n t S e c ti o n ..................................................................... 483 S team Railroad M e e t in g ........................................................................ 489 T extile S e c tio n .......................................................................................... 501 T ra n s i t S e c tio n ........................................................................................... 503 W o o d P ro d u c ts S e c tio n ......................................................................... 517 I n d e x ........................................................................................................... 531 Sa fe ty C o u n c il, In c HONORARY MEMBERS A ssociation or Iron and Koiutu W . C amfuf.u . A i m i r u W jii.iams Lew K. PALMER S teel E lf.cikical E ngineers O F F IC E R S (1936-1937) Du. C. H. W atson, President D. D. I-'e n ne l l , Vice-President for Public Relations Du. H art E. F isher, Vi ce-Presi dent for Health J ohn Ii. G ibson, Vice-President for Community Sat'etj Councils H on. H arold' G. H offman, Vi ce-Presi dent for Public Safety At rfkt S. R kgula, \ ice-Presidcot for Engineering A. \'. Rohuedf.r, Wee-President for Industrial Safety U. T. S olensten, Vice-President for Membership A ldert W . W hitnf.v. \ 'i ce-Presi dcnt for Education ^ W. E. W orth. Vice-President for Finance and Treasurer. W. H. Cameron, Secretary ami Managing Director EX EC U TIV E COM M ITTEE (1936-1937) G iorc.k J A dams , Paper and Pul p Section C. M. A llen, Metals Section C. B. A ufx, Past President J. I. Il tNASi l, Past -President C. W . B f.koquist, Pa-t President H arold S. B uttfni i fi m, The Ameri can C'ltv Magazine W. II. C ameron, National Saf et y Council. Inc. Roufkv W. C a m p b e l l , Past President R obert I. Ga t l i n , Aetna Casualty & Surety Company L ewis A. D eB i.ois. Past President C. W. D f-mtes v, Food Section M archs A. D o w , Past President D. D. F knnfl:., Consulting Engineer D r. H art E. F i sher, Chicago Rapid Transit Company R. B. F oktuin. Lehigh Valley Safety Council C. W. Gibbs, Mining Section J i t s U. G ibson, Western Electric Company . H arry Guilbfrt, The Pullman Company H o n . H arold G. H offman) Governor of N e w Jersey 4 OFFICERS A N D DIRECTORS, Continued 1'.. C. H olden, Jl<,, Marine Section if.miry J. K elle y, Worn I Products Sect! on W alter G. K ing, Past President \ V m . C. K noei.k , Milwaukee Safety Commission -> J ohn E. P ong, Past President \ T a o s . H. M acDo.vai.d, United States Department of Agriculture F.. J. M ki i rex, Portland Cement Association \V. J. M elville, Chippewa County Safety Council l, W . M illard, industrial Gloves Corporation H arold I.. M in Fit, K I du Pont dc Nemours &; Company K. J. O ' B uikn, J r., Louisville Safety Council Lkw R. P almf.r, Past President C. E. P ett: lone, Past President A lbert S. R egula, Industrial Relations Counselors. Inc. Lt. C ol. H enry A. R f.nincf.r, Past President A. V. R ohwei i fr. Duluth, Missabe & N'orthern Railway Company D. L. Royer. ASSE-Eiiginetri. og Section G eorge E. S anford, General Electric Company C harlesB. S cott, Past President C arl E. S m i t h , Cleveland Safety Council C. W. S m i t h , Standard Oil Company (Indiana) W alter D ent S m i t h , Delaware Safety Council R. T. S olensten, Elliott Service Company C. P. T ol man , Past President G eorge G. T raver, Chicago Safety Council R obert R. W allace, Worcester Safety Council D r. C. H. W atson, American Telephone & Telegraph Company A, W. W h i t n e y , National Bureau of Casualty & Surety Underwriters W. E. W orth, International Harvester Company A rthur H. Y oung, Past President D IR E C T O R S (1936-1937) G eorge J. A dams, Paper & Pulp Section C. M. A l i e n , Metals Section N elson R. A nderson, Seattle Traffic & Safety Council F rederick A rcher, Child Education Section A. L. A rmstrong, Chemical Section J. I. B a n a s i i , Consulting Engineer J ohn J. B araka, Public Utilities Section E rnest W. B eck, United Stales Rubber Products, Inc. C. W . B krgquist, Western F.lectric Co. D avid S. B eyer, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. C lifford M. B i s h o p , Brooklyn Safety Council OFFICERS A N D DIRECTORS, Continued K ['. B l a n k , Jones & Lnughlin Steel Corp. C. F. B okkeniiaiiex, Kenosha Safety Council S. L). Bovn, \ ork County Safety Council A. \V. R reeland, Petroleum Section P S. B r o w n , Standard Act dent Insurance Co. S. \ \ \ B urchhe. Automobile Club of Rhode Island H arold S ButTE'.in i m. The American City Magazine I'resion I). C. 'i u m , Baltimore Safety Council V . II. Cameron, National Safety Council Ro nmr I. C ati.in, Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. M. A. Ct.Ai.K, Automotive and Machine Shop Section H. H erbert Corson, Safety Department, Xas lnil l e Chamber of Com merce F ra nk E merv Coy, Berkeley Traffic Safety Commission Ronratr W. C rowther. Springfield. Massachusetts Safety Council J. E. C ullinf.y. Bethlehem Steel Co. L ewi s A. D k.Bi.ois, Consulting Engineer J ay E. D ecker, Mason City Safety Council C. W . D e .mpesy, Food Section J amf.s B. D ouglas, Philadelphia Gas W orks Co. D r. I. outs I. D ubli n, Metropolitan Lite Insurance Co. D. D. F e n n e l l . Consulting Engineer It D onald A. F inkbf.i nfr. Tol edo Safety Council D r. M art H. F i s he r. Chicago Rapid Transi t Co. H oward B. F onda, Burroughs We ll c ome & Co. ( U . S. A. ) Inc. W i lli am F orsyth, Superior, Wi sconsi n Safety Council R. B. F ortui n, Lehigh Val l ey Safety Council A lexander F oster, J r.. Quarry Section C. ML G ibbs, Mining Section Joh n B. G ibson, Western Electric Co. H arry Guiubkrt, The Pul lman Co - I s ai ah H ale, The Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. M ajor B oi li ng H. H andy. Ri chmond Saf et y Council D. T. H arrington, U. S Bureau of Mines R. C. H aven, Vehicle Fleet Section G. T. H f.i x m u t i i , Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee R. R. Co. - C has E. H ill, Ne w York Central Lines H on . H arold G. H o f f m a n . Governor of N e w Jersey E. C. H olden, J r., Marine Section F rederick B. H u n t , Cement Section P. G. H unt e r, Power Press Section M orris E. H urley, Eastbay Safety Council M ajor N orman A. I mrie, Columbus Safety Council E dwi n A. K avsek, St. Iayuis Safety Council T homas P. K earns, Industrial Commission of Ohio 6 I Kj OFFICERS A N D DIRECTORS, Continued K. T. K ellfr, Detroit Industrial Safety Council H arry J. K f.lley, Wo o d Products Section T hos. L. K f.i.i.f. y, Paterson Safety Council J. M. K errigan, Rubber Section W m . C. K noelk, Street & Hi g h wa y Traffic Section C. I.. La Fo u n r.M\K, Great Northern Railway Co. A. H. Lai.'kr, Madison County Safety G.. .jCi1 1 J. II. Long, The Delaware & Hudson Railroad Corporation W. R. Loyd, Safety Div. Birmingham Chamber of Conunercc L. T. M cA kti h;h, Peoria, Illinois Safety Council T hos. H. M acI )onali>, United States Department of Agriculture M i m .kr M cCli ntock, Traffic Audit Bureau T. H. M cK f.nnky, Retired F. \V. M atson, Minnesota Safety Council J amks R. M ays, Elizabeth Safety Council E. J. M f. i i ren, Portland Content Association W. J. M elville, Chippewa County Safety Council I. W. M illard, Industrial GIoyos Corporation E M. M iller, Employees Publication Section J amf.s K. M iller, Grand Rapids Safety Council H arold L. M iner, E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co. R. B. M orlf.y, Industrial Accident Prevention Association E rnest MitRrHY, Albany Safety Council E, J. O ' B rien, J r., Louisville Safety Council G eorcf. C. A. Orr, The Detroit Edison Co. G eo. O f ten h ei mer , Kansas City Safety Council L ew R. P almer, The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States W ilson P almf.r, Meat Packing, Tanni ng & Leather Industries Sec tion A. E. P arker, Transit Section D avid A. P atton. Newark Safety Council M rs. G. M. P elton, Evanston Safety Council C harles W. P endock, Safety Division, Milwaukee Assn, of Com merce i C. E. P ettibone, American Mutual Liability Insurance Co. G f.n . G eorge B, P illsbury, United States Engineer Office A rthur P ottf.rton, Hudson County Safety Council A lbert S. R egui.a, Industrial Relations Counselors, Inc. L t. Col. H enry A. R f.ningkr, Lehigh Portland Cement Co. A. V. R ohwf.der, Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railway Co. D. L. R oyer, ASSE- Eugi neeri ng Section G. E. S anford, General Electric Co. H enry C. S chaf f ne r, Erie Safety Council K arl G. S choeffler, Rahway Safety Council 7 OFFICERS A N D DIRECTORS, Continued H ahky A. S c h u l t z . United St . i t o Steel Corp. Haul S. S ii.vkt/ en, Utica Saicty Council G ex. J ohn' II. S hi:iuu.;rxf.. .\!a^saclmsctts Safety Cotmcil Die L. A. Sn o u u v , Bethlehem Steel Co. E rnest S imoniis, New 1i ax cn Safety Council Cari. L. S mi t h . Cleveland Safety Council C. W. S mi th, Standard Oil .C"- d u d . ) E dwin C. S mi th. Blackstnnc Valley Safely Council W alter D ent S mi th, Delaware Saicty Council W. A. S now, Construction Section R. T. S oi. ensten, Elliott Service Co. P. Mari, S citzku, Contra Costa County Safety Council i E. C. S pring. Lansdale, Pa. George R. Stephens , Saicty Bureau. Buffalo Chamber of Commerce A rthur M i Torn:, Consulting Marine Engineer Maroi.d M. T oomiis. Refrigeration Section Gr.o. G. T racer. Chicago Sfete Council W. \V. T rkxch, Schenectady Safety Council W. D. T uhukvh.i.e. San Antonio Safely Council Roiiert R. W ai.lace, Worcester Saicty Council D r. C. II. W at sox, American Telephone fv Telegraph Co. H arry M. W kiuii.ii. Retired E. T. Wtinr.u, Western Pennsylvania Safety Council xS. E. W hiting, Liberty .Mutual Insurance Co. A. W. W hi tney. National Bureau of Casualty ft Surety Underwriters T. A. W im.sox, Accident Prevention H<|uipincnt Manufacturers' Sec tion T. A. W i lson, Textile Section W. II. W i n a n s . Union Carbide ft Carbon Curpnration E. W. W jrth, Rochester Muety Council H arry W ise, S r., ChattaueKiga Safely Council J. M. W oi.tz, Youngstown Sheet ft Tube Co. \V. W . W ood, Steam Railroad Section W. E. W orth, International Harvester Co. E. J. Z a u i t , Safety Bureau. Duluth Chamber of Commerce E arl W. Z i mmerman. Safety Die. Syracuse Chamber of Commerce G. L. Z wick, St. Joseph Safety Council -3 Th e fund;, tional Safe! human life, continuous t. tion that is to all types i recti v or im citizenry. It non-sectarian, filiations. Sir. it has w o n re institution. Inseparable the Councils conditions aim eases in A n t e T o d a y (her rcntmir every many of the are 400 forei. ship includclirnis. indiviih" chambers of organizations. dustrial conct c ompani e s, ti the railroads a ut o mo t i v e in ' sanding impo trial field. Oi., The history iug story, is l. In brief, the ; Congress wa- i Association o. Engineers in a result, the NT organized in year with fourt. first year the :cnIran to stntisectly. Get stalls- sliov you where _causes it. ) can stimulate '*^7 because deep man honestly bo und as somebody bow it. be meet i ng is ad- A } Occupalional Diseases FRIDAY MORNING SESSION O c t o b e r 9, 1936 The session was called to order by the chairman, Dr. Hart E. Fisher, V i e e - l 'resident for Health, National Safety Council, and Chief Surgeon, Chicago Rapid Transit Co., Chicago, wh o presided, i ntroduci ng the speakers. The Lesser Known Facts About Common Occupational Diseases By DR. R O B E R T B. H U N T Medical Advisor, American Mutual Liability Insurance Co., Boston Probably the leader in the parade of industrial diseases is an acute or chronic inflammation of the skin which we call dermatitis. This disease may present it self in any t> pc of shop, factory or f oun dry. A n y paste, powder, gas or liquid which comes in contact with the em p l oy e e 's skin, even the water supplied by the t own in whi ch he lives or works, may he the potential cause of such a skin disturbance. The wide diversity of