Document jyDyprN29mm1Lg6EkyVkjwnOk

FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 0000 DOC#: NSC191 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Book Excerpt - Industrial Hygiene - What Every Supervisor Should Know 55 Industrial H ygien e 'llj Ife-i Industrial Dusts-- W hat Every Supervisor Should Know mw'lpaI WiV PIp.. 'vr'.;` By L. E. H AM LIN, M.D. MfltTfBf'i factoring procedures are capa- |4 M W r ttin g varying amounts of dust PpW W ^ visible, invisible, dangerous or few j| jp therefore important that these f In properly classified in order ifM M t.ihe health of employees and proftfo environments in which they may l ^fj| git |htfr daily occupations. Jr (W wfy the supervisor should have ' {*4 fmetwledgce of industrial dusts since !At fMMfttJbility for enforcing measures in- .4 tor their control usually falls upon M Unless he has a good idea Sfh# ftftlttl risks confronting him, lie will it t iflwdvantage in securing cooperation (Lxe under his direction. Ability to -*** tptutions concerning plant hazards Ip t UHtrlncIng maner is a very important bi |ny dust control program, and if & vpuvlior cannot explain the necessity W exposure to toxic materials the INtM Winter his charge is very unlikely to t*r to it. Oil thi Other hand, a brief explanation , h t m rin tile ring of sincerity and truth ** f**^tentlycorrect unnecessary mis- 'hitinjf. For example, a capalile Htiployee was worried about couMhJ llllcosis because he worked in a f f j.W m at times there appeared to he ^fvHabla dust in the atmosphere, He did that this dust was free from Other harmful ingredient, but his " Wia# did. f his own department enabled lui ^ *r * convince the workman nw Only was the dust inert but also E l * * huder way for the installation , h.T? J^hlllatjng equipment which would id particles that were already pres- t Was satisfied and the com- i`1W;ble to retain the services of a 6 some of the fundamental -Should know about in dustrial dusts? Dust is formed by reducing earthy materials to small size. Processes like grinding, crushing, blasting, and drilling produce dust particles of sizes from the submicroscopic to the visible. Fumes are formed from combustion, sub limation and condensation. Those from burning or melting lead or zinc are typical examples. The size of the particles is gen erally below one micron. (A micron is 1/25,000th of an inch.) Smoke is usually of organic origin from such things as burning tobacco, wood, oil or coal. The particle size is usually below a half micron. Mists or fogs are formed by condensation of water vapor and the particle or droplet size varies widely. The most important item to the super visor is the realization that he may be deal ing with a dust which can produce bodily harm. His first consideration should be "How is the man himself affected? Is the dust present in sufficient amounts in the air to be a source of danger? Does it exist in the pure state or is it mixed with other dusts? What is the actual count of particles per cubic foot of air, and what percentage of these is of respirable size (below 10 microns and especially those below three microns? How long does it take to develop occupational disease of the lungs from ex posure to dust ?'' All this may appear to be outside the scope of the supervisor's activities since after all his job is concerned primarily with production. However, most industries place the responsibility for carrying out safety measures on the foreman and it is apparent that his department will suffer if these are not properly enforced. Safety therefore in cludes precautions against occupational dis ease as well as accidents so that some knowl edge of methods for controlling exposure from dangerous dusts, toxic fumes or other IfliPi I f? jr< 56 Industrial Safety harmful materials is a proper part of the supervisor's armament. It is not advocated that his duties be so expanded as to encroach upon the field of the industrial hygienist but it is reasonable and logical to suggest that he equip himself with the essential details concerning occu pational risks in the department he man ages. This information can be readily obtained from his company medical de partment or through other agencies such as the Division of Public Health of state and federal governments. These bureaus wel come inquiry of this type and their services are usually available without charge. Much confusion and misunderstanding exists about the capacity of various dusts arising from occupational procedures to cause physical disability. Exaggerated re ports and misrepresentation by individuals unfamiliar with their specific properties have incriminated certain materials known to he quite inactive and absolved others proven to possess harmful qualities. Expe rience accumulated through years of inten sive study and research indicates that the great majority of industrial dusts have little effect on health other than their nuisance value and contribution toward poor housekeeping. However, the fact that they are unlikely to cause occupational desease should not be used as an excuse to do nothing about them. A good working environment demands that they be removed in spite of their in nocuous characteristics and the smart super visor will do all he can to accomplish their elimination. The wide assortment of dusts met with in industry makes their classification into "harmful" and ``inert'' categories difficult. Those arising from organic sources such as animal and vegetable products as a rule do not cause serious harm but are capable of producing local irritation like dermatitis or skin rashes, dental conditions, and in flammation of the eyes and the mucous mem brane lining of the upper air passages. The majority of harmful dusts encountered in manufacturing processes are inorganic in