Document kaQNevkGbxjEn2J253ML8p3Vb
FILE NAME Industrial Hygiene Foundation IHF
DATE 1947 DOC IHF009
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION IHF Conference Proceedings - Health in Industry -
Transactions Bulletin
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HEALTH IN INDUSTRY
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TRANSACTIONS
Bulletin No. 8
Eleventh
\ ARMY
Annual
Meeting
;
MEDICAL MEDICAL
Ly
Sm
.
Bull Bull
,
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
4400 FIFTH AVENUE
FOUNDATION
PITTSBURGH 13 PA
CONTENTS
Health in Industry
Andrew Fletcher
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H in 1946
John F. McMahon
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Production Comes from People
People Admiral Ben Moreell - -- -
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Trends in Industrial Health Administrative Practices
-~ C. O. Sappington D. Dr. P. H.
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Findings from Foundation Plant and Laboratory Research T. F. Hatch W. L. Hemeon M. and F. R. Holden Ph
Dr. Leroy U. Gardner
-~ A. J. Lanza M. - -
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Summary of Medical Conference
C. Richard Walmer M. - : - ~ -
Summary of Engineering Conference
Prof. Philip Drinker - -
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Summary of Conference on Chemistry and Toxicology H. F. Smyth Jr. Ph D. and Francis R. Holden Ph
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Management's Opportunity to Advance Occupational Health
R. H. Pass - - -
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Acute Respiratory Infections and Their Control in Special Reference to Influenza Immunization Industry with
Anna M. Baetjer Sc D.
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Discussion
C. Richard Walmer M. - -
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Treatment of Chemical Burns of the Eye
Ralph S. McLaughlin M. - .
Discussion
F. Kutscher M. - - -
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Legal Developments Respecting Occupational Health
Theodore C. Waters - --
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Codes for the Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases J. J. Bloomfield - - -
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LeBg.al Ea.ndKuAedcmhilneistrative Handicaps to a Rehabilitation Program
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Generalized Pulmonary Granulomatosis Occurring Among Workers
Believed to be Exposed to Beryllium or Its
L. U. Gardner M. D.
Compounds
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The Human Factor in the Design of Industrial Machines
Theodore F. Hatch -
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Sick Absenteeism Among a Sample of Member
Industrial
Hygiene
Foundation
1945
and
Companies
Earlier
of
W. M. Gafafer Sc -
Years
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C. O. Sappington M. D. Dr. P. H. addressing the Foundation'sFoundation's Annual Meeting
TRENDS IN INDUSTRIAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES
Progress Report of a year Field Study on Industrial Health Department Functions and Relationships
C. O. SAPPINGTON D. Dr. P.
As previously mentioned in the preliminary report given at the last annual meeting of the Foundation most surveys of this type are done on a quantitative basis study is qualitative for the most part although some quantitative data have been secured We are interested particularly in finding out what the policies and procedures of industrial health departments are how they are administered and what the results are as to the efficiency of their application
The great majority of the contacts were made in person although in some instances on account of restrictions of travel and other difficulties a minority has been reached by correspondence Contacts which have been
made in person for the past several years have been used and new ones have been made
The active work began on this study during April 1945 and has included 278 groups in 33 states embracing the manufacture of diverse war and peace products and also various types of services The total population covered was 1,180,551 of which 861,396 were men and 319.155 were women
It is important to keep in mind that the data berewith presented indicate trends only that it would be an impossibility to get an accurate picture
of what is being done in industry with respect to the various subheadings
which are here considered The period covered permitted us to get material during the latter part of the war and during the first year of reconversion
In this interim report only a few of the many important phases of the study have been selected for presentation and comment including group classifications examinations and dispensary service other functions intramural relationships records and reports and cost of service
Group Classification
The first table shows the various sized groups and the percentage of the whole number of groups involved in each population grouping
Size
No. Groups
o
Under 500 0
43
J5.5
500 999
49
17.6
1000 - 1499
50
18.0
1500- 1999
2000 - 3999
17
6.1
42
15.1
9999 .
43
15.5
& 10000
over oo. ee
34
12.2
278
100.0
Industrial Health Consultant
Workers Originally it was decided to have only three population groups includ-
ing a called small sized plant group under 1,000 employees medium
sized plants up to 5,000 employees and large sized plants including 5,000
employees and over It was decided eventually however to use substan-
tially the same classifications as had been previously used in Dr. C. D.
Selby's report on The Medical and Surgical Care of Industrial
published as Public Health Bulletin No. 99 by the U. Public Health Ser-
vice in 1919. Is was found in going over the data in this
report that it was possible to make
mentioned .
some comparison between the data
therein published and the figures in the present study showing substantial
progress with respect to certain types of administrative practices
It will be observed that the number of groups and the
fairly evenly divided with the
percentages are
exception of the group 1,500 to 1,999 em-
ployees which is smaller than the others apparently was a matter of
ctihoannfcoer tihtis is the way it occurred and evidently there is no other explana-
Examinations and Dispensary Service
The provisions for various types of examinations and
vice form a rather important part of industrial health a dispensary ser-
tice and therefore data are offered
administrative prac-
on this subject in the following table
No. Groups Size
43 Under 500
49
500 999
0000. oo.
Prepl
83.7 53
50
1000 - 1499
62.8
17
1999 ow. 82.3
42 3999 0. 71.5
43 4000 - 9999
72.2
34 10000 & over . 91.1
Periodic Ret Wk Exit
53.2
65
11.6
36.7
49
G.1
60
64
14
64.7
70.6
17.7
59.5
61.8
9.5
67.5
67.5
11.6
91.1
94.1
52.8
Disp
46.5 47 60 53 59.5 74.4 94.1
278 Average 72.7 60.7 65.8 16.2 61.82
dispensaries This table provides data divided into the various
reference to the
groupings with
percentage frequency of preplacement periodic return to
work after illness and injury and exit examinations and also shows the
percentage occurrence of the use of
It will be noted that with some exceptions there
the percentage of dispensaries used as the
was a gradual rise in
size and as might be
population groups increased in
expected the smallest percentage of dispensaries
owavserfound in the under 500 group and the largest in the 10,000 and
group It is also seen that the percentage of different types of exam-
close together in the preplacement periodic and return to
tions It should be stated that there
work examina-
are certain organizations in which pre-
employment examinations are not done routinely even
larger ones
which
would
include
the
shipyards
on
the
among Pacific
some
of
the
public utilities and certain types of service
Coast many
organizations
18
Other Functions
The percentage of organizations providing dental mndustrial
safety and sanitation services and giving instruction in
hygiene
is shown in the following table
health and safety
Groups Size
43 Under 500 Low.
49
500 - 999
50
1000 - 1499
17 - 1500 1999
42 2000 - 3999
43
4000 - 9999
|
34 10000 & over .
Dental
7 4.1 12 11 9.5 18.6 53
Ind Hyg
51.2
36.7 50 24.3 47.7 65 88.2
Safety San
69.8 49 57.5 64.7 61.8 65 91.2
Instr
41.7 31.7 34 64.7 64.7 10
53.5 53
278
Average
16.9
54
64.1 64.1
48.5
It will be seen that provision for dental services showed the lowest
percentage in this table in the smaller groups the service
care and prophylaxis by outside dentists on reference and wtahsereemergwere ency
inplant dental services Beginning with the 1,500-1,999
there
few examples of time and time dentists renderignrgoiunpplant sewrerve ices
Industrial hygiene services of some type were rendered on the
in 54 of the entire group of plants the variations in the
average average
different sized
groups being shown in the table This ranged from inspections by safety
engineers nurses physicians and others to technical studies and
work Technical studies were made in
follow
health insurance companies and
groups by state departments of
company laboratories with the
occasional use of private agencies and consultants There
laborties examples of inplant services by a laboratory owned and
were a few
organization
maintained by the
inspections Safety and sanitation activities showed inspections 311 the smaller smaller
groups mainly by state representatives committees commercial
companies nurses f^,remenphysicians and beginning with the supply
group there were organized
1,500-1,999 1,500-1,999
programs of
good coordination between the
safety supervision with apparently
safety and medical departments It is note-
worthy that among all groups there were frequent examples of the
of
physicians and nurses in sanitation
use
An average of 43 of all establishments gave some type of instruction
in health and safety this seems somewhat low and perhaps was very definitely affected by the activities of the war and reconversion periods It is ahlesaolthseeanndthat in the two highest groups only 53 provided some form of
safety instructions
Intramural Relationships
This subject was discussed in the preliminary report one
will again be limited to a brief consideration of the
year ago and
trial health department to other
relationship of the indus-
departments within the same organization
or plant At the time of the previous report there was some discussion con-
cerning the varying differences of opinion as to the results
the chief physician or medical director
occurring when
division
reports to the industrial relations
or officer as compared with the results when the
same medical
officer reports to top management Reference is made to that discussion
and also will be carried more into detail in the final report
The following table shows the complete data with reference to intra-
mural relationships
No.
Groups 43 49 50 17 42 43 34
t. Size
Under Size
Under 500 ..
500 - 999
1000 - 1499
1500 - 1999
2000 - 3999
4000 - 9999
10000 & over
Direct to
Top Mat 48.8
22.4
40 23.5 42.8
38.5 32.4
3 Divs On Par
30.2 36.8 48 41.2 42.8 46.5 35.3
Health Dept.
