Document byywmo9Kennz5BvKDRJXy59Y0

FILE NAME: Shipbuilders Council of America (SHIP) DATE: 1972 DOC#: SHIP076 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: US Dept of Labor Publication - Asbestos: Airborne Danger -2 May-Jime 1972 Vol. 21 No. 3 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration Target Health Hazards ASBESTOS: AIRBORNE DANGER CUUUKfl) The Quality of the Work Environment Human history has been defined as a record of man's attempts to master his environment The struggle began early, with primitive man's attempts to control conditions he did not create and could not compre hend. The attempt to control environment continues today and is no less desperate in that the forces man seeks to understand and direct are largely of his own making. A separate chapter in man's attempt to control the conditions of his life began about a century ago when a new social awareness focused on the need to improve working conditions. A century of progress, though often slow and halting, has taken us closer to the goal of providing decent conditions of employment for working men and women. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, with its purpose of assuring "safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women," takes us a step further. Literally, the Act means that no employee must risk death, injury or illness to do his job, But the Act is rooted in a tradition that has aimed not just to establish decent working conditions but to make the work environment liveable-- to humanize it. This is a goal that cannot be won in a short time, nor can it be won by the few for the many. The renewed struggle for safe and healthful working conditions must be a common endeavor, involving every working man and woman, every employer, every union member, every state and federal government official. Focusing upon the need to create healthful working conditions, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in January 1972, initiated the Target Health Hazards Program. The emphasis is on five hazardous workplace substances-- asbestos, lead, silica, cotton dust and carbon monoxide. The approach is the ancient one-- first to understand the exact nature of the dangers, then to control, and finally to prevent them. It is an objective within reach, for occupational diseases can be prevented. it has been said that the Target Health Hazards represent only "the tip of the iceberg." That well may be. If so, what more logical place to begin? This issue of Safety Standards magazine begins a series of articles on the Target Health Hazards, with asbestos as the first topic. Once highly regarded as a mineral with remarkable qualities, asbestos is now widely recognized as one of the most hazardous of air contaminants. Asbestos workers and the general public share the common danger. That the workplace and the environment in general do not always divide into separate compartments may be seen by glancing at the back cover. The photo shows asbestos insulation being sprayed on the steel girders of a building under construction. But 25 percent of asbestos spray enters the atmosphere-- a threat to other construction workers and to the community. Reducing the risks of asbestos will benefit not only employees but also society in general. It is an instance where improving the work environment and improving the quality of fife come together. REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS Region 1 D onald A, M acK enzie J o h n F, K e n n ed y f e d e r a l S ld g . G o v e rn m e n t C e n te r, R oom 3 08--E Boston, M ass. 02203 T elephone; (617) 223-6712 Region if Alfred Barden 341 Ninth Avenue. Room 920 New York, N.V. 10001 Telephone; (212) 971-5941 Region 1)1 David H. Rhone Regional Administrator Penn Square Bldg., Room 410 1317 Filbert Street Philadelphia. Pa. 19107 Telephone: (215) 597-4102 Region IV Basil A. Needham. Jr. 1375 Peachtree Street N.E. Suite 587 Atlanta. Ga. 30303 Telephone: (404) 526-3573 Region V Edward E. Estowski 300 South Wacker Drive Room 1201 Chicago. III. 60606 Telephone: (312) 353-4716 Region VI John K. Sarto Texaco Bldg.-- 7th Floor 1512 Commerce Street Dallas, Tex. 75201 Telephone: (214) 749-2477 Region Vll Joseph A. Reidinger 323 Walnut Street, Room 300 Kansas City, Mo. 64105 Telephone: (316) 374-524$ Region VW Howard J. Schulte Box 3583. Federal Bldg 1961 Stout Street Oenver, Colo 80202 Telephone: (303) 837-3883 Region IX Warren H. Fuller Box 36017 U.S. Department of Labor 450 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco. Calif. 94102 Telephone; (415) 556--0534 Region X James W. Lake Smith Tower Bldg., Room 1804 506 Second Avenue Seattle. Wash. 98104 Telephone: (206j 442-5930 J. D. Hodgson .1 Secretary of Labor George C. Guenther Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health M. Chain Robbins Deputy Assistant Secretary/ Administrator SAFETY STANDARDS is the offi cial bi-monthly magazine of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It is available by subscript tion at $1.00 a year ($1.25 for for eign addresses); 20 cents a single Copy from the Superintendent of Documents. Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C. 20402. Ex pressions of opinions in articles outside the U.S. Department of Labor do not necessarily represent the views of the Department. Use of funds for printing this publica tion approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, February 5, 1968. Change of Address; Write to Superintendent of Documents, Gov ernment Printing Office, Washing ton, D.C. 20402. Front cover: In recent years as bestos has been recognized as one of the most dangerous contam inants in the workplace. The asbes tos worker on the front cover empties a bag of asbestos mix into a container and raises a cloud of asbestos dust that endangers others on the worksite. Picture Credits; Environmental Control and Safety Management insulation Industry Hygiene Re search Program, Environmental Science Laboratory, Mount Sinai School of Medicine Library of Congress National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the United States and Canada Power Systems, Inc. Smithsonian Institution U.S. Department of Labor Marcia Hovey, editor William C. Russell, associate editor Nancy L. Nelson, assistant editor Richard Mathews, art director Vol. 21 No. 3 May-June 1972 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration ARTICLES 2-- Asbestos: Airborne Danger New regulation cuts risks for workers. First in a series on Target Health Hazards. 8-- Prospects Bright in Occupational Nursing Needed: more nurses on the jobsite, 12-- NIOSH Team Sets Goals An interview with Dr. Marcus Key, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; and Edward J. Baier, Deputy Director. 16-- OSHA Opens Training Institute School for safety officers sets high standards. 18-- Alice Hamilton: Industrial Health Pioneer Profile of the woman who crusaded for em ployees' right to a healthful workplace. 2 2 -- They Take Their Safety Straight Construction firm overcomes bad terrain, sets good safety record. DEPARTMENTS 26-- Safety Spotlight 28-- For the Record 31-- News from NIOSH 32-- Publications 1 Target Health Hazards l 'j lia n c v h . Helton Two thousand years ago when the first use of asbestos was recorded, it was a sacred object, a curiosity of kings and nobles, a magic mineral. The Greeks, who used asbestos for the wicks of their temple lamps, were enthralled when flames did not consume it, but burned unceasingly. Amazed, they called it asiesta, which meant the "unquenchable," the "inextinguishable." Now that asbestos has been integrated into our industrial world--from fireproof drapery and floor tiles to the corrugated steel used in heavy con struction--the term used by the Greeks has been found to apply to another attribute of this min eral. No cure now exists for the diseases caused by inhaling asbestos fibers: once established, these disorders, too, have so far proved to be inextinguishable. In the last few years, asbestos has been recog nized as one of the most hazardous of air con taminants in the workplace. Employees exposed to asbestos include an estimated 100,000 insulation workers, 50,000 workers in manufacturing prod ucts, 60,000 using end products, and uncounted thousands in construction. Labor unions have H iat Helton la the assistan t editor of Safett Standards. 2 pushed for stricter, standards governing its usage, and the Occupational Safety and Health Adminis tration has listed it as one of five target health haz ards in a new program aimed to crack down on health hazards in the workplace. Eecent studies, such as those conducted by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the National Research Council, have produced some disturbing statistics on the mortality rates of workers using asbestos. Dr. Irving J. Selikoff of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine discussed the implications of these studies: "A t present, one in every five deaths among insulation workers is due to lung cancer, one in ten to cancer of the pleura or peritoneum, one in ten to scarred lungs of asbestosis." Since insulation workers receive relatively light expo sures to asbestos compared to some other occupa tional groups, these results are even more sombre. W hat disturbs researchers about diseases linked to asbestos is that many cases they are presently en countering result from exposures dating back to the 1900's, when asbestos was not used as exten sively as it is today. Thirty years ago world pro duction was approximately 50,000 tons annually; today it has skyrocketed to 3 million tons. The effects of exposures occuring in the 1970's probably Safety Standards will not bo known until the end of the century; but the high mortality rates of today suggest what may be expected in the future. I f working conditions are not significantly altered, asbestos exposure can lead to 17,000 deaths from lung cancer, 10,000 deaths from cancer of the pleura and peritoneum, and 10,000 deaths from asbestosis, according to projections by Dr. E. Cuyler Hammond of the American Cancer Society. The first case of asbestosis did not come under medical attention until 1900, 22 years after asbes tos was mined on a large-scale basis. The victim, a British textile worker, had inhaled the asbestos dust stirred up by the carding machine he had operated for 14 years. Ten other men had been his co-workers in the carding room. All died before their thirtieth birthdays. Since the recognition of asbestosis 72 years ago, the disease has been widely studied the world over, from the mines of South Africa to the mills of Quebec. Today experts believe that asbestosis is one of the most debilitating of the pneumoconio ses--lung diseases caused by dust inhalation. Erupting 20 to 30 years after the exposure period, the disease exhibits no warning symptoms to mark its early stages. Many studies have uncovered cases of the disease in which the exposure was relatively light and did not continue over an extended period of time. Although four varieties of asbestos are used commercially, chrysotile asbestos, mined primarily in Quebec, accounts for 95 percent of world pro duction. Under high magnification, chrysotile fibers resemble fine polished wire or strands of silk. Strong, soft and flexible, they can be woven into fabric. Chrysotile, however, is dangerous medically. When inhaled, the needle-like fibers become trapped in the lower bronchioles of the lungs. Nor mally, protective cells called phagocytes destroy May-June 1972 VV//.*,.v'*r'Vs'Jij`t"W v 1 The asbestos worker mixing cement is partially protected by a respirator. The asbestos fibers in the air, however, endanger his fellow employees, just as his dust-laden clothes are a menace to his family, yew OSffJ. standard requires that asbestos materials be mixed in closed containers. 3 "The effects of exposures occurring in the 1970's probably ivill not be known until the end of the century; but the high mortality rates of today suggest zchat may be expected in the future." such irritants. But asbestos fibers are indestructi ble in lung tissue. The phagocytes form a heavy coating around the fibers. In time, a clumb-bell shaped structure known as a ferruginous body begins to form. Asbestosis develops when the scar tissue that forms around asbestos fibers slowly spreads throughout the lung and pulls it out of shape. The working space for air exchange is reduced, and blood flowing through the lungs is not replenished with a sufficient amount of oxygen. Breathlessness becomes pronounced, and in advanced stages can be disabling. Other symptoms are loss of weight, coughing, weakness, and pain in the chest or be tween the shoulders. The strain on the heart caused by the lack of oxygen may cause heart failure. Recent studies indicate that asbestos also may be a potent carcinogenic, or cancer-producing agent. A major stumbling block to researchers in establishing the connection between asbestos and cancer has been the length of time between ex posure to the substance and the appearance of cancer symptoms. But in the last few years, studies have shown that workers exposed to asbestos die of lung cancer at more than five times the expected rate. Although most cancers linked to asbestos de velop in the lower portions of the lungs, where the concentration of fibers is heaviest, cancer may also develop in the gastrointestinal tract. The peril of lung cancer from asbestos exposure is increased by smoking. Tests conducted by Selikoff and Hammond have shown that asbestos in sulation workers who smoke have 90 times the incidence of lung cancer compared to smokers with no asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma, formerly a rare cancer afflicting only one out of 10,000 people, is now appearing at an unprecedented rate. Researchers are linking it to asbestos exposure, however slight. This fatal cancer attacks the pleura (the membrane lining the lung and chest cavity) or the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity). In his study, Selikoff noted that 10 out of 121 deaths of insulation workers were caused by mesothelioma. Workers in many occupations encounter serious asbestos exposures. Among the establishments most likely to have asbestos risks are those manufactur ing asbestos textiles, value packings, asbestos Wrong: Spraying asbestos mixtures on steel girders releases vast amounts of asbestos dust into the atmosphere. Asbestos insulators who smoke have 90 times more lung cancer than smokers with no asbestos exposure. 