Document jBDeNJxq6geBoRJLYZkjyGa4Q

Industrial Hygiene Meeting William R. Bradley, Industrial Hygienist, American Cyanamid Co., New York, N. Y. Responding to the theme. "Product- Comes from People" nearly 400 indus trial executives and professional and technical specialists in industrial health attended the Industrial Hygiene Founda tion's eleventh annual meeting held at Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Nov. 7. This conference points with increasing emphasis to the vision of those leaders among industrial management who, 11 years ago, foresaw the social and economic rewards and who have been experiencing manifold benefits when healthy people are at work in a healthful environment. Round-table conferences on engineering, medical, legal, and chemical-toxicological matters were held the day before and the day after the annual meeting. Of high importance is the contribution of chemists who develop means to trap from indus trial atmospheres tftbfte contaminants of potential health significance and who, in applying trnce analytical methods, show the magnitude of exposures. Admiral Ben Morecll delivered the key note address of t lie conference emphasizing that although "production comes from people, it is for the Ixotefil of people". .The fiunous head of thc'Senlves ami, until recently, Federal Coal Mines Adminis trator, and now president of Turner Con struction Co., pleaded for industrial ]xwe so tluit the United States may present a unified front of social solidarity and indus trial power. Hu was appalled by the waste of industrial strikes ami the accumulated bitterness lietweeu nmnngentenl and la bor, due, he said, to lark .of confidence on both sides. Andrew Fletcher, executive vice presi dent, St. Joseph Lead Co., and chairman, foundation's Board of Trustees, opened the meeting with a discussion of the im portance of physical efficiency to machine efficiency. He stated that a 90% efficient machine with a 50% physically efficient workman is effectively only 45% efficient. T. F. Hatch, foundation staff member, stressed need for considering the human factor in industrial machine design: A significant physiological difference ex ists between the hand worker and the machine operator. The machine takes the place of human muscle but is only an extension of the man. In this combination of man and the machine, we cannot hope to attain the fine coordination of man's brain, muscle, balance, vision and other senses but this combination may operate with great success if the machine is physi ologically correct in design. "The dangerous trades of our fathers have all but disappeared," reported F. R. Holden, W. C. L. Hemcon, and T. F. Hatch, a loam of foundul ion scientists who apprui.se industrial processes from the sl;mdj*oint of maintaining workers' health. "Modern industry demonstrates that to day jiotentially toxic dusts, fumes, and g:vM-s run be* and are faring used without hazard," they said, "in one investigation project involving 28 plants having ojx-ra- 1 ions using tons of dangerous silica, only 3 plants were found to have silicosis hazards and I hose were readily overcome." Reprinted from the November 25> 19^6 issue of Chemical and Engineering News "Silicosis, a tun* .l^enw* rewriting from inhaling free silica dost, und once a com mon hazard to workers in the pottery in dustry, is no longer.* threat." stated 1L H. Pass, president of Onondaga Pottery Co. As a result of management's efforts toward hazard-free plant operations Mr. Pass emphasized the satisfying employee health picture, and many economic benefits including lessened cost of insurance, lack of claims, and no work stoppage. Of great importance to chemical and other indust ru-s is the new method for sav ing eyes following chemical bums, re ported by Ralph S. Mclgtughlin, M.D., consultant in industrial ophthalmology. South Charleston, \V. Va. This special ized treatment is called "denuding" but. consists of the removal of only those stained comeal surface calls that show involvement of the chemical under the biomicroscope following first-aid treat ment. Preliminary first aid consists of flushing the eye with water within one minute after injury, using strategically located eye fountains. No neutralizing substances are used, Dr. McLaughlin said. The person is sent immediately to the medical dispensary where the eye is an esthetized and then stained with 2% buf fered fluorescein solution. Water irriga tion is continued for 15 minutes, after which the eye is again stained. If nega tive, the individual is observed at 2-hour intervals for 4 hours. If positive, another 15-minute washing is conducted and the eye restrained. If still positive, the case is at once sent to the ophthalmologist for the "denuding" removal of those cells which, if left on the cornea, would still contain a source of irritant chemical. Medication consists of 0.5% pontocain ointment. The excellent success resulting from this treatment. Dr. McLaughlin believes, is attributable in part to prohibiting chemi cal penetration to vital eye membranes and to the speed with which continued irriga tion and "denuding" are begun. Leslie Silverman, Harvard Sehoot of Public Health, demonstrates