Final Word
30.2 30.8 54 47.8 50 51.2 53
278
I Average
36
39.2
43.2
These figures differ considerably from those given on the incomplete
ago data one year in that the majority of the establishments included at
that time reported to top management had the three divisions of
health safety and industrial relations on an administrative par and the health
department had the final word on health problems It will be observed here
that these relationships are carried out in approximately only 40 of the total number of groups included in this study It will also be observed
that in the percentage reporting to top management the highest percentage occurred in the groups under 500 employees and one of the lowest in groups of 10,000 employees and over is easily explained on the basis that in
the smallest plants top management is very close to all activities and that
in the complex administrative arrangements as seen in the largest plants it appears much easier to delegate supervision to others than top manage-
ment
Records and Reports
It is of interest to know what is going on with respect to the health
records of employees and allied activities The following table shows fig
ures with respect to the individual records of employees being under medical
control and available to medical staff only with respect to information being
given to individual employees regarding examination findings the giving
of industrial hygiene information to individual employees and the produc-
tion of regular reports on health department activities
RECORDS AND REPORTS
Tat
No Tat Size
Groups
Size
Control
43 Under 500 .
Tat
49
500 999
Tat
- 50 1000 1499
Tat
1500 - 1999
Tat
42 - 20039099
Tat
43
4000 - 9999
Tat
34 & 1000o0ver Tat
Tat Tat Tat
Tat Tat Tat R Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat Tat
Tat
Tat
Tat Tat
278
Average
34.8 31.3 R 5.721.9 R
Tat
Tat
Reports
Tat
Tat Tat
Tat
Tat
Tat Tat
55.7
20
On the average approximately 35 of all groups maintained individual health records available only to the medical department staff of course there are exceptions when records must be consulted for other purposes but in the mentioned percentage individual health records were dis rectly under medical staff control In this respect the figures show what might be expected a gradual increase in the percentage of medical control of health records as the size of the groups increased except that there was a disproportional increase between the last two groups
Giving Results of Examinations
With regard to giving individual employees the results of various examinations there was considerable variation as shown in column 4 of the table Here we have a split column on the left being the percentages in which the examination information was routinely given to individual employees and on the right when it was given upon request only can be seen that on the whole the figures were somewhat larger for routine procedure than with reference to request Addition of these two columns of figures across from left to right gives the total percentage of examination information given to the individual employees in the various groups this reached 73 in the largest working group and 51 in the smallest with an average of 50" for all groups The method of reporting examination information to individual employees was largely verbal although there were a few examples of regularly written reports There were also instances where routine reports were made verbally to individuals with physical defects with recommendations and follow
The giving of industrial hygiene information to individual employers shows a considerably less percentage as might be expected in the various groups with an average of 27 for all establishments with approximately 22 being on request only and most of the nata showing that the information was given only in this way
The making of regular reports shows figures which may seem surprising since approximately only 55 of all groups made regular reports on
their health activities to some agency or person In most instances reports were made to management with a few examples of outside agencies such
as state departments or unofficial agencies It was apparent in many instances that special reports only were issued at irregular intervals and also in a large number of cases verbal conferences were held rather than depending upon written material In those instances where regular written reports were made they were usually monthly and annual in frequency
Cost of Service
Reference was made in the preliminary report given a year ago to a general discussion with reference to the cost of industrial health services citing the factors influencing cost the types of unit rating of cost and some material with reference to a number of different types of plants This material need not be repeated here but additional material will be given
It was possible to assemble cost figures from a group of nine plants three in the under 1,000 three in the medium sized three in the large class from a large corporation having fairly well centralized control The following table shows the number of persons in each plant the original investment the maintenance cost on a monthly basis the salaries on a monthly basis and the personnel and the salary percentage of the total monthly cost
21
,
COST FIGURES
Orig
Maint
Salaries
Sal
Persons
Invest
mo
ma
Personnel
%e
557
$ 3000
$ 65
$ 525
2N - 1pMI
89
853
1200
300
250
1N
45
958 2329 3153 3436 7621
1000 16000 12500 11500 12500
55
170
IpN
76
300
850
1MD - 2N
74
550
1000
1MD - 2N1
1Clk - 1Dr }
661 1
950
1300
1MD3N 1MD3N
1Clk 1
5858
650
1100
1MD - 4N
1Clk - 1Dr 4
6633
10671
13500
1100
2200
1MD 9N i
ray
37
3Clk - Dr |
14347
15000
1000
2800
IMD |
301k
71
2Dr |
It is immediately apparent that neither the original investment nor the maintenance cost were direct functions of the number of persons served although there is some relationship for example in the fifth group with 3,153 persons as compared with the seventh group with 7,621 persons the latter more than twice as large the original investment was the
same
12,500 The monthly maintenance cost was very similar as was also the monthly item of salaries and the percentage of salaries of the monthly total cost The only difference seemed to be that there were two more time nurses in the larger group With respect to the abbreviations here in the personnel column all personnel are considered time unless otherwise shown the small letter p standing for time and the abbreviation elk for clerk and Dr for driver PT for physical therapist
It will be noted that the fourth and last groups in this table showed an
original investment of 16,000 and 15,000 each is accounted for by the large number of rooms and equipment therefor in each instance the fourth one using 18 rooms and the last one using 14 rooms with separate women's and men's wards and separate examination rooms for men and women as well as diagnostic laboratory facilities and physical therapy
The salary percentage of the total monthly cost varies from 45 in the
second establishment of 853 persons to 89 in the first establishment of 557
groups persons with an average percentage of approximately 68 for all nine
As might be expected the cost of monthly maintenance is considerably influenced by the number and kind of personnel In the main also the monthly salaries increased as the size of the plant and the personnel increased with the exception of the establishments 2 and 3 which had no regularly attending physicians
The subject of cost in the smaller plants has always been a favorite
22
one with many statisticians and industrialists We were fortunate in secur
ing similar data on costs for small plants this being a group of 12 estab lishments under 500 employees located in 12 different widely scattered
states
SMALL PLANT COSTS
Persons
Orig
inv
430 17000
357
656
175
500
126
7600
349
51800
196
5000
143
1500
-18
3000
345
1000
480
1000
Maint mo
$ 240
100 10 108 1067
50 20 100
25
Salaries Other
mo
mo
Personnel
Sal
$ 390 $ 45 4pMD - IX 50
Att mi 4
50
339
- 1pMD IN
Ta
-
2cMD - 2 Att m
319
IpMD IX
75
5081
125 140
5000 FMD AN
Isup - Asst
Wi
Dir - 2 Engrs Dieten - Insp
20 2eMD - 2 Att
oy
F M
-
2eMD IN
51
150
IpMD IN
2
700
:
IpMD . IN
600
PM1+ INT INT
9966
Aul
323
150
100
300
IpMD 2N
1p S. Insp
73
1pD Asst
415
2250
50
625
IpMD - IN !