4 Safety Standards "Since the recognition of asbestosis 72 years ago, the disease has been widely studied the u-orld over, from, the mines of South Africa to the mills of Quebec. Today experts believe that asbestosis is one of the most debilitating of the pneumoconioses--lung diseases caused by dust inhalation.''1 sheets, brake linings, boiler blankets, building materials and appliance cords. Plasterers who spray an asbestos mix on the steel foundations of buildings have heavy exposures to asbestos. A thermal insulation and fireproofing agent, the asbestos mix prevents the steel from buckling in case of fire. Plasterers can apply it without interrupting construction activities, and the asbestos mixture hardens in eight hours with out cracking or shrinking. Not only steel buildings, but ships and boats are treated in this manner. Now that asbestos has been recognized as a major health hazard, the alarming facts about this prac tice are being reviewed. Three million pounds of the fireproofing mixture, 30 percent of which is chrysotile asbestos, was sprayed in 1970. Twentyfive percent of the material sprayed does not adhere to the steel, but goes directly into the atmosphere. The plasterers manning the spray guns, as well as the construction workers toiling near-by, inhale excessive amounts of asbestos dur ing this operation--up to 50 million fibers in an eight hour day. But the hazard does not end with contraction. A large amount of asbestos is expected to be set free during demolition of the buildings and ships treated in this manner. Asbestos spraying has been banned in some cities, but continues unabated in others. The use of alter nate methods of application--trowelling a wet mixture of asbestos on the foundation or wrapping insulation around the steel in the form of blan kets--is being encouraged to reduce the hazard. Brake mechanics must also cope with significant levels of airborne asbestos. Valuable because of its resistance to heat and its ability to withstand abra sive force, chrysotile asbestos makes up 50 per cent of brake lining material. However, the fric tion breaks asbestos fibers away from the fabric, ilan y mechanics remove the asbestos fibers that have accumulated around the brake drums and as semblies with a compressed air hose. This produces a cloud of asbestos dust around the mechanic and anyone in his working area. Alternate cleaning methods are needed; for example, a vacuum clean ing device reduced the hazard in recent tests in England. Insulation workers are the largest single occu pational group to handle asbestos on the job. Their May-June 1972 Right: Troweling a wet asbestos mix on pipes for insulation purposes effectively reduces the hazards. 5 Wrong: Saucing asbestos materials creates (lust in the work environment. The respirator affords the employee some protection, but the accumulation of dust remains a threat to others on the worksite. Right; A saw with a local ventilation system sucks up asbestos dust into a container. The OSHA standard specifies that hand or power-operated tools that produce asbestos dust must be equipped with local exhaust ventilation and dust collectors. exposures, however, are relatively light. In most types of insulation, asbestos is used primarily as a binding agent and makes up only 15 percent of the material. Then, too, insulators working with asbestos on a daily basis are encouraged to take precautions: good housekeeping measures, tools equipped with local ventilation systems, and res pirators for dusty work are safety precautions stressed by tbeir union. When insulation workers install materials con taining a high percentage of asbestos, they often use a water spray on the cloth while unrolling it or uncovering it. Some insulation workers even cut asbestos on disposable tarpaulins in order to allow the excess material to be discarded without stirring up dust. This eliminates the need to sweep up insulation debris after a job. Usually a dusty process, sweeping is discouraged because it holds a risk for the workers still on the construction site. Bricklayers, carpenters, sheet metal workers and boiler makers also install insulation at various times, but often they fail to take the precautions used by workers who handle asbestos on a daily basis. The licensing of workers who install insula tion, much like the licensing of plumbers and elec tricians, has been suggested as a safeguard to in sure that asbestos handlers are both in fo r m e d a n d equipped to work safely. 6 ' Asbestos contamination holds an increasing threat to the general public. Both the dusty manu facturing processes and the spraying of structural steel emit vast amounts of asbestos fibers into the atmosphere, threatening those living near asbestos factories. Unsuspecting passers-by in the vicinity of construction sites or families of workers who return home with dusty clothing are among those exposed to this hazard. The emergency OSHA standard for asbestos, issued on December 7, 1971, lowers the permis sible concentration of asbestos fibers in the work atmosphere from 12 fibers to five fibers greater than five microns in length per milliliter. This is based on the average exposure during the eighthour work day. Concentrations of asbestos that range from five fibers per milliliter to 10 are permissible for 15 minutes every hour, but the sum total of such exposure must not exceed five hours in an eight-hour work day. The standard also lists engineering controls-- enclosures, vacuum sweeping and local exhaust ventilation. When these measures are not feasible or do not reduce the asbestos concentration to per missible levels, the standard requires that workers be provided with personal protective devices. Proie c t iv e r e s p ir a t o r y dovicfeS must be WOIH by workers exposed to the spraying of asbestps, or Safety Standards to the demolition, of pipes, structures or equipment previously sprayed with asbestos. The emergency standard requires that the em ployer check the respiratory devices for proper fit and train employees in their correct use. Peri odic inspections, proper cleaning, repairing and storing of the respiratory devices are responsibili ties of the employer. The standard also specifies that hand or poweroperated tools that produce asbestos dust--saws, scorers, abrasive wheels, and drills--must be equipped with local exhaust ventilation and dust collectors. When asbestos is mixed with other products--such as cement, mortar, grout or plastic--the mixing must be done in closed con tainers. Cleaning up the debris by dry sweeping or blowing it away is prohibited. Any accumula tion of asbestos dust must be removed rapidly by vacuum cleaners. Asbestos waste must be disposed of in sealed containers. The OSHA Standards Advisory Committee for Asbestos has recommended an exposure limit of two fibers greater than 5 microns in length per cubic centimeter. This proposal, based on a NIOSH criteria document, would not be effective for two years, in order to allow the installation of the necessary engineering controls. The committee, representing government, labor and industry, also suggested that the future standard include a pro gram of comprehensive medical surveillance re quiring pre-employment medical examinations of applicants, periodic medical evaluations of work ers, and medical records to be kept by employers for the use of OSHA and NIOSH. The research and mortality studies of today have tarnished the reputation of this magic mineral, once the object of fabulous tales. One legend re volves around the tablecloth of Charlemagne, the eighth-century ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. When the cloth woven from asbestos fibers was thrown into the flames, it was withdrawn not only intact, but whiter and cleaner than before. Charle magne used this piece of "witchcraft" to mystify his guests as well as to intimidate his enemies in order to win psychological battles. The jump from ancient legend to contemporary knowledge about asbestos is a tremendous ad vance--except in one area. Our ability to combat the disasterous effects of asbestos on the human system is still negligible. The mystery surround ing asbestos continues today, but the price is not in lost battles but in lost working lives. Q Wrong: Asbestos dust collects with other debris on a construction site. The cleaning and sweeping process raises clouds of asbestos dust, endangering the employees and the community. May-June 1972 Right: The new OSHAI standard requires that asbestos debris be removed in closed containers or plastic bags. 7  Careers in Safety and Health: & "For the first time there is a federal law stating that no worker-'s life should be shortened, endan gered or lost because of hazards in his work envi ronment. In the next few years there will be a growing need for occupational nurses and ex panded opportunities for those in the field." Mary Louise Brown, chief of Occupational Health Nurse Training of the United'States Pub lic Health Service, thus explains the impact the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 will have on the nursing profession. Today there are more than 20,000 nurses in factories, office buildings and stores. Businessmen have found that nurses can save the company money as well as improve the morale of employees. Such preventive measures as flu shots, paid for by the company and administered by the nurse, reduce illnesses and absenteeism, saving com panies large stuns of money in compensation. Since 60 percent of all employee complaints about working conditions involve health factors, more employers are becoming aware of the need to improve existing health facilities or to create health centers where none exist. A health center can be a small room where a first-aid expert-keeps basic medical supplies. More often it is an office where a registered nurse attends to accidents, plans H r*. Reinhart is a free lance writer. 8 immunization programs, keeps absenteeism statis tics, selects safety and health films to show work ers, and does a dozen different kinds of nursing each day. Unlike hospital nurses whose job is caring for the sick, the occupational nurse spends most of her time preventing illness. This emphasis on pre vention is not new. Florence Nightingale expressed it when she said, "Nursing is not only a service to the sick; it is a service also to the well. VTe have to teach people how to live." The first occupational nurse in the United States was hired specifically to "teach people how to live." In 1895 the Vermont Marble Company in Proctor, Vermont, hired Ada Mayo Stewart to give home nursing services to employees and their families. H er job was to visit employees' homes, to attend any sick members and to teach health to school children. Occupational nurses today work at the employ ment site, leaving Ada Stewart's tasks to visiting nurses and school nurses. But they are still actively engaged in teaching people how to live. Because modern man spends nearly a third of his life on the job, the occupational nurse now brings health services to him where he works. A visit to an occupational nurse shows the kinds of health services she provides and how preventive Safety Standards medicine works. Mrs. S. is the supervisor of an in firmary that serves more than 4,000 employees, all of them office workers except for the maintenance staff. The infirmary is beside the elevator, which can save precious time in case of an emergency. The walls are covered with posters urging workers to take a glaucoma test, telling when and where im munization shots will be given, and warning "Drugs Are a Bad Scene." A plump young typist enters with a bleeding finger, cut on an envelope. Mrs. S. cleans and bandages the finger, and asks the girl how her dieting is going. The girl groans that it's not going well at all, and Mrs. S. urges her not to give up. Earlier.in the year the typist had participated in a glucose tolerance test to detect diabetes. When she tested high, the nurse had given her the diet prescribed for potential diabetics. Mrs. S.'s care of the finger is first aid,- her inquiry about the diet is preventive medicine. An older man comes in with a headache. Mrs. S. greets him by name, talks briefly, and gives him aspirin. She explains, t:I f this man came to me often with headaches, I 'cl refer him to the doctor who works here half-time. I t would be dangerous to ignore symptoms like regular headaches." Deciding when a headache is a headache and when it is the signal of a more serious illness is typical of the responsibility an occupational nurse carries. Three women enter to weigh themselves. One decides to sign up for a test to detect cervical cancer. Mrs. S. notes that two of the women are overweight. "Lots of our girls are overweight. Sitting at a desk all day, plus the coffee breaks, doesn't help. We are trying to arrange a 10-minutea-dav fitness program during one break. If man agement can find us a room and if the employees are willing to give up their break, perhaps we can help them stay away from the vending machines." An older woman executive comes to the nurse to have her blood pressure checked. Because she suffers from hypertension, her family doctor had asked the health office to check it each week. Today she is fine, but if her pressure were high, the nurse would notify the family doctor. The infirmary also gives allergy shots at the instruction of private physicians. This cooperation between private doctors and the occupational health service profits everyone. It saves the time of the private doctor, May-June 1972 460-913--72----- 2 who already is overworked; it saves the time of the worker, who can leave his desk for a short time; and it reduces employers costs ffor sick pay, com pensation and lost production. An elevator operator needs some kaopectate, a secretary wants the address of a dental clinic, a young man comes in to discuss a personal problem. None of these is an industrial accident case, but each is a matter of employee health. So is the cam paign Mrs. S. started to provide a kidney machine for a ghetto clinic, and the posters she hung giving the address of the nearest YD clinic. Mrs. S. has given emergency care to a cardiac attack patient: she is prepared to handle an epidemic of mass food poisoning--which she hopes never happens; and she can help an employee find mental health coun seling, which she often does. Those outside the profession think giving first aid is the only task of the occupational nurse. I t 's not even half of it. Another nurse at a large printing and engraving plant is part of a safety and health team that has four nurses, a full-time doctor and a safety officer working to eliminate accidents and to cope with any that occur. Because of the many hazards-- huge presses, chemical