Document gaw478jVzZqez4DB4mQa7DxyV

rotational %i legtslaV, the de ns ia Use nixed at at Cotea. ishington. ihen, the C. Jones, rt, superupcmsor Yzmarv "fonr, u- STR1ES J be held - Georgia 1938. ac- Am (o Georgia d ai Am al indus- :a m j- in (Intiaccrmg demon* practice idustncs lulliirgy, nng die > mines, hcast. emsored a miniv urging likewise., * given ei and lirmn > rtnivnt. >d other cational owledge at voca: should ing this ded the neenag Henry, edder at -<o> HILL AIR HYGIENE FOUNDATION FALL MEETING Approximately 250 persons, including industrial leaders, copy this code almost verbatim. After all: .Yew York technical specialists, governmental officials, physicians, and engineers. attended the Fall meeting of the Air Hygiene Foundation at Mellon Institute. Pittsburgh. Pa., on Yovember 30. 1937. The assembly heard reports by the adopted it as the result of extensive investigation and hear ings. and it ia unlikely that other states wiU assemble better information on which to base their codes. It is probable that substantially this same code will he adopted for dust Foundation's Medical, Engineering, and Legal Commit* exposures of all kinds. If so. it will mean that the upper tees on recent advances toward the control of occupational limit of dustiness ia any kind of work and in any kind of disease and on current developments in the Acid of indus* dust will be 100 million particles per cubic foot." trial health. H. B. MrHer. Managing Director, announced that the Foundation has arranged for scientific investigations at the Saranac Laboratory, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He said that !more than I9<> companies are now affiliated with the or ganization. a nonprofit, industry-wide movement, nap- ^ porting coordinated research to combat air-borne j trial disease. 1 Social Valves Medical Report A. J. Lanza. Chairman of the Foundation's Medical Committee, stated that a great deal of work is being ikmc and that there is a rk-arer uiuicrstaniling nf the problems of industrial hygiene. "Various tests ere canine to the fore in the effort to de intdeurms*ine the presence of possible occupational illnesses. Briefly, there haa been developed a fairly accurate test to determine whether the individual is being exposed to dangerous quantities of benzol, known as the 'urine sulfate ; Willard T. Chevalier, Yew York. N. Y.. in a nontechni test-' Skin tats for allergic reactions among works-rs ex cal address toexecutives, said themeeting indicated in- posed to various substances are being developed mnrr and i dustry's recognition of"social values as a verydcAaite more. Blood testa, particularly those nf the nature which concern of its stewardship. depend upon the differential counts of blood curpuscWs, "It is necessary for industry to think not only of how are becoming more and more important and mom witlelv much it curls ;o get a day's work out of a worker, but also used. Research work is still being done in the effort to dv bow long a useful life will that worker have, what kind of vrtop means of detecting the degree of impairment in health will lie enjoy, what kind of consumer win he make pulmonary dust diseases, an important plume, nf ctmr-*- .>f for the gouds and services produced by other industries. the compensation question. "Look licyond today's cost sheets." he urged, asserting "A group of hazards that has been attracting a great ik-al that the assumption of greater social responsibility on the of attention, particularly in the last year, is Hut large part of iinliisirv. toward the worker and toward the com auniher of ebcmicai siiltsuoccs that arc grouped under tin- munity. is ihr best antidote for trends toward collectivism name of solvents. The Mawachusctts Depart mi ni f and l oimiiiinuy interference in business. Labor and Industry. T understand, is almut m develop t Colonel Chevalier. \~KT-President of ibe McCraw-HiU rather comprehensive list f permissible euuwntrui u-u m PuMisliuic Gmimuiy. recalled that after the passage of the the atmosphere of working places of these various Workmen's Comrwnsation Laws, industry set out to elimi stances (hat are grouped loosely under the laud of vtlvi-rtt. nate ami lent s Safety engineering, a new branch of sci "So this question is a live one. It is growing In move- ence. was dcvHnpcil. The amdent rate was sharply re tancr Ix-eause the manufacture of chcmauls in this riMiiorv duced. Similar furcefui etpmtion and united action is nn the increase ami has been ever since the war >nli- wit* ailviwaied liy other speakers as the rlTcnive tray to liurts put an end to the importation nf German chemn ids rronliai <erupattonal dite-aia- now being made compensable and developed the chvniicaj industry in this etmuiry." in many -iau- Discussing the vffeets of various dusts otvm the fu-ttl: fi New yii Cod* Philip 1 pinker of Harvard I'mversity, Chairman of the Fuundatiiai's Preventive Engineering Cunimtitee, repurted that "iwk of the most significant developments in the field of occupational hygiene during the past year has been the adoption of the N*cw York State Code governing dustiness of workmen. I>r. Lanza said there tsevirh-urv i bat tumbitui tions of dusts "act differently from any of ihi*- mum. when inhak-d by tbcm-wlvo." That utwii* quite a tii ld 1.