V ACN 1pVN - 1pCIK
It is immediately apparent that the original investment for the first
group of 430 17,000 and the fifth group of 349 persons 851,800 is
considerably in excess of the original investments of other groups In the
first instance this is because the original investment included a separate separate
building for the health department and in the second instance it included
the building of a small hospital and clinic with adequate facilities for
surgery and regular bed patients in an isolated
major major
community It will he
noted also that the fifth establishment in the table maintained a relatively
large personnel and a service cast of considerable amount this was because
of the peculiar nature of the industry and the necessity for setting a
very extensive preventive program It was only in this
up
group that there
was a time physician-- the rest of the groups shown in this table either
had physicians on time or on call The amount of the original invest-
ments in all the other instances depended upon the
and
the health department but it still shows
space equipment of
considerable variation variation
The monthly maintenance expense was also subject to considerable variation as were the salaries for a group of plants with proportionately less less
variation in the number of persons served
23
The salary percentage of the monthly expense varied from a low of 46 to a high of 96 with an average of approximately 75 for the whole study
It is therefore evident that at least this small group of small plants have apparently done a very good job of financing their health departments and getting adequate personnel
Comments on General Observations
Before giving a summary of the material presented in this
it
is probably well to give some comments on
paper
general observations made dur-
ing the course of this study
between 1 Greater confidence and mutual respect is apparently needed
medicine and
management to
accomplish the utmost in
industrial health programs We have encountered instances in
which management seemed fearful of delegating responsi-
bility to the medical staff and also the reverse has been true
It would seem advantageous that physicians should learn more
about health administration in industry perhaps the less inter-
ference with the technical functions of the health department
the better it could be administered still
management
could continue to be well informed about health activities
2 The pattern of industrial health activities as observed in this
study was exceedingly variable because of differences in the
health program needs of various groups There are however
certain fundamentals common to all groups which will be discussed in the final report It is obvious that optimum programs can only be tailored to fit each establishment after adequate study of the group materials processes equipment and products
3 There were frequently encountered instances indicating that there is still prevalent some misunderstanding and confusion regarding the specific meanings of the terms industrial hygiene industrial safety and industrial sanitation and one might well include personal hygiene and industrial
hygiene health Although it would be expected that such confusion
would occur mostly in smaller plants especially where the safety engineer may be responsible for industrial industrial safety and industrial sanitation considerable incidence was also found in medium sized and large groups A
clarification of these terms would be advisable It would seem
appropriate to suggest that physicians and nurses be relieved
of the necessity of devoting time to sanitation inspections
4 There was considerable evidence that the conception of the
importance of prevention still lags somewhat it also seemed that many physicians still call employees patients regard-
less of the type of service rendered
5 The amount of time devoted to the acquiring of first hand
knowledge of processes and materials by physicians and nurses remains comparatively low even in good sized concerns
24
Much has been said about the defects of the service in small
plants it is true that many of them did not have adequate facilities there were some which did have outstanding programs and what seems more interesting it was apparent that considerable improvement could be made in some of the medium sized and large groups
Summary
populationof The data from 278 groups of various sizes involving many types
manufacturing and service in 33 different states and including a of 1,180,551 employees showed the following results
1 Approximately 70 of all organizations did preplacement and periodic examinations and also examinations on return to work after injury or illness the smallest of the plants had a very good record in this respect as did the largest although there
were considerable variations in the other sized organizations
Exit examinations at termination of employment were done in relatively few instances except in the largest of the plants
60 A dispensary service was provided in approximately
of
all groups varying from 47 in the smallest to 94. in the
largest ones
Slightly over half of the establishments rendered some type of
industrial hygiene service running as high as
in the
largest organizations Safety and sanitation services were
provided for in approximately 65 of the concerns here the
smallest and the largest plants showing the highest percen-
while tages of services provided Dental services were provided in
very few instances and were limited almost entirely to emergency and prophylaxis service outside of the plants there were examples of time and time dentists in
almost all classifications Instruction in health and safety was
given in less than half of the groups on the average with
slight variations in the different classifications
With respect to intramural relationships the health department department
reported directly to top management in approximately 36
of all groups the three divisions of health safety and personnel relations were on a par administratively in approxi-
had mately 40 of all groups and the health department the
final word with respect to health problems in approximately 43 of all groups
With regard to records and reports individual health records
were kept in the medical department and available only to the
medical staff in approximately third of all organizations
with variations from 16 in the small plants to 88 in the
largest examination information was given to
em-
individual ployees routinely for all groups in about 31 of instances
and in about 20 of instances on request only Industrial hygiene
information was given to individual employees mainly on
request only on an average of 22 and in very few instances
routinely on the average Regular reports were made by the
25
oo a
}
industrial health departments in slightly over half of all
polragnatnsizatio' ns as an average running up to 91 in the largest
Cost figures varied greatly even in the plants of a large cor-
wpoerraetidoune with fairly good centralized control These variations
mostly to differences in the arrangement and number
of the rooms used and to original equipment as well as
per- sonnel It was possible to show an array of figures
small plant costs in a group of 12 small
concerning
plants in 12 widely
states scattered There was also considerable variation here
was which mainly to the type of housing and equipment
originally provided and also with respect to variations in
personnel :.
with Finally
reference to costs of service there are certain
fundamentals and basic principles which can be
as followsfundamentals
set forth
department A. The original investment for a small plant industrial health
usually will run from 500 to 3,000 the upkeep
from 300 to 700 a month for medium sized
5,000 to 10,000 original investment and
plants from
to 3,000 a month for
upkeep of 1,000
a large plant from 10,000 to
125,000 original investment and upkeep from 2,000 to
8,000 a month
B. The small plants can do and have done very fine programs in industrial health work without the cost being what is
termed excessive
C. Per capita cost of industrial health work will run somewhere between 10.00 and 14.00 annually in must plants
26
FINDINGS FROM FOUNDATION PLANT AND LABORATORY RESEARCH
T. F. HATCH W. C. L. HEMEON M. and F. R. HOLDEN Ph.D.
Foundation providetecphrnoivciadle devoted technical is to A primary objective of Industrial Hygiene
member companies with the services of a central agency
devoted continuing study of industrial health problems
staff
Accordingly the technical technical
meomfbers spend a considerable portion of their time in active investi- investi-
gation specific problems in industrial hygiene in the plants of companies
affiliated with the Foundation
Facilities for such direct participation in the
of the
problems derived companies were established in the belief that real
would
be derived value from bringing the varied experiences of many industries together so
together that each would supplement the other Thus
knowledge and know
how the gained in one investigation aids in
of another
problem often the operation- solutiTohne cruss in quite a different manufacturing field
selected
American industry and the great variety of manufacturing
operation- which characterize the membership in the Foundation uffer many
of
attractive
possibilities possibilpiosiblitesties in the fulfillment of this objective An annual review of the
provides
activities of the technical staff provides
a
useful
measuremeasure measure
of the
success
attained in this phase of the Foundation program
Growth of Plant Work
The Foundation has grown steadily from the beginning in membership membership membership
11. size of staff and extent of plant investigation Figure
Plant studies
have been distributed among the different industries which make up the
membership as shown in Table I.
TABLE I
DISTRIBUTION OF FOUNDATION INVESTIGATIONS BY INDUSTRY
1937-1945
Industrial
Industrial Group
Percent of Total Studies
1.
Ceramic
asbestos
stone
products
oo...
ces cecsteesesteeeeenes
33
2.
Mining
smeltinsmeltging
and
refining
metal
processing
processing
25 25
3 Manufacturing metal and miscellaneous 000000000. 17
4 Chemicals production 0.00.0.
ccecceceseeecesrsesteesestere
25
Industrial Hygiene Foundation
Growth of the Foundation
Its Members Technical
Services and Staff Staff
Number of Plant
Survey Reports per Year
,
a
7
Number of f-~~-~-~~-0..
Members o
ey
/
/
if
{ Number of
Technical Staff
i
^'
L !
| || ]{
1935 '36
'37
'38
'38
'39
'39
,
40
a
'42
at '42
43
Figure )
1 |
4g 85 46
With respect to nature of the hazard or process the investigations were distributed as follows Table II
TABLE II
DISTRIBUTION OF FOUNDATION INVESTIGATIONS BY NATURE OF PROBLEM
1937-1945
Operation or Exposure
Total Studies
1 Dust exposures asbestos nuisance dusts 00000000 41
_
2 Various chemical exposures
21
3 Metal fumes welding soldering cutting foundry
9
4. Metal cleaning plating degreasing acid mists chromic acid 6
5 Dermatitis 0 cect: .
5
6 General industrial hygiene surveys
rr
7. Studies of atmospheric pollution ....
8
8. Heat ventilation
3
Summary of Activities 1946
In continuation of this work a total of 51 separate plant investigations have been conducted thus far in 1946 involving the collection and analysis of approximately 2,500 samples including over 1.200 dust determinations and studies of dust composition Greatest emphasis has been placed on the producing industries during the year but a variety of chemical operations have also been studied as in the past Table III summarizes the
work in 1946
TABLE III
SUMMARY OF FOUNDATION INVESTIGATIONS 1946
Number of separate projects .....00..0.000c0 cece 24
Number of separate plant studies 000. 51
Distribution of projects by nature of problem
Dust exposure and control woe 10
Chemical toxicological miscellaneous ..
6
Lead exposures
Community atmospheric pollution ...
2
Dermatitis
2
Metal fumes
1
Heat exposure .
I
35 plants 4 operations
Number of analyses
Dust Lead Miscellaneous metals Miscellaneous chemicals .