shops, flammable materials, constant moving of heavy loads--this establish ment seems to have most of the potential dangers an industrial society can offer in one workplace. Accordingly, the safety, and health team empha sizes prevention. Every employee gets a pre-em- 9 "Businessmen have found that nurses can save the company money as ivell as improve the morale of employees. Such preventive measures as flu shots, p a id for by the company and administered by the nurse, cut back on illnesses and absenteeism, saving companies large sums of money' in compensation.'''' ployment physical which includes specific tests for particular jobs. For example, the doctor and nurse measure the amount of energy a worker uses to move heavy drums onto dollies. The test helps determine whether the man is strong enough to move heavy drums all day long. By this test they can prevent weaker men from taking the job and later developing back ailments and/or hernias. The nurse assists the doctor with the medical ex aminations, writes up the medical histories, and follows up on any referrals the doctor may make. When the plant doctor sent a security guard to the hospital with a heart condition, the nurse was in formed. When the man returns to the job, she will check with his family doctor about restrictions on his activities and whether he needs medication. Miss A., one of the plant nurses, explains, "Some of our employees would not go to an eye doctor for glasses if we didn't check back after they had taken our eye test. Things like faulty vision can cause accidents." "Checking back" is another form of preventive medicine. Because this plant uses lead in some of its ink manufacturing processes, the medical team, runs a special blood test for lead. This routine procedure for men in that department prevents permanent damage to their health. If the level of lead in their blood becomes too high, they are removed to an other department. - The health team is also assisting the National Institute of Health by collecting data on choles terol from workers who volunteer. Employees throughout the nation, as well as prisoners in jails, have helped medical research projects in this way. The nursing stall of a large department store has one nurse who works in all its suburban branch stores, visiting each one in turn. She tries to get a medical history of each new employee. Since there is no regular nurse on duty daily, she sets up a first-aid station in each store. On each visit, she checks to see that the kit is complete. Many industries are like the suburban depart ment stores--too small to need a full-time nurse or doctor. It is possible to hire medical help on a part-time basis, or to join with other establish 10 ments to create a joint health service. In suburban Washington, a publishing company and a nearby printing plant share the services of a nurse. Any registered nurse can become an occupa tional nurse. There is no special educational pro gram, but they usually must update their skills and learn new treatments. The chief difficulty in pro viding this in-service education to working occupa tional nurses is explained by Miss Brown of the Public Health Service: - "Since SO percent of the occupational health nursing positions are on staffs of five or fewer nurses, and these are considered to be too small to have an organized in-service educational pro gram, such a program.has to be developed and conducted by an agency other than the nurse's employer." To meet this need for more training, the Indus trial Health Foundation and the National Insti tute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have set up courses for industrial nurses. In 19T1 NIO SH offered a one-week course, Fundamentals of Occupational Health Nursing Practice, in six cities. Nurses studied legal aspects of occupational health nursing; workmen's com pensation; the Occupational Safety and Health A ct; records and reports; relationship of the nurse with management, employees, physicians, safety engineers and industrial hygienists; and the nurs ing responsibilities associated with giving care to employees. They were given a study assignment to be done at homo. Several weeks later they returned for a seminar to discuss their assignments. A second course, Nursing Practices and Occupa tional Mental Health, covers personality develop ment, crisis intervention, suicide, drugs and alcoholism. This course concentrates on interview ing and counseling techniques. "The Industrial Health Foundation also offers occupational nurses a course in Mental Health Training. This is a home-study program in which the student reads the material, takes the tests, then checks her own work. If she has made too many Safety Standards errors, she repeats the sections before continuing to the nest chapter. As Miss Brown reports, "This approach offers an avenue to close the gap between the need for train ing and the absence of opportunities to learn. It makes possible learning at home at the student's own pace--and for some married women, and cer tain occupational health nurses who work as their company's only nurses, it may be the only way." More information on courses on occupational nursing can be obtained by writing to : Division of Training, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1014 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202; or Industrial Health Foundation, 5231 Center Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232. Two of these three courses deal with mental health--the new emphasis in occupational nursing. There is strong evidence for the need of such training. In 1962 a Cornell University study esti mated that mental illness cost industry approxi mately $3 billion a year in direct and $12 billion in indirect costs. This study estimated that 20 to 25 percent of the work force has a recognizable mental health problem. Social Security data for the same period showed that 30 percent of all dis ability allowances to covered workers were made May-June 1972 for mental, psychoneurotic, and personality disorders. v NIO SH has recognized the need for more re search on the effects of stress situations on the worker's mental health and on his job safety record. Long-range projects funded by NIOSH will gather data on such topics as the effects on workers of noise, frequent changes of work shifts, long-term vigils, monotony and rapid geographic relocation. Another study, still in the planning stage, will be to devise a model safety program based on accepted psychological, behavioral and motivational principles. The shortage of doctors, coupled with the in crease in population and the greater demand for medical services, has led the medical profession to take a closer look at the work nurses can do. For years dentists have employed dental assistants to relieve their work load. Now the American Medi cal Association (AMA) has begun to develop a similar new profession--the physician's assistant. Dr. Walter C. Bornemeir, president of the AMA, lias cited two sources for these assistants--medics from the armed services and registered nurses. The special training a nurse would take to be come a physician's assistant would qualify her to give physical examinations in many occupational health centers. The New York Telephone Com pany already has begun a program to prepare nurses to give physicals. The Nurse Clinician Pro gram, a course developed by the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, has been so successful in preparing nurses to perform this function that it is now an established part of the company's medical program. New York Tele phone's doctors are now free to use their skills in diagnosis and treatment, and their nurses get new opportunities for advancement. ' The outlook for occupational nursing is bright. As the drive for job safety and health gathers momentum, the need for occupational nurses will Increase. There will be more on-the-job training, as well as more opportunities to learn a specialty and rise in the profession. A British physician summed up the challenge of occupational nursing when he referred to it as "the easiest job in the nursing profession to do badly--and one of the hardest and most satisfying to do well." D 11 J ;ii j J i . J A Commenting on the achievements of the Na tional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Kepresentative William Steiger, co-author of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1>70, stated: "Their efforts are providing a solid foundation for the health aspect of the Act. I have said on many occasions that health in the long run would be most important . . . but let us recognize that it is the more tech nical, more complicated part of an inseparable whole." The officials responsible for guiding the NIOSH campaign to control health hazards in workplaces are Dr. Marcus M. Key, Director of the Institute, and his newly appointed Deputy Director, Edward J. Baier. In a recent interview, they discussed current NIOSH aims as well as future directions in. occupational health. ' Q. N IO SB has many responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act: research, training, criteria development and hazard evalua tions. "What funciio-ns do you consider the most pressing in the first year of NIO SH 's existence? Key. At present we have internal priorities and external priorities to consider during the first year. By internal I mean responsibilities for get ting organized--staffing up and finding facilities suitable for research. The external responsibilies-- those dealing with the outside world--are develop ing criteria for standards, initiating the National Dr. Key find Mr, B aier were interviewed by Nancy L. Nelson, assistan t editor of Safety Standards. 12 Health Hazards Survey and training an adequate supply of manpower. Q. What exactly is NIOSH's role in standards development? Key. We don't turn out standards ourselves--we turn out criteria documents. The criteria package on asbestos was the first example. The Department of Labor sets the standard based on the health criteria that NIOSH provides and on other avail able information. There are four considerations in setting stand ards. These four are health effects, feasibility, economic impact and national interest. On the H EW side, we consider the health effects of the exposure and as much feasibility information-- the practicalities involved in controlling the ex posure---as we have available. Then we rely on the Department of Labor to add the other con siderations and to make a final determination. NIOSH has committed itself to develop criteria packages for specific chemical substances and physical agents that are hazardous. Unfortunately, we have had difficulty in meeting our proposed deadlines for criteria packages this year, primarily because we haven't had the resources. In staffing tile Institute, we have been hindered by employ ment ceilings and average grade controls, and only recently have we been allowed to start recruit ing professionals again. Q. You mentioned that the second major priority is the National Health Hazards Survey. What kind of information will this investigation provide? Safety Standards Key. The need for the National Health Hazards Survey was brought out repeatedly during the hearings that led to the passage of the Occupa tional Safety and Health Act of 1970. At that time we were able to talk about the 14,000 deaths and the 2.2 million disabling injuries resulting from work accidents. These events can be measured-- they are dramatic. But on the health side, we really didn:t know how many occupational diseases there were, nor did we know what the health hazards were that produced these diseases. Eventually N IO SH will be provided with statis tics on occupational diseases by the Occupational Illness and Injury Reporting system operated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But we still won't have a good idea of what the health hazards are that produce occupational diseases--a gap that the survey is designed to fill. nation as a whole. For the first time, NIOSH will be able to determine which hazards really need more attention. Baier. A primary concern of the surveyors will be the hazards associated with the occupation it self. One example might be a plant that has a degreaser, a tank containing a solvent used to remove grease from objects. When you consider hazards associated with the degreaser, you gener ally think in terms of the degreaser operator and whether or not the degreaser is adequately con trolled by covers and ventilation systems to pre vent exposure. But then you discover that machin ists who work all over the plant periodically come in, dip something into the degreaser and carry it back to their worksites. So if you are looking at occupations, you say this fellow is a degreaser operator; therefore, he is exposed to trichloro Baier. The investigators for the National Health ethylene. But if you investigate further, you Hazards Survey are going to define for us what discover that machinists also are exposed to tri occupational groups have potentially dangerous chloroethylene and probably have more serious ex exposures. We don't have this information at the posures than the degreaser operators. So you see, present time. I f you asked how many people in the National Health Hazards Survey is identify the United States are potentially exposed to lead ing the health hazards that workers in different i fumes, we couldn't answer that because we just types of occupations are exposed to, as well as the don't know. While some electricians who solder degree of that exposure. wires are exposed to lead, other workers who burn massive amounts of lead pigs have even greater exposures. One worker is dealing with ounces of lead, and the other is dealing with tons. So it's not only exposure to a substance, but to how much of it that counts. Some of the exposures are shocking because they are so unexpected. You don't even realize that some workers come in contact with hazardous substances, because you would never suspect that their jobs involve dangerous exposures. Q. How were the industries to be investigated by the health hazard surveyors selected? Q. Surveys of this kind always require the skill of professionals, but I understand there is a tre mendous manpower shortage. Just haw crucial is the shortage and what is Us effect on health conditions? Key. I think it is elementary that if you don't have qualified personnel--industrial hygienists, safety engineers, occupational physicians and nurses, toxicologists and analytical chemists--tire drive for healthful workplaces will make few gains. I f an effort is not made to train more profes sionals, the companies concerned aren't going to have the manpower to comply with the standards Key. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has given us and to maintain a safe and healthful workplace. a sample of approximately 8,000 representative States are not going to have the capabilities of en industries. The surveyors are going to conduct forcement and neither is the federal government. thorough walk-through examinations of the indus And we in NIOSIT are not going to have the re tries in the sample, investigating them from the search potential. viewpoint of an industrial hygienist. The results I t takes a long time to develop educational pro of the survey will provide the basis for determin grams and new job categories--such as the safety ing the potential exposure to health hazards in the and health professional that we have tried to May-June 1972 ` 13 " I t takes a long time to develop educational programs and new job categories--such as the safety and health professional that we have tried to create. Curriculum planning alone requires one or two years. Then you have to wait until students enter the program and graduate--two to four years later" create. Curriculum planning alone requires one or two years. Then you have to wait until students enter the program and graduate--two to four years later. The entire process takes a long time. There will be an acute shortage among professional cate gories for several years to come. Baier. Practical on-the-job experience which takes another year or two is also necessary. We are really talking about a wait of five or six years before the effect of the bachelor's degree in the new occupa tional safety and health program is felt. Until then you have to take someone who has a degree in engineering or life sciences, for example--some one who understands the jargon--and through the training provided by on-the-job situations, you produce, so to speak, a health professional. Q. With the shortage of manpower, it seems even more important to put researchers to work where they will have the biggest impact. How do you determine, for example, which of the known haz ards require immediate attention? Key. To determine priorities for standards, we use a quantitative system based on five parame ters. One is the incidence index--the number of reported occupational diseases associated with that particular exposure. Information on this factor has been inadequate, but once the occupational illness and injury reporting system goes into operation, this should improve. The second factor is the rela tive toxicity or the severity of the occupational disease--'Whether it causes a dermatitis that just produces a little itching or whether it produces lung cancer that does the fellow in. The third fac tor is tonnage or poundage of the particular chem ical produced or used each year, and the fourth is the population at risk. The fifth consideration is a trend index based on estimates of increased or decreased usage. 14 Baier. Then these five parameters are weighted according to relative importance. Key. Professional experience is also an ingredient. After the chemical substances and physical agents are rated and rank ordered, the list is sent to pro fessionals--such as the National Advisory Com mittee on Occupational Safety and Health. The professionals may say, for example, that based on their experience or their company's experience, a substance is too high on the list. They may recom mend that it be given a lower priority. Q. So in setting priorities, you do get some kind of consensus view ? - Key. That's right. I t's a quantitative system, but there is an attempt to get consensus also. Baier. The weighing and the professional opinion are important. For instance, a substance may be extremely toxic, but you might find that it hasn't been used for the last five or six years. Should you develop a criteria package for it? A t the most, there might be six or seven people in the United States that have contact with it. On the other hand, a substance might be a little less serious in terms of effect, but you find that 22,000 people are exposed to it. So you don't really say, "This is the rankest poison known to man, and this is what we must study"--when no one is exposed to it. W hat we are really concerned with is prevent ing occupational disease. Our primary thrust is toward protecting the worker. I t is toxicity versus hazard. A chemical in a jar can be very toxic without causing a hazard, but when it is taken from the jar you have a dangerous exposure. The over-all objective is to eliminate the hazard so people who are working for a living do not get an occupational disease. Q. I t seems that the major job right now is amass ing this kind of information. Safety Standards Key. This is why we attach so much priority on getting information from programs like the Na tional Health Hazards Survey. This is going to give us a better input into our quantitative priority list. Q. 17as a similar system used to determine which hazards to include in OSHA '8 new Target Health Hazards Program? Key. Yes, we worked closely with the Department of Labor in determining the health hazards to be included in the program. NIO SH also aided in presenting the program to interested and affected groups. Q. Once you compile the information that is re quired and the pressing criteria packages are out of the way, will there be a shift in NIOSH's priorities? Baier. Plus whether or not you get along with the fellow at the next work bench. Key. Bight. You have heard the old saw, "It's not unsafe conditions as much as unsafe workmen that produce injuries." Before the Act was passed, management's thesis was than workers were as much at fault in causing accidents as the com pany--if not more so. Well, I think there is room for improvement in both areas, but we have to do the research that shows what makes the worker act unsafely. And until we come up with some practical preventive ideas from this type of research, I don't think we will make much greater inroads into the preven tion of occupational accidents. There will be some, of course--enforcing standards will produce a big effect. B ut if we go all the way, we must idenrifi the preventable human factors. "By using conventional methods of preventing occupational accidents--mechanical guarding, personal protective equipment and educational programs--tee can go ju s t so far in preventing accidents. If ice are going to go any further, ice must have research into ichat motivates people, ichat are the aspects of the human factors that cause accidents Key. IVe expect to be doing more research into human factors and motivation in regard to acci dent prevention. We are specifically directed to conduct research in this area by the Act. By using conventional methods of preventing occupational accidents--mechanical guarding, personal protec tive equipment and educational programs--we can go just so far in preventing accidents. I f we are going to go any further, we must have research into what motivates people, what are the human factors that cause accidents. Baier. This psychological aspect of research is very important. For instance, one basic question is: does the job fit the man or dees the man fit the job? Key. And then there are the additive effects-- stress, noise, fatigue, drugs. So there is a cross over between human factors that produce stress, chemical and physical factors, and factors outside the workplace like medication and drugs. May-June 1972 Baier. So the basic understanding of "why" an accident occurs becomes important. Q. Can you make any other predictions about what the future priorities of N IO SH will be? Key. Yes, another emphasis for the future will be the search for new or unsuspected causes of occu pational diseases, probably in the pneimioconios.es or cancer area. Studies will even be done on factors that shorten life. The industry-wide studies are important in this respect. Groups of workers will be studied and compared to a controlled working population that does not have the same occupa tional exposures. These studies are currently underway for about 1.5 million workers. In other words, we don't have to study everyone in a partic ular plant;-we can study 10% of the workers and project these findings to the rest. The real payoff of our activities in NIOSH lies in prevention, and this, I think, is the real sig nificance of occupational health. 15 January 17, 1972, marked the formal opening Six four-week comprehensive training classes of the Training Institute of the Occupational are set for new federal and state compliance of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Lo ficers and industrial hygienists. The schedule also cated in Rosemont, Illinois, adjacent to 0 `Hare includes 11 two-week refresher courses for com Field outside Chicago, the Training Institute will pliance officers. Other classes will be offered to play a major role in helping OSHA fulfill its compliance officer's in the maritime and construc responsibilities under the Williams-Steiger Oc tion fields. ' > cupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Its The Training Institute has a staff of IS, in theme is "high quality professionalism." cluding 10 safety professionals. I t supplements its George C. Guenther, Assistant Secretary of teaching staff with OSHA field personnel and Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, said experts from the Rational Institute for Occupa the facility will have trained more than 1,000 tional Safety and Health (XIOSH). Dr. Earl specialists by June 30, augmenting activities of Heath, Director of the Office of Training and Edu the OSITA Office of Training and Education. In cation for OSHA, says, "NIO SII personnel al the opening ceremonies, Guenther said Illinois was ready have conducted orientation classes for sev selected for the initial training site because of its eral OSHA industrial hygienists and compliance `'progressive attitude" toward the program, and officers. We intend to seek their participation in because the region has the "heaviest concentration developing methods and training programs." of employees anywhere in the country." The Institute is using methods such as team The impact of the training program will reach teaching, demonstrations, case studies, role play far beyond Chicago. Forty-five classes lasting ing, practical exercises, field \ isits and group dis from one to four weeks are being offered to com cussions. Extensive use also is being made of audio pliance officers, industrial hygienists and state per visual aids, particularly videotape. sonnel from all parts of the country. Included also Training programs are not the sole reason for are 13 courses for construction instructors. establishing the Institute. Frank Valentino, chief 16 Safety Standards Representative William Steiger, co-author of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, officially opens OSUA's Training Institute. Looking on are Howard Pyle, chairman of OSHA's National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health and president of the National Safety Council (center), and George C. Guenther, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (right). of OSHA's Division of Institute Operation, says, Representative "William Steiger, co-sponsor of "The Institute is exploring .other possibilities. the Occupational Safety and Health Act, told the Right now, we are looking for the best and most trainees that there are two keys to the OSHA expedient way to train and produce qualified com program: voluntary compliance and professional pliance personnel." This means collecting data on ism on the part of the compliance officers. Work the costs of various training methods, as well as already has begun on expanding the Institute to- developing standards against which OSHA can accommodate more trainees. Three additional measure the performance of persons who have study and testing rooms, classroom space, an in attended the Institute. . strument lab, and a conference room are being The Training Institute illustrates OSHA's de built. The purpose is clear: Not only programs but centralization efforts. Aside from procedural also facilities are being redesigned to accommodate % guidance and program .evaluation from the na OSHA's continuing need for professionals. Ijj tional office, the Institute is autonomous. I t does its own recruitment and procurement. Its interim Standing in front of the OSHA exhibit with its panel of & manager, Edwin II. Hackett, deals directly with 100 questions and answers, Howard Pyle addresses the pji training coordinators in each of OSHA's 10 re compliance officers at the Training Institute. jg gional offices. Hackett comments that "the Insti tute has an obligation to respond to national office needs and guidelines, but there is a great deal of flexibility in the guidelines. This allows us to orient ourselves to the needs of the regional and area offices." Such flexibility is in keeping witli OSHA policy, which allows for consideration of local problems, conditions and resources. Underscoring the mission of the Training In stitute, Howard Pyle, chairman of OSHA's Na tional Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health and president of the National Safety Council, told the first classes of compliance officers at the opening ceremony that "the success of this operation will depend on those in the field-- you." May-June 1972 I ALICE HAMILTON: Industrial Health Pioneer Profile of a woman who crusaded for employee's right to a healthful workplace by Beverly Faxon More than TO years ago, Dr. Alice Hamilton began to question the effect of a person's job on his health ancl on his life span. Pier questions led her to pioneer the investigation of occupational dis eases in the United States, starting with lead poisoning among Illinois factory workers. When Dr. Hamilton began her work, attitudes toward the prevention of occupational diseases were either indifferent or negative. Many who were appalled by a spectacular industrial accident or explosion never considered the workers who were being slowly killed or disabled by exposure to toxic substances. Popular assumptions made difficult the task of those interested in helping endangered workers. Some employers, feeling sure that lead poisoning resulted from skin contact and not from breathing lead-laden air, blamed sickness on the failure of employees to wash properly before eat ing or to clean their fingernails before going home. Atts* Fason is a student a t Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan. . Most accepted the idea that workers in