* speculation. The same thing haa been observed. U.t instance, with gases. Hydragoa-Salfldc Danger and Cancer in rock drilling. 31. R. Mayers, of the Yew York Division of Industrial "This code divides all rock formations into two classes: Hygiene, for instance, has shown that carbon mottos idv ' class I, those with less than 10% free silica, by weight, and when inhaled in combination with hydrogen sulfide La more class fT. those with more than 10% free silica. If drilling dangerous than either carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide is done in class 1 rack, dust counts must be below 1(10 when inhaled alone. million per cubic foot, and if the rock falls ia class II. "There is also a growing interest in (he subject of i-ancvr below 10 million particles. as a possible result or as possibly being associated with in "This means, in effect, that dry drilling can be used only dustrial hazards. With respect toidust inhalation..all the with local exhausts and adequate air cleaning. It happens, evidence is negative; that (here is no particular relation also, that wet drilling without ventilation will not achieve ship between the inhalation of dust and the incidence of adequate air cleanliness in the case of (he high quartz or cancer. Other forms of irritants, such as gas**, fumes, I class II rock. etc., may have some such effect. That topic ts a live one 1 "At this writing, it seems likely that other-nates will and is being investigated, as is also the possibility that fun- i angtrous particle sixes between the limits If tolerate a eontinuoue exposure to pure lea (lesi than 10 microns) per cubic foot - studies hare tailed to reveal evidence of ancentratioa regardless of extent of th hazard we first must determine the pereonjideratioa One procedure eommoedf tions from samples of settled dust. That rijss or wherever you can find enough to ion of the content oi actual atmospheric J at or near the breathing levels in the re testing a dust, you want samples of the or and dust bag is an excellent device for ermining the full silica contest of a dun methods. The chemical method mar be tits. ent of the dust it then becomes necessary f particles of 10 microns and under per 1 here (hat trapping and counting of dust *que of the '* S. Public Health Service, e accepted, comparative data in the United ' is technique. It would be obviously ts made under dark field Hlumina* R^bvo. The 3-million panicle concentra- t count. There sre dust counting devices ecks to see if there is any wide fluctuation the initial, basic determination follow the erviee. ns supposing you find that five per cent of it you have a concentration of 200 million al assumption would be that you exceeded .sard would be present. This may or may d oi dust present with the silica particles, appeared to be a dangerous silica exposure 30 or 33 million panicles per cubic foot nee gave no evidence that the silica was s. Microscopic examination showed that etefy coated with day. Investigate *** influence and probably inhibits the action dusts into three general divisions. First y carried away and disposed oi without nert that is dust which remains tnaoivo reaction; and third, proliferative, such as and causes trouble. It is definitely known dust react differently, one type modifying , we have calcium which apparently exerts ;ect of pure silica when the two are intro* e X-ray picures of the lungs of individuals tea and those exposed to mixtures of silica eat characteristics. Always, however, the } 7 fret silica is the harmful ingredient. It free silica is sot present even extremely high concentrations of dust will not produce silicosis or any other damaging lung cuiuiiiion. There has been a tendency to call a concentration oi | million particles ui ;wn-iliccvus dust under lu microns per cubic toot of air dangerous to health. Tl::> concentration has not been proved to be a hazard by clinical and experimental e.hince and therefore there is no iastsiuatioo for its control on medical grounds. Any attempt to do is to imply a health hazard and thus to create an unwarranted fear oo the pan of those who may be exposed. 