causes together with the varying susceptibility of differ ent individuals makes the problem of control difficult. Much investigation is under way to determine 'why one person may lie sus ceptible to a certain substance while an other is not. It has been proved ma ny times that a poisonous substance formed within the body lias been able to prolong the action started by some external intlucnce. A printer developed a marked dermatitis from ink which persisted for two years. Finally food tests were made and showed that lie was susceptible to lettuce, winch, when removed from lus diet cleared the skin, l i e returned to his usual occupation without a return of symptoms. T h e poisoning of allergic substances is usually an accumul ative process. It takes time to produce a manifestation of dis ease, hut let any other substance cause the disease, and tlie irritating food may he of sufficient strength to magnify its action. All cases of dermatitis cannot be cured by eliminating offending foods, but fur ther investigation along these lines may give us a clue with which to lessen the loss of time from work and the discom fort now' produced by industrial d e r ma titis. haul Metals 'flic distribution of lead poisoning is quite extensive. J lie skin of the body is a protective covering, and as long as it remains in tact it docs a good job except it: the case of tetraethyl lead, which is used in blend ing gasoline and which is readily absorbed through the skin, having a tendency to create changes hi the nervous syst em. The elfcct of other forms of lead, through that avenue of entrance, is practically nil, which explains the ext re mel y l ow poisoning rate in typesetters, painters and others who continually come iu contact with metallic lead. Lead in any form, introduced through the mouth, acts rather slowly when c om pared with tlie inhalation of lead dust or fumes. l l o w e \ c r , no matter what the portal ot entry may be, lead is acted upon by the body (Iustls and so converted that it may eventually he deposited wi th in the hones. Those bony safe deposit vaults may retain their lead contents for days or for years, and if the exposure is removed, may also free the e mpl oyee of all si gns 117 K),iy 'j i j .\ u*n u n :! . ; / r . , ^ OUiJt css , 1 ni p t o ms of lead poi soni ng. Hut ne t he surpri se of that supposedl y person when years later, perhaps win; so me type of infectious disease ' e x c e s s i v e iwe of al cohol i c hoi ec ho a u a l . e s to find that he sutlers ' l i es and pa m s and paral yses of an lead poisoning. As the hody thuds lend that it may he deposited, so those fluids attempt to de-lead the and too rapid absorption may prothe original disease with all its disr t s . - ran readily sec, then, that in some investigation ot previous occtipuis cpiite ne c e s s a r y to d e t e r mi ne the oil c ont act wi t h lead. .iting of m o l t e n h a d catt'i'S a black of lead Miho-sidc to f o r m on its siiraud the heat from the metal dis' the fine p o n d e r into the air. e. in t he p r o c e s s of s m e l t i n g ores as cine, co pper ami silver, mixed lead, u e find a ra th e r high lead line; rate. >se e n g a g e d in t he m a n u f a c t u r e uf wire and cables, batteries. glass, y and ruhher industries, plumbers set's of d r y color s offer t he ir share I poisoning. i.ahly t he g r e a t e s t s o u r c e of lead m; m a y h e f ound a i m i n g t h o s e ndpaper, scrape, chip or burn lead :or the d i n t and lumes caused by ut il iti e s are rath er rapid in their Such w o r k e r s may become li lted in a few days because the in of lead dust causes the maxi'lount of absorption into the blood it t he m i n i m u m s p a c e o f t ime. m bum is a metal widely used a; a m for colors, ami dusts from its ;aIts may produce lesions of the mucous m em brane s of the nose, n plating by electrolysis may ues which are similarly irritatlough chromium poisoning does ly cause death, the num ber of absence front work on account city which it causes is gvadutsing. Uhl st efficient portals of entry of Ustauces into the hody are the nose and month. The smaller the dust (the sire of smoke particles lor example! t he [.'renter (lie speed of absorption hv th< blood. b times from hot metal s c.ti iy not onlv poi sons hut numerous tiiimilr dust particles This explains the inca- p.iiities occurring among those engaged in acetylene and electric cutting and welding. When men are so employed ove r a prol onged period of time, the co ns t a nt inhalation of fumes and <l".-t mi ght produce sympt oms of the imt.il upon which they work In the ship building trade, particularly in the eon- stiuction of metal ships, find o c c a sional c a s c s of metal-fume fever, ``l i r a s ; chills" and " spi l t er shakes" from zinc are names applied by the lay people to such diseases. The terrific heat ap plied to s o me of our c ommo n metal s am! alloys bv acetylene torches produces suf- hcjcnt fume; to cau-c a temporary inca paci ty in 2-1 hour;. Permanent disability n u n such causes is rare, however. Diseases Due to Dust T w e n t y - f i i e per cent of all Workers exposed to high concentrations oi inor g a n i c dust are expect ed \bii dig. chip cli.aiigc.s within their lungs due to that a g e n c y . W e arc at a loss to explain w h y the otlu r seventy-five pel i m l a:e not so affected. Mining, quarrying, foundry iv o r k , grinding, sandblasting, abrasive soap manufacturing, asbestos work, the m a k ing of emery and carborundum products and many other occupations offer o p portunities for employees to inhale mic roscopic dust particles and create a foun dation for possible future incapacity. W e are interested particularly in those men who work with sandstone, quartz, dint, granite, and sand, because they e x pose themselves to silica, and the chem ical c hanges between that dust and the hody fluids, in the presence of tubercu losis, m a y and usually do lead to a fatal ending. It is safe to say, in light of our present knowledge, that the action of other in organic dusts is much less virulent and incapacitating. That, 'however, does not allow us to lower the vigilant methods to improve dust control and protect em ployees, because all dusty occupations are potential trouble makers. J O c C U j \ l t > i > n i U i J l . i l It.u'S l.y Although the actions of various dusts dilfur 'wthin the body, tin: e xposure to asbestos (dues, present in the weaving and grinding of dry asbestos material, otters another type of dust which may entire fatalities a m o n g workers. Tlie organic dust s from cotton, silk, wool, toh.veeo, flour and similar stances are practically harmless. dun-, rarely reach the hums hut cause natation of the windpipe and sub Such may larg er air tidies and result at the mo s t in a mild bronchitis. The factor which should he borne in mind, pat ticularly wh e n deal ing wi t h silicosis and asbestiisis, relates to the progression of such disease. When changes occur within the lungs as a re sult of the presence of s ue 1 dusts, nature forms scar tissue to heal such lesions but may fail to stop when the job is finished. As a result, the continuation of that hcalim: process ma y lead to such structural changes within the lungs that partial or total incapacity ma y 'follow mo n t h s or rears after the employee has been re moved from his dusty occupation. Benzole-Benzene Ilmaol is a distillate of coal tar used ( \ [ciisi \ el v in industry. It is an e s s e n tial impedieiit in the mami i act m e of e x plosives. It is an excell ent s ol vent for .urease, oils and cement s, and because of that property it is important in many phases of the rubber and cleaning indus tries. In the manufacture of shoes be n zol may be an ingredient of the dressi ng applied to the leather and of tlie cement which fastens the heels and soles. Not only in the shoe trade but in other branches of industry where employees work with g ummy , sticky material, the workers soon learn of the solvent and cleansing action of this liquid and use it freely for that purpose upon themselves. The subsequent outbreak of skin af flictions may be the first indication of such unauthorized Use. Benzol is extremely poisonous, enter ing either through the nose or mouth or absorbed through the skin. Its action within the body is varied and may pro duce a multitude of signs and symptoms. The bone marrow becomes affected which in turn nhers the character of the blood; hemorrhages are common; it may cause death. The (mm st rum benzol are heavier than air and lie m a r tlie door, which is an i m portant point in the engineering prob lem of ventilation. The members of the benzene group are absorbed through the skin, and more cases of poisoning are found when men perspire than when their bodies are cool. I'robaldv the answer to that L that the fumes may solidify as they cool and the powder may settle on the skin. 1 be sweat on the body may dissolve this dust so that it is more readily absorbed through the increased suriace blood supply. Chlorinated Hydrocarbons This group of petroleum derivatives has been known to science for years but during lire past decade its a dv a nce into the industrial field lias been wi de l y di s tributed and most important. I.ed by carbon tetrachloride' and its chemically associated members, it has f urni shed in dustry with refrigerants for ice chests, excellent solvents for rubber, wax, oil and gie.ise, tlmuiers for lacquers and a very line househol d necessity lor. the r e moval of spots from clothes. Hospitals have been rising it more and mor e for the removal of adhesive plaster. Due to the mm-flammability of car bon tetrachloride, it is Used in fire e x tinguishers. The rapid evaporation pro duces fumes which may smother a small blaze, but we must not forget that cxcessive heat of the actual fire may bring about combustion sufficient to produce such biproducts as hydrochloric acid and phosgene gas. Like its associated m e m ber, chloroform, it may produce sleep when inhaled by an individual, and only 1/350 of an ounce in a quart of air is necessary to produce such action. That thought must be remembered when a large quantity of those liquid products is spilled on the floor, perhaps accidentally. Act i on .should be started at once before the liquid gasifies, and empl oyees should be notified to keep their heads up to avoid the low ceiling u. gas. Chemists have developed and intro duced to industry many new products, the basis of which is the chl ori nated hy drocarbons. These derivatives of petro- nu distillation arc freqncntty combined :ii t hose from coal tar to form valua chemical combination'. T h e y have n placed on the market so rapidly it medical science has been unable to termine their phvsioloyic.il effect upon : health of man. W e have known that me of these chemicals are capable of ating c h a n g e s in t he liver, and o n l y .ently in a city in .Massachusetts one the-o newer products caused the death t u o employees ami a battle to retain among two others. Carbon Monoxide Von remember the adage, "Where re is s mo k e , there is lire.'' W e mi gh t I to that. "Wh e r e there is fire there is bon monoxide." fliis odorless but poisonous gas may ur in any i nd us t r y o r in a ny home, but poorer the ventilation the better the nice of producing physical incapacity. Since the advent of the motor car, :ose exhaust pipe m ay pour forth as :h as of carbon monoxide, we are e x po s e d to that g a s , particularly ir> vvded cities. T h e o r di na r y passenger liberates about tw o cubic feet per nutc, arid o n e can r ea di l y est i mate the ysica! d am a ge that m a y be done if i. a mo t o r is a l l o w e d t o run wi t hi n the >rs of a po o r l y ve nt i l a t e d garage or >p. Fort unat e l y, s e r i o u s c a s e s of such soi l i ng are riot c o m m o n a m o n g those ployed in public garages, but many of sc e m p l o y e e s are l i kel y to compl ain headache and faintness