2559
275 345 665
The foregoing tabulations summarizing the experience of the Foundation in plant investigations and research demonstrate the variety of undertakings and the considerable coverage in the field of industrial hygiene which has been obtained and certainly lend support to and validate the initial policy which established the technical work as a major activity in the over program A simple tabulation however cannot tell the whole story nor is it completely evident from this summary that the Foundation's activities provide more than could have been obtained by the individual companies within their own organizations or from other agencies We must turn to a more detailed consideration of the work in order to bring out
its full value
Value of Industry Studies
Attention is called to the fact that during 1946 the 10 projects in dustproducing industries included studies in 35 separate plan.cs. Five of these projects were isolated studies involving single plants the other five including 28 plants were multiple studies set up on an industry basis or as over investigations for companies with several different plants These studies were deliberately designed to bring together for critical study the experiences of as many plants as possible having common problems Outstanding among the advantages of these industry studies has been the demonstration that sound solutions of most problems are generally found in the industry all in one plant necessarily but within the total experience
The dangerous trades of our fathers have all but disappeared Modern industry demonstrates every day that potentially toxic substances can and are being used without hazard In general one may say that there are more workers by far handling such materials safely than not The problem today is largely one of discovering the effective control measures in actual use and making them available to the whole industry
The concept of study on an industry basis is entirely in accord with the primary purpose of the Foundation and moreover is of particular value in that it makes the day work of the organization more valuable to the members than would be possible through independent studies alone
Value of Quantitative Studies
Industrial hygiene is above all a practical field and there is no place
in it for elaborate testing procedures and methods of analysis unless they aid materially in the solution of practical problems Field experience during this year as in the past has demonstrated that systematic quantitative
study is of direct value in a highly practical way For example it was our privilege during the year to investigate a large plant in which records of dustiness and medical records extended back for a period of twenty years These data combined with our own investigation made it possible to provide fairly definite answers to the questions which were put to us After this prolonged period of systematic effort to eliminate the hazard how good is the present control and if further improvement is needed how can our efforts be expended most effectively The experience of the company is outstanding proof of the practical value of quantitative study In fact this company was so far ahead of the parade that when they started a systematic program of dust control its scope was seriously limited by the
30
oon,
lack of adequate counting instruments and techniques That was
25 years ago
plants In another project involving the systematie study of some 28
over a year period only three were found to have a silicosis hazard The fact that 25 were operating with a high degree of safety demonstrates clearly that adequate protection is practical The reasons for failure in the three were not obvious and the most effective and therefore least costly improvements were made only after quantitative study to determine the
exact causes of failure
Still another illustration comes from a study of heat exposure in which fundamental analysis revealed that the major heat source was radiation rather than simple air temperature From this it was evident that ventilation the common method of control was not the method of choice and would produce relatively little benefit from the money expended
One of the most valuable items in the year's experiences was a request to investigate a new process while still in the pilot stage and to determine the probable control requirements for the final manufacturing operation so that proper plans could be made in advance This represents the highest appreciation of the value of quantitative analysis and is a procedure highly
to be recommended
Design of Ventilating Systems and Other Control Measures
Analyses of industrial ventilation systems and other control measures during the year have shown as in the past that full advantage is not being taken of all of the basic engineering knowledge which is available to assist us in the design of control measures It is particularly disturbing to find inadequate performance after the expenditure of considerable money Thus in a comparative study of two plants doing the same work we found the poorer results in the plant having the more expensive system of ventilation and using the higher rates of ventilation
_
Plant engineers will undoubtedly agree that the design of control equipment generally takes a secondary place in the engineering organization and they frequently complain that not enough time or money is appropriated for basic engineering analysis Thus they are forced to resort to empirical design data which too often results in inadequate performance Too much money and effort is being spent by industry to improve working conditions without securing the desired results The solution lies in fuller utilization of existing engineering data and the systematic development of additional
basic information In our experience such an approach pays for itself It is the function of the Foundation to assist in this development
Appraisal of Dust Hazards and of Dust Control Measures
It is of great practical significance that dust continues to occupy the major place in the entire array of industrial problems with which we are concerned The dust studies have taken us into many industries in which systematic correlations between incidence of lung damage and nature and magnitude of exposure have not been made Thus it has been necessary to draw heavily upon the experiences gained in a few industries for which such correlations exist in order to make the best possible appraisal of each new situation In reviewing this work one is impressed with the need for
31
ade
generalizing much more extensive information than we now possess Investigators warn
against
from the experience of a few studies and emphasize
that the silicosis problem of a given industry is characteristic of that indus-
the try and that relationships which obtain may not apply to another indus-
try Thus it is proper to inquire critically into the universal applicability
of our appraisal techniques and yardsticks Some progress has been made
refining in
techniques through improvements in the determination of dust
composition The new procedure reported at the 10th Annual Meeting
has continued to give interesting and valuable data Other improvements
in appraisal methods are currently being investigated
We are impressed with the significant difference between the silicosis
problem in industry and the far more general nuisance dust problem It is necessary to distinguish between them since more often than not the
dust more nuisance is the more spectacular and is likely therefore to receive
attention Situations have been encountered in which an exposure has been
judged hazardous through incomplete study and appraisal and
and
effort expended for control which could have been better
money
operations tacular but more hazardous
spent on less sspepc-ec-
Another aspect of the dust problem which has interested
during
One year has to do with the different criteria of dust control
apply approach the to control measures to all processes which are o viously producing
without dust regard to the relative contribution of each to the total hazard
The other is to weigh each source of dust by proper quantitative
techniques the and set up control program accordingly Under the latter procedure
certain others operations receive secondary consideration compared with
which appear less dusty Such a course has resulted in misunderstanding
in certain instances Recommendations governing the control of silicosis
should distinguish between hazardous and nuisance dusts
silicosis
silicosis
Summary
of someThis summary of technical work duringduring the year serves to point
the
highlights
which
which have been selected for
point up
highlights Extensive facilities emphasis for quantitative investigation are available in the several State
Divisions Industrial of Hygiene and an increasing number of industries are
their setting up
own
The work of the Foundation
facilities supplements a medium for broad investigation and research
these agencies and provides coverage virtue of
the
vide
coverage
of
AmericanAmerican
iindnustdry ustry
which
which
the
member
ship represents
32
DR LEROY U. GARDNER
A. LANZA M.
Mr. Chairman Ladies and Gentlemen My associates in the Industrial
Hygiene Foundation have asked that I pay a tribute to Dr. Gardner He was only 57 years old when he died He was a native of New
Britain Connecticut and graduated from the Yale Medical School in 1914 During World War , he was an officer in the Army Medical Corps For two years he was an instructor in Pathology in the Harvard Medical School He then went to his Alma Mater as Assistant Professor of Pathology for
several years while there he broke down and went to Saranae
He became Director of the Saranac Laboratory in 1927 and later was
made head of the Trudeau Foundation and the Samtarium
He was also active in civic affairs He was a Trustee of the Village of Saranac Lake and a member of the Village Planning Commission
In 1935 he received the Trudeau Medal for his work in the pathology of pulmonary disease and in 1940 he received the Knudsen Award from the Association of Industrial Physicians and Surgeons for his outstanding work in industrial medicine and also in 1940 be received an honorary degree of
Master of Science from Yale
So much for the record which does not tell us very much about this extraordinary man I have known Dr. Gardner for over 20 years and was not only very closely associated with him in various projects in which we had mutual interest but also I was a very close friend of his He was a very versatile person and a brilliant figure in the medical research world
Early in his Saranac Laboratory career he became interested in the possible connection or relationship between occupation and tuberculosis
and from that stemmed his famous studies in silicosis and other
pneumoconioses At the same time he became more and more identified with industry which was most fortunate and fitting because all of us who
were interested in the industrial field as far as health was concerned felt
that industry merited the very best kind of service technical and professional that it could get in order to help it solve the problems that faced it in dealing with occupational hazards
And out of that necessity there grew up the really very unusual work of the Saranac Laboratory which has not been duplicated anywhere in this country Dr. Gardner brought to his work an unusual character as well as ability He followed and was associated with a remarkable group of men I don't know how many of you have ever been to Saranae those of you who have been there have always been impressed by the earnestness the sincerity the honesty of the group of men who have made Saranac possible They were a remarkable group starting out of course with Edward Trudeau who initiated in this country the outdoor treatment of tuberculosis followed by Dr. Baldwin who though retired is still alive and active at the age of 82 in Suranac Dr. Lawrason Brown and Don Cummings now dead and
their associates
These men were pioneers They had enormous courage as well as
Chairman Medical Commitfer Juustotaal Hygiene Foundation
33
home
sound medical education and good technical ability They had the courage that it takes to fight a long uphill battle against not only the circumstances surrounding them but against their own disabilities their own ill health They all had certain qualities in common qualities of leadership and devo-
