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FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 1936 Oct DOC#: NSC156 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Excerpt - Transactions of the NSC - 25th National Safety Congress NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, In c . ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY OCTOBER 5 to OCTOBER 9, 1936 Ambassador, Chelsea, Riti-Cariton Hotels and Atlantic City Auditorium Copyright, 1936, Notion! Softly Council, Inc. LA > ' *i T IIFC Transactions of the T w en ty - fifth National Safety Congress, 193<), arc published by the National Safety Council in two volumes. This, the first, contains the general, the special subject, and the Industrial Section sessions. The second volume contains the ses sions of the Child Kducation, ITomc Safety, Street and Highway Traffic and Vehicle Fleet Sections. All industrial members of the Council automatically receive Volume I. Volume II is sent to members be lieved to be interested chiefly in the sessions it covers. Other Council members, however, may obtain it upon request. Many members have found it worth, while to distribute copies of the Transactions to supervisors,-foremen, and others in an administrative or supervisory position who may make practical use of them for reference purposes. The following quantity prices are quoted on extra copies: 1 to 10 copies of the large volume, $1.50 each; 11 copies or more. $1.25 eacli; copies of the smaller volume. 50 cents each. k T H E Transactions arc published as a condensed record of the proceedings at the National Congress. The papers of each session or division of the Congress have been edited carefully to eliminate extraneous matter and to abbreviate the less essential portions because of space limitations. T h u s the material herein presenter! is not a verbatim report of all the speeches presented at the Congress, but rather an abridged version made as com pact as possible, yet without injury to the technical aspects of any address. The original manuscripts are on file in the Council's Bureau of Information, where they arc available for additional reference. Where illustra tions were sent by the speakers to the Council, these also are on file. T he National Safety Council at its Congresses seeks to eliminate from discussion matters which are not perti nent to tlic aim of the Congress or which are contrary to Council policies. It cannot accept responsibility for the views expressed either in the papers presented or in the discussions based upon the papers. NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, I n c . 20 North W acker Drive Chicago u u_______ i - - Council Officers and Directors...................................................... 4 Council Purposes and Policies...................................................... 9 Annual Meeting of Members........................................................ 11 Annual Banquet............................................................................... 31 Subject Sessions-- Exhaust System s....-.............................................................. 37 Fire Prevention...........................................\............................. S3 Industrial Health--American Association of Industrial Physicians and Surgeons............... 61 Industrial Nursing................................................................... 69 Industrial Safety Lectures...................................................... 79 Injured Worker, The.............................................................. 99 Maintaining Interest in S afety....^ ..................................... 109 Occupational Diseases............................................................. 117 Safety Belts ..................................................................... 127 Safety Equipment ....e*........................................................ 141 Safety Exchange ......... 151 Safety Fundamentalsfor Beginners....................................... 159 Safety Training ............................................... 171 Aeronautical Section.^.................................................................... 181 A. S. S. E.--Engineering Section............................ 191 Automotive and Machine Shop Section.................................... 197 Cement Section.......................................................................... . . 20S Chemical Section....................... 223 Construction Section................................ ..'.................................... 241 Food Section..................................................................................... 253 Marine Section.................................................................................. 269 Meat Packing, Tanning and Leather Industries Section........ 287 Metals Section................................................................................... 299 Mining Section....................... 319 Paper and Pulp Section.................................................................. 347 Petroleum Section............... 361 Power Press Section....................................................................... 395 Public Utilities Section................................................................... 405 Quarry Section................................ 425 Refrigeration Section....................................................................... 443 Rubber Section................................................................................ 461 Safety Equipment Section.............................................................. 483 Steam Railroad. Meeting................................................................. 489 Textile Section................................................................................. 501 Transit Section................................................................................. 503 Wood Products Section.................................................................. 517 Index ................................'.............................................................. 531 J a ife S y C o u n c i l , Isa . HONORARY MEMBERS Association of Ikon ,\sn Robert \V. Campbell Aitnirn Wu.i.iAms I.KW K. PALMER Steel Electrical E nc.ineers OFFICERS (1936-1937) Dr. C. It. Watson, President D. D. Fennell, Vice-President (or Public Relation.' Dr. Hart E. Fisher, Vice-President for Health John II. Gmso.v, Vice-President for Community Safety Councils Hon. Harold' G. Hoffman, Vice-President for Public Safety Albert S. Rkgula, Vice-President for Engineering A. V. Ron Vvf.df.r, Vice-President for Industrial Safety K. T. Solexsten, Vice-President for Membership Albert W. W hitney. Vice-President for Education W. E. Worth. Vice-President for Finance and Treasurer. e> W. H. Cameron, Secretary and Managing Director EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (1936-1937) George J. Adams. Paper and Pulp Section C. M. Allen, Metals Section C. 1!. Auel, Past President : J. I. P.ANASH, Past President ' ' C. W. Rf.kgql-ist, Past President '' Harold S. Bcttenhkim, The American City Magazine V . If. Cameron, National Safety Conm-il, Inc'. '' Robert W. Campbell, Past President Robert I. Catlin, Aetna Casualty & Surety Company Lewis A. DeBi.ois, Past President C. W. Demfesv, Food Section Marcis A. Dow, Past President D. D. Fennel:., Consulting Engineer Dr. Hart E. Fisher, Chicago Rapid Transit Company R. D. Foktui.v. Lehigh Valley Safety Council C. W. Gimis, Mining Section John C. Gibson, Western Electric Company . H arry Guilbert, The Pullman Company Hon. Harold G. Hoffman,1 Governor of New Jersey 4 il li 1 J I O FFICERS A N D D IRECTO RS, Continued E. C. H olden, Jit. , Marine Section M aury J. K elley, Wood Products Section W alter G. K ing, Past President W m. C. K noei.k, Milwaukee Safety Coniniission . J ohn E. Tong, Past President \ Titos. 11. M acDonald, United States Department of Agriculture It. J. M ehre.n, Portland Cement Association W. J. M elville, Chippewa County Safety Council I. W, M illard, Industrial Gloves Corporation H arold L. M iner, K. I. du Pont dc Nemours & Company It, J. O'RutF.N, Jr.. I.ouisville Safety Council Lew R. Palmf.r, Past President C. E. Pett:lone, Past President A lbert S. R egula. Industrial Relations Counselors, Inc. Lt. Col. IIf.nry A. Reninger, Past President A. V. RonwEnEit, Duluth, Missabc & Northern Railway Company D. L. Royer, ASSE-Enginecring Section George E. S anford, General Electric Company CiiarleS'R. S cott, Past President Carl L. S.MtTir, Cleveland Safety Council C. W. S m it h , Standard Oil Company (Indiana) W alter D ent S m ith, Delaware Safety Council R. T. Solensten, Elliott Service Company C. P. Tolman, Past President George G. T racer, Chicago Safety Council R obert R. W allace, Worcester Safety Council Du. C. II. W atson, American Telephone K: Telegraph Company A. W. W hitney, National Bureau of Casualty & Surety Underwriters W . E. W orth, International Harvester Company A rthur H. Young, Past President DIRECTO RS (1936-1937) George J. Adams, Paper & Pulp Section C. M. A llen, Metals Section N elson R. A nderson, Seattle Traffic & Safety Council F rederick Archer, Child Education Section A. L. A rmstrong, Chemical Section J. I. Banash, Consulting Engineer J ohn J. B arada, Public Utilities Section E rnest W. B eck, United States Rubber Products, Inc. C. W. Bercquist, Western Electric Co. D avid S. Beyer, I.ibcrty Mutual Insurance Co. Clifford M. B ishop, Brooklyn Safety Council O FFIC ER S A N D D IR ECTO R S, Continued ['. F. lit.A.vK, Jones & Lnugldiu Steel Corp. C. F. BorkenHagen, Kenosha Safety Council S. D. fiovn. York County Safety Council A. W. Brekland, I'etrolemn Section 1'. S. Brown, Standard Accident Insurance Co. S. \V. Burchikl, Automohilc Club of Rhode Island IlAitot.n S. Buttes'ttKIM, The American City Magazine I'kkston I). Cau.um. Baltimore Safety Council W. II. Cameron, National Safety Council ' Robert I. Cati.in, Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. M. A. Clai-.k, Automotive and Machine Shop Section H. Herbert Corson, Safety Department, Nashville Chamber of Com merce Frank E mery Cox, Berkeley Traffic Safety Commission Roiiert W. C rowtiier, Springfield. Massachusetts Safety Council *' J. E. C ullinf.y, Bethlehem Steel Co. Lfams A. Dk.Bi.ois, Consulting Engineer J ay E. D ecker, Mason City Safety Council C. W. Dempesy. Food Section J ames B. Douglas, Philadelphia Gas W o rks Co. Dr. I.ouis I. D ublin, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. ' D. D. F ennell, Consulting Engineer Vi Donald A. F inkrfjnf.r. Toledo Safety Council D r. Mart E. F isher, Chicago Rapid Transit Co. H oward B. F onda, Burroughs Wellcome & Co. (U. S. A.) Inc. W illiam F orsyth, Superior, Wisconsin Safety Council R. B. Fortuin, I.chigh Valley Safety Council Alexander F oster, J r., Quarry Section C. W. Gums, Mining Section J ohn B. G ibson, Western Electric Co. H arry G uilbert, The Pullman Co. - I saiah H alf., The Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. M ajor Bolling II. H andy. Richmond Safety Council D. T. H arrington, U. S. Bureau of Mines IL C. H ayf.n , Vehicle Fleet Section G. T. H f.ijlmuth, Chicago. North Shore & Milwaukee R. R. Co. ' - `CitAs E. H ill, New York Central Lines IIon. H arold G. H offman. Governor of b/ew Jersey E. C. H olden, Jr., Marine Section F rf.derk' k B. H unt, Cement Section P. G. H unter, Power Press Section Morris E . - H urley, ' Eastbay Safety Council Major Norman A. Imkif., Columbus Safety Council Edwin A. Kaysfr, St. I-ouis Safety Council T homas P. Kearns, Industrial Commission of Ohio 0 O FFIC ER S A N D D IR ECTO R S, Continued K. T. K eller, Detroit Industrial Safety Council H arry J. K f.li.ev, Wood Products Section Titos. L. K elley, Paterson Safety Council J. M. K errigan, Rubber Section W m, C. K noei.K, Street & Highway Traffic Section C. I.. LaI'ountaine, Great Northern Railway Co. A. H. Laukr, Madison County Safety Cc. .cil * J. E. Lose, The Delaware & Hudson Railroad Corporation W. R. Loyd, Safety Div. Birmingham Chamber of Cotninerce L. T. McA rthur, Peoria, Illinois Safely Council Titos. H. M acDonald, United States Department of Agriculture M ii.i.kk McCi.intock, Traffic Audit Bureau T. II. McK f.nnky, Retired F. W. M atso.v, Minnesota Safety Council J ames R. M ays, Elizabeth Safety Council E. J. Mf.hren, Portland Cement Association W. J. M elville, Chippewa County Safety Council I. W. M illard, Industrial Gloves Corporation E. M. Miller, Employees Publication Section J ames K. M iller, Grand Rapids Safety Council H arolp L. M iner, E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co. R. 13. Morley, Industrial Accident Prevention Association E rnest M urphy, Albany Safety Council E. J. O 'B rien, Jr., Louisville Safety Council George C. A. Orr, The Detroit Edison Co. G eo. O ften iteimer, Kansas City Safety Council L ew R. P almer, The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States W ilson P almer, Meat Packing, Tanning & Leather Industries Sec tion A. E. P arker, Transit Section D avid A. P atton. Newark Safety Council M rs. G. M. P elto.v, Evanston Safety Council C harles W. P endock, Safety Division, Milwaukee Assn, of Com merce t C. E. P f.ttibone, American Mutual Liability Insurance Co. G f.n. George B. P illsdury, United States Engineer Office A rthur P ottf.rton, Hudson County Safety Council A lbert S. R eoui.a, Industrial Relations Counselors, Itic. L t. Col. H enry A. R f.nincer, Lehigh Portland Cement Co. A. V. R oiiwf.der, Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railway Co. D. L. Royer, ASSE-Engincering Section G. E. S anford, General Electric Co. H enry C. S ciiaffnf.r, Eric Safety Council K arl G. S ciioeffler, Rahway Safety Council . 