at the end of a 's work, e s pe c i a l l y in colder weat her cm doors and w i n d o w s remai n closed, n the steel industry, where gas is used the heating agenc y in the blast far es, care must be used to provide per ventilation. W i t h i n the mines, kers are wa r ne d to a l l o w e no u g h time wi n g blasts for the es cape of this iiig a colorless, odorless and tastegas, quick of action within the hubody, the manifestation of the very s ym pt om m ay he t oo late to save a <man from partial or total incapacity erhaps death. cause the e x p o s e d p e r s o n .suffers from mot or paral ysi s, he ma y be le to help himself or even to warn others of the danger. Eve n if removed from the poisonous gas at that period, the damage actually dime by the gas may result in permanent physical damage. Infection The skin is a protective covering of the body against infection and is e x tremely efficient as long as it remains in tact. hut allow it to he broken or punc tured. introduce bacteria, and a battle ensues between the offensive agencies of infection and the defensive powers ot the body. The winning of such a struggle may determine the 'presence or absence of incapacity. Inlections a r e common throughout industry, hut t wo types are particularly prominent ---infection result ing from anthrax and infection among meat packers and fishermen. Many of our fur, hair or wo o l - c o v er ed animals may contract anthrax. The germs of that disease defy tiie ordinary methods of sterilization and may linger on hides, bristles or hairs for l ong periods of time. Tanners, wool sorters, anil hair or bristle workers may introduce the anthrax spore beneath their skin and undergo much physical suffering and sometime- death. Infections are frequently found among meat and fish packers and those engaged in deep sea fishing. Although death rarely occurs, the loss of fingers, hands and nasty septic wounds are the result. Punctured wounds, cuts. abrasions, burns and scratches are potential avenues of entrance for bacteria which would seem to be wai ti ng e v e r y whe r e at all times for such a break in the skin. Early medical treatment mi ght often save later surgical interference, not to mention the accompanying discomfort, incapacity and perhaps the loss of an essential body part. Summary I feel that the time lias conic when an employer must demand of a manufacturer the answers to two questions: 1. H o w will your product affect my business ? 2. H o w will j our' product affect the health of my employees? That employer is entitled to honest answers based upon sufficient chemical and physi ol ogii a! cxaiiiinations of the questionable product. That manufacturer should he held responsible for the ills produced by the use of his product and unless he can guarant ee its safety, it has no place in industry. T o o many lives have been lost or jeopardized by too little know ledge of a product's action upon those w h o handl e it. The incidence of lost time due to ill ness and injury in industry has heen greatly lessened by the many agencies working along lines of safety. When in dustry has been made f ool - proof by tl substitution of non-toxic preparat ions h those now found to he harmful, ai d win. each empl oyee is minted with t he idi that constant t hought f ul ness and care ar most 1necessary for the maintenance- c health and happiness, then, and not un til that idealistic stage has been reaehe may vigilance and perseverance to main tain and preserve health, l imb and lit be lessened. Pre-Employm ent Examination as an Aid to the Control of Industrial Diseases B y DR. W . C. T E M P L E R Medical Director, Corning Glass Works, Corning, N. Y. We ntay well ask whether or not phy sical examination is of any value to the world at large, rather than limit the dis cussion to the control of industrial di seases. In the conservation of life and health much progress has been made in the eradication or control of such diseases as occur in epi demic form, as well as that type of disease which is not truly epidemic, but occurs in such frequency that general health programs are neces sary. Much has been done to control such distillling illnesses as heart disease, arterio-sclerosis, ki dney disease and dia bc.tes; and s o m e t hi ng has heen a c c o m plished in the control of morbidity, which tends to, at least, ma ke people happier through good health, even though an in creased span of life is not gained. Physical examination has played a large role in accomplishing these things, be cause it was through physical examination and physical observations that investiga tors wore led to exert themselves to find a remedy for the cause of such condi tions. Small-pox is no longer prevalent, due to such observations, which led to its control by vaccination. Malaria and yellow fever have been brought largely under control, and knowl edge is now available in the control of venerea) di seases, if the proper physical examination and laboratory methods are used to arrive at a diagnosis. W e are all familiar with the results obtained in decreasing the I death rate due to tuberculosis. In fact in the treatment of all e p i de mi c - t y pe diseases that have so far been eradicated, the examination of patients to determine the severity of symptoms and the im provement has been of foremost value. Knowi ng that the average span of life has been increased eight years in the !a-,t quarter century and a s - n mi n g that the above mentioned factors have had some bearing on it, could we decry the value of physical examination-, for the general population ? If wc kn o w that exami na t i o ns ma de by insurance companies and their association exami ni ng institutions, the clinics run bv the United States Public Health Service and the great m i s s of physicians, w h o all carefully examine their clientele, have been of value in the control of disease, ma y wc not assume that e x a m i n a t i o n s In industry will help control the incidence and extent of industrial disease, particu larly when the life expectancy of 'in dustrial wor ke rs is less than that of tingeneral population? In fact on April 14, 193f, at the N a tional Conference on Silicosis and Simihu Dust Diseases, called by the Secretary of Labor, Dr. R. R. Sayers of the Un i t e - '. States Public Heal th Service said, " I 'rc limiuary and periodic physical and room genol ogica! examination shoul d he mailof all e mpl oyee s e ng a g e d in inJ n-.tr ia processes where there is a potential i Aetna! exposure t o e x ce s s i v e ci'iiceninif" of -alira in the at mosphere. " . aturally in tlic early work of industry, y basic materials were used, ingredients : not arris c <1 at a state oi de v e l o p me n t ! complexify, ulicn intricate chemical ;i|Mitmi)s and ot her t o x i c materi als we r e it k n o wn of, ntttrh l ess tised. At t he cut time over 500 materials are lister! a h can. under certain conditions, cause itrial disease and the list is by n o ms complete, inasmuch as experimental rh is being done by the personnel of etically every plant or industry to im>( or enlarge its mami f act ur e d proi lncts taking ad i anta ge of the (treat amount k n o wl e d g e s i l e n c e ha s gi ven us. ndustriai examinations ate of tw o ds. I-'irst. the pre-cut ployiuent c x 'natimi, which c o n s i s t s of a very cavehistory, not onl y of the family, but > of the previous occupations with gth of sere ice in each, previous health ' illnesses and present habits. Naturally 1. a hi story is of no v a l ue unl ess truthy given and a reasonable amount of e must be taken to acepk . details, ch arc often v a g ue in a w o r k m a n 's d or considered by hi m to be unimt; nt. T h e physical exami nat i on, of r e, varies with the t ypo of industry, '. shoul d he given wi t h the kn o wl ed g e what the m a n 's ex a ct oc cupat i on is to and by a physician familiar with the istrial processes in which he is to be loved. In tliis wa y se l ec t ed e m p l o y 'd can be obtained for me n who have iC basic disqual i fication tor one job. which does not impair their ability useful employment and the conserving '''ulth in another. e physical examination must be rough. St should i nc l ude all me t hods determi ni ng n Intent disability or one t is already present. Many examina- forms are available from insurance ipanics or other health Services, which e been designed entirely for industrial k. It has been the experi ence of men rested in this work, that all the spec inI -es of the body must be tested as well he measurement of mot ion in all joints. cardio-vascular system is of great ortancc as is the respiratory and ro-intestinal tract. e-examination and periodical checks, use of particular industrial hazards, must be correlated as to time spent in the hazard, although a period of one year is, perhaps, proper for persons who Ire! in good health and have no complaints, or who arc not working in toxic sub stances or with oilier materials wliiih would under some conditions impair their health and usefulness. The objectives of pre-employment and post-employ ment examinations are the same, that is: the establishment of a physical standard in which the employee can pursue his trade or labor, having no discomfort or ill elfcet due to industrial exposure to harmful product-. Such products and materials are. as we have mentioned, of great mmibrr and variety. Attempts have been made to classify Workmen ns to age, s e x . color and na tionality. Wh e t h e r or not any oi thruclassifications are of value, it still remains that the primary effort is to have healthy wo r kme n and the benefit is of a-, great value to the workman as to the industry. The benefits of individual and community good health are numerous and obvious; and the benefits of good health to industry arc equal l y important. T h e e mpl o y er will he more productive, receive higher wages and be' happier. T h e labor turn-over rate because oi poor health will he lowered as will the costs of insurance. T he working personnel vvil! lie more efficient and c o n tented. and will di'like to be exposed to tile overt acts of people' w h o are epileptic, insane or who disregard communicable disease, and will use their endeavors to work safely among hazards they have been taught to respect. T h e harmful exposure to each hazard is, of course, diherent, ranging from a few days as, for example, an acute poisoning f rom toxic gases, to that of 15 or 20 years in sonic of the less toxic dusts; therefore the period before re-exaiuiuation for each class of empl oyee will be dif ferent. However, individuals dilfcr also and it is bard to state a definite period which may be satisfactory for each em ployee in a single class of hazard. Super visors can often be of great value in send ing employees out for physical examina t i on w h e n e v e r there is a c h a n g e in a pipearnnee or work ability, or when they have been off on account of some illness, .such as those self-diagnosed as c ommon cold, lagrippe, cough, sore throat or skin irritation. Sucli observations should be UCCHj\KliO>.'