1: I may be permitted to refer a the types of dust with which I am most familiar with actual experience, let me point our that in very cartful and scientific studies in :l:e cement industry we have beta enable to and the slightest iota of evidence that lung exposure to high concentrations of cement dust has caused any type or kind of lung damage or damage m the respiratory tract. It may be interesting in passing to briefly enumerate the things that the cement industry Has done in an honest effort to determine whether or not cement plant dust was or is in any way harmful. Oust counts and dust analyses have been made in many mills in various locations. The workers in these mills have undergone a rigid physical examination with stereoscopic chest X-rayv In the trulls thus tar stedied :' per cent oi the employe* arc over 30 years os age and 33 per cent of the total vi ail employe* examined have been employed in the cement industry more than 13 years with individual periods of service nngtng up to 43 years. It is inconceivable to believe cn the basis of these clinical sad X-ray findings that any possible health hazard could exin without being discovered. Yet in the face of this evidence sed in the face of evidence from similar surveys of ether industries, there are those who still maintain that dust per so is harmful. The investigations were carried on by an outside agency. The industry had nothing to do with the findings. In addition :o making studies on the composition and concent ratten of dusts and oi :hc physical condition of employes, the cement industry tabulated death rates of erir.cn: .v .-ken from records of sick benefit associations and group insurance. At rshertui- < is the most dependable indice of a hazardous dust exposure it is 'me of tiie hr? r.ir.: things :o remember in any consideration of a dust problem: Tubercu losis is a revealing indicator of hazardous dust. It was naturally gratifying to find that the rubercuitsis deads rat* of cement workers was much lower than dm: of the general population and of ether industrial group*. As a further check en the various findings a careful tabulation has been made of absenteeism causes and the morbidity rates show no abnortnalties. In other words, we started fr-m scratch. U'e made dust counts and analyses of dusts, made physical examinations to <** if there were any physical deviations or abnormalties, made interpretations from *:errscopic X-rays, and after that we were not satfsied and took the absentee reports throughout the Industry to see ii ary abnormal rate of any type of illness existed and :n if any health hazard was overlooked. 1 would be glad to give detailed in formation on procedure and findings to anyone interested but mr mair. purpose in mentioning thit stork ha* been to indicate how unfair it i* in i. ,-u.e dust of being damaging without attempting to get the facts aed incidentally whir ut knowing the tacts. Xo li-cusv it f the dust problem would be complete without seme mention of the T>:ise>-u* c ::ccytk-n of silicciis as a disabling disease. Search the medical rccrds and y- u *:3 have iliflL-altv in finding a reference to death caused V pure cncnmpiica:v! <i!!c **is. The layman, and to be sure many of our medical brethren, erect* the fact that silicosis as demonstrated by X-ray is disabling and usual! 4 reoh* fatally. Tie effect "f this .-oneeptiui is to strike far into the hart of every 'cr who may :av* imnle uncomplicated silccsis. whereas in reality there t n<* reason why he should r.ot work out his normal span of life. .AH of this icart about silicosis has had an unfortunate social into. When you imply because a man has silicosis and it is disabling and it is some insidious disease that is going to kill <<, he is 81 sashed op. and it is a pit}', gentlemen, but it is true that the workers have been kidded into thinking they were disabled, and if they helmed they were dis abled and it waj advertised they were disabled it would make it eery, eery difficult for them to get gainful employment. In almost every instance silicosis becomes dis abling only when Tuberculous infection is present. I should say in practically every' instance it is impossible to find any incapacity or disability unless tuberculosis is present in the lung. Knowing this fact, it is safe to say that absolute protection can be given to the old employes who may in the past have been exposed to high con centrations of free silica by removing from employment those who have tubercu losis. Xo one an hare a quarrel with that proposition. If he has active tubercu losis certainly he would not want to continue working and jeopardize his of curing himself, and then there is the danger of mingling and with the other men He should be removed because he is a sick sun and if he is removed it is for his own and the good of his associates. It is quite likely that if tuberculosis is stamped oat the problem of