7 c< O FFIC ER S A N D D IRECTO RS, Continued I I akkv A. Schultz, United Suites Steel Corp. Haul S. S iiaktzkh, Utica Safety Council G en. J ohn- H. S herburne. Massachusetts Safety Council Du. L. A. Snounv, Bethlehem Steel Co. E rnest L. S imonns. Xew Haven Safety Council C aul L. S m it h . Cleveland Safety Council C. W. S mith, Standard .Oil.J.'o. find.) E dwin C. S m ith, Blackstnne Valley SaTety Council W alter D f.nt S m it h. Delaware Safety Council \V. A. S now, Construction Scctiun R. T. Solensten, Elliott Service Co. P. E arl S titzer, Contra Costa County Safety Council The fum tional Saf( human life, continuous tion that is to all types rcctly or citizenry, E. C. S tring, Lansdalc, Pa. non-sectaria George R. Stephens. Safety Bureau. Buffalo Chamber of Commerce A rthur M/ T ode, Consulting Marine Engineer H arold M. T oombs, Refrigeration Section filiations, it has won institution. Geo. G. T raver. Chicago Safety Council W. \V. T rench. Schenectady Safety Council \V. D. T urdeville. San Antonio Saicty Council Robert R. W allace, Worcester Saicty Council Iiiseparnf the Council conditions a eases in Am ' D r. C. H. W atson, American Telephone & Telegraph Co. Today the H arry M. W ebber. Retired seining evei E. T. W iuter, Western Pennsylvania Safety Council many of the vS. E. W hiting. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. are 400 fore A. W. W hitney. Rational Bureau of Casualty K: Surety Underwriters ship inclu m T.tioAn. W illson, Accident Prevention Equipment Manufacturers' Sec fcihramms,beinrds ivol T. A. W ilson, Textile Section organization dust rial cone W. H. W inans, Union Carbide it Carbon Corporation companies, E. W. W irth, Rochester Safety Council the railroad I I arry W ise, S r., Chattanooga Saietv Council automotive J. M. Wot.TZ, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. sanding imp W. W . W ood, Steam Railroad Section trial field. W. E. W orth, International Harvester Co. E. J. Zaukt. Safety Bureau, Duluth Chamber of Commerce E arl W. Z immerman. Safety Div. Syracuse Chamber of Commerce G. L. Z wick, St. Joseph Safety Council O The history ing story, is In brief, th Congress vva Association Engineers in a result, the organized ir year with foi first year the 971. pinion io statis"I'Ctly. Get statis' show you where ' -^causes it. I can stimulate because deep man honestly bc'od as somebody how it. he meeting is ad- J Occupalional Diseases FRIDAY MORNING SESSION October 9, 1936 The session was called to order by the 'chairman, Dr. Hart E. Fisher, Vicc-Prcsident for Health, National Safety Council, and Chief Surgeon, Chicago Rapid Transit Co., Chicago, who presided, introducing the speakers. The Lesser Known Facts About Common Occupational Diseases By DR. ROBERT B. HUNT t Medical Advisor, American Mutual Liability Insurance Co., Boston Probably the leader in the parade of industrial diseases is an acute or chronic inflammation of the skin which we call dermatitis. TMS disease may present it self in any tj pc of shop, factory or foun dry. Any paste, powder, gas or liquid which comes in contact with the em ployee's skin, even the water supplied by the town in which he lives or works, may be the potential cause of such a skin disturbance. The wide diversity of causes together with the varying susceptibility of differ ent individuals makes the problem of control difficult. Much investigation is under way to dctcrminc^why one person may be sus ceptible to a certain substance while an other is not. It has been proved many times that a poisonous substance formed within the body has been able to prolong the action started by sonic external influ ence. A printer developed a marked dermatitis from ink which persisted for two years. Finally food tests were made and showed that he was susceptible to lettuce, which, when removed from his diet cleared the skin. He returned to his usual occupation without a return of symptoms. The poisoning of allergic substances is usually an accumulative process. It takes time to produce a manifestation of dis ease, but let any other substance cause the disease, and the irritating food may be of sufficient strength to magnify its action. All cases of dermatitis cannot be cured by eliminating offending foods, but fur ther investigation along these lines may give us a clue with which to lessen the loss of time from work and the discom fort now produced by industrial derma titis. Lead Metals The distribution of lead poisoning is quite extensive. The skin of the body is a protective covering, and as long as it remains in tact it docs a good job except ir. the case of tetraethyl lead, which is used in blend ing gasoline and which is readily absorbed through the skin, having a tendency to create changes in the nervous system. The clTcct of other forms of lead, through that avenue of entrance, is practically nil, which explains the extremely low poisoning rate in typesetters, painters and others who continually come in contact with metallic lead. Lead in any form, introduced through the mouth, acts rather slowly when com pared with the inhalation of lead dust or fumes. However, no matter what the porta! of entry may he, lead is acted upon by the body fluids and so converted that it may eventually be deposited with in the bones. Those bony safe deposit vaults may retain their lead contents for days or for years, and if the exposure is removed, may also free the employee of all signs C O H tJh 'S S symptoms of lead poisoning. Hut ::ie the surprise of that supposedly person when years later, perhaps eing some type of infectious disease excessive use sit alcoholic hrverhe awakes to find that lie suffers lies and pains and paralyses of an lend poisoning. As tfie liody lluids lead that it may he deposited, so those fluids attempt to de-lead the . and too rapid absorption may pro file original disease with all its disirts. can readily see, then, that in some investigation of previous occtipnis rpiite necessary to determine the ml contact with lead, ating of molten lead causes a black of lead suhvixide to form on its surattd the heat from tlie metal (Iiss the fine powder into the air. e. in tfie process of smelting ores as zinc, copper and stiver, mixed lead, wc find a rather high lead uiug rate. esc engaged in the manufacture of wire and cables, batteries, glass, y and rubber industries, plumbers sers of dry colors offer their share d poisoning. ^mbly the greatest source of lead ling may he found among those antipaper, scrape, chip or burn lead tor the dust and fumes caused by activities are ratlier rapid in tlieir Such workers may become intated in a few days because the cion of lead dust causes the tnaxiainount of absorption into the blood t in the minimum space of time. in III mium is a metal widely used as a .lion for colors, and dusts front its s salts may produce lesions of the id mucous membranes of the nose, ium plating by electrolysis may ftimes which are similarly irritatMthough chromium poisoning does ually cause death, the number of f absence from work on account tpacity which it causes is gradu- rcasiug. Metals most efficient portals of entry of I substances into the body are the nose and mouth. The smaller the dust tthe size of smoke particles for example! the greater the speed of absorption by tfie blood, humes from lint metals carry not only poisons but numerous minute dust particles. This explains the inca pacities occurring among those engaged in acetylene and electric cutting and welding. When men are so employed over a prolonged period of time, the constant inhalation of fumes and du-t might produce symptoms of the metal upon which they work. In the ship building trade, particularly in the con struction of metal ships, we find occa sional c a s c s of metal-fume fever. "I'rass chills" and "speller shakes" from zinc are names applied by the lay people to such diseases. The terrific heat ap plied to some of our common metals and alloys by acetylene torches produces suf ficient fumes to cause a temporary inca pacity in 24 hours. Permanent disability in such causes is rare, however. Diseases Due to Dust Twenty-five per cent of all workers exposed to high concentrations of inor ganic dust arc expected fco develop changes within their lungs due to that agency. We are at a loss to explain why the other seventy-five per cent are not so affected. Mining, ((Harrying, foundry w o r k , grinding, sandblasting, abrasive soap manufacturing, asbestos work, the mak ing of emery and carborundum products and many other occupations offer op portunities for employees to inhale mic roscopic dust particles and create a foun dation for possible future incapacity. W c arc interested particularly in those men who work with sandstone, quartz, flint, granite, and sand, because they ex pose themselves to silica, and the chem ical changes between that dust and the body fluids, in the presence of tubercu losis, may am! usually do cad to a fatal ending. It is safe to say, in light of our present knowledge, that the action of other in organic dusts is much less virulent and incapacitating. That, 'however, does not allow us to lower (lie vigilant methods to improve dust control and protect em ployees, because all dusty oceupalions arc- potential trouble makers. J Uccill'ithoilili .Jis111.U'S IJ. Although the actions of various dusts differ within the body, the exposure to asbestos fibres, present in the weaving and grinding of dry asbestos material, offers another type of dust which may cause fatalities among workers. The organic dusts from cotton, silk, wool, tobacco, tlour and similar sub stances are practically harmless. Such dusts rarely reach the lungs hut may cause irritation of the windpipe and larg er air tubes and result at the most in a mild bronchitis. The factor which should be borne in mind, particularly when dealing with silicosis and asbestoses, relates to the progression of such disease. When changes occur within the lungs as a re sult of the presence of sue1.