[/; L.)l.u u .1 S considered, where there is not a full-time j;liyMci.m, and they are of the create"t value in the early de t e rmi nat i on of a su-wepuhility to or the beginning of an inthiMi ial disease. We .lie* fortunate in ha v i ng had a large amount of research wor k do n e on indu'-uia! diseases, vmtil at the present time, materials from a c et uhhh yde to zinc arc listed. together with the processes in whirl they are used and the symptom-, which they cause, and an estimate of the a m o u n t of exposure in nearly every case necessary to produce s y m p t o m s . It is seally not too much of a problem for an interested physician to a c c u mul a t e a >up;:U o f s u c h kn o wl e d g e , parti cularl y wh e n he InUo v s t h e pr*n-e<s(S i nv o l v e d duri ng ;fo; m.inufai tin ing procedure of his in dustry. It thus he r o i nes relatively n o a i t i n e m a t t e r of observation, together witli examination for specific vympioMis at the time of the re-examination, to obtain some contrail of the hazard. signs or periorlical decree of We cannot discuss the benefits of pre- empioyment examination and periodic re examination without mentioning: some of the objections to it. If a man lias a di s ability, he natural]* is anx i ou s to keep it to himself, and i f\ s o me c ases wc find that the workman is disinterested to a pom: that he would rather not k n o w of a disability even though he has it. Cer tain social groups reyard each man as entitled to employment whether he is physically fit or not, on the a s s ump t i on that industry hires labor, not health, and that rejection because of physical d i s ability causes a class of artisans to become prejudiced against and become charity <ase>. It is also al leged that the quality of medical service in industry is such that the results of examinations arc m i s leading and of /to value. A n ot he r o bj e c tion is voiced by labor unions, it being claimed that pr e- empl oyme nt e xa mi na tions arc used to discriminate against labor union workers or members. Many labor leaders realize, however, that pre- employment examination and periodical check-ups are the onl y m e a n s of pr e v e n t ing disability from certain industrial ha/aids. Competent and honest medical service renders all these ob j e c t i on s quite impotent; for if an e nde avor is made to properly place employees, such a smal percentage is finally rejected, and thu percentage is so obviously unfit to / r! that no fair-minded person can fad i* sec the justice of it. 1 Ik m- objections, however, are being uottred by legislative b<di<**. and in one State a law is in force winch says: " It is hereby declared to he the policy of the legislature of this State, in enacting tin's artiile. to prohibit ihnMigh every l aw ful means available, any requirement as a pre-requisite to employment winch com pels an applicant for empl oyment in any occupation coming within the purview m this article to undergo a medical exami na tion '' Thi s st at ement w in a paragraph labeled. " I'reveiitinu of Silicosis and Other Pm-t P i s e a s e s , " au<i the logic of it "> entirely non-understandable. even thong:': at the present time there is no lawful means available to enforce the stated policy. If physical examinations arc of benefit to the population at large, they certainly must be to the industrial worker*, who may he exposed to special hazard-: periodical check-up examinations arc necessary in any hazardous work or trade, in order to protect the workers ns well ns the industry: and the benefits to t fie workers of proper and iair-mir.ded e x aminations, in all ordinary cases, out wei gh the objections. I have purposely omitted any reference to the economics of pre-employment and periodic re-examination, which apply either to the individual or the' industry, h o w e v e r, one of the great public health problems of today is the question of the cost of medical care. It industry a s s ume s some of this Cost by periodical e x a m i n a tion in connection with the prevention of industrial disease, it relieves the individual of this responsibility ami allows more room in his budget for the care of his f<a/?iily*. T h e benefits to industry, of course, are those of a better personnel and a lower rate of insurance. This rate, due to industrial disease hazards, is in many States very high and the logical conclu sion is that the real remedy lies in the prevention of industrial disease fiv anv method, one of which, f believe, is pre- employinuet and periodical examinations. f A '"A W hat Can the E ngineer Do to Eliminate the Hazards of Occupational Diseases? By R E U E L C. S T R A T T O N Supervi si ng Chemi cal Engi neer, T h e Tr a v el er s Insurance Co., Hartford, Conn. If I were ashed, "Can the engineer pre en t the majority of occupational disease tcs" my answer would be, " y e s " Obiously, with the exception of those isca-.es brought about through a sudden r accidental contact with a poisonous '.atcriu! or a virulent di s e a s e - pr o du c i ng rg.uusm, it the e xposure were contr oll ed y engineering technique, then there tntld he no occupational disease. The- engi ne er m u s t rely upon t he tedical director to place individuals tpahlc of working in hazardous oceupaons and to assist him in controlling esc individuals t hr o ug h periodic phy s i ca l xaininations when the men are exposed > occupational disease hazards; but the uginccr alone is responsible for reducing .iteration of harmful substances and for :c control of e m p l o y e e s ' contact w i t h -oecsscs using harmful materials. The ascribing of many and new occupa>nal di seases to i ndustrial e n v i ro n m e n t as produced a pr o bl e m for him. T h e lginccr generally works with materials hich he can sec. but the study of inistrial disease control ntay require the ndling of invisible materials. [t is a m m o n fault to focus at t ent i on upon o n e bject to such an extent that others of ua! i mport ance m a y t he r eby be rel eitcd to obscurity. Today safety cnaeers and industrial hygienists are cottntrating their attention upon diseases used by the inhalation of dust, hut I not believe the safety engineer is wartied in confining himself to the prevenri of di seases caused hy dust alone. H i s tsideration should ext end to include all tennis produced in a n y manner that y may cause an effect upon a worker, e question of whether a material exists a gas, a vapor, or a dust is but one of t'dc size ami chemical make-up. !c must not forget that many such ascs arc produced by exposure to >rs and g a se s as wel l a s to dust, and the control of these industrial diseases be brought about by the application trtain fundamental principles common I. While the problem confronting indi vidual safety engineers varies according to the industry, there arc certain funda mentals c ommon to all such problems which provide a workable basis upon which an occupational disease prevention program may be developed. Once these fundamentals arc set in motion toward a safe working environment, continuance is much the s ame whether the engineer is engaged with a large organization or with a small one. T he fundamentals follow this sequence; (1) An occupational disease inventory is required. (2) A plan for correction of the e x posures shown by the inventory requires development. (.3) A concentrated attack upon the ma j o r exposures first, f ol l o wi ng through until all are corrected or eliminated. A n i nventory of all materials used in a plant will astound the average engineer l i e will find many items about which lie m a y h a t e little or no knowledge. l i e may be confronted with items he had not recognized previously, even though he has been associated with the plant perhaps many years. W h e n this inventory is c o m plete, lie should card index it, placing against the name of the materia) the health hazard associated with it both from a material and a process viewpoint. Such a card index should contain the com ponent parts or constituency of co m pounds. Process exposures should he studied in conjunction with hazardous materials. As s i s t a n c e in c ompi l i ng such data may he obtained in the bulletin "Occupation Hazards and Diagnostic Signs," prepared hy Dublin and Vane of the Metropolitan J.iie Insurance Company, and in a publi cation of the United States Public Health Service, Public Health Bulletin No. 216, "The Potential Problems of Industrial Hygiene in a Typical Industrial Area in the United States." In addition the engineer should obtain all available information upon the m a terials he is required to study. New ( > r c : ( / / i o h .h 1 >i . w ;. chemicals, solutions, dusts, degreasing agent'. condensation products, paints. lac<{Uers, dyes, abrasives, and o t her pr o duct s too numerous to mention are being placed upon the market daily, and the average engi neer's kn o wl e d g e of their pos si bl e effects upon health is slight. Aca lemie research determining the effect of these new materials upon humans is p r o g r e s s i ng slowly, and serious injuries may he sus tained in iudustiial application Ion;; 1 . fore the toxicologist s able to d e t e r mi ne the properties of the material and the m a x i mum permissible amount to which a worker may ho exposed. In s e e k i ng this information it is essential to d e t e r mi ne in so far as possible the m a x i m u m permissib'e amount of contaminants which may exist in a work place without causing an occupational disease. Armed with this information, the en gineer is in a position to locate properly in his own plant the process and the operation in which the exposure may exist. The engineer should study togeth.ee with the plant phisician the length of e m p l o y ment of exposed individuals and they should jointly determine the normal ex pectancy or average length of employment for the specific-- exposure. F r o m such data .may he der eloped a f actor of saf et y, and the maximum allowable period of emp'enment in certain areas may he assigned. Naturally this study should he focused upon tiie more hazardous locations first, and when these arc corrected, attention turned toward minor conditions. Housing. One of the most important considerations in attempting to control o c cupational disease is housing. W h e n e v e r practical, any hazardous manufacturing proce-.s should he separately housed and isolated; every effort should be made to arrest harmful substances--dust, vapors, or gases--at their source of generation. Huildings should be so constructed that accumulations of dust may he avoided. When physical separation of depart ments is required, such physical divisions should lie dust or vapor tight. Floors should be tight to prevent transfer of materials to floors or departments be l ow. The engineer should give study to the complete enclosure of machinery or process units as individual units and, if so required, vent eaelt one separately. The transfer of hazardous operations into the open air does not alwais ehuiia.i the danger; in fact, it ma y increase tl number of workers affected. Proc es s Revision. T o reduce trari\P"i tation of materials and exposure to liar;: fill substance; it is desirable to have a', processes mechanically continuous and, i possible, enclosed. Whe n this cannot !: accomplished, suitable physical division should he provided The engineer shouh consider the substitution of wet proeC'-e for dry processes, provi di ng at the samtime for the disposal of the moist coi lectcd material in a safe place. 11c shot:!' consider the substitution of automat:, operations for hazardous hand work o: machine work. A change of ahr asm material will often reduce the quantity ot clti.it produced. 1 can cite ait exampl e of how a little thought can care a hazardous machine operation with little or no expense; A plant producing a finely pulverize : material created large a mo unt s of dust ii. baggi ng the material, using porous sacks This high concentration ot dust, not neces sarily toxic, inconvenienced the workers The cost of ventilating the department woul d have been prohibitive. Ry care.';:! study the engineer determined that the fall of the material into the sacks forced the air out through the interstices of the material, carrving with it a quantity of the pulverized product. His problem, thus, was to provide a means whereby this air could he harmlessly expell ed f i om the sack prior to filling. St u dy led hurt to suggest and apply the use of a collapsed paper bag which contained little or no free air. The probl em wa s solved. D u - generation was practically eliminated hi this simple change. Ma n y hazard:: processes in ordinary manufacturing opera tious may be cured in like manner if tin engineer exercises his ingenuity. Ventilation. l'roper ventilation is o: paramount i mportance ill the control <: any occupational exposure. Most of tin chief occupational diseases other that dermatitis arise through the inhalation ot the ingestion of foreign material. If ven tilatiug equipment can t educe the cuticcn tratiou of rontatr.inating materials to safe limit, the problem is solved. Th e or. gineer should study each process sep arately and ventilate each separately. 