tion to their work
I made the comment the other day in Saranac that having known Dr. Gardner for 20 years 20 years of a fairly active lifetime my summary of his character I thought could best be expressed by saying that he was the most unselfish man that I have ever known He never gave thought to himself or his own troubles and handicaps always he was working for the project in hand aiming at the target ahead of him and driving himself with unsparing energy and enthusiasm
I won't attempt to go into his technical accomplishments there isn't time enough to even detail them Suffice it to say that he was the first one who was able to induce silicosis in experimental animals by dusting processes and thereby helped to take the clinical knowledge of silicosis and its pathology out of the realm of speculation and bring it within the confines of fact and for that alone he was universally recognized both in this country and abroad I could go on for an indefinite period on his professional
accomplishments
He had a laboratory there the Saranac Laboratory where the roentgenologists and the pathologists and the chemists and laboratory technicians
and nearly all the staff that was necessary to carry out the large amount of work that that laboratory turned out were patients of the Sanitarium
As far as I know from my dealing with them there were but few
excep-
tions and all of them were actuated by the same motives and by the same high purpose
I just want in closing to read a couple of quotations from an editorial in the New York Tribune it is quite long and am going to read only one paragraph The Tribune editorial writer said this
The gallantry that can transform a personal affliction into a benefit for mankind has seldom been more dramatically exemplified than by the career of Dr. Leroy Upson Gardner Stricken by tuberculosis as he was planning to resume his position as Assistant Professor of Pathology at Yale after service in the First World War Dr. Gardner established himself at Saranac Lake New York and began to study the part played by the inhalation of dust a hazard in many occupations in diseases of the lungs He cured
himself and in the process laid the foundation for a lifetime of work devoted to the prevention and cure of similar illnesses in others
And then the local paper at Saranac Lake
... for Dr. Gardner like Dr. Trudeau brought unusual gifts to the work of fighting the good fight to free humanity from needless pain and waste and loss Each was a pioneer a sufferer a victor Each was a great man among men a great spirit in the
battle for a better race
34
SUMMARY OF MEDICAL CONFERENCE
C. RICHARD WALMER M. D. Medical Director Industrial Hygiene Foundation At the Medical Conference which was held yesterday the following topics comprised the agenda
1 A discussion of beryllium 2 A discussion of chemical injuries to the eyes 3 Selective job placement
4. Specific job training
The conference was one of complete informality limited to physicians from member companies having as stated before an agenda rather than
prepared papers A round discussion was the order for each topie
Beryllium was the first topic on the agenda Some of the salient
points were reported as follows by George W. Wright M. D. an associate of the late Leroy U. Gardner at the Saranac Laboratory 1 Beryllium Beryllium a toxic substance is and has been used in the manufacture of fluorescent
lighting as an alloying material by inference in atomic energy in radio
tubes etc. 2 Two large companies in the past few years
a series of
painful experiences resulting in a relatively high mortality rate rate 3 The question of etiology is still in doubt however beryllium is under close
serutiny in the medical and toxicological laboratories One point which might be mentioned here is that the injurns to humans have not been
reproduced in animals
The second topic dealt with chemical injuries to the eyes
of this paper appears elsewhere in this bulletin
A summary
The third and fourth topies selective job placement and specific job training were combined There were a number of things we hoped to bring out under these two headings However we started with job analysis and seemed to remain there We did want to discuss job standards physical standards mental requirements and various other points These will be
considered at a future Conference
SUMMARY OF ENGINEERING CONFERENCE
PROF PHILIP DRINKER Chairman Preventive Engineering Committee This was the second of the Engineering Conferences Our first was held last year and this was held in the same spirit of informality and general give and take and argument that makes such discussions stimulating
The first item we had in the morning's discussion was on radiant and convectional heat control in hot industries a topic of intense interest to all those there and I think the immediate result was an expression of what we lacked and what immediately might be done to help get knowledge which
we all want
Then general atmospheric pollution particularly in relation to member
See page 89 for full repar
35
company problems was discussed in some detail and I think I can say that all those present learned a lot from it
The afternoon sessions included illuminating discussion on dust collection control of fumes from metallurgical electric furnaces windowless factories and a general discussion on hood design
Frankly I think as an engineer I derive as much from these informal meetings and discussions as anything I can get from the Foundation and
I speak wholly selfishly If you attend engineering meetings at any of our societies you usually listen to formal papers formally presented in which discussion is limited we don't go in for that much in this country and I
think it is a shame we don't
In informal gatherings like this when the topics are well prepared and the discussion is limited to a comparatively few minutes men are tempted to get up and say what they think and come away with many refreshing new ideas I am sure this type of meeting is going to be a fixture in the Foundation and one which again from purely selfish motives it is well
to attend
SUMMARY OF CONFERENCE ON
CHEMISTRY AND TOXICOLOGY
Industrial Hygiene Foundation held its first round Conference on Chemistry and Toxicology in connection with the Eleventh Annual Meeting of Foundation Members Forty chemists research directors and toxicologists from Foundation companies attended The discussions were informal but the following is a summary of subjects covered on the agenda
1. Comparative Toxicity of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons
Maximum allowable concentration was defined s the maximum con-
centration that a man can inhale for a long period of time without injury
to health It was stressed that exact information of this nature is available
for only a few substances Therefore our present tables of M. A. C.'s will be changed frequently as experience dictates In the interim our present tables of limits serve as quasi limits and are valuable for progress
in control
The order of toxicity of the more common chlorinated hydrocarbons was discussed from the viewpoint of recent toxicological research
2. Warning Labels Upon Hazardous Chemicals
It is of primary importance that there be uniformity in labeling hazardous chemicals so that the exact type and degree of danger will be presented The Manufacturing Chemists Association Manuals L- and L provide guidance For mixtures only the dangerous constituents need be mentioned Under no circumstances should chemicals be labeled i e the degree of hazard should not be exaggerated
Held November 8
36
3. Evaluation of the Hazard of Siliceous Dusts
Data on the variation of composition of dust with particle size were presented It was of interest that similar to silica uraniumi becomes
sig-
nificantly toxic only when the particle size is fine comparable to that of hygienically active quartz New techniques provide data on composition of borne dust in relation to size that more closely parallel the effects of dust in the human lungs
4. Chemical Burns of the Eye
Techniques for saving the sight of eyes damaged by chemicals were
) described See Dr. McLaughlin's paper page 60 of these Transactions
It was stressed that many neutral chemicals can damage eyes as severely
as acids or alkalis The treatment however is identical for all chemicals
5. Skin Penetration of Chemicals
Extensive contact of certain chemicals with the skin for relatively
short periods of time can have fatal issue Removal from the skin at once
is therefore imperative and because of availability of water it should be used copiously Contaminated clothing should be removed immediately
6. Evaluation of Hazard of Contact Dermatitis by Experiment
Techniques which have been used successfully by one Member Company were described The methods are particularly applicable for study of chem-
icals destined for use in the cosmetic food or textile industries This Conference will be continued annually and your suggestions are
invited as to subject matter and mechanics of procedure that will insure the maximum benefit It is hoped that rather than a day meeting once a
year the Conference will become a year around source of information and a vehicle for the exchange of data between Member Companies The Conference is sponsored and directed by the Foundation's newly formed Com-
mittee on Chemistry and Toxicology
COMMITTEE ON CHEMISTRY AND TOXICOLOGY TOXICOLOGY
H. F. SMYTH JR Ph D. Chairman FRANCIS R. HOLDEN Ph D. Secretary
DISCUSSION
Foundation F. KUTSCHER M. Consultant Industrial Hygiene
If one were to examine textbook after textbook on diseases of the eye he
would find a certain uniformity First they are uniform in telling us what
to do we take out all visible portions of the alkali then wash the
That is taken care of in a line or two
eye
Then we have page after page of
how to handle complications
Practically of course that is what you men are most interested
these cases under the old treatment were of months and
duration
even years During this interval of time the employee could not work
because of the extreme pain You ended up by paying in a great number
of these cases for a loss of industrial vision
Dr. McLaughlin's large practice among chemical workers forced him to find the answer What he did was to do exactly what was recommended but he proved many points he proved that we did not know how to handle
these cases we did not know the distribution of the chemical within the
layers of the eyeball and he proved that we did not adequately irrigate the eye A most significant contribution made by this group is the fact that following exposure exposure to alkali much of the chemical remains in an active
state Lying between cells in the deeper reaches of the
the chemi-
ical resists removal by cursory irrigation
cornea
:
This explains vay when a person spills alkali in his he
fine for a day or 100 only to be confronted
eye gets along
at a later time with a very
serious condition
The work that D. McLaughlin has done certainly has been thorough
it has been painstaking and it has consumed a tremendous amount of his
time but his statistes prove that he has the auswer to the alkali burn He
shows 91 of his cases getting well in 48 hours It simply means that
those cases were either minor burns or he kept them minor by the speed
with which treatment was instituted and the thoroughness of his
There is no way for me nor for
treatment
anyone else to compute what constitutes a
serious eye burn when first seen but we certainly know in a series of 500
cases a great number of them are potentially lost eyes and when with this
treatment 91 of them are well within 48 hours we know absolutely the
efficacy of this tre tent tent has kept them from becoming serious
problems
eye
You might cor dain because this treatment takes a half or three-
quarters of an hot and keeps the worker away from his job That is
nothing If that alkali that patien
to be a blown keratitis or inflamed eye from y spend day after day at the
ophthalmologist's office
only to end up with au people paying the bill
64
LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS RESPECTING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
THEODORE C. WATERS
During the past year only a few of the State Legislatures have been
in