-dusts, nature forms scar tissue to heal such lesions hut may fail to stop when the job is finished. As a result, the continuation of that heal ing process may lead to such structural changes within the lungs that partial or total incapacity may `follow months or years after the employee has been re moved from his dusty occupation. Benzoic-Benzene ltenzol is a distillate of coal tar used extensively in industry. It is an essen tial ingredient in the manufacture of ex plosives. It is an excellent solvent for grease, oils and cements, and because of that property it is important in many phases of the rubber and cleaning indus tries. In the manufacture of shoes ben zol may he an ingredient of the dressing applied to the leather and of the cement which fastens the heels and soles. Not only in the shoe trade but in other branches of industry where employees work with gummy, sticky material, the workers soon learn of the solvent and cleansing action of this liipiid and use it freely for that purpose upon themselves. The subsequent outbreak of skin af flictions may be the first indication of such unauthorized use. Benzol is extremely poisonous, enter ing either through the nose or mouth or absorbed through tile skin. Its action within the body is varied and may pro duce a multitude of signs and symptoms. The hone marrow becomes affected which in turn alters the character of the blood; hemorrhages arc common; it may cause death. The fumes from benzol are heavier lluifi air and lie near the Hour, which is an im portant point in the engineering prob lem of ventilation. The members of the benzene group are absorbed through the skin, and more eases of poisoning are found when men perspire than when their bodies are cool. I'robaldy the answer to that is that the fumes may solidify as they cool and the powder may settle on the skin. The sweat on the body may dissolve this Inst si) that it is more readily absorbed through the increased .surface blood supply. Chlorinated Hydrocarbons This group of petroleum derivatives has been known to science for years hut during the past decade its advance into the industrial field has been widely dis tributed and most important. I.ed by carbon tetrachloride and its chemically associated members, it has furnished in dustry with refrigerants for icc chests, excellent solvents for rubber, wax, oil and grease, thinners for lacquers and a very fine household necessity for. the re moval of spots from clothes. Hospitals have been using it more and more for the' removal of adhesive plaster. Due to the uou-ilamiuahility of car bon tetrachloride, it is used in fire ex tinguishers. The rain'd evaporation pro duces fumes which may smother a small blaze, but we must not forget that ex cessive heat of the actual fire may bring about combustion sufficient to produce such biproducts as hydrochloric acid and phosgene gas. Like its associated mem ber, chloroform, it may produce sleep when inhaled by an individual, and only 1/350 of an ounce in a quart of air is necessary to produce such action. That thought must he remembered when a large quantity of those liquid products is spilled on the Moor, perhaps accidentally. Action should be started at once before the liquid gasifies, and employees should he notified to keep their heads up to avoid the low ceiling o. gas. Chemists have developed and intro duced to industry many new products, the basis of which is the chlorinated hy drocarbons. These derivatives of petro- mi oiMiiiatiou arc frequently combined :it those from coal tar to form valua chemical combinations. They have :n placed on the market so rapidly it medical science has been unable to termine their physiological effect upon _ health of man. We have known that me of these chemicals arc capable of atitig changes in the liver, and only cully in a city in Massachusetts one these newer products caused the death two employees and a battle to retain : amoiii; two others. Carbon Monoxide Von remember the adage, "Where re is smoke, there is tire." We might I to that! "Where there is fire there is bon monoxide." This odorless but poisonous gas may ur in any industry or in any home, but poorer the ventilation the better the nice of producing physical incapacity. Since the advent of the motor car, lose exhaust pipe may pour forth as :h as of carbon monoxide, we arc exposed to that gas. particularly in wded cities. The ordinary passenget - liberates about two cubic feet per nute, and one can readily estimate the ysical damage that may he done if o a motor is allowed to run within the >rs of a poorly ventilated garage or >p. Fortunately, serious cases of such isoning are not common among those ployed in public garages, hilt many of s'- employees arc likely to complain headache and faintness at the end of a v's work, especially in colder weather cn doors and windows remain closed, n the steel industry, where gas is used the heating agency in the blast for es, care must be used to provide per ventilation. Within the mines, rkers arc warned to allow enough time <wing blasts for the escape of this ':ing a colorless, odorless and tastcs gas, quick of action within the hnr body, the manifestation of the very t symptom may he too late to save a rkinan from partial or total incapacity perhaps death. '.cc.ausc the exposed person suffers t from motor paralysis, he may be .hie to help himself or even to warn others of the danger. Even if removed from the poisonous gas at that period, the damage actually done by the gas may result in permanent physical damage. Infection The skin is a protective covering of the body against infection and is ex tremely efficient as long as it remains in tact. but allow it to be broken or punc tured, introduce bacteria, and a battle ensues between the offensive agencies of infection and the defensive (lowers of the body. The winning of such a struggle tuny determine the presence or absence of incapacity. Infections a r e common throughout industry. Imt two types arc particularly prominent -- infection result ing from anthrax and infection aiming meat packers and fishermen. Many of our fur, hair or wool-covered animals may contract anthrax. The germs of that disease defy the ordinary methods of sterilization and may linger on hides, bristles or hairs for long periods of time. Tanners, wool sorters, and hair or bristle workers may introduce the anthrax spore .beneath their skin and undergo imuii 'physical suffering and sometimes death. Infections are frequently found among meat and fish packers and those engaged in deep sea fishing. Although death rarely occurs, the loss of fingers, hands ami nasty septic wounds arc the result. Punctured wounds, cuts, abrasions, burns and scratches are potential avenues of entrance for bacteria which would seem to he waiting everywhere at all times for such a break in the skin. Early medical treatment might often save later surgical interference, not to mention the accompanying discomfort, incapacity and perhaps the loss of an essential body part. Summary I feel that the time has come when an employer must demand of a manufacturer the answers to two questions: 1. How will your product affect my business ? 2. How will your" product affect the health of my employees? That employer is entitled to honest answers based upon sufficient chemical and physiological examinations of the questionable product. That manufacturer should he held responsible for the ills produced by the use of liis product and unless lie can guarantee its safety, it has no place in industry. Too many lives have been lost or jeopardized by too little knowledge of a product's action upon those who handle it. The incidence of lost time due to ill ness and injury in industry has been greatly lessened by the many agencies working along lines of safety. When in dustry has been made fool-proof by substitution of non-toxic preparations those now found to be harmful, aid \v each employee is imbued with, tl'ie i that constant thoughtfulness and c.ire most 'necessary for the maintenance health and happiness, then, and not til that idealistic stage has been read may vigilance and perseverance to ma tain and preserve health, limb and he lessened. Pre-Employment Examination as an Aid to the Control of Industrial Diseases By DR. W. C. TEMPLER Medical Director, Corning Glass Works, Corning, N. Y. We may well ask whether or not phy sical examination is of any value to the world at large, rather than limit the dis cussion to the control of industrial di seases. In the conservation of life and health much progress has been made in the eradication or control of such diseases as occur in epidemic form, as well as that type of disease which is not truly epidemic, hut occurs in such frequency that general health programs arc neces sary. Much has been done to control such disabling illnesses as heart disease, arterio-sclerosis, kidney disease and dia betes; and something has been accom plished in the control of morbidity, which tends to, at least, make people happier through good health, even though an in creased span of life is not gained. Physical examination lias played a large role, in accomplishing these things, be cause it was through physical examination and physical observations that investiga tors were led to exert themselves to find a remedy for the cause of such condi tions. Small-pox is no longer prevalent, due to such observations, which led to its control by vaccination. Malaria and yellow fever have been brought largely under control, and knowledge is now available in the control of venereal di seases, if the proper physical examination and laboratory methods arc used to arrive at a diagnosis. Wc are all familiar with the results obtained in decreasing the death rate due to tuberculosis. In fa in the treatment of all cpidvmic-ty diseases that have so far been cradicati the examination of patients to determi the severity of symptoms and the h provement has been of foremost value. Knowing that the average span of 1 lias been increased eight years in the I; quarter century' and assuming that t above mentioned factors have bad sot: bearing on it, could wc decry the vah of physical examinations for the gener population ? If wc know that examinations made 1 insurance companies and their associatii examining institutions, the clinics run t the United States Public Health Servic and the great mass of physicians, who a carefully examine their clientele, ha\ been of value in the control of diseas may wc not assume that examinations I industry will help control the iticidcnc and extent of industrial disease, partici larly' when the life expectancy of it dustrial workers is less than that of th general population? In fact on April 14, 19.lt), at the Xa tional Conference on Silicosis and Simlla Dust Diseases, called by the Secretary o Labor, Dr. K. R. Sayers of the UniteStates Public Health Service said, "Pre liininary and periodic physical and n>c-iit genological examination should he madof all employees engaged in iudtistria processes where there is a potential i  ,, tuj t ty UHift't'SS actual exposure to excessive conccnioiis of silica in the atmosphere." ,'aturally in the early work of imlustry, y basic materials were useil, ingredients ! not arrived at a state of development ! complexity, when intricate chemical nponnds and other toxic materials were n known of, nine! less used. At the sent time over 500 materials are listed alt can. under certain conditions, cause f lri.'il disease and the list is by no ins complete, inasmuch as experimental rW is being done by the personnel of ctieally every plant or industry to imve or enlarge its manufactured products taking advantage of the great amount knowledge science has given ns. ndustriai examinations arc of two ds. l'irst, the pre-employment cxination, which consists of a very carehistory, not only of the family, Imt > of the previous occupations with tli of service in each, previous health 1 illnesses and present habits. Naturally I: a history is of no value unless truthy given and a reasonable amount of e must be taken to acqui... details, cli arc often vague in a workman's u| or considered by him to be uninit; nt. The physical examination, of tree, varies with the type of industry, ! should be given with the knowledge .vliat the man's exact occupation is to and hv a physician familiar with the .nstrial processes in which he is to be doyrd. In this way selected cmploy:it can be obtained lor men who have ie basic disqualification for one job, which does not impair their ability useful employment and the conserving health in another. :'c physical examination must he rough. It should include all methods determining a latent disability or one t is already present. Many exainma- forms arc available from insurance ipanics or other health .services, which