potenti ally dangerous situations operated under "assump tion of risk''--that is, by accepting the job, the em ployee assumed the risks and dangers of his trade. The employer thus was absolved of the respon sibility to provide better workplace conditions ex cept as he might choose to do so. Improving work ing conditions was seen not as a responsibility of owners but as an act of benevolence. Dr. Hamilton did much in her lifetime to under mine such comfortable assumptions. Hot only did she collect evidence that established the correlation between exposures to toxic substances and certain occupational diseases. She also "helped pave the way in this country for what had evolved in Eng land a century before: the concept of society's re sponsibility for the health and welfare of its citizens--including people at work.'5 Alice Hamilton, sister of Edith Hamilton, the well-known scholar of Greek and Homan civiliza tions, was bom in 1S69 and died in 1970. As a young 18 Safety Standards girl she decided to enter the field of medicine. After white phosphorous process risked pain, facial de receiving her M.D. degree from the University of formities and death. Yet the United States passed Michigan, Dr. Hamilton taught pathology at the legislation discouraging the white phosphorous Women's Medical School, Northwestern Univer method only after Europeans had forbidden the sity, while living at Hull House, the social settle process in their own factories and had refused ment house established in Chicago by Jane Ad- to import matches so made. dams. Conversations with neighboring workers During the investigations that formed the basis kindled Dr. Hamilton's interest in. occupational for her classic studies of lead, Dr. Hamilton diseases--pneumonia and rheumatism among studied hospital records involving lead victims and stockyard workers, "lead palsy" in painters, cases talked with patients, physicians, druggists, em of steel mill workers falling unconscious on the job. ployers and foremen. She discovered that workers Through research, Dr. Hamilton discovered that in 77 occupations in Illinois were victims of lead the United States was far behind European coun poisoning. Painters, enamellers, smelters ancl many tries in recognizing and preventing occupational ' others were esposed daily to the dangerous diseases. When she began her investigation of lead particles. industries in 1910, the only significant step that In 1911 after the results of her survey were made i had been taken toward controlling occupational public, the Illinois legislature passed a workmen's disease involved a curb ou the use of white phos compensation law. But the new law bogged down phorous in match-making. Workers using the in the courts when judges said they could see "no "4 5 Match-makers in this 1871 icood engraving risked contracting "phossy jaw," a painful disease which resulted in facial disfigurement and sometimes death. Legislation halting the use of phosphorous in match-making was not passed until 1910. May-June 1972 Carbon monoxide poisoning threatened the converters making bessemer Steel in this 1888 wood engraving. Shields caught the sparks, but the absence of ventilation allowed fumes to escape into the atmosphere. When making field inspections, Alice Hamilton subjected herself to the same hazards faced by workers. legal principles on which compensation for occupa tional diseases could rest." Not until 1936 did the Illinois legislature pass an effective law. By then 16 other states had passed compensation laws. Later, while working with the U.S. Department of Labor, Dr. Hamilton began a nationwide survey of industries, again including lead. She also ex plored illnesses resulting from fumes in World W ar I munitions plants, tuberculosis and silicosis in miners, carbon monoxide poisoning in steel mills, carbon disulphide effects on rayon workers, and mercury poisoning in hatters and miners. Dr. Hamilton x-elied not only on research but also on first-hand experience. Before confronting an employer with suggestions for health improve ments in a plant or before turning in a report to the government, Dr. Hamilton conducted field in spections. She would stand close to hot furnaces, put her whole weight on a jackhammer, and walk narrow catwalks in studying the industrial world's on-the-job health problems. In her book I ndustrial T oxicology, published in 1934, she offered employers this land of practi cal advice: , " (a) Prevent formation of escape of gases, fumes and dust. (b) If (a) is impossible, remove by means of exhausts. (c) I f (b) is impossible, dilute as much as possible by abundant ventilation and by fans blowing air past the face of the workers." - When Alice Hamilton began her crusade to cor rect conditions leading to occupational disease, it seemed to her that most of her American contem poraries felt it was a cause "tainted with Social ism or with feminine sentimentality for the poor." May-June 1972 The employee above assembles storage batteries, a product often using lead oxides. Inhaled or ingested into the system, lead can cause gastrointestinal, blood and central nervous system disorders. The target of Alice Hamilton's earliest studies, lead is still a common workplace material. NIOSH is working on a criteria document on lead. OSHA has declared it one of the Target Health Hazards. B}r the end of her long career, she had succeeded in presenting facts to break through the nation's ignorance and indiffei'ence toward protecting workers from occupational diseases. She had suc ceeded in making medicine--and society as a whole--more aware of its responsibilities toward the health of its workers. She had been among those to pioneer a break through in attitude--surely as important as any technological development. Her work had been in strumental in changing the negative attitudes of the 19th century to the present sense of community responsibility for control of the environment--in cluding the work environment. 21 Andre Racine is young and in excellent health. He's a top hand in his trade, which is line con struction. This involves building high-voltage transmission lines, and it offers steady, year-round employment, plus a very high rate of pay. W ith all of this going for him, Andre is hardly the type of person who would want to end his life prematurely. But on September 15, 1971, it was almost ended for him. Andre works for T.D. Bross Line Construction Company. Bross, in a joint venture with Savin Brothers Construction, is working in Rockland County, Yew York, installing a 345Iv transmission line for Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. One of Andre's co-workers dropped a pair of lineman's pliers from atop a cross-member 80 feet above ground. Andre, assembling his gear prior to as cending the 100-foot steel pole, received the falling pliers directly on the left side of his safety cap. The reason Andre is still alive today is because the safety cap--not his head--took the punish ment. These particular pliers have a wedge-shaped head, are about nine inches long and weigh close to a pound. This means that, according to calcu lations by American Optical Corporation's Robert F. White, "A t the point of impact, after falling from a height that approximates a ten-storv build ing, the head of the pliers was driven into its target with a force of about SO foot-pounds." The pliers penetrated Andre's cap, causing a l 1/4"-long crack in the plastic shell. But the pliers never touched the cap's suspension, let 'alone the man's head. Everyone connected with the project can claim some credit for the fact that Andre was wearing his safety cap: his foreman, Blacky Madigan; Bross Company superintendent Arthur Aubrn; and Dick Leppla, chairman of the safety commit tee. Among numerous other duties, together they formulated and enforce the safety program that saved Andre's life. When due credits are being distributed, another man not to be slighted is Phil McLeod. An em ployee of Stone and Webster Engineering (con struction manager for the project), McLeod has the title senior materials manager. . . . Since starting in the construction business about 25 years ago, McLeod has worked on power-transmission lines all over the United States. He's worked in swamps, plains, deserts and mountains. . . . On the subject of safety, his voice takes on a particularly hard note. "Safety is something we take seriously around here. We don't like others joking about it. And we are getting to the point where all 300 people on this job are taking safety seriously too." Andre Raoine points to the 1V-. facJi orach made in his safety cap by pliers which fell from a height of SO feet. F irst published in E nvironmental Control & S afety Manage m en t. December 1 071. Reprinted with permission of Beet's Safety Publications. 22 "Building a high-voltage transmission line across all kinds of terrain involves exceptional work hazards. So contractors, sub-contractors and unions represented on the safety committee added bite to their r u l e s % The record proves they take their safety se riously. The Ramapo-to-Hudson River Project, since its inception in January 1971, has had a total of 39 first aid cases. Only five of these involved lost time. In more than 300,000 man-hours worked this year, less than 1.5 percent of this total has been lost due to injuries. I t 's an enviable record. How does a company amass such a record, espe cially under extremely severe terrain conditions? Ask McLeod. . . . ``By working together and getting everybody involved with safety. I t's a cooperative effort be tween the contractors, subcontractors and the unions. All have representatives on a permanent safety committee--volunteers who do this in addi tion to their regular jobs." Dick Leppla, safety committee chairman, is superintendent of construction for Stone and Webster. Other representatives on the committee include people from Stone and Webster, the Bross Company, Savin Brothers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the build ing trade unions. Phil McLeod is a permanent representative who coordinates the many facets of the program. The safety committee was organized on Janu ary 13, 1971, at a preconstruction meeting at the Stone and Webster field office in Mt. Ivy, New York. A presentation was made outlining the hazardous conditions to be expected during the coming months. I t was decided that the committee would be directly responsible for all on-the-job safety. Moreover, committee members would be selected on the basis of their background and their expertise in work being done during various stages of the project. A man was appointed to act as permanent repre sentative during foundation construction. He was replaced by another man during erection of the steel poles, and by still another during the wirestringing operations. A committee member is on each pole site (work site) once eacli day. The committee conducts full May-June 1972 inspections of the sites every two weeks. In addi tion, field representatives from three insurance companies conduct periodic inspections. Meetings of the committee follow each inspection tour, to discuss conditions noted and necessary solutions to problems, if any. McLeod says, "This particular job could have resulted in several fatal accidents already, con sidering the hazards involved. We're working in all kinds of terrain . . . mountains, valleys, for ests, in close proximity to energized transmission lines and substations and to high-pressure gas lines. Access roads for men and heavy equipment have to be blasted and cut. Our right-of-way is limited since we have no wish to damage the landscape any more than necessary to build this badly-needed electrical service." P art of the process of getting organized was a thorough study of the terrain and hazards. Mem bers met with local officials, conservationists and utilities people who had experience in the areas through which the line's right-of-way would run. This' included a visit to the directors of several children's summer camps in the area. The approach was always a presentation of facts about the proj ect and hazards involved. "There are potential injury situations from blasting, tree and stump clearing, concrete pour ing, driving to and from the sites, equipment re pair, and materials handling," says Phil McLeod, "and naturally, the actual work on the poles them selves, such as what happened to Andre." McLeod mentions an instance where an employee put his hand into a pile of timber and pulled bade a copperhead! Fortunately, the snake had sunk his fangs into the man's leather safety glove rather than his hand. "A good case for gloves." says McLeod, "but an even better case for A rt Aubin's overall declaration of intent to run a safe, disciplined operation." Continuing in this vein, McLeod says, "ISot everyone realizes the importance of discipline in a safety program. We all gee careless at times. 22 a Keeping in mind that the definition of safety is really prevention of accidents, we can't work too hard to wipe out carelessness. We have some of the fop people in line construction on this project and all of them know their jobs. This is the problem sometimes. They have too much confidence! We have to keep reminding them. So we are inclined to be repetitious." On the first Thursday of each month, a brief safety meeting is held at the start of the work day. Topics covering various aspects of safety are discussed. For example, one topic may be storage of explosives and how they should be removed from the magazine and transported to the job. Another might be a demonstration of first aid, in cluding the latest medical theory on snakebite treatment. . Specific problems and discussions of new knowl edge about site-related hazards are given time at every meeting. According to A rt Aubin, "Taking this time with the men may keep them away from the project for a short time, but it is well worth it. Just compare the potential in time lost due to injury, broken equipment and higher insurance premiums. Needless to say, the tragedy of a per manently disabling injury or a death cannot be measured in dollars and cents." The meetings are supplemented by regular safety committee memos. Memos of this type em.phasize the importance of adhering to the safety rules developed for the project, plus case histories on accidents -that happened and accidents pre vented--better known as near misses. The fact that everyone--supervisor, foreman and individual worker--has an important role is always the part ing shot of the memo. The memos are distributed by committee members to the men in their groups, reinforcing person-to-person contact. "No safety program is going to work if its not enforced," says McLeod. "And if it's going to be enforced we have to put teeth into the regulations, and then stand by them to-the letter! When we say that a specific amount of violations of safety regu lations will result in dismissal, we mean i t ! When we say that violations of our rules by people who work for other contractors mean that these people will be banned from the project, we enforce it." I f an employee on the project is caught in viola tion of a safety rule, he is notified in writing. The gist of the memo is that the violation has been , noted and recorded. I t reminds him that the con sequences could be injury to himself. In cordial terms, the memo states that the rules were de veloped for the workers' protection and that the Work progresses on the transmission line for the Ramapo-to-Sudson River project. 