regular session with the result that there have not been many changes in state legislation relating to occupational health In a number of states
codes of industrial hygiene have been prepared and have been proposed hearings thereon have been held and in several instances such codes have been adopted and have become effective
The general trend of court decisions construng compensation statutes has continued to be liberal with the result that the hability of employers to pay compensation for occupational injuries has been extended
On behalf of our Committee I would like to review briefly some of the
legislation that has been enacted during the past year and call the atten-
presently tion of members to State Codes of Industrial Hygiene that are
effective in those states in which our member companies are operating
This subject has and will assume increasing importance with the enactment
of enabling statutes granting powers for control of potential hazards to requested Bureaus of Industrial Health The Managing Director has also
that our Committee include in our report reference to the subject of health clauses in Union Contracts
1. OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE COMPENSATION STATUTES ENACTED OR AMENDED DURING THE YEAR 1946
1. New Occupational Disease Compensation Laws
Georgia has enacted an occupational disease compensation law
schedulewdhich hecame effective April 30 1946. This act made compensable a
list
of diseases caused by exposure to twenty named chemical poisonings diseases caused by exposure to ray or radioactive substances and the dis-
cases of asbestosis and silicosis
With respect to the named dust diseases there is
limitation liability of employers in the amount of
upon
500.00 effective the full date act with monthly increases at the rate of 50.00 until
of monetary
ef ective
of the
benefits of
the compensation act are attained The act created a Medical Board of
five physicians appointed by the Governor
a list of nominees
by
from propused the Medical Association of Georgia Provision is made that bers of the board is required to examine the claimant and of file findings with the Medical Board The Board then
one of the
mem-
a
report
his
its
in
renders deciWorskmen'sion the case from which an appeal may be taken to the State Board of Workmen's Compensation provided however that the findings of the Medical Board
the upon the questions of medical fact may not be disturbed except upon findings ground that the Board acted in excess of its powers or that its
sufficient evidence competent were procured by fraud or that there was not
in the record to warrant the Medical Board in making the decision com-
plained of or that the decision of the Board was contrary to law
* Mullikin Stuckbi & Waters Chanian Lagal Combtitles Industrid Hygiele Hygiele Foundatiota
65
om,
Po
Another interesting feature is the requirement that the State Board of Workmen's Compensation shall within thirty days after the effective date of the act designate by order the specific occupations found subject to exposure of hazards of silicosis or asbestosis and shall notify the employers of the necessity of compulsory examinations provided under the law Thereupon it becomes the duty of every employer in the named occupations to provide prior to employment or within thirty days after employment a medical examination of all new and prospective employees to determine if they are in any degree affected by silicosis or asbestosis Failure of an employer to provide such examination constitutes a misdemeanor and is punishable as such
In cases of silicosis or asbestosis the term disablement means the event of an employee becoming actually incapacitated because of silicosis or asbestosis from performing his work in the last occupation in which injuriously exposed to the hazards of silicosis or asbestosis or from performing any work in any other occupation for remuneration Disability means the state of being so totally incapacitated
B. Amendments to State Workmen's Compensation Acts
New York State amended its compensation act to increase the maximum aggregate compensation payable for total disability or death due to silicosis from 6,500 to 7,500 The act contains the escalator clause increasing the total amount of compensation payable for disablement or death at the rate of 50.00 per month
C. Summary of States Wherein Occupational Diseases are Compensable There are now sixteen states the District of Columbia one territory
and Federal jurisdiction wherein the Longshoremen's Act is applicable providing general coverage for all occupational diseases There are sevenleen states and one territory wherein schedule coverage is provided for named occupational diseases Therefore in thirty states as well as the District of Columbia Hawaii and Puerto Rico occupational diseases
are now compensable
Compensa- Compensation is also provided by the Federal Employees
tion Act and the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers Act Under the laws of eighteen states compensation payable for dust diseases is limited with respect to the employer's monetary liability and in twelve states compensation for the dust diseases is payable only for total disability or
death
1. California Connecticut Florida Hlinois Indiana Masachusets Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nebraska New York North Dakota Ohio Oregon WashIngton and Wisconsin
2 Hawail
Virginia 3. 3. Arizona Arkansas Colorado Delaware Georgia Idaho Kentucky Maine Mary-
land New Jersey New Mexico North Carolina Pennsylvania Pensylvania Rhode
Utah Virginia and West
Island
Puerto Rico
5. Arkansas AMriiczhoingaan MinnesotCaolNoerawdoJeFrlsoeryidaNeGweorMgeixaicIodaNheowMarylandYorMkarylaOndreMgaosnsacPheunsnestytls vania Rhode Island Utah and West Virginia
6. Colorado Florida Idaho Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania and Utah
66
II CODES OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
In any discussion of legislative provisions dealing with compensation of occupational diseases there has been considerable controversy as to the
form of legislation providing such compensation However upon one sub-
ject there seems to be general agreement among employers employees and their insurance carriers this is that occupational diseases can be and should be prevented Industry has become health conscious and realizes that it has become good business to prevent the incidence of disease rather
than to pay compensation for such injuries Since the enactment of occupational disease compensation statutes there has been increased activity among Industrial State Departments of Health State Departments of Labor and
Commissions to effect the regulation and control of occupational hazards
to prevent disease Various State Codes of Industrial Hygiene have been
promulgated and in many instances adopted and it is probable that in all
of the industrial states necessary legislative provisions will be enacted to
enable proper state agencies to establish such codes
Mr. J. J. Bloomfield of the United States Public Health Service is going to submit a report at this meeting outlining in detail the codes of industrial hygiene in the various states I would like to make general reference to these codes and to discuss briefly the legal authority for their adoption
their scope and bject matter with brief comment with respect to admin-
istration
There are thirty states that have codes of some type which are
attempt presently effective None of these are uniform They represent the
of individual State Departments to promulgate rules and regulations for the
control of occupational hazards in a manner that seems proper to the par-
ticular state agency involved In form some of these codes are
applicable only to specific industries as for example the codes in New York
In
State other states the codes are inclusive of all industry establishing permissible permissible
concentrations of dusts fumes gases and vapors without specific reference
to a named industry
I think it may be fairly stated that many of these codes while well
intentioned were adopted without full consideration of the various
problems of industry to which they would apply In many instances they
establish arbitrary standards of permissible concentrations of toxic dust
fumes exce ding advise gases and say to industry Thou shalt not permit concentrations exceeding exce ding
a stated limit In most instances the codes do not attempt to
intdhuast- compliance try of the way and means to accomplish
It is submitted
one of the functions of Bureaus of Industrial Hygiene should be to
assist industry to control occupational hazards and to find the best method for
compliance
Authority for Codes
authorizing The legal authority for codes may be found either in the constitution
of the state or specific legislative provision
the creation of
Bureaus of Industrial Hygiene and the grant of authority to such Bureaus
a
Idaho Illinois Alabania
Alabania
Idaho
nesota
Arizona
,
Carolin
Carolin South Dakota
Indiana ArkansAarkanssas
C'abfornia
C'abfornia
C'abfornia
Colorado Colorado
Colorado
Con ectient
Connectient Connectient DelDawaerelaware
Kentucky Matybond Massachusetts Michigan Michigan
Flor-
Min-
Min-
, Nebraska
Oregon
Pennsylvania Rhode South Ohio Oregon
Nevada
Pennsylvania
New
Pennsylvania
Mexico New Rhode Island ,
South
Wisconsin
North Caro
Wisconsin
Tennessee Vermont Virginia Washington and Wisconsin
67
Depart- to formulate codes or the powers incident to the functions of State
ments of Health Labor or Industrial Commissions Most of the codes establish maximum allowable concentrations of toxic materials with penalty provisions for failure to comply Enforcement is generally given to the State Departments of Health Labor Bureaus of Mines or Industrial Commissions In most instances no specific provision is included for methods by which industry may attain compliance
In the administration of these codes it would seem desirable for the administrative agency to cooperate with industry in the attempted solution of industry's problems by educational processes rather than by police enforcement of the penalty provisions
Industry has accepted its responsibility to provide its employees safe places in which to work and safe tools with which to work Management is not indifferent to health hazards and is seeking to attain effective enginerring methods to control hazards Many problems are presented in the perfection of such methods and these cannot be and will not be solved overnight
Changes in industrial processes and newly developed uses of chemicals
and other toxic materials will continue to create new problems for the con-
trol of hazards Some large industries have adequate engineering and personnel to study these problems and control potential hazards
small industries do not have available personnel for this purpose
staffs
Many
The primary object of Bureaus of Industrial Hygiene is to correct haz-
discovery ardous conditions in industry and by assisting management in the
correction and control of hazards this purpose will be achieved If admintration takes the form of an educational program I believe that industry will gladly cooperate and the results obtained will be more effective than
in any other manner
It is unfortunate that there is not greater uniformity in the state codes
presently effective Under the leadership of the United States Public Health
Service it should be possible to prepare some uniform code that would be suited to industry of all industrial states If this were done the codes now effective could be repeated and the proposed model code enacted With the
cooperation of employers employees and the state agency administering the codes occupational hazards could be reduced to a minimum and diseases
practically eliminated
III HEALTH CLAUSES IN UNION CONTRACTS
This subject is one of increasing importance and emphasizes the role of industrial hygiene in labor relations Perhaps detailed discussion of the subject would be more appropriate in meetings that are devoted to a con-
sideration of industrial relations It is not the purpose of our Committee to recommend the inclusion or exclusion of clauses of this type and we believe it will be of interest to members to consider certain provisions that
have been included in contracts which have been published and are fairly representative of the trend of clauses now being considered by Departments
of Industrial Relations