e been designed entirely for industrial rk. It has been the experience of men rested in this work, that all the special ses of the body must be tested as well the measurement of motion in all joints. <. cardio-vascular system is of great lOrtancc as is the respiratory and tro-intestinal tract. {.examination and periodical checks, ausc of particular industrial hazards, must be correlated as to time spent in the hazard, although a period of one year is, perhaps, proper for persons who feel in good health and have no complaints, or who arc not working in toxic sub stances or with other materials which would under some conditions impair their health and usefulness. The objectives of pre-employment and post-employment examinations are the same, that is: the establishment of a physical standard in which the employee cart pursue his trade or labor, having no discomfort or ill effort due to industrial exposure to harmful products. Such products and materials arc, as we have mentioned, of great number and variety. Attempts have been made to classify workmen as to age, ses. color and na tionality. Whether or not any of t hes e classifications arc of value, it still remains that (he primary effort is to have healthy workmen and the benefit is of as great value to the workman as to the industry. The benefits of individual and community good health arc numerous and obvious; and the benefits of good health to industry arc equally important. The employee will he more productive, receive higher wages and he happier. The labor turn-over rate because of poor health will be lowered as will the costs of insurance. The working personnel will be more efficient and con tented. and will dislike to be exposed to the overt acts of people who are epileptic, insane or who disregard communicable disease, and will use their endeavors to work safely among hazards they have been taught to respect. The harmful exposure to each hazard is, of course, different, ranging from a few lays as, for example, ail acute poisoning from toxic gases, to that of 15 or 20 years in some of the less toxic dusts; therefore the period before re-examination for each class of employee will he dif ferent. However, individuals differ also and it is hard to state a definite period which may be satisfactory for each em ployee lit a single class of hazard. Super visors can often he of great value in send ing employees out for physical examina tion whenever there is a change in ap pearance or work ability, or when they have been off on account of some illness, such as those self-diagnosed as common cold, lagrippe, cough, sore throat or skin irritation. Such observations should he 1 U c a i/ u(uwai Uist <i >i .< ( considered, where there is not a full-time physician, aml they are of the greatc^t \ahie in the early determination of a susceptibility to or the beginning of an industrial disease. We are fortunate in having had a large amount of research work done on in dustrial diseases, until at the present time, materials from acetaldehyde to zinc are listed, together with the processes in which they are used and the symptoms which (hey cause, and an estimate of the amount of exposure in nearly every case necessary to produce symptoms. It is really not too much of a problem for an interested physician to accumulate a sup ply of such knowledge, particularly when he knows the processes involved durum the manufacturing procedure of his in dustry. It thus heroines relatively a routine matter of observation, together with examination for specific signs or symptoms at the. lime of the periodical re-examination, to obtain some decree of control of the hazard. We cannot discuss the benefits of preemployment examination and periodic re examination without mentioning some of the objections to it. If a man has a dis ability, he natura!|.v is anxious to keep it to himself, and iA some cases wc find that the workman is disinterested to a point that he would rather not know of a disability even though he has it. Cer tain social groups regard each man as entitled to employment whether he Is physically fit or not. on the assumption that industry hires labor, not health, and that rejection because of physical dis ability causes a class of artisans to become prejudiced against and become charity eases. It is also alleged that the rpiality of medical service in industry is such that the results of examinations arc mis leading and of no value. Another objec tion is voiced by labor unions, it being claimed that pre-employment examina tions arc used to discriminate against labor union workers or members. Many labor leaders realize, however, that preemployment examination and periodical cheek-tips are the only means of prevent ing disability from certain industrial hazards. Competent and honest medical service renders all these objections quite impotent; for if an endeavor is made to properly place employees, such a sma pcrrcnlngc is finally rejected, and tha percentage is so obviously tint>l to "' t) that no fair-minded person can fad see the justice of it. These objections, however, are brim noticed by legislative bodies, and in <>iu Stale a law is in force which sn\s: "I is hereby declared to he the policy o the legislature of this State, in enactin; this article, to prohibit through every law fill means available, any requirement as ; pre-requisite to employment which coni pels an applicant for employment in an; occupation coming within the purview o this .article to undergo a medical examina tioii." This statement is in a paragrapl labeled, *'I'revention ol Silicosis and Otlic Dust I)iseases." and the logic of it i: entirely non-undcrst.ind.ihle, even thong! at the present time there is no lawiu means available to enforce the state policy. If physical examinations are of heiicfu to the population at large, they certain!) must he to the industrial workers, win m.-iy he exposed to special hazards periodical check-up examinations arc necessary in any hazardous work or trade in order to protect the workers as well as the industry; and the benefits to the workers of proper and fair-minded ex aminations, in all ordinary cases, outweigh the objections. I have purposely omitted any reference to the economics of pre-employment and periodic re-examination. which apply either to the individual or the industry. However, one of the great public health problems of today is the question of the cost of medical care. If industry assumes some of this cost by periodical examina tion in connection with the prevention of industrial disease, it relieves the individual of this responsibility and allows more room in his budget for the care of his family. The benefits to industry, of course, are those of a better personnel and a lower rate of insurance. This rate, due to industrial disease hazards, is in many Slates very high and the logical conclu sion is that the real remedy lies in the prevention of industrial disease by any method, one of which, I believe, is pre- employmnet and periodical examinations. What Can the Engineer Do to Eliminate the Hazards of Occupational Diseases? By REUEL C. STRATTON Supervising Chemical Engineer, The Travelers Insurance Co., Hartford, Conn. If I were asked, "Can tlte engineer pre- White the problem confronting indi ent the majority of occupational disease vidual safety engineers varies according iscs" my answer would lie, "yes." Ob- to the industry, there arc certain funda iously, with the exception, of those mentals common to all such problems iseases brought about through a sudden which provide a workable basis upon r accidental contact with a poisonous which an occupational disease prevention .atcrial or a virulent disease-producing program may be developed. Once these rganism, if the exposure were controlled .fundamentals arc set in motion toward a y engineering technique, then there safe working environment, continuance is 'ould he no occupational disease. much the same whether tiic engineer is The engineer must rely upon the engaged with a large organization or with :edicnl director to place individuals a small one. The fundamentals follow this npalilc of working in hazardous occupa- sequence: ons and to assist him in controlling (1) An occupational disease inventory icsc individuals through periodic physical is required. ^animations when the men are exposed (2) A plan for correction of the ex occupational disease hazards; bnt the ' posures shown by the inventory requires uginccr alone is responsible for reducing development. .iteration of harmful substances and for (.1) A concentrated attack upon the :c control of employees' contact with . major exposures first, following through roccsscs using harmful materials. until all are corrected or eliminated. The ascribing of many and new occupa-. An inventory of all materials used in a inal diseases to industrial environment , plant will astound the average engineer. is produced a problem for him. The He will find many items about which he ngincer generally works with materials may have little or no knowledge. lie hich he can sec, but the study of in- may he confronted with items he had not txirial disease control may require the rccognizedprcviouslv, even though he lias ndling of invisible materials. It is a been associated with the plant perhaps nunon fault to locus attention upon one many years. When this inventory is com ijcct to such an extent that others of plete, he should card index it, placing inal importance may thereby be relc- against the name of the material the health >tcd to obscurity. Today safety en hazard associated with it both from a tice and industrial hygienists are con- material and a process viewpoint. Such iitrating their attention upon diseases a card index should contain the com iuscd hv the inhalation of dust, hut I ponent parts or constituency of com > not believe the safety engineer is war- pounds. .nfed in confining himself to the preven- . Process exposures should be studied in >n of diseases caused by dust alone. His conjunction with hazardous materials. nsideration should extend to include all Assistance in compiling such data may he atcrials produced in any manner that obtained in the bulletin "Occupation : 'y may cause an effect upon a worker, Hazards and Diagnostic Signs," prepared lie question of whether a material exists by Dublin and Vane of the Metropolitan . a gas, a vapor, or a dust is but 011c of I.ife Insurance Company, and in a publi rticle size and chemical make-up. cation of the United States Public Health He must not forget that many such Service, Public Health Bulletin No. 21(i, teases arc produced by exposure to "The Potential Problems of Industrial pors and gases as well as to dust, and Hygiene in a Typical Industrial Area in it the control of these industrial diseases the United States." ty be brought about by the application In addition the engineer should obtain ertain fundamental principles common all available information upon the ma I r.tl. terials he is required to study. New > O c c u : iitioihu Dt.si .