1 is- sel dom wise to relv upon general vet. 126 Twenty-fifth National Safety Congress tilatiou. Instead, high velocity ventilating ever. the engineer interested in ascer apparatus .should he installed, f uncti oni ng taining not only e xposure but al so effi as elosciy to the point of generation of ciency of control should realize control the- harmful subst ance as is possible. cannot be fully effective nor the efficiency Individual machi nes .should he so <-<itn'ppctl it possible. Hatties m a y he in of any protective device determined with out scientific tests. Assumption, guess troduced to prevent air stream disturb ances or to increase the intake >.f.ciencv at the nozzle. Down-draft syst ems should he preferred for the collection of work, unscientific procedure or apparatus have no place in an engineering program. The engineer must test each step unless it has been previously proved, carefully cal dust or gases of high specific gravity. F.ven after the installation of exhaust culating in advance to avoid false protec tion. systems, the engineer must study the H e must he familiar with dust counti ng, j type of maintenance required to keep air sampling, and chemical analysis tech- them operating at peak efficiency. N o z pique. having such determinations made j zles should not he permitted to become by established and proper methods. If covered nor moved out of proper posi such tests arc beyond the scope of his ; tion. Exhaust piping must be kept dust ability or equipment and if the engineer j tight Flower efficiencies must be c on considers such tests absolutely essential, ; stantly cheeked to insure that intake v e then his executives should permit him to j locities are proper. T h e best ventilating obtain experts qualified to make such stir- i sys tem is a talse protection if it docs not vevs as his problem may require. T h e t function properly or if it is so poorly need for an accurate engi neeri ng approach ' maintained that it fails bclruv its desi gned to any control measure cannot lie over rating. The engineer must exercise e x emphasized. treme care to provide a clean source of replacement air for the work place. He m a y tind it necessary to install filtering and heating devices. The engineer must study t'ne proper disposal of the collected or expelled material to he positive it will not drift hack into the work place. Employee Protection. While the pri mary engineering means of protection against possible occupational diseases should he mechanical correction, the en gi neer will find instances v. here even the best s\ stents must he supplemented by individual protection. He must carefully study such exposures to provide the high est efficiency of protection, yet obtain a device easy lor the operator to wear c on tinuously. When the engineer has been successful in obtai ni ng such a dec ice, he mus t educate workers to use it. Sanitation. Clean washing facilities and toilets shoul d he provided. I.-uncl^ rooms shoul d he not onl y clean Imt also well lighted anil attractive and should he u n der the supervision of the plant physician. Conclusion. Every engineer realizes control of any industrial disease expo sure is divided, part of such control fall ing within the jurisdiction of the indus trial physician and part within his o wn engineering province. Medical knowledge is invaluable in the detection of early symptoms and in the administration of suitable preventive treatment. The en gineer should gladly obtain the services of an industrial physician to make a study of the plant, to assist in the classi fication of the hazardous operations and working locations. By such coordination he will sjiccd control of the exposure. leach individual occupational disease exposure must he studied, analyzed, and controlled imlii dually. Whi l e general data m a y he available upon c o m mo n e x posures, the solution can be found only m individual treatment. Such exposures cannot be compared to ordinary safety engineering efforts. A 'circular saw is a circular saw wherever it may he operat ing. hut industrial disease exposure varies Scientific Tests. Up to this point the within plants and certainly varies between engineer has deduced that an exposure different manufacturing establishments, exists, and from accumul at ed data has even t ho ug h they ma y produce a like devised his means of prevention. H o w product or article. ADJOURNMENT T! Chai treq tific wir,. acra cosmar. tha'. unif K and inte. M. r fotn genio i dat . sat: str. wii rctp aci l. rcai lov nr \\ tes: tiol om be'ha'. vieni to -5 cccntly dc-siiphcation _ J a hydro- w-ctor for M e r er. Jtid. Km:. M.S A. Com* Mutu.il l.ih* KV/'-5. Jut;. .V.mn t r Air* V,ohcil ps, -vlicai Huile tm . r A i r c r . u t . S. ersem. Intru* - pp. 2.^3-'A t*r and A l a r m , li W F re\ert, t M i n t s T P * i M ou nxu ie in ' . Krpa.nC2t2*r>., lud. V)U. M Continu-nj^ ; ictory Mutual >rt So. Paul. L. C. . e a u oi N`.ine < table lor l>c\ . 11 H m A er. s. P u r e a u d lletectuur * V e s am i F.x* ' : M m r s T 1' Monoxide on i ` M. S e ib e r t. Mines TP* uriufc* Mire ami .:irI t o A t m o s . P. YatU. i*. A. ! Herder. Hu ey oi a V till tv and (. St J. 1W. 1931. Construction Section Officers 1935-36 General Chairman--\V. A. S nou', Associated General Contractors of America, Inc., 1329 "1C" Street, N. \V,, Washington, D. C. I ici-Chairman for H e a v y Construction anti Railroad Contractors-- R. J. R kigelUTII, C. \V. Blakesice & Sons, 38 Wavcrl y St,, Ne w Haven, Conn. I'lce-Chamnan or Hitjh-.eay Construction-- E. I. R owf., \V. L. Johnson Construction Co., Hicksvillc, Ohio. I 'icc-Chatrman tor U. S. Eiujincer l)c[' art mcnt-- M m o r E i.uott V andeyantek. C. of E., Office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, D. C. i'icc-Chairman for Huildiitt) Construction-- C hester \V. W ri ght, Wright & Kremers, Inc., Niagara Falls, X. V. Secretary-- Robert M cK inley, General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corp., Detroit, Mi c h . ' Xcics Inciter Edi tor-- G. 0 . G ri ffi n. Dr a \ o Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pa. Eiifimccriuti Commi t tee Chairman-- 1C X. G oui sti xe, San Francisco, Calif. Mciuhershif' Commi t tee Chairman-- T homas R f.nti.ky, The A. Rentier & Sons Co., Toledo, Ohm. post er Commi t tee Chairman-- R. A. S x o w . Carolina Power cN Eight Co, Raleich, X. C. Praoram Caiuuiiltee Chairman-- V. P. A iif.akn, National Sand & Gravel As s n. Munscy Bldg., .Washington. D. C. Publicity Commi t tee Chairman-- W". P. C o n n , Editor. "The Constructor.'' Washington, D. C. Statistics Commi t tee Chairman-- C. II. I'I.ack, Stone N Webster Engineering Corp., Boston, Mass. Past General Chairmen -- W. F. A u s t i n . Detroit. Mich. E X. Gouistixe. Nan Francisco, Calif J ohn R usski.i., J r., Public Service Electric & Gas Co.. Newark, X. J. Officers Elected for 1936-37 G e n e r a l ('liait i i w u -- \V. A. S n o u , Associated General Contractors ot America. Inc, Wa s h ington, n c . / lee-Chairinan for H e a v y Construction-- K. J. Kr.it.v.\xi n, L. W. HlakcMce & Sons, New Ha\en, Conn I'icc-Chui* man for Hi g hwa y Construction-- F. I. Koui:, W. L. Johnson Construction Co. Hicksvillc, Ohio. I icc-Chainnan for U. S. hntiinccr P epai tin n i i-- M ajor Hm .iott V axdevantkr, C. oi 1C., OlVicc ot the Clnet of hngincers, Washington, D. C. rirr-C/minmni for Unlrfnuj C onstru ction-- C hkstf.k W. W kuiut, Wright & Krcmcrs. Inc, Niagara halls, X. V. 5Vf>r/it>*v-- Koukkt M cK i nley, General Accident, Fire & Lite Assurance Corp., Detroit, Midi 242 l w a t t \ - f l f ih A ai.oHKll L <>/:;: t*.\ % V .Veli'.; L e d e r fiifitoi-- G. O. G kii' f i v , Oravo Corp , Xovillc Istanti, Pittsburgh, Pa. f m / f m v r n : C t u u m d i f v CGi bm. m--T i i o m \ s S o m . Industriai Indrumity Fxrhange, San P'rancisco. Calli M e/i:'e> Mas-,. Cowmit t ec Cluiiinuut -- h. J. C u a n u m i . Liberty Mutual ln-Airancc Boston. f 'i'ster Cr>iiit!ec ('Imnihui --S M. I...\nn hpai.f. Civilian Conscrvation Corps. Washi ng ton. I). C. f ' / m/ i i i w C eninutft e (. hairniu --- V . P. A i h h n . Xativmal Santi & (jr.ivvl As s o . Wa s hi ng ton. I) C. f ' a l 'Hi l y C o M w i f f e e CL e . nv i an-- \ V. P ( * u \ \ \ \ " T h e C o u s t r u c t o r , '' W a s h i n g t o n , I). C S i i i h d i e s Ceii;n:;/!ee ('litnniuin-- C. H. B l a c k , Stono -Se Web s t e r KngiiuRTing Cur; , Boston. .Mass. l\: r/* C e n e m i C l m n a e n -- W. K A i*m : \ \ W. C. W o*d C o . Detroit. Mieli. ltH'.AH X (joiDsTtNK. CoiiMiltim: Saf et y Knuincer. San Frnnci-eo. t.alit. JotiN K f s s m . . J r . Public Service Klcctrc A- Da' Co., Xeuark. X. J. T h e fir^t wWon u , n called to arder b y General Chairman W'elton A. S n o w , A s sociated General Contractors of America, Inc.. W a s h i n g t o n , D. C., who presi ded. out l i ni ng the a c t i \ i l i es of tin; j.a-t year and c om me nd ing the woi k of the various committee chairmen. A d d m - r s u i w gi\en as follows: Construction S a fety A in 't Different By G. O. G R I F F I N Safety Director, Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa. T h e construction industry in 1935, out of 30 major industries, ranked twentyseventh in accident frequency and twenty\inth in severi ty; and tire only e x c u s e hut 'was ever gi ven is. "Wel l, w e 're cli f crcitt." W e aren't different! It 's j us t an alibi. The cement, quarry and public utilities industries contain many hazards similar to those of the construction in dustry, yet each has a superior accident rate. The following table g i\e s a percentage T ype of Accident .11 t y p e s .............................................................. f a nd f i n g o bj e e j s ............................................ alls to t he s a me l e v e l ................................. alls to a different l e v e l .............................. f a c hi nc ry .......................................................... c hi c l e s ............................................................... ai li ng o b j e c t s ................................................ s i ng h a n d t o o l s ............................................ eppin on or striking against objects lectricity, expl osi ves, h e a t ....................... ar mf ul s u b s t a n c e s ..................................... thee .................................................................... Per cent in Construction Industry 100.0 25.9 9.5 8.7 12.0 10.9 8.7 7.6 5.6 3.6 2.1 5.4 Per cent in All Industries 100 0 26.8 9.6 14.9 7.5 6.0 11.1 7.9 6.5 2.7 2.6 4.4 xux. r, ii . '/<.. . i distribution of the cases (nearly all c o m pensable) covered in recent one-year re ports from Illinois, N e w 5 ork, Mar>laml, New Jersey and I'e n n - y h ania. T h e s e reports cover 22-t.tibl injuries in all industries and -ID,(.20 injuries a m o n g construction company employees. Is it not remarkable how neatly equal t hese percent ages tire for most t>pes of i n j u r i e s ' In only four instances d o e s the (inference in percentage e x ce ed 1 per cent The construction industry had 6 per cent mote accidents due to falls to a dili'eretit level, and 2 per cent more clue to falhm; objects, titan the average lor all industries.- Construction work had -I per cent fewer arcideiits due to marliiuerj and 5 per cent fewer elite to \ chi cl vs. It wotihl appear, therefore, that the solution to the problem, the reduction of con truettcui aeeidc.mts, could In: a c c o m pli-in d by the use of the same methods that other industries h a t e Used so s u c cessfully. Actually, tin,' lu-st safety records kno wn to the National Sale-tv Council tor c o n strue 'cut 'work were not, as one mi ght expect, made In contractors, hut by the Construction departments of an oil re finer. a manufacturer, and a public util ity. The Norco Refinery of Shell P e troleum (.orquiration holds the best rec ord with l,D2d,.