occupational disability from dust win be solved. The silicotic not infected with tuberculosis should be kept on the job and tbs employer should be protected against unwsramtd and unjust claims brought on the basis of aa X-ray picture. This is not to ay that dust control measures art unnecessary a many locations. Where dangerous concentrations of free silica or asbestos dust exist in the working environment, methods of dust removal and tianinatioq should he provided. I man to say if you cu efiminate tuberculosis you have very little danger, or practically ao danger of disability from dust in the air. That is no reason why you shouldn't doss up dust, and there is every justification in the world for cloning op alia dusL It would be impossible to attempt to recommend, even if I were capable of doing it specific mnsurn of dust control (or the wide variety of operations and towditioru m industry. However, the matter of good housekeeping cannot be stressed too strongly. It is ntrpristng how much dasr can be eliminated and how much more pleasant the working place can be made by simple measures and by regular and con sistent ciean-up. It is unnecessary, perhaps, to point out that a vacuum cleaning system is very elective in removing dust collections from beams and ledga and from the floor. Every employer has his own problems to work out. If be suspects a dangerous dust esreentration he should study the possibility of substituting nonhsiardcus for hazardous materials. Frequently be can isolate particularly dusty operations without a great deal of revision. Often simple improvements cm be made in the vectCaricn system which will keep the dust down to safe levels. The possibility of using local exhaust systems should not be overlooked sad a this con nection let me refer yon to a. recent publication of the American Standard* .Associa tion entitled. "Design and Operation of Exhaust System*.1* Certainly any exhaust system should bo carefully tested for adequacy sod efficiency. It should haw fre quent inspection and should bo regularly recheeked to make certain that it is doing the job it is intended to da I recommend that highly to any of yon interested in finding out the best process for eliminating dost at its source. It is quite retest. I think within the tact couple of months. I have a copy with me if anybody would like to see it. put out by the Americao Standards Association. 2? West 39th Street. Xew York Cty. I have skipped over a number of different things and rcalUt full weB that thb discussion has left many important things unsaid about the dust problem, and I fear that I have mentioned things that should b interpreted in more dead. We could go on all night tailing about the medial aspects of dost diseases, the rngineering XL When yon Imply because a man has insidious disease that Ls going to kill him. anen, but it is true that the workers have bled, and if they believed they were dis- shied it would make it very, very dlficult Jstost every instance silicosis becomes dis- present I should say in practically every pacty or disability unless tuberculosis is is safe to say that absolute protection can the past have been exposed to high eon- om employment these who have rubcrce- tat proposition. If he has active rubereu- tinue working and jeopardise his chances danfcr of mingling and mixing with the se he is a rick man, and if he is removed iates. It is quite likely chat if tuberculosis I disability from dust will be solved. The mid be kept on the job and the employer d unjust brought on the basis of an insures are umtsenary in many location*, iilica or asbestos dust exist in the working d elimination should be provided. I mean m >--e very tide danger, or practically no t no reason why you shouldn't dean world for cleaning up silica dust: It mend, even if I were capable of doing it. wide variety of operations and conditions -oed housekeeping cannot be stressed too st can be eliminated and how much more y simple measures and by regular and eonaps. to point out that a vacuum cleaning st collections from beams and ledges and own preb'ems to work out. If he iaspects I study the possibility of substituting nooeqcently he can isolate particularly dusty jioa. Often simple improvements can bo II keep the dust down to sate levels. Tm should not be overlooked and in this eonication of the American Standards AssocaExhaust Systems.* Certainly any exhaust equacy and effeiemy. It should have frorccheckri to make certain that it is doing md that highly to any of yen interested in ting dust a: its source. It is quite recent. I have a copy with me if anybody would standards Association. 