(..o' chemicals, solutions, dusts, degreasing agents, condensation products, paints. lac quers. dyes, abrasives, and other products too numerous to mention arc being placed upon (be market daily, and the average engineer's knowledge of their possible effects upon health is slight. Academic research determining the effect of these new materials upon humans is progressing slowly, and serious injuries may he sus tained in industrial application long before the toxicologist is aide to determine the properties of the material and the maxi mum permissible amount to which a worker may he exposed. In seeking this information it is essential to determine in so far as possible the maximum per missible amount of contaminants which may exist in a work place without causing an occupational disease. Armed with this information, the en gineer is in a position to locate properly in his own plant the process and the operation in which the exposure may exist. The engineer should study together with the plant physician the length of employ ment of exposed individuals and they should jointly determine the normal ex pectancy or average length of employment for the specific exposure. From such data may he developed a factor of safety, and the maximum allowable period of em ployment in certain areas may be assigned. Naturally this study should he focused upon the more hazardous locations first, and when these arc corrected, attention turned toward minor conditions. Housing. One of the most important considerations in attempting to control oc cupational disease is housing. Whenever practical, any hazardous manufacturing process should he separately housed and isolated; every effort should be made to arrest harmful substances--dust, vapors, or gases--at their source of generation, buildings should be so constructed that accumulations of dust may be avoided. When physical separation of depart ments is required, such physical divisions should be dust or vapor tight. Floors should he tight to prevent transfer of materials to floors or departments below. The engineer should give study to the complete enclosure of machinery or process units as individual units and, if so required, vent each one separately. The transfer of hazardous operations into the open air docs not always, elimi the danger; in fact, it may increase number of workers affected. ' Process Revision. To reduce trahsj tation of materials and exposure to hn ful substances it is desirable to have processes mechanically rontimmus am', possible, enclosed. When this cannot accomplished, suitable physical divisi should he provided. The engineer she consider the substitution of wet proecs for dry processes, providing at the sa time for the disposal of the moist i lcctcil material in a safe place. lie sho consider the substitution of autotm operations for hazardous hand work machine work. A change of ahras material will often reduce the quantity dust produced. I can cite an example of how a lit thought can cure a hazardous niacli operation with little or no expense: A plant producing a finely pnlveri: material created large amounts of dust bagging the material, using porous sac This high concentration of dust, not ncc< sarily toxic, inconvenienced the worke The cost of ventilating the departnie would have hern prohibitive. P>y rare: study the engineer determined that t fall of the material into the sacks tore the air out through the interstices of f material, carrying with it a quantity the pulverized product. His problem, thi was to provide a means whereby this a could he harmlessly expelled from tl sack prior to filling. Study led him suggest and apply the use of a collapse paper hag which contained little or r free air. The problem was solved. Du generation was practically eliminated b this simple change. Many hazardo: processes in ordinary manufacturing open tions may be cured in like manner if th engineer exercises his ingenuity. Ventilation. Proper ventilation is r paramount importance in the control < any occupational exposure. Most of th chief occupational diseases other thai dermatitis arise through the inhalation o the ingestion of foreign material. If ven tilating equipment can reduce the enucen tration of rontamiuatirig materials to safe limit, the problem is solved. The en gineer should study each process sep arately and ventilate each separately. ! is seldom wise to rely upon general vet: Twenty-fifth National Safety Congress tilntion. Instead, high velocity ventilating apparatus should he installed, functioning as closely to the point of generation of the harmful substance as is possible. Individual machines should he so equipped if possible. Raffles may he in troduced to prevent air stream disturb ances or to increase the intake >.'f.cicncy at the nozzle. Down-draft systems should he preferred for the collection of dust or gases of high specific gravity. Even after the installation of exhaust systems, the engineer must study the _ type of maintenance required to keep them operating at peak efficiency. Noz zles should not be permitted to become covered nor moved out of proper posi tion. Exhaust piping must be kept dust tight. Blower efficiencies must be con stantly checked to insure that intake ve locities are proper. The best ventilating system is a false protection if it docs not function properly or if it is so poorly maintained that it falls below its designed rating. The engineer must exercise ex treme care to provide a clean source of replacement air for the work place. Me may find it necessary to install filtering and heating devices. The engineer must study the proper disposal of the collected or expelled material to be positive it will not drift hack into the work place. Employee Protection.. While the pri mary engineering means of protection against possible occupational diseases should he mechanical correction, the en gineer will find instances where even the best systems must he supplemented by individual protection. lie must cnrcinlly study such exposures to provide the high est efficiency of protection, yet obtain a device easy for the operator to wear con tinuously. When the engineer has been successful in obtaining such a device, he must educate workers to use it. Sanitation. Clean washing facilities and toilets should he provided. LuncE rooms should he not only clean hut also well lighted-and attractive and should he un der tlic supervision of the plant physician. Scientific Tests. Up to this point the engineer has deduced that an exposure exists, and from accumulated data has devised his means of prevention. How ever. the engineer interested in ascer taining not only exposure hut also effi ciency of control should realize control cannot be fully effective nor the efficiency of any protective device determined with out scientific tests. Assumption, guess work, unscientific procedure or apparatus have no dace in an engineering program. The engineer must test each step unless it has been previously proved, carefully cal culating in advance to avoid false protec tion. He must he familiar with dust counting, air sampling, and chemical analysis tech nique. having such determinations made by established and proper methods. If such tests arc beyond the scope of his ability or equipment and if the engineer considers such tests absolutely essential, then his executives should permit him to obtain experts qualified to make such sur veys as his problem may require. The need for an accurate engineering approach to any control measure cannot be over emphasized. Conclusion. Every engineer realizes control of any industrial disease expo sure is divided, part of such control fall ing within the jurisdiction of the indus trial physician and part within his own engineering province. Medical knowledge is invaluable in the detection of early symptoms and in the administration of suitable preventive treatment. The en gineer should gladly obtain the services of an industrial physician to make a study of the plant, to assist in the classi fication of the hazardous operations and working locations. By such coordination he will speed control of the exposure. Eacli individual occupational disease exposure must he studied, analyzed, and controlled individually. While genera! data may he available upon common ex posures, the solution can he found only in individual treatment. Such exposures cannot be compared to ordinary safety engineering efforts. A 'circular saw is a circular saw wherever it may be operat ing, hut industrial disease exposure varies within plants and certainly varies between different manufacturing establishments, even though . they may produce a like product or article. A D JO U R N M EN T T! Chai ircfj tifie*5 WTV acri<. cost* man that unit' V and into Ma\ fou j; gene of t da; safet sir*: 1 wiv re<|K acr: U< rea. lot*..nv \\ testtioion f belt ha\ It an*. .lent to 25 ecemly dc'-srplication hydro- 'tor tor Mer* Jnd. H*:. M.S.A. CornMutual Lab- . I-.*/", July -.Atinn to Air* Medical Corps, 'rateai Bulletin, - t Aircrait, S. er.on. lnstru* '*. lr>. 2*3*-$?. *vr and A la rm , H. \V. Frevert, -I Mines T P - t Monoxide in Francis. Imi. p. 226. 1934. M. Continuous tactory Mutual ort No. V757, Paul. L. C. .eau oi Mtnes ::table tor l>e- A. D. HcoVer, rs. Bureau o! - for Detectm c Ve* ami KxMines TP Mmxoxtde on 1\ M. Seibert, i Mines T J 'itritiK Mice and a :w) to Atno** J\ Vant, i \ A. it Berber, Hu- .-> ot a Utility and (. St. J. 109. 1931. Construction Section Officers 1935-36 General Chairman--W. A. S now, Associated General Contractors of America, Inc., 1329 "la" Street, N'. W,, Washington, D. C. Vice-Chairman fur Heavy Construction and Railroad Contractors--R. J. U f.ic fj.UTH, C. XV. Blakesice & Sons, 58 XVavcrly St., New Haven, Conn. Vice-Chairman for Highway Construction--F. I. Rowe, W. L. Johnson Construction Co., Hicksville, Ohio. . .... Vice-Chairman for U. S. Engineer Department--M ajor E lliott V andevanter. C. of E., Office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, D. C. Vice-Chairman for Building Construction--C hester W. W right, Wright & Kremcrs, Inc., Niagara Kalis, X". Y. Secretary--R obert M cK inley, General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corp., Detroit, Mich. News Letter Editor--G. O. G riffin. Dravo Corp., X7cvi!!e Island, Pittsburgh, Pa. Engineering Committee Chairman--K. X. Goldstine, San Francisco, Calif. Membership Committee Chairman--T homas Bentley, The A. Bentley & Sons Co., Toledo, Ohio. Poster Committee Chairman--R. A. S now. Carolina Power & Light Co., Raleigh, X. C. Program Comniitlec Chairman--V. P. A hear.v, National Sand & Grave! Assn.. Munscy Bldg.. .Washington. D. C. Publicity Committee Chairman--W. P. Conn, Editor. "The Constructor." Washington. D. C. Statistics Committee Chairman--C. II. Black, Stone & Webster Engineering Corp., Boston, Mass. Past General Chairmen-- XV. F. A ustin, Detroit. Mich. E. X'. (ioi.nsTiNE. San Francisco. Calif. J ohn R usski.e. J r.. Public Service Electric 8; Gas Co.. Newark, X. J. Officers Elected for 1936-37 Genera! Chairman--W. A. S now, Associated General Contractors ot America. Inc., Wash ington, D. C Vice-Chairman for Heavy Construction--R. J. Rkigki.utii, C. W. Blakcslcc & Sons, New Haven, Conn. Vice-Chairman for Highway Construction--F. I. Rowe, W. L. Johnson Construction Co., Hicksville, Ohio. Vice-Chairman for U. S. Engineer Department--M ajor E lliott Y andecanter, C. of E., Office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, D. C. I'iee-Chatrman for Building Construction--Chestf.r W. Wright, Wright fc Krcmcrs, Inc., Niagara Fulls. X. Y. Secretary--Robert McKinley, General Accident, Fire & Lite Assurance Corp., Detroit, Mich. .\2 ^ U'Cnty-fijlh X a tia im l .10 / ,'ty C <>>:;: es< S'nos Letter lu/itnr--G. O. fisirnx, Dravo Cori>., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, Pa. liiiiiween'iti) Committee Chairman-- Tuo\t AS Sort.r, Industrial Indemnity Exchange, San Francisco. Calif. Membership Committee Chairman--l-. J. Ckandki.i.. Liberty Mntnal Insurance G>., Poston, Mass. 'ester Committee Chnirimm--S. M. L.\t;i)Kiu>.\l.K, Civilian Conservation Corps, Washing ton, I). C. I'roi/r.im Committee Chnirimm--V. P. A iikarn, National Sand X: Gravel Assn., Washing ton, I). C. f'nhlieity Committee Chairman--W. P. C o n n , "The Constructor," Washington, I). C, S/alisties Committee Chairman--C. II. Bi..\ck, Stone & Wchslcr Engineering Corti., ltoston. Mass. Vast General Chairmen--- W. h\ Austin. W. E. Wood Co.. Detroit, Mich. Erx'.AR N. (>ouiSTink. Consulting Safety Kngineer, San Francisco, t,`alif. John Rcsskix, Jr.. Pithlic Service Electric & Gas Co., Newark, N. J. The first session was called to order by General Chairman Wcltou A. Snow, A s sociated General Contractors of America, Inc., Washington, D. C., who presided. outlining the activities of the past year and commending the work of the various committee chairmen. Addresses were given as follows: Construction Safety A in't Different By G. O. GRIFFIN Safety Director, Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa. The construction industry in 1935, out of JO major industries, ranked twentyseventh in accident frequency and twentyninth in severity; and the only excuse that was ever given is. "Well, we're dif ferent." \Yc aren't dilTerent! It's just an alihi. The cement, quarry and public utilities industries contain many hazards similar to those of the construction in dustry, yet each has a superior accident rate. The following table gives a percentage Type of Accident All t y p e s ................................................... Handling objects .................................... Falls to the sa.iic level........................... Falls to a different level........................ Machinery ............................................... Vehicles ................................................... Falling objects ....................................... Using hand tools............... . Stepping on or striking against objects Electricity, explosives, heat................... Harmful substances .............................. Other ....................................................... Per cent in Construction Industry 100.0 25.9 9.5 8.7 12.0 10.9 8.7 7.6 5.6 3.6 2.1 5.4 Per cent in All Industries 100.0 26.8 9.6 14.9 7.5 6.0 11.1 7.9 6.5 2.7 2.6 4.4 distribution of the cases (nearly nil com pensable) covereil in recent one-year re ports from Illinois, New Vork, Mary land, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These reports cover 2-1,661 injuries in all industries and -iO/iJO injuries among construction company employees. Is it not remarhahle how nearly equal these percentages are or most types of injuries? In only four instances does the difference in percentage exceed 1 per cent. The construction industry had 6 per cent more accidents due to. falls to a different level, and 2 per cent more due to falling objects, than the average for all industries: Construction worlc had -I per cent fewer accidents due to machin ery and 5 per cent fewer due to vehicles. It would appear, therefore, that the solution to the problem, the reduction of construction accidents, could be accom plished by the use of the same methods that other industries have used so suc cessfully. Actually, the best safety records known to the National Safety Council for con struction 'work were not, as one might expect, marie by contractors, but by the construction departments of an oil re finer. a manufacturer, and a public util ity. The Norco Refinery of Shell Petroleum Corporation holds the best rec ord with l.dd'k-l/'S man-hours operated without a disabling injury. iJul'ont's Penn's drove plant has a record nearly' as pood: and the construction depart ment of the Indianapolis Power & Light Company has the third best record. These outfits didn't have any tradition of "a man a floor" or "a death for so many hundred thousand dollars worth of work'' to live up to. They knew they weren't different; they just went ahead and did it. They had the safety programs of the parent corporation which were not built in particular for construction work, hut which apparently functioned very well. I have heard this same excuse in mv own company many times. P.vit last year we were rather fortunate in having one job haue. up a record of about 125,000 man-hours without a disabling injury. That's nothing to write home about, but it sure was a help when the boys on the other jobs began the old "We're different" story. Our company has several fields of op eration besides that of heavy coustructi; We build boats, operate a barge 'lie.-, and a sand and gravel company, Ik-mufabricating steel, installing machinery handling contractor's equipment. t ; types of accidents reported by these vn;. oils subsidiaries diffftcr very little. T-. boat or construction job, machine In or gravel yard - they all report falls, cm and other injuries in about the same nm portion. However, there are some qm> ones. One day last week vve bad a ma fall out of bis berth and crack a rib: a.ill the other case a spider hit the pilo Recently, oil one of the dam jobs a ma was hurt because he didn't mulerstan tlie foreman's order. The foreman ha just had all his teeth out. All hooks and theories on safety sa; that accident severity cannot he cot trolled. In general, I agree, but I fcthat it can he controlled to a greate ex tent on construction work than on inm other types. Most severe accidents i: construction can he attributed to certain types of occurrences which can hi guarded against fairly completely; b> this I mean prevention of long falls h> special types of sealfcddiiig and railing and the reduction in falling of mater!.. by the close inspection of mechanic equipment. To a very great extent, thili.as been done and the records show it. I am about, however, to suggest some thing which may lie quite coiitrovcrla. All rules for safety contests and so; poscdly all fair safety men insist that if temporarily injured employee is un.il/to return to a regularly established joi on the day following his injury, he shotilbe kept at home and recorded as a lost time accident. How the case is recorUe is of little interest to me. It is my contention that on coiistru' tion work you can improve your seven; rate and do everyone concerned a lav-by keeping the injured mail on the jo in thi wav. you can keep control oi hii and of bis injury, be sure lie receives ade quate treatment and reduce hi sulicriii. and loss of wages. It you don't do thiyon frequently lose control of the ca-entirely and have a simple seven-day '. jury turn into an expensive one with he disability. To get hack to our real subject, tl. program which, in my opinion, would in:. *, t i ix i i i ; - . - / ! / in .\a ln in u l S a j c l y i oiu/i tss V tcrially improve accident records in the construction industry is tliat which other industries have been using for so long. Briefly, a program based on adequate accident records, consistent inspection and maintenance of plant, a complete medical program and the principle of supervisory responsibility, cannot help but succeed. Dust Diseases As They Affect the Construction Industry By A. J. LANZA, M. D. Assistant Medical Director, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York City With a possible single exception, there is but one dust disease and one dust causing that disease with which the con struction industry is concerned. The disease is silicosis and the dust causing; it is dust containing free silica (SiOj). Duals containing silica in combined form have not been shown to cause disability or disease, with the exception oi asbes tos. which is a silicate. The outstanding facts with regard to silicosis have often been detailed and wilt lie only briefly summarized here. The dust must he in a tine state qf subdivi sion to reach the lungs. The particles which do the damage are less than ten microns in diameter. In this country, the amount of dust itt the air at any loca tion is determined by the standard meth od elaborated by the United States Bureau of Mines and the United States Public Health Service, using the impinger, the results being expressed in millions of particles pur cubic foot. In order to estimate the hazard, we must know the number of particles and the percentage of silica, because a dust con taining UM) per cent pure silica would lie more harmful than one containing 50 per cent silica. When we know the amount of dust-- in terms of averages--the amount of sil ica. and the extent of exposure, we are in a position to evaluate the seriousness of the hazard. We know that silicosis is a chronic disease, takfig usually years to develop, and as we sec it in American industries, causing little or no disability unless there is superimposed upon it an infection. This infection is most ot'ten tuberculosis, to which the individual with silica damaged lungs is very susceptible. The more severe the silica damage, the more apt tuberculosis is to develop. We do not as yet have permissible or safe standards of dustiness. There is such an extremely wide variation of in dustrial processes and environmental fac tors that any elaborate system of stand ards would he impracticable; hut a simple workable standard is highly desirable. There is a rough standard, which is based largely on the work of the I'uldic Health Service, of ten million particles of dust per cubic foot. This is a convenient tar get to shoot at when dust control meas ures arc undertaken in an industrial plant. That is not to say, however, that a threshold of ten million particles of a highly siliceous dust is safe. This stand ard was based on exposure to granite lust, containing about 35 per cent piire silica. The construction section of this Con gress embraces many types of industry and a multitude of processes. It is not practicable, therefore, to present a com plete scheme of all the hazards in the-e industries. We can, however, attain our object in a sufficiently satisfactory man ner by considering first, materials, and second, the processes in which these ma terials arc used. The construction indus try uses enormous amounts of certain well known materials. Lime, gypsum, cement, sand, occur to everyone's mind when you mention construction. Mane of these substances are used in processes which involve considerable amounts of lust, wherein lies the possibility of a health hazard. There is no silicosis without silica-- free silica. So right off, the manufac turer or industrial company has the first clear-cut index of the potential harmfulness of a dust which may he causing concern to him or his employees. Docs t onsh iwlloii .'u'Climi it contain free silica in appreciable amounts ? What is an appreciable amount? I>l>ahly in excess of 5 per cent. At least, that is well on the conservative sole. N'ou-siliciotis (lusts may lie a nuisance or an annoyance to employees or to neigh boring communities, hut they arc not concerned with silicosis. If the employer does not Inunv whether a dust to which his employees arc exposed contains silica --that is the first thin)' for him to deter mine. Should he find that the dust does contain free silica, in a determined per centage, then the next step is to ascer tain the amount of such dust present in the air where his employees work. We are frequently asked whether dust arising from gypsum, cement, lime, maride, talc, rock wool, mineral wool and many other substances, may cause silicosis. We say to the inquirer, "Von know the materials you are working, with. Do they contain free silica?" He may reply, "Mo," or "Only a trace." The conclusion then is obvious. There is no silicosis hazard. The type of process in which the dust is generated is of great practical import ance. It the process is conducted in a confined place, with poor ventilation, it is apparent that the hazard is much more dangerous than if it were in the open air, because in the confined place, the work man gets a much bigger dose of silica. Recently I saw some X-ray films of brick masons. These masons handled only fire bricks--made from a highly silicioiis material -- ami they were em ployed in lining kilns and furnaces. Their films showed well developed sili cosis. Their job consisted in breaking up the worn-out lining in furnaces and build ing new ones. They were continuously exposed to highly silieious dust in a very close, confined place. The same material could probably he handled in other types of construction work with little or no hazard. 'The mention of close and confined [ilaees brings to mind tunnels, about which there has recently been much agi tation. \\ itliout going into details con cerning this subject, the lesson to he learned is clear. The digging of a tun nel is not a permanent undertaking in any locality Imt the work should he safe guarded as in more permanently cstab- lislied industries. Where a tunnel as -b ing constructed in a h ig h lf' silicim rock, the dust hazard looms very Ur.: It is similar to hard rock mining an everything conspires to make the eoi Irol ol dust diftieult. It is interesting t note that tunnel work in various parts i the world has been followed by simila e.x p e r i t ' i i e e s . The report of the Itireelnr (ieneral i I'liblic flealtli for Mew South Wales > Australia, 19J4, details an inse-ligatio coueertiim' ventilation and sandstone dus present in the air of certain sewer tunnel in Sidney. Apparently there war. an ex cessive amount of silicosis and tubcrce losis among these tunnel workers. A report of the South African [nstitn; for Medical Research, April, I'Xia. detail a severe silicosis hazard among s c a r tunnel workers in South Africa. We are justified in concluding that tun nel work calls for extraordinary precan tions for safety and health with a super vision of the health of tunnel workers comparable to that followed in other in dustries. Grinding or pulverizing sand gravel, and other highly silieious materi als are processes that need very carcful control and supervision. The control of the dust hazard is an engineering problem and in the main de pends on an effort to entrap the dust at its point of origin by using water, or suction exhaust systems, or both. Otto the dust is in the air, reliance is place', upon further use of water, and on cli11. tion of the silica dust by increased ven tilation and on protecting the individual by a suitable mask or respirator. 