In the agreement dated March 19 1946 between General Motors Cor
68
poration and the United Automobile Workers CIO we find the following incorporated as paragraph 146 of that agreement
A report of physical examination and any laboratory tests made by physicians acting for the Corporation will be given the personal physician of the individual employee involved upon the written request of the employee
Again in an agreement dated March 13 1945. between Carneg - Ellinots Steel Corporation and the United Steelworkers of America C10 we find
Section 12 dealing with safety and health provides as follows
The Company shall continue to make reasonable provisions for the safety and health of its employees at the plant during the hours of their employment Protective devices wearing apparel and other equipment necessary to properly protect employees employees from injury shall be provided by the Company in accordance with the practices now prevailing in each separate plant Proper heating and ventilating systems shall be installed where needed "
In the agreement dated July 6 1915 between Industrial Silica Corporation and the United Steelworkers of America we find the following sections under Article 14 dealing with the subject of physical physical examinations
Section A. Conditions of Examination
It hereby mutually understood and agreed that the Corporation shall have the right from time to time to require employees at its own expense to submit to medical and physical examinations by physicians or specialists of its own choosing and to terminate or suspend employment of any employee or transfer him to another department if such examination shows that said employee cannot
doing with safety satisfactorily continue the kind of work he was
at the time of such examination or is suffering from any disease which could be communicated to the other employees
Section B. Effect on Employee
No such employee shall be permanently laid off suspended or
transferred as the result of any such examination until he has been
given five 5 days written notice of the intention of the Corporation so to do and the records of the Corporation with respect to any
employee's such examination shall be open to inspection by the
personal physician upon the written request of the employee
In certain instances representatives of labor have made puldic statements in opposition to requirements by employers for employment physical examinations as a prerequisite to employment Similar opposition has been expressed with respect to recurring annual physical examinations You will recall previous reports of our Committee pointing out statutes of various states under which in certain occupations employment physical examinations were required by law and in which annual recurring physical examinations were similarly required Certainly in those industries where potential hazards to health exist one of the most effective methods of con-
69
trol of the incidence of disease is the use of physical examinations to deter-
mine whether or not the claimant may be suffering from or peculiarly
susceptible to a given occupational disease and for his own protection and that of his fellow workmen it is desirable that he should be excluded from such employment Furthermore the use of annual physical examinations in certain industries may well develop information as to the incidence of occupational diseases and protect employees against potential disability or
ultimate serious illness
employees While the use of physical examinations may have been and may be
abused they are certainly desirable for the promotion of programs of medical control With respect to the employment of physically handicapped
such examinations are essential to the proper placement of these individuals so that their ability may be evaluated and they may be assigned to do those jobs where they are best fitted
Conclusion
men'sDuring the year 1947 the Legislatures of all of the States of the Union
will convene except Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi and Virginia It is to be anticipated that legislation relating to amendments to existing work-
and occupational disease compensation acts will be introduced and in many states enacted Our Committee suggests to members that it will be to their interest to follow these legislative sessions with care to see that whatever provisions may be adopted are reasonable and suited to their
industrial operations
The promulgation of codes by the various states will proceed and it is
reasonable to expect that Bureaus of Industrial Hygiene will increase their
activities in an attempt to eliminate potential hazards and assist industry
in effecting control of health conditions Much has already been accom-
plished in the field of industrial hygiene Much remains to done Let
no member company minimize the importance of this subject and let con-
stant care in your operations be your watchword so that industrial accidents
and diseases may be kept at an absolute minimum
70
CODES FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
J. BLOOMFIELD-
One of the major causes of lost time in industry is workers ill health some of it caused by physical conditions in the job environment Although industrial hygienists now have the techniques to prevent almost any kind of occupational disease unfortunately the application of this knowledge has not progressed as rapidly as it has been acquired The problem then is the promotion of industrial hygiene techniques so that they reach every industry in the country
One effective means of disseminating and applying information on good industrial hygiene practice has been through the promulgation and administration of reasonable rules and regulations designed to set forth systematically the principles involved in such practice Such rules and regulations or codes as they are sometimes called can be of significant aid to industry in achieving safe and healthful working conditions if they are based on scientific fact are practical and adequate
It is the purpose of the present discussion to examine the subject in the light of recent trends in the enactment of codes by the States The major major features of a code are also discussed on the principle that their aim should be to inform management what its responsibilities are and how safe and
healthful working conditions may be achieved
Present Legislation on Prevention
One of the inherent weaknesses of nearly all occupational disease legislation enacted to date in the United States is the omission of any provision for the prevention and control of occupational diseases In nearly every
instance with but three or four notable exceptions the desire has been to
provide compensation for occupational diseases whereas the prevention and
control of such diseases should really be one of the prime considerations
As a matter of fact even in those States where the laws make some pro vision for the prevention and control of occupational diseases unsatisfactory conditions exist simply because the powers and duties in this field are
assigned to several state departments In many instances the laws are so
worded as to be vague and indefinite and what is most discouraging they
do not provide the essential machinery for an effective control program
Everyone will concede that no matter how well a code has been developed
its provisions are completely nullified unless the State has set up a tech-
nical agency to administer such a code Such a technical agency is one
staffed with trained industrial hygiene personnel who can develop the neces-
sary standards based on scientific fact investigate the working conditions
in industry in the light of such standards and then aid industry in attain-
ing these standards
.
In view of these facts it may be well at this point to examine the development of industrial hygiene in this country and the part which industrial hygiene divisions have been playing of late in the promulgation of indus-
trial health codes
* Assistant Assistant Chief Industrial Hygiem Division 1.8 Public Health Service
co.
=]
The growth of industrial hygiene activities in our state governments
has been phenomenal during the past decade largely through the
given to this program among the states by the U. S. Public
impetus
which has assisted the states both
Health Service
financially and through technical con-
sultation services At the present time there are 41 states with time
industrial hygiene activities several large cities and counties as well as
territories In all we have 52 industrial hygiene units and unquestionably there will be industrial hygiene services available to
and territory in the Union
industry in every state
within the next year or two Since industrial
hygiene in its broad interpretation is conceded to be an integral part of
public health the development of such services in this country has been
largely in state health departments At present there are 50
health units in health departments and two in labor departments industrial
If we examine Table I see pages 80 81 82 which summarizes indus-
trial hygiene activities and the trend in the development of industrial
hygiene codes we will note that the basis of authority for carrying
industrial hygiene activities in the 50 health departments is
on
between specific legislation and that
evenly divided
given to health
emanating from the broad powers
departments in their organic act With regard to the two
labor departments specific legislation has been enacted charging these
departments with the responsibility of carrying on certain activities in the
industrial hygiene field We also find that among these 52 industrial
agencies only 35 have promulgated rules and
hygiene
regulations or codes for the
control and prevention of occupational diseases
Codes Variable in Nature
temperature A close study of these 35 codes shows a
visions It is obvious that
great divergence in their pro-
large industrial concerns operating in several
states must find it difficult to develop a policy on safeguarding the health
of their employees In 17 states obviously there are no guides to follow
while in the 35 states which do set up certain criteria we find that these
are variable in character For example a study of Table II which is an
analysis of the 35 code provisions shows that most of the codes make some
reference to maximum allowable concentrations of atmospheric contami-
nants In 49 of the states these M. A. values have legal status while in
51 they are merely suggested guides Only 6 of the states deal with
prevention of disease through skin contact while none of the codes so far
examined by us deals with the prevention of infection from
certain materials
contact with
employed in industry Forty percent of the codes deal
with the subject of illumination and 374 have some provision as regards
humidity and air movement Only 6. of the codes deal with
the subject of noise while not a single one covers the effects of
on health Twenty percent of the codes deal
vibration
excessive
with the subject of
pressures 12 with radiant energy 34 discuss the subject of
personal protective equipment and 57 housekeeping The two subjects
receiving most attention in the 35 codes which have come to our attention
are ventilation which is a subject dealt with in 72 of the codes and
eral sanitation which is found in 83 of the codes
gen-
It is patent therefore that the entire situation with trial hygiene codes leaves much to be desired in the way of ruengiafrodrmtiotyinaddues-quacy and preciseness as to administration In summing up the entire subject the major weaknesses of present codes as we see it are
72
TABLE II
ANALYSIS OF STATE INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE ACTIVITIES CODES AND THEIR PROVISIONS
Total number of industrial hygiene units ..
32
Agencies conducting industrial hygiene activities
Health departments 000.000...
50
departments Labor
oo... an .
10
10
Authority for carrying on industrial hygiene activities Health departments
b Specific legislation 2.0.00.
.
Labor departments
legislation
Specific legislation 0.0...
feces
.
Total number of codes oo...
wi.
25
,
2
35
35
Code provisions
1 Maximum allowable concentration
Percent
a Legal status
49
b Guide
51
2 Skin contact oe ce
ve
b .
3 Infectious material
u
4 Illumination
fe
ccevvtcteeseeenes
cocretteite
ns
eee
5. Temperature humidity air movement 2000000 37
6 Noise
ee
voce
trees
cette
8
7 Vibration oc
cece
.
eer
|]