24 Safety Standards violation was probably an oversight on his part. Mention is made also that the rules were estab lished by the project safety committee, or included in local union by-laws or by the state and federal governments. The fact that no further such violations are expected is mentioned firmly, but politely. Copies of the memo are sent to each member of the safety committee for information and filed in the employee's record. According to McLeod, "Nobody is around long enough to receive more than two such memos." Probably one of the most important points Mc Leod makes is that of knowing the nature of haz ards that exist. Any accident is closely followed by an injury report. This means every type of acci dent, including minor cuts. The report includes information on location, weather conditions, and the nature of task being performed. Availability of first aid, and conditions of the general work area are noted. "In brief," says McLeod, "we want to know what went on before, during and after the accident. This gives us a complete record that helps us correct whatever conditions might have contrib uted to the problem." Accident reports, and what ever corrective measures have been taken as a re sult, subsequently are subjects for safety bulletins and for discussion at safety meetings. "Morale on this project is as high, or higher, than on any other job I 've been associated with," says McLeod. "Our safety record is the biggest contributor to this high morale as far as I 'm con cerned. But the program works because I believe that the committee has done an outstanding job of communicating. The program is understood by everyone on the job. Everybody participates. "A few months ago one of our men had his eye saved by a pair of safety glasses, qualifying him for membership in the Wise Owl Club. We held a full-scale banquet, buffet style with unlimited refreshments. American Optical provided us with an artificial eye which we had made into a tie clip. Because the man understood and followed the rules regarding wearing safety equipment, he's wearing the artificial eye as a tie clip, not in an empty socket." One important entity which safety people in all trades, professions and industries have to consider is the new Occupational Safety and Health Act May-June 1972 On-site inspections are conducted daily by one or more members of the project's safety committee. (O SH A ), comment both McLeod and Aubin. Says McLeod: "It's a good law if enforced. I personally feel that the major burden of enforcing this law is going to rest with the employer himself. The best route is the kind of organization we have here, where everyone is brought into the safety picture and knows exactly why." Aubin says, "We're way ahead of OSHA. Our objective here is to prevent accidents and protect people. Our record is good not because we keep our eyes on statistics, but because we analyze our total picture, terrain, project and people. We take proper preventive action, and we enforce personal protective equipment regulations. W hat's more, we probe deeply into the causes of the few in juries we do have. Once we examine the cause, we make every effort to see that it can't happen again. A good example is that although we'll continue to work at the base of the polos, we won't have any more tools falling from above. As to the end re sult--the project is ahead of schedule, and it will undoubtedly be a highly profitable operation for all concerned.'' 25 e* Note a regular feature, Safety Spotlight will bring readers brief accounts of safety activities and safety programs that are proving successful. The purpose is not only to highlight useful safety tips, but to provide a forum fo r the exchange of ideas. Manufacturers distribute safety booklet The Adhesive Manufacturers Association of America has prepared a booklet, " Safe Handling of Adhesives," for distribution to its customers to assure safer han dling of its products. The booklet explains the uniform labeling practices and includes pictures of the different labels used. The three possible hazards of adhesives-- effects on the skin, fire, and toxicity-- are described, and methods to combat them are explained. For copies, write Adhesives Manufacturers Association of America, 441 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Keep your hat on! Pepper Construction Company of Chicago recently sent its 80 foremen and supervisors to a two-day safety course given by the Building Construction Employers Association (BCEA). One of the results is a new regu lation that makes the wearing of hard hats a condition of employment. - Allen Quinn, Pepper's safety engineer, tells why: " Right now we're concentrating on hard hats and re quiring that everyone on the job wear them at all times-- even the executives when they come around. There's no question that hard hats can save lives. Recently one of our men fell 14 feet and landed on his head. If he weren't wearing a hard hat, chances are he wouldn't be around today." Pepper is also urging its men to wear safety glasses and safety shoes. The company provides protective equipment the first time. If an employee loses an item, he pays for its replacement. John Skanderup, president of the 600-empioyee company, explains the stepped-up safety effort: "While we have had a voluntary safety program for many years, our efforts are being redoubled now that safety is a federal requirement. The biggest job is educating our people to the importance of safety and getting them to follow the rules." - BCEA conducts several safety courses each month. For more information, write 228 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601. 26 Shoring school too successful In April 1971 the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers enrolled twelve persons in a shoring safety training course. Today there are 500 graduates of the program-- and a waiting list so long that chapters in four other cities across the country are organizing similar schools. The one-day course trains those involved in sewer, water, gas, electric and telephone trenching in the proper methods of shoring for underground construc tion work. The training is designed to reduce the signifi cant number of deaths and serious injuries caused by trench cave-ins. Superintendents, foremen, inspectors, engineers contractors and linemen have attended the classes. The State of California Industrial Safety Division Construction Section has provided an instructor for ali classes to date. The American Society of Safety Engi neers believes that there is a need for many such courses across the nation. Finding qualified instructors is one of the chief obstacles. Since the aluminum hydraulic shoring process has become popular only within the last six years, there is a shortage of qualified instructors to teach these classes. Farm safety program May and June have been designated as " Farm Transportation" and "Water Safety" months, respec tively, by the Department of Agriculture in a special, year-round campaign to encourage farm safety prac tices. The program, according to Under Secretary J. Philip Campbell, is being coordinated with the National Safety Council and will place special emphasis on the Occupational Safety and Health Act provisions. The monthly observances got under way in March with emphasis on the safe use of agricultural chemicals. Other special programs scheduled include: July-- per sonal protective equipment: August--- vacation safety; September-- back-to-school program; October-- harvest safety and fire prevention; November-- chore-time safety; and December-- home and holiday safety. Safety Standards lab o r Safety Award deadline The National Safety Council reminds all union mem bers that the deadline for applications for its labor Safety Awards is July 1, 1972. Individual union mem bers, as well as unions, are eligible. The awards are given for outstanding work in such activities as estab lishing safety programs, initiating joint managementunion meetings, and promoting safety activities. Write to the National Safety Council, 425 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611, for information and for the brochure, "Safety Awards Program for Organized Labor." . Old adage-- new safety twist ` In a recent speech at the Inter-Union Gas Confer ence, Charles H. Tupper, director of safety for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, summed up the common responsibility for safety when he remarked: " We have met the enemy and he is us; the 'us' part of this adage is labor and management combined." Tupper also advised the union members "to under stand and use intelligently and with discernment the important protections and rights which are provided for workers by the Act." Field first aid unit saves lives Two construction workers, seriously injured in a fall from the top of a power plant addition, owe their lives to prompt treatment from the ex-Navy medic who mans a well-equipped first-aid trailer on the job site. Operated by Power Systems, Inc., the 10 by 28 foot custom-built trailer is one of three field units currently in use on the company's construction sites. The trailer contains equipment not usually found in a first-aid center-- a cardiac monitor, a wide range of emergency respiratory and orthopedic gear, intravenous solutions, and a variety of emergency drugs. These "extras" made a difference to the men who fell to the ground and lived to tell about it. The immediate availability of intravenous infusions and drugs was a key factor in their survival. The purchase of high-priced medical equipment was made possible, in part, by savings realized by improvis ing other items. An examination and treatment table was made from scrap materials at the site. Hangers for intravenous infusions and irrigation solutions, and spinal support boards for the transportation of persons with back and neck injuries are other "home made" items. Economical aluminum baking trays with snap-off plastic covers substitute for expensive stainless steel containers as dust-protective holders for instruments and medicines. Power Systems states that "an enlightened safety program is necessarily augmented by enlightened firstaid coverage for employees." Companies interested in exchanging ideas on first-aid facilities may write to Power Systems, Inc., 600 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60606. May-June 1972 A mobile first-aid, unit. the trailer above is equipped to provide emergency care for construction ivarkers. Ingenuity cut costs. The treatment table was improvised from scrap material on the job site. Savings went into the purchase of sophisticated medical equipment and supplies. 27 Noiv a regular feature, Safety Spotlight will bring readers brief accounts of safety activities and safety programs that are proving successful. The purpose is not only to highlight useful safety tips, but to provide a forum fo r the exchange of ideas. Manufacturers distribute safety booklet The Adhesive Manufacturers Association of America has prepared a booklet, " Safe Handling of Adhesives," for distribution to its customers to assure safer han dling of its products. The booklet explains the uniform labeling practices and includes pictures of the different labels used. The three possible hazards of adhesives-- effects on the skin, fire, and toxicity-- are described, and methods to combat them are explained. For copies, write Adhesives Manufacturers Association of America, 441 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Keep your hat on! Pepper Construction Company of Chicago recently sent its 80 foremen and supervisors to a two-day safety course given by the Building Construction Employers Association (BCEA). One of the results is a new regu lation that makes the wearing of hard hats a condition of employment. Allen Quinn, Pepper's safety engineer, tells why: " Right now we're concentrating on hard hats and re quiring that everyone on the job wear them at all times-- even the executives when they come around. There's no question that hard hats can save lives. Recently one of our men fell 14 feet and landed on his head. If he weren't wearing a hard hat, chances are he wouldn't be around today." Pepper is also urging its men to wear safety glasses and safety shoes. The company provides protective equipment the first time. If an employee loses an item, he pays for its replacement. John Skanderup, president of the 600-employee company, explains the stepped-up safety effort: "While we have had a voluntary safety program for many years, our efforts are being redoubled now that safety is a federal requirement. The biggest job is educating our people to the importance of safety and getting them to follow the rules." - BCEA conducts several safety courses each month. For more information, write 228 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601. 