23 West 33th Street, fferent third and realize full well that this i unsaid afccat the dust problem, and I fear i be interpreted in more detail. We could il aspects at dust diseases, the engineering problems of dust control and the medico-legal problem. I have chosen to be rather arbitrary in spots and now present sty conclusions: L The dust-health problem in industry has been greatly over-rated. 2. All dusts an not harmful to health. 1 Free silica is the only ausative agent of silicosis but the presence of free silica does aot mean that a silicosis hazard exists. 4. Admixtures of certain dusts modify the action of free silica on the lungs. 1 There is a difference between *edieai" silicosis and disabling silicosis. Un complicated silicosis is seldom if ever actually disabling. Silico-iubercuiosis is the thing to fear and to be avoided. 1 Eliminating the eases of active T. 8. will go far toward solving the problem of lung disability caused by dust. 7. Silicosis can be entirely comrolled by dust control measures but there is no justification for forcing control measures on operations unless Use dust is really hazardous to health. 1 To determine a hazardous exposure it is necessary to determine the mineral composition of the dust and the concentration and particle size range. If this is suspicious confirmatory evidence should be obtained from physical examination and X-ray findings. Tn other words, you have to cheek one against the other before you can be sure. In dosing I would like to emphasize the importance of X-ray interpretations. and of course, importance of proper technique tn taking X-rays. After all. an X-ray is only a picture just like any other photograph. The lights and shades play tricks, and it Is possible for the pictures to be distorted. In ail studies we heve tried to use stereoscopic X-ray pictures, double pictures which girt e third dimension. 31b. J. J. Hasox, Fisher Body, Cleveland: Hr. Speaker, could you tell n about emery dust? The men complain shout that 3f*- Bcskxox: I must beg off at far as actual Imowledge is concerned I doubt if that is harmful. I am not sure, but it would seem it would be s simple matter to apply a local exhaust on a wheel and control that dust. If it is impossible to control, it would seem to require that the employee use a respirator. I am not sure about emery dust but I don't think it is harmfuL I don't warn to put myself on record without being sure. Ha. ifocat Fisher Body, Cleveland: I listened to your talk: You failed tn tell os what you have done m the industry to protect ycur mem You speak about controlling this dust problem at its source. which is a very good thing, but could you ceil me what you hare done in the way of protecting your om.' Ha. Bcs fttreat.: I thought I made it dew that cement plant duet is non hazardous and therefore no protection is needed We have examined men who heve worked periods op to tony-five years and haven't been able to find s tract of pathol ogy or health hazard in the industry. However, as a matter of deaniincss and house keeping that is not to be associated with the medical problem, we hare earned on housekeeping campaign*. If any of you art in the cement business you know wo are m the business of making dust. All the way through the operation dust is in (he process of manufacture bat this does oot mean that excessive dust is present in the working environment. Respirators arc used occasionally as a matter of personal comfort. We do not have e health hazard We have made cartful investigations to determine whether wo did here, and if we did we would take stepi to protect the men bat we do not heve a health hazard and the men do not need to wear respirators in their ordinary routine operations, bs the p*h"y department where the dun would logically be the heaviest we lave local exhaust systems to carry the dust in case a bag splits and in a few of the mills they have don collectors throughout the 40 Bulletin of the American Ceramic Society--Motes and Mews (us diseases of (he lungs. perhaps, ore more common than we have supposed." Mfled sod Prelector Ovats Leroy U. Gardner, of the Medical Committee. discussed the research be is undertaking for the Foundation at the Saranac Laboratory on "mixed" dusts sod "protector" dusts. He said. "The evidence now available makes it seem improbable that a silica hazard is denned solely by the number and sise of the silica particles in industrial at mosphere. The other components of a dust modify its action. Some asay inhibit, others retard, and perhaps some will be fouad to prevent its injurious effect*. Be cause these possibilities are reengnixed. it becomes difficult to set up definite standards of permissible dustiness in in dustrial atmospheres. Sol enough is known about the action of protector substances to warrant the recommendation that they be employed to prevent silicosis in industry. Our aim should be to reduce