|7.S man- hours operated without a disabling injury. DuPont's I'eun's Drove plant has a record nearly a s ........ I; and the construction depart ment or the Indianapolis Po we r & Li ght Company has the third best record. 'I 11e s e o u t f i t s didn't have any tradition of "a man a floor" or "a death for so ma ny hundred thousand dollars worth of work" to lice up to. T h e y kn e w they weren't d i l l c r e n t ; they just wont ahead am! d i d it. They had the safety pr ogr ams of the parent corporation which were not built in particular lor construction work, but which apparently functioned very well. I have heard this same excuse in nty own c o mpa ny many times. But last year we were rather fortunate in having one job hang up a record of about 125,000 man-hours without a disabling injury. 1 hat s nothing to write home about, but it sure was a help when the boys on the other j obs began the o l d ' ' W e 're different" story. O ur company has several fields of op- V e r at i o n be s i de s that of he avy coii-trueti'. W e build boats, operate a ha rgs liu and a sand and grave! comp.u;v. best'' fabricating steel, installing rnacfi'ttcrv handling contractor's equipment i ; t v p e s of nccidt nt> r e p o r t e d by t hese va: oils s u b s i di a r i e s clift tier very little. T*. b o a t or cottsti act i on job, tnael nnc sh. or gr a ve l ya r d - l i n y all r e port foils, cm a n d o t h e r injuries in a b o u t the ~.ime '-re portion. However, there are suiac qtu> o n e s Pi ne d a y last week vv e had a m.i fall out of Ins berth and crack a rib. ain tin' o t h e r case a spider hit tint pile Recently, on one ot the dam jobs a ma was hurt because he didn't imdetstan the foreman's order. The foreman ha just bad all his teeth out. All books and theories on safety su- that accident severity cannot he cot trolled. In general, I agree, but I f c that it can he controlled to a greate- c tent on constructi on work than on in it; other types. Mo-t severe accidents : construction can he attributed to cortuu. tvpes of occurrences which can b< guarded agai nst fairly compl etely: b.. this I mean prevention of long falls hspecial type? of scaffolding and ratling and the reduction in falling of mater' by the close inspection of mechanic equipment. To a very great extent, tinhas been done and the records show it. I am about, hovtever. to suggest setto thing which may he quite coutrovcrsia. All rules for safety contests and sm posedly all fair safety men insist that if t emporari l y injured e mpl oyee is uttah' to return to a regularly established jo. on the day following his injury, he shout he kept at h o me anti recorded as a lo't time accident. I l o w the case is record is til little interest to me. It is my contention that on con-trtf lion work you can improve your seven; rate and do everyone concerned a i.tv by keepi ng the injured mail on the jo In this way, you can keep control of hit and of his injury, he sure he receives tub qual e treatment and retime bis suii'erin. and loss of wages. If you don't do llnyou frequently lose control of the ca-' entirely and have a simple seven-dav jury turn into an expensi ve one with In1 disability. T o get back to our real subject, th pr o g r a m which, in nty opinion, would m., JU_ ^ i UCH- y i U! . : A cJno.iil n i j i t y \ umjK'i.' U-rinlly i mprove acculent records in the c o ns t r uc t i o n industry is that which o t her i ndust ri es have la-vu usm>; for so lon^. Jirudly. ' program based on a<!c((uatc accident records, consistent inspection and maintenance of plant, a complete medical pKu'rnm nm! the pri nc'pk* of stipervisorv responsihdity, cannot help hut succeed. Dust Diseases As They Affect the Construction Industry By A. J. L A N Z A , M. D. As si s t an t Medical Director, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, N e w York City W i t h a possi bl e simple exception, t here is hut one dust disease and one dust c ausi ng that disease with which the constriiLtii'ii industry is concerned. 'I he disease is silicosis ami the dust causing it is dust containing free silica (Sid. ). Dusts containing silica in combined form have not been shown to cause disability or disease, with the exception of a s b e s tos, which is a silicate. T h e outstanding facts with regard to silicosis have often been detailed and will he o nl y briedy summarized here. The dust must he in a tine state of s ubdivi sion to reach the lungs. The particles tv Inch do the d a m a g e tire less than ten mi cr ons in diameter. In this count ry, the a mo un t of dust in the air at any l o c a tion is determined by the standard m e t h od elaborated by the United States Du r i a n of .Mines and the United St a t e s Ihibhc Heal th Service, using the impmger. the results being expressed in millions of particles per cubic loot. In order to estimate the hazard, we must k now the number of particles and the percentage of silica, because a dust c o n tai ni ng HID per cent pure silica would be mo r e ha r mf ul than o ne containing 50 per cent silica. W h e n w c k n ow the amount of dust-- in terms of averages-- the amount of sil ica. and tile extent of exposure, we are in a pos iti on to evaluate the sci nusuess of the hazard. We know that silicosis is a chronic disease, tah^ig usually years to develop, and as wc see it in American ndustries, causi ng little or no disability ui l ess there is s upe ri mpo s ed upon il an nieetiim. This infection is most often iibcrcii'osis, to which the individual with 11:<-a d a m a g e d lungs is very susceptible, lie more severe the silica damage, the lore apt tuberculosis is to develop. We do not as yet have permis-ablc or safe standards of dustiness. There is such ail ext remel y wide variation of indust i i al pr oces ses and env ronniLUial f a c tors that any elaborate system of stand ards woul d bo impracticable; but a simple workable standard is highly desirable 1 here is a rough standard, which is based l argel y on the work of the I'uldie Health Service, of ten million particles of dust per cubic foot. This is a convenient tar get to shoot at when dust control m ea s ures are undertaken in an industrial plant. That is not to say. however, that a t hreshol d of ten million '.articles of a highly siliceous dust is safe. 'Hus stand ard was based on exposure to granite dust, co nt a i ni ng about 35 per cent pure silica. T he construction section of this C o n gress embrnt es many types of industry and a mul t i t ude of processes. It is not practicable, therefore, to present a com plete .scheme of all the hazards in tlir-e industries. W e {.an, however, attain our object in a sufficiently satisfactory man ner by considering' liist, materials, and second, the processes in wlueli these ma terials arc used. The construction indus try uses enormous amounts of certain well k n ow n materials. Lime, gypsum, cement, sand, occur to everyone's mind when you mention construction. Many of these substances are iwed in processes which involve considerable amounts of dust, wherein lies the possibility of a health hazard. 1 here is no silicosis without silica -- free silica. So right olT, the manuf ac turer or industrial c o mpa ny has the first dear- cut index of the potenti.il li.irnifnlness of a dust which may be causing c oncern to hi m or his empl oyees. Doe s C un.\t> u t l i o u s^a linn it contain free silica in appreciable a i i Kumt - ' 5 W l i at is an ap p i e u u b l v a m o u n t ? P r o b ably in excess of 5 per cent At least, t h a t is wel l on tin: c o n s c r \ a t i \ < s i de Non-siliein\iN (i\isls may be a nuisance or a n a n i m y a m c t o cniplt >>-res o r t o m u g h 1h) ! ii^ c t m n m n n l i c s , b n t t h e y a r e not concerned with silicosis. If the em p lo y er does not know whether a dust to w h u h )ds en ip io \ees are exposed contains silica -- that is the first tiling tor him to de t e r mine. Should he find that the dust doe s contain free silica, in a determined per centage, then the next step is to a s c e r tain tint amount of such dust present in the air where ins empl oyees work. W e are frequently asked whet her dimt arising from gypsum. cement, lime, niarhle, talc, rock wool, mineral wool and many other substances, may cause silicosis. We say to the inquirer, "You know the materials you are working with. Do they contain free silica.-'" He ma y reply. " N o , " or "' Only a traec." T h e concl usi on them is obwo us . There is no silicosis hazard. The type of process in which the dust is generated is of great practical import ance. If the process is conducted in a confi ned place, with poor ventilation, it is apparent that the hazard is much more da ng er o us than if it wore in the open air. because in the. confined place, t he w o r k man gets a much bigger dose of silica. Recently I saw some X-ray films of brick niiiMiiis The s e ma s o ns handled only fire bricks-- made from a highly silicious material -- and they were e m ployed in lining kilns and furnaces. Thei r f i l m s s howed well devel oped siUcosis. Their job consisted in breaking up the worn-out lining in furnaces and build ing new ones. They were continuously exposed to a highly silicious dust in a very d o s e, confined place. The same material could probably be handled in other type*, of construction work wi th little nr no hazard. I he mention of close and confined places brings to mind tunnels, about wliidi there has recently been much agi tation \ \ 11litmt goi ng into details c o n cerning this subject, the lesson to he learned is clear. ! he di g g i ng of a t u n nel is not a permanent undertaking in any I nudity hut tile work should he safe guarded as in more permanently estab lished industries. Where a tunnel jis he ing rormtrnrted in a highlv** silicipu rock, the dust hazard l ooms w r y DryIt Is similar to hard rock mining am. eveiNihing ouwpires to make the con Iml ot dust dilmult. (t is interesting P uolr ili.it tunnel work in various parts o the world has hern fol lowed by similar cxpi I'ii \u r- 1 he report ol the Dnrc t oi Wmvral of i 'uhhc Heal th for Ne w Sout h Wal es u: A list ralia. 