26 Shoring school too successful In April 1971 the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers enrolled twelve persons in a shoring safety training course. Today there are 500 graduates of the program-- and a waiting list so long that chapters in four other cities across the country are organizing similar schools. The one-day course trains those involved in sewer, water, gas, electric and telephone trenching in the proper methods of shoring for underground construc tion work. The training is designed to reduce the signifi cant number of deaths and serious injuries caused by trench cave-ins. Superintendents, foremen, inspectors, engineers contractors and linemen have attended the classes. The State of California Industrial Safety Division Construction Section has provided an instructor for all classes to date. The American Society of Safety Engi neers believes that there is a need for many such courses across the nation. Finding qualified instructors is one of the chief obstacles. Since the aluminum hydraulic shoring process has become popular only within the last six years, there is a shortage of qualified instructors to teach these classes. Farm safety program May and June have been designated as " Farm Transportation" and "Water Safety" months, respec tively, by the Department of Agriculture in a special, year-round campaign to encourage farm safety prac tices. The program, according to Under Secretary J. Philip Campbell, is being coordinated with the National Safety Council and will place special emphasis on the Occupational Safety and Health Act provisions. The monthly observances got under way in March with emphasis on the safe use of agricultural chemicals.. Other special programs scheduled include: July-- per sonal protective equipment; August-- vacation safety; September-- back-to-school program; October-- -harvest safety and fire prevention; November-- chore-time safety; and December-- home and holiday safety. Safety Standards Labor Safety Award deadline The National Safety Council reminds all union mem bers that the deadline for applications for its Labor Safety Awards is July 1, 1972- Individual union mem bers, as well as unions, are eligible. The awards are given for outstanding work in such activities as estab lishing safety programs, initiating joint managementunion meetings, and promoting safety activities. Write to the National Safety Council, 425 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611, for information and for the brochure, " Safety Awards Program for Organized Labor." Old adage-- new safety twist In a recent speech at the Inter-Union Gas Confer ence, Charles H. Tupper, director of safety for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, summed up the common responsibility for safety when he remarked: "We have met the enemy and he is us; the `us' part of this adage js labor and management combined." Tupper also advised the union members " to under stand and use intelligently and with discernment the important protections and rights which are provided for workers by the Act." Field first aid unit saves lives Two construction workers, seriously injured in a fall from the top of a power plant addition, owe their lives to prompt treatment from the ex-Navy medic who mans a weil-equipped first-aid trailer on the job site. Operated by Power Systems, Inc,, the 10 by 28 foot custom-built trailer is one of three field units currently in use on the company's construction sites. The trailer contains equipment not usually found in a first-aid center-- a cardiac monitor, a wide range of emergency respiratory and orthopedic gear, intravenous solutions, and a variety of emergency drugs. These "extras'' made a difference to the men who fell to the ground and lived to tell about it. The immediate availability of intravenous infusions and drugs was a key factor in their survival. The purchase of high-priced medical equipment was made possible, in part, by savings realized by improvis ing other items. An examination and treatment table was made from scrap materials at the site. Hangers for intravenous infusions and irrigation solutions, and spinal support boards for the transportation of persons with back and neck injuries are other "home mads" items. Economical aluminum baking trays with snap-off plastic covers substitute for expensive stainless steel containers as dust-protective holders for instruments and medicines. Power Systems states that "an enlightened safety program is necessarily augmented by enlightened firstaid coverage for employees." Companies interested in exchanging ideas on first-aid facilities may write to Power Systems, Inc., 600 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60606. May--June 1972 J. mobile first-aid unit, the trailer above is equipped to provide emergency care for construction workers. Ingenuity cut costs. The treatment table was improvised, from scrap material on the job site. Savings went into the purchase of sophisticated medical equipment and supplies. 27 Timetable set for changes in standards A timetable for 46 proposed changes in standards affecting the workplace environment has been announced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The timetable calls for changes in 31 standards by the end of 1972 fiscal year (June 30, 1972) and an additional 15 by the midpoint of fiscal 1973 (December 31, 1972). The changes are key parts of a three-phase program of standards development by the OSHA Office of Stand ards under Acting Director Gerard F. Scannell. The first phase involves correction of typographical errors and similar nonsubstantive items found in the initial standards published in 1971. The second phase clarifies adopted national consensus standards and revokes some provisions because of their discrimina tory nature or because they conflict with other parts of the standards. The third phase involves adopting new standards, developed either by national consensus standards-setting organizations or by the Department under procedures of the Williams-Steiger Act. Assistant Secretary of Labor George C. Guenther said, "We are announcing the schedule for these pro posed changes so as to inform interested parties of OSHA's intentions. Due to the complex technical nature of many of the standards, the timetable cannot be con sidered absolute, but reflects our best estimate of what can be accomplished during the balance of 1972." Among the proposed changes are the following: Amending the construction section for roll-over protective structures for vehicles. ' Making technical changes and corrections in sec tions affecting powered platforms, manlifts and vehicle- mounted platforms, and compressed gas and com pressed air equipment. Adding new sections on protective helmets for electrical workers, slings, uniform traffic control de vices, exists, sprinklers, foam, mechanical power trans mission guarding, bakery equipment and floating cranes and derricks. Adding new sections on woodworking machinery, oil burning equipment, ovens and furnaces and installa tion of gas appliances. Adopting the 1971 Threshold Limit Values of the American Congress of Governmental Industrial Hygienists on toxic substances and noise, replacing 1968 and 1970 levels. 28 Promulgating an asbestos standard to replace the emergency standard issued December 7, 1971. Amending the construction standards to correct conflicts, duplications and technical errors, including those on catch platforms and scaffold heights. Completing a section on electrical transmission and distribution lines and equipment, including specific standard for the electrical utility industry. Bringing sections of the general industry stand ards and the construction standards into conformity. Adding a section on installation of gas piping and gas equipment on industrial premises. Bringing maritime standards into conformity with other standards where like hazards are covered. Adding sections on longshoring on the docks, diving operations and workmen's hoists. Revoking the ban on pump-jack scaffolding. Adding amendments on tunneling to the construc tion standards. Resolving differences on scaffold requirements. Adopting a new standard on bis (chloromethyi) ether. Adding parts of a new consensus standard on machine guarding for woodworking machinery, and on work in confined spaces. Adding new sections on dredging and local ex haust systems. Promulgating, in coordination with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, standards on two of the OSHA Target Health Hazards: carbon monoxide and silica. States receive planning grants Fourteen states have received 978,725 to assist them in developing their own on-the-job safety and health programs. George C. Guenther, Assistant Secre tary of Labor for OSHA, announcing the grants, said these awards bring the total federal allocation to date to 5.68 mitiion. The allocations involve federal funds of up to 90 per cent of the total cost of the projects, which is being Started immediately. Participation by Hawaii and Nevada brings to 48 (plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) the number of states receiving grants for assessing their occupational safety and health needs and preparing a state plan. Section 18(b) of the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 provides for states to Safety Standards I assume operation of their own programs, and Section 18(c) lists the criteria to be met by states wishing to submit their plans to the Department of Labor for approval. Following are the grants awarded: ' Alabama, a 572,418 amendment to its original grant for developing an 18(b) plan. Alaska, $157,130 to develop compliance proce dures for the state's three high-hazard industries (con struction, logging and wood products, and petroleum and pipeline), to prepare legislative action for support of a plan, and to prepare an acceptable plan under Section 18(b). California, $105,781 for data collection, code comparison, and legal analysis basic for its plan under Section 18(b). Hawaii, three grants: $34,590 to develop a man agement information system; $62,272 to catalogue standards and develop a plan; and $15,468 to prepare legislative actions in support of a plan. o Illinois, $27,630 to continue work in such areas as local authority pre-emption, measurement of its effectiveness and OSHA-related standards. Maine, $74,997 to continue developing its plan for including state and local employees under Section 18(c)(6). Mississippi, a $89,229 amendment to its original grant to continue developing an 18(b) plan. Montana, $32,278 to review fire hazards and how to combat them, and to integrate the results of this study into development of its state plan. Nebraska, two grants: $52,000 to assess its needs in developing an enforcement program under the Act; $37,102 to identify and evaluate occupational health hazards in the state. Nevada, $72,458 to determine its needs and responsibilities in order to develop its state plan. New Jersey, $6,922 to determine personnel re quirements for enforcement and legal services, and $41,808 to integrate other current and completed projects into a state plan. Texas, a $1,758 amendment to an earlier grant. Washington, $47,569 to evaluate farm workers' exposures to occupational health hazards. Wisconsin, $47,215 to continue developing its state plan. Construction standards amended ' Forty-three amendments to the original construction standards issued April 17, 1971, have become effective. George C. Guenther, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, said: "The amend ments are the result of written comments and oral testimony received from interested persons and asso ciations such as the Associated Genera! Contractors, the May-June 1972 National Association of Homebuilders, and the National Construction Association, recommendations of the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety, and of course our own considerations The amendments include new rules for medical serv ices, safety belts, safety nets, temporary heating devices, switches, rigging equipment, excavation, and trenching requirements. Grants for data gathering Virginia and West Virginia are the first states to receive OSHA grants to assist them in funding studies of work injuries and illnesses. The information obtained from the studies, part of the national data gathering project, will be used to encourage the development of state safety and health programs and help establish industry standards for job safety and health. Decision on waik-around pay In a decision interpreting the Williams-Steiger Occu pational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Assistant Sec retary of Labor George C. Guenther has concluded that Mobil Oil Corporation did not discriminate against em ployees when it refused to pay them for time they spent with federal safety and health inspectors in a "walkaround" inspection. Guenther based his decision on a legal opinion by the Solicitor of the Labor Department, Richard F. Schubert. Under the Act, an authorized representative of em ployees must be given the opportunity to accompany the federal inspector. Mobil provided this opportunity but refused to pay the employees for the time they spent on the walk-around. The law forbids discrimination against employees because of their exercise of rights provided by the Act. The case reached Guenther when the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) alleged that Mobil's refusal to pay for the waik-around time constituted discrimination forbidden by the Act. OCAW's argument was that any employer's refusal to pay employees for waik-around time is discrimina tory. The opinion rejects this argument, concluding that employees in the waik-around were not engaged in regu lar work, and that Mobil refused to pay them, not because of the waik-around, but because they were, not working. The opinion also concludes that waik-around time is not compensable working time under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The legal opinion states that some cases where dis crimination is alleged would be more appropriately handled by use of grievance-arbitration provisions of collective bargaining agreements. Such cases would include disputes over the interpretation of the bargain ing agreement. . 