8 Pressure oc
ce
ceceeereeeen
ccaneecees
2233
9 Radiant energy .
2 2
10 Ventilation woo. 7722
11 Personal protective equipment 000 0
ce eee
34
Housekeping
12 Housekeeping
vet
dat seein
tasetees
stvccteecetaanees
57 57
13 Sanitation oo...
83
rm
1 our present state laws give authority to several agencies in the field of rule making and enforcement which makes for confusion and at times duplication and conflict among the several agencies 2 17 of the states have as yet not set up guiding principles to assist industry in achieving good working conditions and 3 the codes which have been promulgated to date are inadequate in providing any specific information which would show industry how it can comply with the rules and regulations promulgated
What we need in industrial hygiene today and we need it badly is a
code which would be patterned after the U. S. Public Health Service Standard Milk Code This particular code which was developed after many
years of arduous effort contains but one page in the way of an enabling ordinance but approximately one hundred pages of detailed and specific information which shows clearly what the milk industry must do to comply
with the ordinance For these reasons it may be well to consider the possi-
bility of orienting our thoughts regarding codes in industrial hygiene
as to their purpose and content
Principal Features of a Code
In our opinion the main purpose of a code is to provide reasonable
guides or principles which would enable industry to maintain the health of
its workers at a high level If a code is to accomplish this purpose it must
also be reconciled with the chief aim of industry which is to turn out goods
and services in the most efficient way possible so as to achieve maximum
production at minimum cost To accomplish all this a code of the
envisaged in this discussion should contain rules and regulations for the tpyrpee-
vention and control of occupational diseases This should be the first section
of the code and should be brief and the terms well defined The second
of the code would be in greater detail and would repeat the rule statepathret
public health reason behind it and then show industry how it can satisfac-
torily comply with the rule by an informative discussion of the subject at
hand Perhaps this will be made clearer if we indicate some of the
features which such a code should contain
principal
words In the introductory material to the code itself there should be a definite
statement indicating the authority or law behind the code The
the code should be stated and the industries to
purpose of
which the code applies The
code should contain a statement as to who is to administer it in other
the enforcement agency should be named It should also contain
for appeal or a modification of of the
a provision
any
rules when conditions warrant
such action and a penalty for violation of any of the rules This
should be followed by clear definitions of the various major terms emmaptleoryieadl
throughout the entire code
What Rules Should Cover
The rules themselves should cover the following subjects which
be conveniently divided into two parts Part one of the rules
can
with those regulations pertaining to environmental hygiene whilesthhoeulsdecdoenadl
part should deal with the hygiene of the individual In this way all factors
involved in industrial hygiene practice will be treated Under environmental
hygiene regulations the rules should cover such subjects as 1 maximum
allowable concentrations for atmospheric contaminants 2 skin
with hazardous materials 3 infectious
contact
materials 4 illumination 5
Health Public
Service
Service Milk Ordinance and and Code 1935 Public Health Health Bulletin No. 220 July 1935
U. Public Health
74
temperature humidity and air movement 6 noise 7 vibration 8 ab normal atmospheric pressure 9 radiant energy 10 ventilation 11 personal protective equipment 12 housekeeping and 13 sanitation
Part two of the rules dealing with personal hygiene should contain material on 1 first emergency services 2 prompt and early treatment of all illnesses resulting from occupational exposures 3 impartial health appraisals of all workers 4 recording and reducing absences due to all types of disability and 5 health education programs
The last part of the code and the one which will require considerable detail and needless to say careful thought effort and much labor will be that portion dealing with the legal interpretation of the rules or better still information of the most date character which would actually
show how these rules can be met through good industrial hygiene practice
Controversial Features
Perhaps one of the most controversial features of present codes has been the matter of maximum allowable concentrations and the divergencies
in the limits set among the various states which have labored with this subject It seems to us that one of the first considerations among those
whether responsible for the development and promulgation of codes is
we
are going to consider merely the toxicity of substances when setting a limit
or if attention will also be directed to their nuisance aspect This is espe-
cially applicable to those fumes smokes gases vapors and dusts that are not necessarily toxic in nature and to other contaminants which may he present in nontoxic concentrations We as industrial bygienists feel that our job is not only to prevent injury to the worker's health but also to
make him reasonably comfortabalned efficient in his work environment
It is in this border stage that the most controversy exists that is where there are incipient poisonings of physiological responses causing discomfort and unpleasantness but not necessarily injury to health Enlightened management finds it good operating practice to control the working environment so that even the mild physiological responses that
are causing discomfort are kept at a minimum In fact it is a good practice to keep them at a minimum because quite frequently such uncomfortable
conditions make a worker accident as for example when a worker becomes inebriated from inhaling trichlorethylene or petroleum solvent vapors Certainly no one in industry has questioned for example the
standard universally adopted in this country for chromic acid mists resulting from chromium electroplating operations These mists do not cause systemic injury but do produce under certain conditions irritation of the mucous membranes and destruction of a part of the nasal septum Through educational efforts within the electroplating industry itself it has been a relatively simple matter to obtain good operating techniques so that chromic acid levels are kept well below the point where these minor injuries
and discomforts can occur
At the present time there is a committee within the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists which is concerned with developing maximum allowable concentrations which can be adopted by all the states This committee recently inquired into the subject and at the moment has received replies from 24 states and three cities as to maximum allowable concentration values Table III shows the variation of maximum allowable concentration values among these 27 jurisdictions for some 21
75
Number
Value in wid
;
REPOTING Reporting :Number
CITES Valuein pm
3 Agencis
ConcetraiSTAES Alowabe Numberof
Number24 ValueW wud and |
VALUES Reportd Maximu Number
III Values Valuein Lud
TABLECONETRAI Number
1
250 150
CO Z 262 NN 16 500 500 500
ALOWBE repotingvalues
San repotd
ON
|
volume
ay 300 300 300 000 000
by
air
of
MAXIU
Established Established
Agencis MAC Established
14
10
OF
parts
milon 19 25 21 22
VARITON SUBTANCE Formaldehy Nitrobenz terachloidTurpenti per FI'". .. acetdisufdealcohwu.lbromideHF., . chloridepetr oxides. dioxde . osubftance Aceton AIBenzeButanolButylCarbonEthylEthylFluorine GasolenMethanolMethylNaphta NitrogenPhospineSulfr XylenCarbon Parts *
76 76
commonly used substances in industry In most cases the variations are not too great and it is felt that perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on this point In those instances where there is a divergence the error has been on the safe side For example in dealing with the highly toxic substance of benzene of the 27 jurisdictions which have reported to the committee 25 had established values and two had none Of the 25 which had established a value for this substance 17 used the American Standards Association value of 100 parts per million while & used the slightly lesser value of 75 parts per million Again with regard to carbon tetrachloride a
substance which has received considerable attention of late and one on which
it has been difficult to obtain unanimity on a threshold value we find that only one of the 27 jurisdictions has no value for this chemical while 26 have established a criterion Of these 26 14 employ the value of 100 parts per million five use 75 and seven use 50 parts per million Altogether there are
not too many substances which we find have variable hmits among the states
whereas on the other hand there are many materials for which there is complete unanimity Among some of the commoner toxic substances employed in industry such as lead mercury TNT zinc oxide and cadmium there is complete unanimity among the states as to maximum allowable
concentrations for these substances See Table IV
Realistic Approach
It is our desire to emphasize the need for a meanistic approach to this whole subject To begin with we feel that there is a definite responsibility upon the governmental agencies administering industrial industrial hygiene to establish M. A. maximum allowable concentration values only after a great deal of study and thought have been given the subject So far on the whole these have been established in such a manner as to cause no serious handicap to industry Furthermore administrative agencies should realize that the determination of whether a working condition is safe or unsafe depends on other factors besides that of maximum allowable concentrations in the atmosphere Of late more and more reliance has been placed by industrial hygienists upon the exposure determinations alone without regard to other factors in the working environment It seems us that before an industry is told that it should make certain provisions to control a condition suspected of being inimical to health a complete health survey
is in order Such a health survey should involve at least two criteria in determining the safety of an operation First it is essential that the health
of those workers exposed to a certain material or condition should be carefully inquired into This may involve not only an examination of the worker's health record but also an examination of the worker himself Second careful environmental studies should be made which would not only include certain determinations of the atmosphere but also a thorough sanitary survey and occupational analysis All these put together should yield
data of real value in helping to control industrial health hazards
Developing Standards
At the present time we have several agencies concerned with the development of standards on limiting atmospheric contaminants All of us are familiar with the splendid work of the American Standards Association on this subject The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygien-
ists whose membership consists of those responsible for administering indus-
77
TABLE IV
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE CONCENTRATION VALUES VALUES FOR WHICH GOOD AGREEMENT EXISTSEXISTS
Substance
Acetic acid ...
Acrylonitrile Ammonia Aniline
Arsine ..
Carbon monoxide ,
Chloroform ........
nitropropane
Cyclohexane ........... Dichlorobenzene 1 Dichloroethane 1,2 Dichloroethane
Dichloroethyl ether .
Dimethylaniline
Hydrogen chloride Hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen fuoride Hydrogen selenide Hydrogen sulfide Monochlorobenzene Mononitrotoluene Phosgene
Propyl ether
Styrene oo,
Tetrachloroethylene
Toluene _.....
Trichlorethylene
Gases and Vapors
Number
Agreeing
3 12 21 QQ 21 27 9 4 3 21 4 16 13
3 11 22 22 24
Number
Disagreeing
0
0 0
0)
1 0 1 0 0 9
rt)
oO 0 0
0
0
0 0
0 1 0
0
( i 0 2 2
Percent Agreein
100 100 100 100 95 100 90 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 9.1 100
100
100 92 100 92 92
M. ppm 10 20
100 5 1
100 100 20 400 75 100 100 15
5 10 20 3 0,1 20 13 13 I 500 400 200 200 200
Toxic Dusts and Fumes Mt
Barium peroxide .
*
0
Cadmium
100
4353283985
.........
223732
0
100
Chlorodiphenyls
223732
1
92
Chromic acid
223732 0
100
Dinitrotoluene Mercury Lead
2 3732
0
100
223732 0 100 0.15
sieesteeeeeeneeseee
223732
0
100
Tetranitromethylaniline 10
0
100
435289 Trinitrotoluene ..........,,
=
0
100
Zinc oxide
.
&
1
95
Asbestos
435283948355289 ....
17
0
100
Parts
of substance substance per million parts of air by volume
Milligrams
substance per cubic meter of air
# Millions of particles particles of substance per cubic foot of air
78
code trial hygiene in this hemisphere has recognized the importance of the sub-
ject of codes and has a committee working on the development of a uniform
code one which could be adopted by all the states The Industrial Hygiene
Division of the U. Public Health Service which is
with the activities of this Conference as well as withinttihmeatsetlaytecoangceenrcnieeds
administering industrial hygiene is urging the development of a code of the
type outlined in the present discussion Such a code will
several years of effort although a considerable amount of ipnrfoobrambaltyiotnakies
already at hand for inclusion The main problem as we see it will be to
obtain unanimity among the various states It is felt that if such a
is based on scientific fact and is so worded that it takes into consideration
the various social and economic aspects of the problem then it should meet
with great favor among the state agencies and the public This will be
especially true if it is administered in a spirit of cooperation with
ment and labor
manage- manage-