1924, details ;in it W'liiMlinr concr.rmm' ventilation ami sands! one duM present in 'he air of certain u- u tr tunnel-, in Sidney. Apparently tltere ua an ex cessive amount of silicosis and tubercu losis among these tunnel workers A report of the South African institu: for Medical Research, April, 19.!?. detaila severe silicosis hazard among sew-tunnel workers in South Africa. W e are justified in concl udi ng that umnel work calls for extraordinary pre-can turns for safety and health with a super vision of the health of tunnel workers comparable to that folio ed in other in dustries. Grinding or pulverizing sand gravel, and other highly silicious materi als are processes that need very rarei,d control and supervision T h e control of the dust hazard is an engineering problem and in the main de pends on an effort to entrap the dust at its point of origin by using water, or suction exhaust systems, or both. Our. the dust is in the air, reliance is pliuc-. upon further use of water, and on difi. tion of the silica dust by increased v e n tilation and on protecting the individual by a suitable mask or respirator. Tile l.'nited States Bureau of Mines now cer tifies respirators that arc safe for silica dust. T h e use of respirators should b< restricted to exposures which are inter mittent or temporary. Where ventilation equipment designed to r emove dust from the air is installed its cl liciency shoul d he checked from time to time by dust counts, using the stand ard impinger method. As with other protective devices, there is always danger that this sort of nppaiatus becomes g reat l y impaired or Useless bet ause m failure to maintain it properly. I mentioned an exception to the state ment that only l i ce silica dii't will pro cilice di sease of the lungs. Thi s e x c e p tion is asbestos, a magne-umi siheate 246 I ieeuty-ftj th National Safety Congress The inh;il:tl inn of usIh'Mos <1u^t produces ;t condition of the Imi gi similar to >ilicosis. The pat hology i- finite different and tl\c appearance on X-ray films is distinct from silicosis. Asbestosis ap parently floes not predispose to tubercu losis and in this country has not been shown to cause much disability, though a tew deaths have been recorded. In the manufacture of construction material, as bestos is usually combined with other substances which, by reducing: t h e amount of asbestos in the dust, tend to mitigate the hazard. A matter of (treat concern to the e m ployer is what disposition to make ni cases of silicosis among bis employees. If active tuberculosis is present, it is to the interest of the individual and bis fel low workmen that he be removed from bis occupation and given proper care. If infection is not present, there will be little or no disability and the employer should protect the individual from further ex posure through methods suitable to the situation involved. The important item to remember is the nature of the material and the process in which it is c itplovcd. Consi derati on of these two items will enable the employer to ascertain whether a silica hazard is present and to act accordingly. Again let me emphasize that wher e wor kme n are exposed to a highly silicious dust in routined places, the situation is ext reme ly serious and tails for energetic and comprehensive measures of control and continued medical supervision of the men. Dust samples should he taken frequently and the men should he examined fre quently so that serious disease will not occur. Physical Examinations of Construction Employees on Public W orks Programs By L. M. D E A R D O R F Superintendent of Construction, W . L. Johnson Construction Company, Hicksville, O. If there ever was a time when rm- l >i (\ces o n I 'vi hhe W o r k * p r o j e c t ' s h o u l d h e m v e n p h y s i c a l e \ ; m n n . i t i o n < h e h 'r c p`i n m n m : their n a m e s mi the payroll, it is now. \ n \ contractor who secure*' a IVbhc Wotl.s provet with the H m h u a v s . l'\V.\. thv l \ Kiumeefs. or ;mv oi the other department oi the hrdernl Cov e mi nent is required. a* a part of tin: labor regul a tions. to submit n requisition tor Ins e m ployee* to the National ReeiupKn ment Service. The National Reemployment Service is dominated by the W I 'A or- vram/ation to the extent that all s e m i skilled and c ommon labor are furnished only from relief lists. In the majority of ease* those unfortunate individuals who are still on relief are there only bv reason of a mental or physical dehcicncv. They have done very little work during the past five or s; \ years and are pretty thoroimhN demoralized m en t a ll y ; physi cally they nave permitted their bodies to e run n o w n about like an old paver that lias been standing ahmesul e the road for a r<irre-poiminu peri od of years. 1 Pir procedure m carryinu out physical o;.:imi,',;hi.i' for our e mpbwee s is as fol l ows i he contract havmn been a wa r d ed. an. Pie superintendent ass ume d to the liro.ee;. one of ins hr*t important preliminary instructions is to talk to the doctor^ m tiie vicinitv of the project and explain to them the problem which we face m securing competent pltysicallyaide workmen. If the M. 1). s h o ws any sympathy in our problem* and troubles, we negotiate for mass examination of the employees. The price paid for the e x a m ination N from $U)0 to $2.50. The tmdinus have been very interest ing on the various projects as the f ollow ing facts will testify. J 12 Tur>ity-pfth .V alienai S afety Lonyress to think, inability to draw a personal les son from the vxperivnee of others, overconf i de nc e and a de>ire to make kooc! on the j>h. T l i o c can onl y be o v e r c o me by careful and systematic bundling on the part o f the Mspvr\isor. Hi'* H the r e s p o n sibility of putting over to the worker the value and advantages resultiiu: from a c l o s e oh**i rvaiice of ric;id safety i ns p e c tions. Systematic Organized Safety Effort There should be little need to make a plea for more conc er t ed action aIon;.; tins line. As safety men. wc know bow e as ily the small empl oyer could be put out of buMm-ss as the result of even a few accident losses. The larger employer, as well, c a nno t afford, to overl ook the s i t ua t i o n-- his l osses, t hu ui y h waste of time, m o n e y and materials, will seriously affect his profits and hold his company up to the public a^ a very ineffu.ient o r g a ni z a tion. T he ever increasing cost of c o m pensat ion insurance will undoubtedly be a factor in forcing more consideration for well organized safety work. Person.illy, I emphasize the side of humanity above the dollar and am satisfied from long ex perience that vvlu-re humani ty rules, the profits will be satisfactory. Where a real safety program is followed, without douht efficiency and e c o n o m y of the hig?u,''t o r der will a h o prevail. T he Present Status of Control of D ust and Fum es in Industry E y H. B. M E L L E R M anaging Director, Air Hygiene Foundation of America, Inc.; Head, Air Pollution Investigation, Mellon Institute of Industrial R esearch, Pittsburgh, Pn. T he problem divides itself naturally into medi cal , preventive engi ne er i ng am! l eg i s lative phases, and includes consideration oi the responsibi li ties of employer arul e mp l o y ee to each other and to the public. It is axiomatic that, in case of physical dii-nt dvr, i mpai rment of function or d i s ability, the more t horoughly the cause and course of action are h n o v n , the more c er t a i nl y can possible r emedi es be applied or preventive measures taken. In the diseases or affections under conlidoration. there are facts upon which preentivc me th ods arc based, and upon vhicli further studies now in course or o n t e m p i a t e d arc. at l east in part, prediatod. D u r i n g t he d e v e l o p m e n t of the pre.-ont ate of knowledge of the influence of one air contaminants on health, natutly m a n y theories .Ivere advanced that ter scientific work has modified or disiced. H o w e ve r , not al ways has the rrectioit been as widely and thoroughly seniin.ited as was the original theory; s condition, perhaps, has led to some lfnsion in the minds of ma ny who have f o l l o w d to. closely the evolution of n v l e d g e in this field. Classification of Dusts There are available different published classifications of dusts. Included in such classifications are dusts, the exposure to inhalation of which arc, or are likely to be, occupational. T h os e that are inher ently toxic when inhaled or otherwise ab sorbed and which cause systemic poison ing, include lead, arsenic, mercury, m a n ganese. Examples of dusts which have the ability to penetrate the deep lung tis sues and to be retained there ale puarlx. Hint, chert, a sbes t o s, talc, coal, iron, clay, slate, ami other types of rock dust. Attention here will be centered upon this last group and upon pneumoconiosis, the general term used to designate lung condi ti ons caused by dust Silicon-,, v. hirli is caused by the inhalation of tree silica, lias been pr o mi ne nt recently til the public press, s ome ti me s in a way that made mi s understanding possible, if not probable Aside from silica, many of the insoluble mineral dusts may bring about slight c hange s in the l ung tissues, which may he demonstrated o n the roentgenogram if there is silica in the dust that is inhaled As fa. as is k n own today, most of tlum arc relatively or entirely harmless. Metals Section U Ability of Dusts to Cause Injury It lias been established that the pote n tiality of silicious dusts to cause lunt' damage is, with few exceptions, depend ent upon their content of free silica (StO;). The development of silicosis de pends. therefore, upon the concentration of dust containing free silica in the air breathed. In other words, the total amount of free silica breathed and re tained seems to be the primary factor; the length of time necessary for a snlficient accumulation is important, but less so than the total load. Silica occurs also in chemical combina tion in silicates. Sonic of these c o m pounds have been proved to be relatively harmless to health, some are still in the realm of doubt, and one--asbestos-- may cause the industrial disease called asbestosis, which is the result' of lung damage similar to, but not identical with nor as serious as, that produced by free silica. Importance of Particle Size. The size of dust particles in the air which an indi vidual may breathe is important. Not of t en are particles larger than 10 or 12 microns found in the deep lungs, except in the case of asbestos dust, where fibers as long as 200 microns have worked their way down lengthwise. Uncomplicated Silicosis. Silicosis, un complicated by an infection, is more of an impai rment than a' disability. It is not seriously disabling until it reaches an a d vanced stage, and does not of itself greatly shorten the life of a silicotic. Silico-Tuberculosis. When a silicotic dies, the immediate cause of death is usu ally sonic type of intervening lung infec tion. It is not known just why the pres ence of silica in the lungs increases sus ceptibility to tuberculosis, but when an adult with silicosis is exposed to tuber culosis, an active infection may occur, re gardless of the previous state of health, ft is thought probable that silica dust can reactivate healed tuberculous lung lesions of the adult type; how long after such lesions have healed the reactivation is possible is not certain, Exposure of silicotics to tuberculosis or of tuberculous individuals to silica dust is serious and should be avoided. Afivi silicosis has become well estab lished in the lungs, medical science has not found a way to arrest the progress of the silicotic process touaiM tlic of di sabl ement except throng : ' 'nit preventing farther exposure to dies Nor has medical science found a wa prevent tuberculosis from being - : imposed upon silicosis, except thr control of contact. The i nurse of a.: tubercul osi s is chronic and is very u cult 1.. influence by treatment, accor.. to phthisiologists. Medical Control. A s a basi- for w gent determi nati on of the pi n steal i of a man for a job in a dusty physical examination, with stercor o e n t g e n o g r a ms of the chest, is uccrs Al ong with this study goes, naturall. preparation of an occupational his' wi th detail as to the exre*. nature of p" ous work and of exposure to indudust-- not a valueless recording of < pations as "laborer," "machinist," Dr. Sayers, of the U. S. Public l i e Service, Iias developed a method of ing information for a proper occ. tional history; among others, C u m mi of Saranac Laboratory, also has wcl out a useful history blank. Standards have been developed for di agnosi s of silicosis '1 here is aisuitable technic tor taking roentgi grams of the chest in order to bring the characteristic lung changes. F r o m die considerable amount of v. that has been done, it is possible to : cast with a reasonable degree of a. racy the silicosis potentiality of vac dusts. Periodic physical examinations, inc ing roentgenograms, are essential if plovers arc to be enabled accurate! learn the effect of individual expo and i ntell i gently to transfer affected v. me n to l ower dust concentrations b. serious injury has been done, or to out a s y s t em o f rotation where iudias desirable in order that expo-tire be intermittent. Such examinationhelpful also ill .