'The United States Bureau of Mines now cer tifies respirators that are safe for silica dust. The use of respirators should Inrestricted to exposures which are inter mittent or temporary. Where ventilation equipment designed to remove dust from the air is installed its efficiency should he cheeked irom time to time by dust counts, using the stand ard impinger method. As with other protective devices, there is a l w a y s danger that this sort of apparatus becomes greatly impaired or useless because <u failure to maintain it properly. I mentioned an exception to the state ment that only free silica dust will pro duee disease of the lungs. This excep tion is asbesto-. a magnesium silicate. 246 Twenty-fifth National Safety Congress The inhalation of asbestos dust produces a condition of the lungs similar to sili cosis. The pathology is quite different and the appearance on X-ray films is distinct from silicosis. Asbestosis ap parently does not predispose to tubercu losis and in ibis country has not been shown to cause much disability, though a few deaths have been recorded. In the manufacture of construction material, as bestos is usually combined with other substances which, by reducing t h e amount of asbestos in the dust, tend to mitigate the hazard. A matter of great concern to the em ployer is what disposition to make ot eases of silicosis among his employees. If active tuberculosis is present, it is to the interest of the individual and his fel low workmen that lie he removed from bis occupation and given proper care. If infection is not present, there will be little or no disability and the employer should protect the individual from further ex posure through methods suitable to the situation involved. The important item to remember is the nature of the material and the process in which it is c nployed. Consideration of these two items will enable the employer to ascertain whether a silica hazard is present and to act accordingly. Again let me emphasize that where workmen arc exposed to a highly silicious dust in confined places, the situation is extreme ly serious and calls for energetic and comprehensive measures of control and continued medical supervision of the men. Dust samples should be taken frequently and the men should be examined fre quently so that serious disease will not occur. Physical Examinations of Construction Employees on Public Works Programs By L. M. DEARDORF Superintendent of Construction. W. L. Johnson Construction Company, Hicksville, O. ll" there ever was a time when em ployees on I'lilihc Works projects should he given physical examinations before per mitting their names on tile payroll, it is now. Any contractor who secures a Public Works project with the Highways, 1'WA. the Lb S. Engineers, or any of the other department of the Federal Government is required, as a part of the labor regula tions. to submit a requisition for his em ployees to the National Reemployment Service. The National Reemployment Service is dominated by the WJ'A or ganization to the extent that all semi skilled ami common labor arc furnished only from relief lists. In the majority of eases those unfortunate individuals who are still on relict are there only by reason of a mental or physical deficiency. They have done very little work during the past five or six years and are pretty thoroughly demoralized mentally: physi cally they have permitted their bodies to he run down about like an old paver that lias been standing alongside the road for a corresponding period of years. 1dir procedure in carrying out physical examinations for our employees is as fol lows: 'he contract having been award ed, am; the superintendent assignee! to the project, one of his first important preliminary instructions is to talk to the doctors in the vicinity of the project and explain to them the problem winch we face in securing competent xihysicallvahlc worKtnen. If the M. J). shows any sympathy in our problems and troubles.' we negotiate for mass examination of the employees. The price paid for the exam ination is from $1.00 to $2.50. The findings have been very interest ing on the various projects as the follow ing facts will testify. Twenty-fifth National Safety Congress to think, inability to draw a personal les son from the experience of others, overconfidence and a desire to make good on the job. These can only he overcome by careful and systematic handling on the part of the supervisor. His is the respon sibility of putting over to the worker the value and advantages resulting from a close observance of rigid safety inspec tions. Systematic Organized Safety Effort There should he little need to make a plea for more concerted action along this line. As safety men. we know how eas ily the small employer could be put out of business ns the result of even a few accident losses. The larger employer, as well, cannot afford to overlook the situa tion--his losses, through waste of time, money and materials, will seriously affect his profits and hold his company up to the public as a very inefficient organiza tion. The ever increasing cost of com pensation insurance will undoubtedly be a factor in forcing more consideration for well organized safety work. Personally, I emphasize the side of humanity above the dollar ami am satisfied from long ex perience that where humanity rules, the profits will he satisfactory. Where a real safety program is followed, without douht efficiency and economy of the highest or der will also prevail. The Present Status of Control of Dust and Fumes in Industry By l i . B. MELLER Managing Director, Air Hygiene Foundation of America, Inc.; Head, Air Pollution Investigation, Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, Pittsburgh, Pa. The problem divides itself naturally into medical, preventive engineering and legis lative phases, and includes consideration of the responsibilities of employer and employee to each other and ,to the public. h is axiomatic that, iu case of physical disorder, impairment of function or dis ability. the more thoroughly the cause and course of action are known, the more certainly can possible remedies be applied or preventive measures taken. in the diseases or affections under con sideration. there arc facts upon which pre ventive methods are based, and upon which further studies now in course or contemplated arc. at least in part, predi cated. During the development of the present state of knowledge of the influence of some air contaminants on health, natu rally many theories iverc advanced that later scientific work has modified or dis placed. However, not always has the correction been as widely and thoroughly disseminated as was the original theory; this condition, perhaps, has led to some confusion in the minds of many who have not followed, too closely the evolution of knowledge in this field. Clarification of Dusts There arc available different published classifications of dusts. Included in such classifications are dusts, the exposure to inhalation of which arc, or are likely to he, occupational. Those that are inher ently toxic when inhaled or otherwise ab sorbed and which cause systemic poison ing, include lead, arsenic, mercury, man ganese. Examples of dusts which have the ability to penetrate the deep lung tis sues and to be retained there ate ipiartz, flint, chert, asbestos, tale, coal, iron, day, slate, and other types of rock dust. Attention here will he centered upon this last group and upon pneumoconiosis, the general term used to designate lung conditions caused by dust. Silicosis, wl-.irh is caused by the inhalation of free silica, lias been prominent recently iu (he public press, sometimes iu a way that made mis understanding possible, if not probable Aside from silica, many of the insoluble mineral dusts may bring about slight changes in the lung tissues, which may lie demonstrated on the roentgenogram if there is silica in the dust that is inhaled As far as is known today, most of tlum arc relatively or entirely harmless. Metals Si'dion Ability of Dusts to Cause Injury It lias been established that the poten tiality of silicious dusts to cause lung 'damage is, with few exceptions, depend ent upon their content of free silica (SiO?). The development of silicosis de pends. therefore, upon the concentration of dust containing free silica in the air breathed. In other words, the total amount of free silica breathed and re tained seems to be the primary factor; the length of time necessary for a suffi cient accumulation is important, blit less so than the total load. Silica occurs also in chemical combina tion in silicates. Some of these com pounds have been proved to be relatively harmless to health, some are still in the realm of doubt, and one--asbestos--may cause the industrial disease called asbestosis, which is the result' of lung damage similar to, but not identical with nor as serious as, that produced by free silica. Importance of Particle Size. The size of dust particles in the air which an indi vidual may breathe is important. Not often are particles larger than 10 or 12 microns found in the deep lungs, except in the case of asbestos dust, where fibers as long as 200 microns have worked their way down lengthwise. Uncomplicated Silicosis. Silicosis, un complicated by an infection, is more of an impairment than a* disability. It is not seriously disabling until it reaches an ad vanced stage, and docs not of itself greatly shorten the life of a silicotic. Silico-Tubcrculosts. When a silicotic dies, the immediate cause of death is usu ally some type of intervening lung infec tion. It is not known just why the pres ence of silica in the lungs increases sus ceptibility to tuberculosis, but when an adult with silicosis is exposed to tuber culosis, an active infection may occur, re gardless of the previous state of health. It is thought probable that silica dust can reactivate healed tuberculous lung lesions of the adult type; how long after such lesions have healed the reactivation is possible is not certain. Exposure of silicotics to tuberculosis or of tuberculous individuals to silica dust is serious and should he avoided. Afkt silicosis lias become well estab lished hi the lungs, medical science has not found a way to arrest the progress of the silicotic process toward tlu; of disablement except throng*.*. ':'nit. preventing further exposure to dlic.i Nor has medical science found a m prevent tuberculosis from being imposed upon silicosis, except thn control of contact. The course of si tuberculosis is chronic and is very cult i_ Influence by treatment, accoo to phthisiologists. Medical Control. As a basis for ugent determination of the physical I': of a man for a job in a dusty *.physical examination, with stereo? roentgenograms of the chest, is neces Along with this study goes, natural), preparation of an occupational his' with detail as to the exact nature of pr ous work and of exposure to indu-dust--not a valueless recording of c pations as "laborer." "machinist," Dr. Sayers, of the U. S. Public He Service, lias developed a method of sr? ing information for a proper occi: tional history; among others, Cuur:ui of Saranac Laboratory, also lias wo' out a useful history blank. Standards have been developed for diagnosis of silicosis. There is ais suitable technic for taking rocnlge grams of the chest in order to bring the characteristic lung changes. From the considerable amount of \\ that has been done, it is possible to ; cast with a reasonable degree of a. racy the silicosis potentiality of var. dusts. Periodic physical examinations, tick ing roentgenograms, arc essential if plovers are to be enabled accurate!