existing dust concentrations rather than to increase them by addinc more dust. 1 would strongly oppose the recommendation that protector dusts be used to attempt U prevent silicosis at the present time. But 1 do believe that ere should attempt to discover more about their action. Some. like gypsum, seem to combine with the bIks in the atmosphere, forming dumps which an too heavy to remain suspended in air and too large to pan the barriers of the oose and upper respiratory tract. With such information at hand it may be possible to apply the knowledge in a practical manner." X-Ray Stadias S. Reid Warren. Jr, of the Moore School of Electrical Engineering. University of Pennsylvania, described the investigation which the Foundation is sponsoring at that institution on improving nintgenographic (X-ray) tech nique for industrial applications. The medical profession emphasizes the necessity for X-ray dims and their proper interpretation in the diagnosis of dust diseases of the lungs. Dr. Warren described the progress in this direction and outlined the work stiO necessary to make this technique a standardised took The projects of the Saranac Laboratory and the Uni versity of Pennsylvania constitute the continuation and advancement of fundamental work which ha* Uni uc complisbrd at these institutions m the pa*r Drilling D. Harrington, a member of the Foundation < Hoard of Trustees and Chief of the Health and hafety Branch. a. Bureau of Mines, summed up the whole matter of drill ing" as follows: "Dry drilling is. uf course. wry much more of a ilu>i producer than wet drilling, proliahty in the ratio of ft. >. or possibly !' to I. Wvt drilling |>n.liicv -oinc dust......... But if reasonable pri-rsunimi* arc taken with wet drilling, and suitable prevention* arc also taken as to Uit.- ventila tion. wetting the muck pile, time at which the blasting is done, and precautions which ate taken after going ivurk to the face after blasting, we feel, in fact wv know, tliai under the present day condition* mines ran be so conducted......... that there need he no particular harm to workers m those places as far as dust iliw-aw* an- nuawKil.'' Legal Date A. C. Mirth. Chairman, rvrirwvtl the work uf the la-gal Committee to date. He explained that the Foundation's legal survey* digest oiore than Sttfl separate aeeunational disaase case*. humiiiarie* are given of the (awe of the vsriou* stale* a* to rwvupatinnal diseasr. along with the interpmatirm* piamxl upun these law*. T. C. Waters. Chairman of the Maryland <Vvui>aiiunai Disease Cimimissioa and a member of the la-gal Cuounittce, reviewed a forthcoming critical analysis of compennlion legiidailua which he ha* compiled for the Foundation and which will lie issued in the near future. He stated that "during the (* year, omipaiiiwial disease an: cm Immls to existing Workmen's Cinnpvnsaiion Luw have been cnactctl in mn state*: Delaware, tmliana. Michigan. Pvnttsyleania. Ohio, and Washington. Today there arc dl state* wins*- law* poividc oeiipcnsation for ucetifuttional diseases. State connnusions have Itcen appointed for the purpose of studying ami rexvmunemling ivmipcnsatiewt in eight other s<at>*: Ablama. Arizona. CVss-gia. Kansas. Maine. Maryland. Xew Mexico, ami tmgisi. In the course of tlw nest few years all the imlu-irial iaii-- probaldy win liave cuacu-H laws for this purpose." Mnrv than |t*nentianie* were ngirvwmtxl at the inn-t ing. Tlw Pnsxxslinc'. containing the dctailvi! rvptwi. jmavutlai/k* fwilhoul n*t|. GLASS CLOTH WAU. PAPER IS LATEST "WRINKLE" New York Aiehitcct Fto*earing in New Idee--Law-Cast Fireproof Fabric Cm lo Hong by Fsparhaogan Andrew J. Thomas. New York City architect, is pioneer ing is a fascinating application of Fibcrgla* cloth aa now being produced by the discoverers of today s method manufacture glass in fibrous form. Examining a new type of doth created recently by the Fibergiaj division of the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. Mr. Thomas became intensely interested in its possibilities as wall paper. Aware of the trend to "canvass" walls in modern build ings. that is. to paste woven doth onto aIB instead of ordinary wall paper, the Owen*-Illinois research men began a senes of experiments for Architect Thomas. The practice uf clothing walls grew out of a desire to cover plaster cracks that are revealed under the surface of wall paper, and to take advantage -)f the interesting tex ture and decorative possibilities. Mr. Thomas was enthusiastic over the possibilities of gta*i doth for such purposes because of the lustrous quality, redectiots of light for increased illumination, and the fireproof qualities of such fabric. Tests proved to Mr. Thomas that he could use Fiberglas cloth advantageously on walls uf stair wells and other usu-