29 30 The job of erecting the New York skyline was accomplished at great risk to some of the employees involved. This 1895 drawing shows construction workers on the steel girders of the American Surety Company Building. In the distance are the Produce Exchange, the Manhattan Life Building and the Trinity Church Spire. Underfoot are ropes and tools carelessly strewn about. The poor housekeeping increases the danger of slipping and falling-- from a platform 20 stories above street level. The working platform lacks guard rails to protect the men from such falls. They are vulnerable also to objects failing from above. A falling wrench, for example, would strike an unprotected head, rather than a hard hat. Today no construction worker needs to accept such risks to do his job. OSHA standards require the use of protective Clothing. Not only hard hats, but also safety ' goggles, shoes and gloves reduce the risk of personal injury. The standards also require that every open-sided platform six feet or more above the ground be guarded by a railing equipped with a toe board to keep the equipment, as weil as the employees, from falling. Safety belts and nets provide further safeguards to protect the employee on the job. Safety Standards S: New curriculum focuses on safety and health Under a contract with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, is designing new under graduate and graduate curriculum in occupational safety and health. This program is part of the NIOSH effort to help supply enough qualified safety and health professionals to meet the growing needs of industry and government. The curriculum developed by Auburn is the first of its kind. The program offers students the opportunity to enter an established field-- industrial engineering-- and to focus on occupational safety and health. The new emphasis is made possible by requiring students to take 30 hours of courses in safety and health in place of the electives previously open to them. The new courses include: occupational accident prevention, occupational hygiene engineering, occupational safety and health laboratory, design for hazard reduction and introduction to acoustics and noise control. The industrial engineering student who elects this program will be trained to evaluate workplace condi tions and loss potential factors. He will also be quali fied to design and implement occupational safety programs and health controls. In January 1972 the in dustrial engineering department enrolled 22 students in the new program. In addition, the industrial Engineering Department at Auburn is planning a master's degree program that also will concentrate on occupational safety and health. Tracking down the hazards NIOSH regional offices will respond to written re quests for a hazards evaluation of workplace substances suspected of having toxic effects. An employer or an authorized employee representative may request the evaluation. An employee representative is defined as a collective bargaining representative, or a person with at least two other written employee authorizations, or one employee from establishments where three or fewer workers are employed. After receiving the request for a hazards evaluation, the regional office will send an industrial hygienist to the worksite to analyze the toxicity of the substance in question. Some requests could result in medical exami nations or new toxicity studies on animals. If the sub stance is toxic, NIOSH will recommend to the Secretary of Labor an environmental limit to control the exposure. M ay-June 1972 A one-page instructional- sheet to use i 'il'ng a request is available from the NIOSH Divisior of mation, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md. 2; 557. a id from the NIOSH Division of Technical Servirr s, ! O ff Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Forms ah : may be obtained from the ten NIOSH regional offices: Re-Jon !: Government Center, John F. Kennedy-Federal Boston, Mass. 02203; Region II: Federal Bu: -dug, .20 Federal Plaza, New York, N,Y. 10017; Regie; 401 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19101. Region IV: 50 Seventh St., N.E., Atlanta, Ga. 30323;' * en V: 3 00 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, ill. 60607; k frior: Vi: 1100 Commerce Street, Room 8 -C -5 3 , DaL 75202; Region VII: 601 East 12th Street, ,Kanr- ,, ' Mo. 64106; Region VIII: 19th,and Stout Stree' Federal Building, Denver, Colo. 80202; Regidi . -i Fulton Street, 254 Federal Office Building, cisco, Calif. 94102; Region X: 1321 Second -v*l Arcade Building, Seattle, Wash. 98101. Appointments made Edward J. Baier began his appointment as , " Director on February 22, 1972. Baier former! Director of the Bureau of Mine and Occupational and Safety of the Pennsylvania Department of E' mental Resources. He is a director of,the Art" Board of Industrial Hygiene and a past-chairman , . American Conference of Governmental,-Rind Hygienists. As Deputy Director, Baier will assist overall direction and management of NIOSHmper? c", Alfred C. Blackman, formerly managing d ire r .. the American Society of Safety Engineers, has be.-, appointed Assistant Director for Safety at N- 7S'r. Blackman reports directly to NIOSH Director'Marc.; s v . Key, and is responsible for providing guidance end coordination for the Institute's role in occupai v.rsafety. Permanent asbestos standard proposed NIOSH recently issued "Occupational Exposut.^ to Asbestos," a 126-page document containing cr: v. for a recommended standard. The study recomnv ri that employees not be exposed to an average grt than 2.0 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter (cc c i air for an eight-hour, time-weighted concentration I*, also recommends that peak concentration not ex< 10.0 fibers/cc, as determined by a minimum-samp '"jr. time of 15 minutes. i '! . ] : J -j j v Federal Register Listed below are recent issues of the F ederal R egister which contain information about the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Copies of the F ederal R e m s tee are on file at all Federal Depository Libraries. Single copies may ' be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, ' Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 at 20(1 per copy. Subscriptions are available at $25 per year. " Standards--General Industry 'e - Vol. 37, No. 14. pp. 929-931, January 21, 1972, ** Chapter XVII. Part 1975--Coverage of Employers Under ;. the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act , t of 1970. Contains purpose and scope, basis of authority, ^ , extent of coverage of the Act. , Standards--Construction A e Vol. 37, No. 32, pp. 3431, February 17, 1972, Chapter XVII, Part 1910--Occupational Safety and Health Regula tions for Construction, and Part 1926--Safety and Health Regulations for Construction. Updates and clarifies provi sions concerning the applicability of certain electrical - standards. Vol. 37, No. 33, pp. 3512-20, February 17. 1972, Title 29, Parts 1910 and 1926--Contains background in formation pertaining to miscellaneous amendments to construction safety standards. Vol. 37, No. 3S, p. 39S9, February 25.1972, Part 19 2 6 - Safety aud Health Regulations for Construction. Corrects F ederal R egister issue of February 17. 1972, concerning , ' "hazardous locations.'' ( Standards--Miscellaneous r_ 9 Vol. 37, No. 36, p. 3330, February 23. 1972, 29 CFR, MPnrt 1910--Contains information on proposed limit on ''maximum allowable capacity of glass and plastic con1 Gainers for certain Class 1A and Class LB flammable ,! (.liquids.' . . . . 9 Vol 37. No. 3S, p. 3992. February 25. 1072. 29 CFR. "Part 1010--Standard for Exposure to Asbestos Dust. Con' tains supplement to Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. "'Standards--A c tiv itie s Vol. 37, No. 16, pp. 1146-4S, January 25, 1972. Notice of Application for Variance and Interim Order, Bust Engineering Co. et al. Concerns request for a variance ,.-gand interim order pertaining to personnel hoists and .boatswains' chairs. ,r* Vol. 37, No. 41, p. 4312. March 1. 1972. Concerns a.petitions filed by American Society for Testing and Mate.larials for acceptance as a nationally recognized standard ' producing organization. V Vol. 37, No. 4S. pp. 519S-99, March 10. 1972, Notice )pf Application for Variance and Interim Order. PPG In dustries, Inc. Concerns an application for a variance and 'Interim order pertaining to the specifications for accident `prevention signs and tags. 32 OSHA Publications Copies of the following are available in limited quantities. They can lie obtained free from OSHA regional offices (ad dresses will be found on inside front cover) unless other wise stated. Compliance Manual Contains guidelines for OSHA regional and area person nel to follow in implementing the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; procedures for processing con tested cases with the Review Commission; and informa tion regarding citations, proposed penalties and other OSHA activities. Available from U.S. Government Print ing Office, Washington, D.C. for $2.00. Fact Sheet for Small Businesses on Obtaining Compliance Loans Outlines the procedures for small businesses to follow in order to obtain OSHA assistance in applying for Small Business Administration loans to help them meet OSHA standards. Handy Reference Guide Pocket-sized 26-page guide to the Act, describing its cov erage, purpose, penalties and other items every employer should know. 20 a copy from Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. ' Inspection! A S a fety S taa' d.uids reprint describing the procedures fol lowed by an OSHA compliance officer inspecting an estab lishment for safety problems. 100 Questions and Answers About OSHA Answers the 100 most-frequently-asked questions about OSHA. Contains sections on compliance, standards, record keeping, state programs and several other categories. OSHA's Recordkeeping Requirements A reprint of a Sa fety Standards interview with Thomas J. McArdle, the Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics, who talks about the OSHA recordkeeping system and why it was needed. . The Safe Use of Anhydrous Ammonia Describes the injury potential of anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. Also contains information on precautions to take to prevent accidents and what to do if an accident occurs. Safety and Health Training Resources Handbook A 150-page reference book published by the Federal Safety Advisory Council covering safety and health training pro grams and materials. $1.25 per copy from the Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Setting New Standards for Job Safety and Health A S a fety S tandards reprint outlining the procedure for developing new safety standards or updating old ones. The Target Industries: Profiles of Five Hazardous Occupations A reprint of the S afety Standards series on the safety problems of the five tanret industries--those with high injury-frequency rates. Industries discussed are longshorina. meat processing, lumber and wood products, man ufacturing mobile homes, and roofing and sheet metal. Safety Standards , i NIOSH Publications Single copies of the following are ayailable free from the Office of Public Information, National Institute for Occu pational Safety and Health, i.014 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Annual List of Toxic Substances 1971 Provides a convenient reference source for potentially hazardous materials and serves as a guide for research needed in setting new occupational health standards. Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Asbestos Recommends methods of controlling worker exposures to asbestos and sets the limit required to prevent asbestosis and to guard against asbestos-induced cancers. Occupational Disease--The Silent Enemy A pamphlet covering general aspects of occupational dis eases. Available in quantity. Occupational Health Kit Basic reference material of NIOSH concerning the Occu pational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Occupational Health Services for Employees: A Guide for State and Local Governments Designed for officials seeking information about the con tent of occupational health programs and activities of Other government agencies, and to stimulate greater inter est in health needs of government workers. Publications on Occupational Health Careers Announcement of Courses Division of Training, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Public Health Service, 1014 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Community Health Nursing for Working People Public Health Service, No. 1296. Rev. 1970, Office of Public Information, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 1014 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. The Extended Role of the Nurse in Occupational Mental Health Programs Nursing Series Bulletin No. 3-71, Industrial Health Foundation, Inc., 5231 Centre Aye., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15232. Directory of Approved Allied Medical Educational Programs Council on Medical Education, American Medical Associa tion, 535 North Dearborn St., Chicago, III. 60610. Horizons Unlimited: A handbook describing rewarding career opportunities in medicine and allied fields, Ninth edition, 1971, American Medical Association, 535 North Dearborn St,, Chicago, 111. 60610. Occupational Health Content in Baccalaureate Nursing Education Public Health Service, No. 17SS. Office of Public Informa tion. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1014 Broadway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Physician Support Personnel in the 70's: New Concepts American Medical Association, 535 North Dearborn St., Chicago, III. 00610. Public Health Nursing in Industry ' Public Health Service No. 17SS, Office of Public Informa tion. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1014 Broadway, Cincinnati. Ohio 45202. May--June 1972 Selected Training Programs for Physician Support Personnel National Institute of Health, Bureau of Health Manpower Education, Division of Manpower Intelligence, Bethesda, Md. 20014. Journals on Occupational Healtli American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal School of Public Health, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich. 4S104. Monthly, .$20.00 per year. American Journal of Public Health American Public Health Association, 1015 Eighteenth St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Monthly, $20.00 per year. Annals of Occupational Hygiene The British Occupational Hygiene Society, Fairview Park, Elmsford, N.Y. 10523. Quarterly, $35.00 per year. Archives of Environmental Health American Medical Association, 535 North Dearborn St., Chicago, III. 60610. Monthly, $12.00 per year. British Journal of Industrial Medicine British Medical Association, Tavistock Square, London. WC1, England. Quarterly, $12.00 per year. Journal of the American Medical Association American Medical Association, 535 North Dearborn St.. Chicago, 111. 60610. Weekly, $23.00 per year. Journal of Industrial Psychology P.O. Box 969, Easton, Md. 21601. Quarterly, $12.00 per year. Journal of Occupational Medicine Industrial Medical Association, 55 East Washington St., Chicago, 111. 60602. Monthly, $16.00 per year. Occupational Health Nursing The American Association of Industrial Nurses, 79 Madi son Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016- Monthly, $10.00 per year. Enclosed find S _______ (check, money order or Superintendent of Documents coupons) for one year subscription to SAFETY STANDARDS at $1.00 a year ($1.25 if mailed to foreign address). Name_____ ___________________ .________ Company_________________________________ Address __________________________________ City, State & Z IP __________________________ Mail to: SAFETY STANDARDS Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D .C . 20402 i Please make ch ecks / money orders payable to i Superintendent o f Documents.