the pneumotachograph Industrial Hygiene Meeting William R. Bradley, Industrial Ilvrienist, American Cyanamid Co., New York, N. Y. Rkspondjno to the theme "Product Comes from People" nearly 400 indus trial executives and professional and technical specialists in industrial health attended the Industrial Hygiene Founda tion's eleventh annual meeting held at Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, Nov. 7. This conference points with increasing emphasis to the vision of those leaders among industrial management who, 11 years ago, foresaw the social and economic rewards and who have been experiencing manifold benefits when healthy people are at work in a healtliful environment. Round-table conferences on engineering, medical, legal, and chemical-toxicological matters were held the day before and the day after the annual meeting. Of high importance is the contribution of chemists who develop means to trap from indus trial atmospheres these contaminants of potential health significance and who, in applying trace analytical methods, show the magnitude of exposures. Admiral Ben Morccil delivered the key note addreja of the conference emphasizing that although "production conies from people, it is for the lx*nefit of people", .Tin* fiunous head of tlie`Seulv*es and, until recently, Fcdcrul Coal Mines Adminis trator, and now president of Turner Con struction Co., pleaded for industrial peace so tluit the United States niay present a unified front of social solidarity and indus trial power. He was appalled by the waste of industrial strike's ami the nmmmlnted bitterness lietwocu umiingemeiit und la bor, due, he said, to lark of confidence on both sides. Andrew Fletcher, executive vice presi dent, St. Joseph Lead Co., and chairman, foundation's Board of Trustees, opened the meeting with a discussion of the im portance of physical efficiency to machine efficiency. He stated that a 90% efficient machine with a 50% physically efficient workman is effectively only 45% efficient. T. F. Hatch, foundation staff member, stressed need for considering the human factor in industrial machine design: A significant physiological difference ex ists between the hand worker and the machine operator. The machine takes the place of human muscle but is only an extension of the man. In this combination of man and the machine, we cannot hope to attain the fine coordination of man's brain, muscle, balance, vision and other senses but this combination may operate with great success if the machine is physi ologically correct in design. "The dangerous trades of our fathers have all but disappeared," reported F. It. Holden, \V. C. L. Hcmeon, and T. F. Hatch, a team of foundni ion scientists who appmi.se industrial processes from the standjioint of maintaining workers' health. "Modern industry demonstrate* that to day jiotontially toxic dusts, fume*, and gases can be and are lieilig used without hazard," they said, "In one investigation project involving 28 plants having opera tion* using tons of dangerous silica, only 3 plant* wen* found to have .silicosis hazard* and these were readily ovemime." Reprinted from the November 25, 19U6 issue of Chemical and Engineering News inlwling free silica dust, and onca a rommoa hazard to workers in the pottery in dustry, is no longer, a threat." stated 1L H. Pass, president of Onondaga Pottery Co. As a result of management'* efforts toward hazard-free plant-operations, Mr. Pass emphasized the satisfying employee health picture, and many economic benefits including lessened cost of insuranr;*, lack of claims, and no work stoppage. Of groat importance to chemical and other industries is the new method for sav ing eyes following chemical bums, re ported by Ralph S. Mcl^aughlin, M.D., consultant in industrial ophthalmology. South Charleston, W. Ya. This special ized treatment is called "denuding" but. consists of the removal of only those stained corneal surface calls that showinvolvement of the chemical under the biomicroscope following first-aid treat ment. Preliminary first aid consists of flushing the eye with water within one minute after injury, using strategically located eye fountains. No neutralizing substances are used. Dr. McLaughlin said. The person is sent immediately to the medical dispensary where the eye is an esthetized and then stained with 2% buf fered fluorescein solution. Water irriga tion is continued for 15 minutes, after which the eye is 8gain stained. If nega tive, the individual is observed at 2-hour intervals for 4 hours. If positive, another 15-minute washing is conducted and the eye restrained. If still positive, the case is at once sent to the ophthalmologist for the "denuding" removal of those cells which, if left on the cornea, would still contain a source of irritant chemical. Medication consista of 0.5% pontocain ointment. The excellent success resulting from this treatment, Dr. McLaughlin believes, is attributable in part to prohibiting chemi cal penetration to vital eye membranes and to the speed with which continued irriga tion and "denuding" are begun. Leslie Silverman, Harvard School of Public Health, demonstrates the pneumotachograph JTmiW*. ifi I- n.;j 0GJ97 ,0<