character. The specific effect on health varies. Chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and their compounds produce local irritation as do the organic dusts but they can also cause general intoxication if present in sufficient amounts. The dusts or fumes derived from the heavy meta, ls .like ead, mtt, manganese can be highly toxic and from these substances has been ri for many years. Recently serious and even Utftl |jjj has been found to occur from ciMttt beryllium and some of its compotinJl another occupational condition "Shaver's Disease" has produced ivm age to the lungs of workers e* * fumes arising from the fusing n( the chief ore of aluminum, in the turc of artificial abrasives. Generally speaking, the partirle ijff is most dangerous is in the range of to three microns in diameter. f| larger than these seldom reach thej I or terminal air saces of the lungs i|iyf| are filtered out by the "cilia" protective mechanism of the nne, and large bronchi. There is also dence that particles below one-half in size may be retained in the lungs ||)d dent quantities to result in diseas* means that the visible dust in a m place may not be as dangerous as ## tides which are not seen by the nabj Industrial hygienists emphasise llA| also point out that although thlie visible dust in the atmosphere iinn tlm of a certain job appears greatI,, it `M | necessarily mean that the wo>rkrkmm#n | j haling significant quantities of liarmiufjf tides. The exposure may he inleusiS and of brief duration, or the air 6 j breathing level of the employee Mjl) sufficiently clear that no undue ml | J volved. With the exception of bcrylli'** S bauxite few of the aforementioned wj cause damage to lung tissue -'>1 <11 plained previously, not every exposed does develop occupational At the present time it is generally t^j that the most important sources ol trial disease of the lungs are fr combined silica and asbestos. 'IMJ silicon dioxide which makes t'P mately 60 per cent of the rocks j1TM of the earth's crust, is the specific**^ the ailment affecting the lungs o> y in dusty trades, known as silicosi*- Jg It is very important to recogw* that this widely known conditio#j be acquired from any materia* Industrial ' Iso that it happens only smaller than ten microns in Mineral have been inhaled over - - 0{ me, such as from two Srith an average of ten years. Ylree silica" usually means quartz ----ihre are many varieties. There E f e * forms of free silica. is llirring or fibrosis of the lungs suit* from the action of uncombined ' characteristic nodular shadows Alii roentgenograms of those afl^quently this is the only way the fig be detected as it causes no the early, uncomplicated stage, (jllltl may produce x-ray patterns |fs jfficult to differentiate from sili|g} some unrelated illnesses may re'l^js I ctoMly. The x-ray picture obigjvpf Hfttr the inhalation of iron oxide MROflg some welders and grinders Sjst M tie s which are all too often y'rM*K for those seen in silicosis. Since 1 ujufjllon (siderosis) is harmless, the of such misdiagnosis are ob- -! tsfwllinrity with industrial diseases of #* tagt fcy those charged with evaluating fM |t(frly has resulted in employees bo s ' Wt s l l e s s l y alarmed, forsaking their . I4t m forfeiting seniority while industry L' w N t food workmen and production. It Hygiene 57 has also paid unjust claims for disability. In a situation of this sort the supervisor suffers along with the rest since his de partment is bound to be affected by these conditions. To attempt to tell the supervisor all he should know about the extensive subject of industrial dusts is an impossible assignment. Suffice it to say that the more he learns about them through his own volition, the better his qualifications for his job will be. Through such enterprise lie will enter a new field of endeavor and discover a fascinating experience which will pay dividends both to himself and his company. The complexity of problems which con front the director of any department in today's exacting requirements presents a formidable challenge to his resources, and this, along with the working man's reason able insistence on a better place to work, demonstrates that a knowledge of industrial hygiene may well he a most important factor in the efficient discharge of his duties. The best treatment of any disease associ ated with industry is not to let it happen in the first place. The problem is for engi neers rather than physicians, but, regardless of the one on whom the burden falls, the final outcome depends upon the interest and efficiency of the man who manages a de partment. ional Dermatitis; Teamwork in Engineering and M edical Control By W ALTER F. SCHOLTZ Ittpvr., Industrial Hygiene, Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co., W est Allis, Wis. Accepted the challenge that occu- ^*rmat`t's presents to industrial ^ accordingly it can be stated f & Ll " care ar|d intensive educa- %dLfny>nW* occuPat*onal dermatitis can *n<^ reat sav`nSs effected, institution and maintenance ta TM Blessures workmen can be pro- dermatitis producing oils, Jfc. The ideal control measures - r o u t r^Workmen all along the line-- toufacturing of the basic mate- jWBipIeted fabricated part. . today is becoming so cognizant of the benefits of good preventive measures that they are not only relying on the worker alone, but are seeking the team work of everyone concerned. Since the proof of the pudding is in the eating, I would like to state what has been done through a concentrated program of occupational dermatitis control and preven tion which started in 1943 at the West Allis works of our company. This concentrated program has resulted in a 74 per cent de crease and a reduction from 10.3 to 2.7 in the number of cases per million manhours of exposure.