-bowing the ciliciet'i engineering control methods. The ability to place responsibiht;. case of claim for injury is no small of the value of such initial and pc examinations. Asbestosi s. Clinical experience s ho wn that the inhalaiton of a sulm a mo u n t of a s b e s t ' s chi-t cause- a .-< ' type of fibrosis, which is not acconip.. .> I * t / a V I l i \ - / ( / : A C . ' i i ' i :<ii o n / v'.' v t * .' % l>y an undul y hi gh i ncidence of tubercu losis O th er dusts and silicate compounds so f.ir s t u d i e d p r n d i u e. at m o s t , onl y a mild n o n |<r(u:i'c:>M\c r e . Mt i o n in t h e l i mp s , j>ro\i(|ril tliei*- is n o s i p n i l u . m t a m o u n t o f t r e e s i l i c a in tlo-ir c o r n po- i t i on V. J111<* n o t s e r i o u s c l i n i c a l l y , si n li c o n d i t i o n s m a y give rise to onisidci able litigation Adequat e statistics on morbidity and nior ta b I> fra in <ecu pa tion a I disease, to scree as a basis for effectively focussing the efforts to study and control dust dis eases of the lungs. are non-existent. In concluding this section, the follow ing quot at i on f rom a court decision in W j s c o ns m is pertinent ( Schaef er v. Inlustrial Co m m i ss i o n , 265 \ r. \V. .160 (Supreme C ourt, February, 1936)): " . . It will be necessary to distin guish carefully be twe en medical or pathoOsical disability and actual physical inapacity to uorh. The medical experts ipparently ignore tins distinction, and so ncreas e the difficulty of arriving at a ju-t esult under the law." Preventive Engineering It would uc needless repetition to disuss in a tcclmical way the engineering* liases of dust control. All interested arc -'ferred to " Industrial Dust ," by Drinker ad Hatch, which deals comprchensiv Hy ith the subject; b\ S. Bureau of Mines Hormat i on Ci rculars nS-tO and 6K4S. by arrington and Davenport, a review of eraturr on " Prevention of Dust DH> c s ; L1 S. I'uldie H e a l t h Service Rultu' 217, bv Bloomfield and DaliaYallc, : "T h e D e l i f nni na t i o n and Control cf idtistri.al D u s t " ; Re po r t 7.0 of the Amcrin St anda rds As soc iat ion; and to the . S. Bureau of Mines for a list of npoved protective devices. It m a y be said that, in general, the g i u e e r i n g speci ali st can and will devise ` ne ces sa ry equi pment to meet the con- ions specified to him. But the setting limits of permissible dust concemran is not his but the p h y s i ci an 's responility. T he engi neer is concerned with .`ping d u s t i n e s s to or be l o w the limits present considered satisfactory. Methods of Determining Dust >ome dusts (as lend) are determined chemical methods and the lonccnlra- ticns in air are recorded gravinietncal ly as milligrams per cubic meter. Others (as silua. where si /e is a factor in de termining dangerous partivles). are given bv count. Xi it he r method gives the whole 'gory, but in both cases it may be pn-.sible to mtiik' the inlormatiou neces sary for the purpose. In one of the icports referred to caiher, there occurs this statement: "There is in* doubt in the mi nd of a ny o ne familiar with the present dust-sampling and du-testiniating methods that they u:i! he ame nde d am! cham;ed from time to time At the present writing we would advi-e the use of the simplest possible procedures vviiere dust control al one is in question. If one wishes to obtain values which u n be c o mpa r ed wi th publ i shed data, it i; generally necessary to copy with consid erable care the technic used in the origi nal case. Thi s is anot her wa y of admi t ting the annoying fact that results by one method are usually not comparable to those obtained by another method." In another place, the report says: " It is very doubtful if any useful purpose is served by determining accurately e x t remely dense du>t concentration--the only excuse for such data is to show the skeptic that the workplace is much dustier than it should he- . . . " It is probable that any sampl i ng pro cedure which fixes concentrations in groups ](j() per cent apart is sufiicieni and that the results of any attempts to come closer to the concentrati on at the moment of sampling are simply misleading T h u s ranges Mich as (J-5. 5-10. 10-20, 20--JO. etc., suffice for dust control." As dust particles in the lungs are of the order of 1 micron, with rarely a particle: over 10 mi crons, dust control fur hygi eni c reasons .should He aimed at parti cles in the size range found to have been breathed and retained. Again quoting: ". . . if one could avoid use of the dusts of I micron or loss or exclude them from the dust which passes a 325- mes h .screen, nearly all dust di seases wou l d be elimi nated." Dust Elimination Obviously, it is better, when possible, to purchase equipment already supplied with exhaust hood, rather than to have to w o n y to fit one to equi pme nt not d e signed to he hooded. Thu.- the responsi- Mrt, bility tor potential efficiency is upon the manufacturer. There is available comparatively little information upon which to base the scien tific. desi gn o f hoods. *1 lie 1'rev entive Kngi nceri ng ( .innmit tor of Air Hygi e ne f o u n da t i o n includes in it* recent repiu t a tabic of mir.iimnn air velocities to c a p ture certain industrial dusts (for use in granite cutting, grain elevators, paint spr.ijing. saiul pulverizm ' and electric w eliling). h'or protecti ve e<|uipment such as dust respirators, air supplied masks, sand blast helmets, and goggles, very complete in formation is available, because of the work of the U. S. Ihtreau of Mines, the B u reau of Standard--, and the American Standards Association in preparing and issuing specifications to be met it the equipment is to be used under conditions where approval is necessary. Ut d i u i m ', all agree that, where pos-iblr. <111 --1 shoul d be controlled at the s.'iirce, and protective equipment used where this action cannot be accomplished Permissible Dustiness There are various figures that have been and are being used as guides to permissi ble dustiness where free silica is present. It shoul d he noted that many of the data were not determined as the medical re quirement. but as being attainable in good practice and apparently satisfactory from a safety standpoint. In Sout h Africa the figure is 1 miltigiam per cubic meter (or 300 particles per cubic centimeter, or approxi mately S,5 million per cubic foot). Dr. I.aura found in 1917 in the Joplin, Mo., district that, with g ood engi neeri ng practice, a figure of 1 milligram per 100 liters of air could be attained.'* I h e U. S. Public Health Service, in its study in the anthracite region of Pennsyl vania, found that 50 million particles per cubic foot with 5 per cent quart/, in the coarse dust and 10 million particles per cubic foot with 35 per cent quartz were apparently satisfactory and often were attained. I h e figure of 10-20 million particles per cubic foot for granite dust with 35 per cent quartz, content is often quoted from the Ve r mo n t granite studies of the U. S. Public Health Service. So me metal-mining companies hav- gone further, setting 'the ma x i mum . permi-silile dustiness at 5 millio.i pi r t ut per cubic foot i , ( e i t aml y. tin re is a degree of air elcaa liness that is .-.lie. from the standpoint - c om eii 11 at ion of harmful dust. But i f engineer may h id himself in the positio of prartira!Iy bring forced to control an dust, harmful or otherwi se, if lie won! protect his eul'.doyers avpiumt sui.s c o m mo n law ami the possibility of aw:, of d a ma g e s to men who have breath- dust containing little or no free silica, dusty workplace is difficult to defend court. Wither courts nor compeiisatu- hoards, and certainly not juries, ha-- seemed to lie greatly impressed with low silica dust count in an otlicr.vi- (lusty atmosphere. Quoting from one of the report., n ferred to: "Kadi state is a unit--a s o u - eign--and it handles its problems m own way. Uniformity is lacking, althom of course the statutes of ma ny state ar similar. T h e courts of the various st.,u follow such precedents as appeal to the,: consequently, on any important quest:- there is likely to be a divergence of op: ion a m o n g the courts, and lien :: courts fall into two or more groups, eat group f o l l o wi n g a different theory vv.i respect to the .same legal probl em. " W o r k m e n 's C o m p ensatio n Acts Wo r kme n' s compensation acts ha been passed in -In states (all e::cv Arkansas and Mississippi) and the D: trict of Columbia. The se acts arc con pulsory to private employers in ! states and elective in 31 states. Ins:.' .nice to cover the risk is compulsory seven states. A state fund, out of which competi tion is paid, is maintained in 18 st .. ' in two of tlies.e the employer may. proving financial responsibility, carry 1 o w n risk wi th limited couti ilnttioii to : state fund for the e x pe nse of adiuioi'tr tion; in 11 mor e of this group of staithe empl oyer is not required to av,. himself of the privileges of the state bl and may provide compensation odierv. ' In 28 states there is no provision tor state compensation fund Administration of the compensati n a is vested in a commission, hoard, or sing Sleam Railroad Meeting W EDNESDAY MORNING SESSION O c t o b e r 7, 1936 The Steam Railroad Meeting of the National Safety Congress was called to order by Chairman W. \V. Wood, Super intendent of Safety and Welfare, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, Baltimore, Md.. who presided, welcoming the delegates and introducing the speakers in turn. Safety in Construction and M aintenance From the V iew point of a Chief Engineer By C. H. PARIS Chief Engineer, Chicago & Illinois Midland Railway Co., Springfield, 111. Acci dent Bulletin X o . 10.1 of the I. C. C. reports, table No . 55, s h o w s casualties by classes of employees and other persons for non-train accidents. For the 10-year period 1924-19.14 the casualty rate for the maintenance of way department was greater than the rate for all e mpl oye e s on duty. For e xampl e, in 19.10. this casualty rale was 11.07 whil e for all e mpl oye e s it was 9..!(). In 1934, for mai nt enance of way . e mp l o y e e s it wa s 8.06 whil e for all empl oyees it was 7.04. In 19.10. 70 roads out of 102 had rales in the maintenance of way department below the average for their group. In 1934, 62 roads out of 158 were be l ow the average. This means that less than onchalf of the roads have casualty ra^cs in the maintenance of way department bet ter than their rates for all employees. In 19.10 the spread be t we en the l owest and the highest rate for the maintenance of way department was from 0 to 77.92. In 1934 the spread was from 0 to 89.11. This shows lack of uniformity of results and it is plain that the maintenance of way department has a safety problem. Its casualty rate is too high and' this rate is too widely divergent as between the different carriers. X o w what about the nature of the a c cidents that g o to make up the casualty rate? The four principal causes of injury are: 1. Ha nd l i ng rail, ties, timber, etc. 2. Falls. 3. U s i n g band tools, jacks, etc. 4. Mot or and hand car accidents. W h y cannot e mpl o y ee s handle rail, tics, timber, etc. safely? Is it because of i m proper methods, improper toois and equipment, poor quality of men, too much haste without regard to safety, or what? The majority of injuries arc to hands and feet. Take the handling of creosotetreated ties for example. These ties may come loaded in flats, gondolas, box or stock cars. They are slippery if freshly treated, so this hazard is added to that of picking them up and throwing them out of the car. T h e elimination of injuries can only come through careful instruc tions as to exactly how the tics should be picked up, the ass i gnment of the correct number of men, and their proper place ment so they will not foul one another. This is true not only of the men in the car but also those on the ground 4S9