* learn the elTect of individual expo and intelligently to transfer affected v. men to lower dust concentrations he serious injury has been done, or to out a system of rotation where iudias desirable in order that exposure he intermittent. Such examination? helpful also in showing the ellieieu engineering control methods. The ability to [dace responsibilit;case of claim for injury is no small of the value of such initial and pc' examinations. Asbestosis. Clinical experience shown that the inhabit ton of a sultiamount of asbestos du-t causes a si" type of fibrosis, which is not accomps' ' j|.| ' . / .vri/v-/'/;'* A"'-' :nl A.//17 y l oinji css by an unduly high incidence of tubercu losis. Ollier dusts and silicate compounds so far studied produce, at most, only a mild non -progressive reaction in the lungs, providnl there is no significant amount of free silica in their composition. While not serious clinically, such conditions may give rise to considerable litigation. Aileipiatc statistics on morbidity ami mortality from occupational disease, to serve as a basis for effectively focussing the efforts to study and control dust dis eases of the hums, are non-existent. In concluding this section, the follow ing quotation from a court decision in Wisconsin is pertinent (Schaefer v. In dustrial Commission, 265 X. \V. .190 (Supreme Court, February, 19.16)): . . It will be necessary to distin guish carefully between medical or patho logical disability and actual physical in capacity to work. The medical experts apparently ignore this distinction, and so increase the difficulty of arriving at a just result under the law." Preventive Engineering It would uc needless repetition to dis cuss in a technical way the engineeringphases of dust control. All interested arc referred to "Industrial Dust," by Drinker and Hatch, which deals comprehensively with the subject; U. S. Bureau of Mines Information Circulars 68-10 and 6S-)S. by Harrington and Davenport, a review of literature on "Prevention of Dust Dis eases"; l 1. S. Public Health Service Hul lotin 217, bv Bloomfield and DallaValle, on "The Determination and Control of Industrial Dust"; Report 7.0 of the Amer ican Standards Association: and to the l T. S. Bureau of Mines for a list of ap proved protective devices. It may he said that, in general, the engineering specialist can and will devise the necessary equipment to meet the con ditions specified to him. But the setting of limits of permissible dust concentra tion is not his hut the physician's respon sibility. The engineer is concerned with keeping dustiness to or below the limits at present considered satisfactory. Methods of Determining Dust Some dusts (as lead) arc determined l>y chemical methods and the lonccntra- lions in air are recorded gravinictrically as milligrams per cubic meter. Others (as silica, where sire is a factor in de termining dangerous particles), are given bv count. Neither method gives the whole story, but in both cases it may he possible to secure the information neces sary for the purpose. In one of the reports referred to earlier, there occurs this statement: "There is no doubt in the mind of anyone familiar with the present dust-sampling and dustestimating methods that they will he amended and changed from time to lime. At the present writing we would advise the use of the simplest possible procedures where dust control alone is in question.. If one wishes to obtain values which can he compared with published data, it is generally necessary to copy with consid erable care the technic used in the origi nal ease. This is another way of admit ting the annoying fact that results by one method are usually not comparable to those obtained by another method." In another place, the report says: "It is very doubtful if any useful purpose is served by determining accurately ex tremely dense dust concentrations--the only excuse for such data is to show the skeptic that the workplace is much dustier than it should be. . . . "ft is probable that any sampling pro cedure which fixes concentrations in groups 100 per cent apart is sufficient and that the results of any attempts to come closer to the concentration at the moment of sampling are simply misleading. Tints ranges such as 0-5, 5-10. 10-20, 20-10, etc., suffice for dust control." As dust particles in tin- lungs are of the order of 1 micron, with rarely a particle over 10 microns, dust control for hygienic reasons should he aimed at parti cles in the size range found to have been breathed and retained. Again quoting: ", . . if one could avoid use of the dusts of 1 micron or less or exclude them from the dust which passes a 325-mesh screen, nearly all dust diseases would be elimi nated." Dust Elimination Obviously, it is better, when possible, to purchase equipment already supplied with exhaust hood, rather than to have to wort y to fit one to equipment not de signed to be hooded. Thus the responsi- Mt-iu'i., )/ hility for potential efficiency is upon tlic manufacturer. There is available comparatively little information upon which to base the scien tific (|esi|;n of hrnls. The Preventive Kuginrcring Committee of Air Hygiene t-ounilatioii inehules in its recent report a table of minimum air velocities to cap ture certain inihtstri;iI dusts (for use in granite cutting, grain elevators, paint spraying, sand pulverizing and electric welding). For [irotcctive equipment sttcli as dust respirators, air supplied masks, sand blast helmets, and goggles, very complete in formation is available, because of the work of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, the Bu reau of Standards, and the American Standards Association in preparing and issuing specifications to be met if the c'luipment is to be used under conditions where approval is necessary. Of riiurse. all agree that, where possi ble. dust should be controlled at the source, and protective equipment used where this action cannot he accomplished. Permissible Dustiness There are various figures that have heett and are being used as guides to permissi ble dustiness where free silica is present. It should he noted that many of the data were not determined as the medical re quirement. hut as being attainable in good practice and apparently satisfactory from a safety standpoint. In South Africa the figure is 1 milli gram per cubic meter (or 300 particles per cubic centimeter, or approximately 8.5 million per cubic foot). Dr. Lanza found in 1917 in the Joplin, Mo., district that, with good engineering practice, a figure of 1 milligram per 100 liters of air could be attained.'* The U. S. Public Health Service, in its study in flic anthracite region of Pennsyl vania, found that 50 million particles per cubic fool with 5 per cent quartz, in the coarse dust and 10 million particles per cubic foot with 35 per cent quartz were apparently satisfactory and often were attained. The figure of 10-20 million particles per cubic foot for granite dust with 35 per cent quartz content is often quoted from the Vermont granite studies of the U. S. Public Health Service. Some metal-mining companies hav. gone further, setting `the maximum , permissible dustiness at 5 million pirtiel per cubic foot. ( p ( mainly, there is a degree of air cleat: lit. ess that is .,afe, from the standpoint - conn-tit ration of harmful dust. But th- engineer may find himself in the positio of practically being forced to control an. dust, harmful or otherwise, if lie won! protect his employers against suiis common law and the possibility of aw::- of damages to men who have breath- dust containing little or no free silica, dusty workplace is difficult to defend i court. Wither courts nor compcnsatii. hoards, and certainly not juries, hav seemed to be greatly impressed with low silica dust count in an othcr.vi- dtisty atmosphere. Quoting from one of the report.-, is ferred to: "Mach state is a unit--a sovc: cign--and it handles its problems in own way. Uniformity is lacking, althom of course the statutes of many sttiU - :tr similar. The courts of the various st.m follow such precedents as appeal to thee consequently, on any important quest: there is likely to he a divergence of opi ion among the courts, and often :: courts fall into two or more groups, ear group 'following a different theory wit' respect to the same legal problem." Workmen's Compensation Acts Workmen's compensation acts ha been passed in -lf> states tall er.ee Arkansas and Mississippi) and the Di triet of Columbia. These acts arc con pulsory to private employers in I states and elective in 31 states. I-isnr ance to cover the risk is compulsory seven states. A state fund, out of which cotnpens tion is paid, is maintained in 18 st.-'-in two of thes.e the employer may. proving financial responsibility.- carry ! own risk with limited conti billion to : state fund for the expense of adinun-tr tion; in II more of this group of statthe employer is not required to av., himself of the privileges of the state inand may provide compensation o'iicrv.: In 28 states there is no provision for state compensation fund. Administration of the eompensati n a is vested in a commission, hoard, or sing Steam Railroad Meeting WEDNESDAY MORNING SESSION October 7, 1936 The Steam Railroad Meeting of the National Safety Congress was called to order by Chairman W. W. Wood, Superintendent of Safety and Welfare, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, Baltimore, Md., who presided, welcoming the delegates and introducing the speakers in turn. Safety in Construction and Maintenance From the Viewpoint of a Chief Engineer By C. H, PARIS Chief Engineer, Chicago & Illinois Midland Railway Co., Springfield, 111. Accident Bulletin No. 103 of the I. C. C. reports, table No. 55, shows casualties by classes of employees and other persons for non-train accidents. lror the 10-year period 192-1-1934 the casualty rate for the maintenance of way department was greater than the rate for all employees on duty, l'or example, in 1930. this casualty rate was 11.07 while for all employees it was 9.36. In 1934, for maintenance of way .employees it was 8.06 while for all employees it was 7.04. Iii 1930. 70 roads out of 162 had rates in the maintenance of way department below the average for their group. In 1934, 62 roads out of 158 were below the average. This means that less than onehalf of the roads have casualty ra^cs in the maintenance of way department bet ter than their rates for all employees. In 1930 the spread between the lowest and the highest rate for the maintenance of way department was from 0 to 77.92. In 1934 the spread was from 0 to 89.11. This shows lack of uniformity of results and it -is plain that the maintenance of way department "has a safety problem. Its casualty rate is too high and'this rate is too widely divergent as between the different carriers. Now what about the nature of the ac cidents that go to make up- the casualty rate? The four principal causes of injury arc: 1. Handling rail, tics, timber, etc. 2. Falls. 3. Using hand tools, jacks, etc. 4. Motor and hand car accidents. Why cannot employees handle rail, tics, timber, etc. safely? Is it because of im proper methods, improper tools and equipment, poor quality of men, too much haste without regard to safety, or what? The majority of injuries are to hands and feet. Take the handling, of creosotetreated tics for example. These ties may come loaded in flats, gondolas, box or stock cars, They are slippery if freshly treated, so this hazard is added to that of picking them up and throwing them out of the car. The elimination of injuries can only come through careful instruc tions as to exactly how the tics should be picked up, the assignment of the correct number of men, and their proper place ment so they will not foul one another. This is true not only of the men in the car but also those ou the ground.