Document oMkkeY48rjnKM1dgYvrwkN9ND

Contents'for NOVEMBER. 19,36 Prrfii<lcnl*6 Address--Cassius H. Watson. ftl.D............................II Rules for the Game of Life--Hon. Harold G. Hoffman........... 13 flioning Safety for Tomorrow's Railroads--Ralph Butld..............14 ye* Jersey Salutes Safety--Carman T. Fish......................................16 Officers of the National Safety. Council, 1936-37 ............................. 20 potion Study Is Safety's Partner--R. Mullee.....................22 {Detroit's Drive for Safer Driving--C. F. Scheer............................... 25 [/*s Handling Means Fewer Injuries--P. H. Hunter....................... 27 gard at the Congress............................................................................. 30 i Hunting We Will Go.!........................................................................32 tlcuer Known Facts About Occupational Diseases-- I Robert B. Hunt, M.D..........................................................................34 Jerrosilicon--Industrial Data Sheet D-Chenu 20.............................. 38 W You See It at the Exhibit?--C. H. Miller....................................52 Trophy Winners in Sectional Contests................................................58 Sectional Officers.................................................................................................................62 REGULAR DEPARTMENTS ditoria.l ........................................... 9 Managing Director'# Page ... 10 fte Safety Exchange......................31 *i<utrial Health..............................34 `^e Bulletin Board..........................40 Instruction Cards..................48 The Safety Library..........................64 Asked and Answered......................66 Personals ............................................73 Coming Events..................................77 The Honor Roll................................89 With the Manufacturer..................90 **AN T. FISH. Editor * KERSHAW. Potter Editor C F. SCHEER, Associate Editor C. H. MILLER. Advertising Manager IIM b Nillontl 8fw rvnctt. ln u- * A. U t*tTVfwl-rU* toattrr L*'*i,- J- U,- Pf** , Oue*. tu.. ' MBhm t'-r trtri lubwripUens i i*** W "AEUrT NEW* u tt.bd par Tear. S4n*lr auantitp pnm lor rrartr iuh- tcnpdoai w1 clad# "(** a Muftt. SuNeriptMn, <r lltbt* oat7 t* Mbni f lb* Nttlenal 8Iu Caaiiell UtaMT Audit KBu1nu^ci CUU>(uMUllloaC.uMrtAt AtO lad,, SdtMMott and aplnloea >dTane*rl in autoed articlt* r* ldl<tdu>l waaalani t< tlwir tuihnr,. ont (Iiom M ti.. Naitoaal 8*fu Council IS.TOO rnplra n( (k(a laaur urrr prltltd. National Safety Council Inc yn W.-t-- ------ n e a National Safety Council Officers, 1936-37 Cassius H. Watson. M. D. President 1). II. Fennel. Vice-President for Pub. Me Relations Hast F_ Fishes. M, D-, Vice-President for Health John B. Gisson, Vice-President for Safety Councils Hon. H<nu G. Hoteman, Vice-Presi dent for Public Safety Ataarr S. Recola. Vice-President for Engineering A. V. RoKwsnt*. Vice-President for In dustrial Safety R. T. SoccNSTDf, Vk* President for Membership ALtaar W. Whitney. Vice-President for Education William E. \Vom. Vice-President for Finsnee and Treasurer W. H. CaMebon. Managing Director r. Executive Committee Members et Large The Asort Omens anb: Hasoui S. BtTTTKNHOM. The American City HaMY G oilseat, The Pullman Co. and Surety Co. Hamy GvtLuSt, The Pullman Co. Wiluax C. Knoelx. Milwaukee Safety Commission Ebwaeo J. Mehux, Portland c*mat Assn. I. W. MiUAae. Industrial Gloves Corp- Haaolo L. Mints. . L duPont de Ne mours Co. Gaoacc E. Sanforb, General Electric Co. C. W. Smith. Standard Oil Co. (Ind.) S g Safety Council Representatives Robert R. Wallace. Worcester SafetyCouncil Walter Dent Smith. Delaware Safety Council Gaol L. Smith, Cleveland Safety Council E. 3. 0*BattN. J** Louisville Safety Council R. B. FosTtnu. Lehigh Valley Safet> Council \V, J. Melville. Chippewa County Safety Council l r l Sectional Representatives CEnact J. Aoami, Paper and Pulp : C M. Allan, Metals C. \V. Hemeest. Food C. \V. Glass. Minina E. C. Holbsn. Jr.. Marine Harry J. Kelley. Wood Products n. I. Rote*. ASSE-Englneeioa Past Preside ormt W. Cameo*ll aw R. Palmer MARLES P. TOI.MAN nOAINTIFF^ -r^exmrr rthvr H. Yot-nn Isaeva A. Dow ?&AB 63 | kwis A. OiRlois ARL R. AVEL karus It. Scott ! .'alter G. Kino t.-Cou Henry a. Rknincw . Eocene Pettironk ari. W. Heacoi'isT IMM I. Hanash tllM P Honorary Members OfiatOT W. CAMABCLL urw R P-NSC-33 Qndu&biiaL f O-^XUV'-- Apartment for Physicians and Laymen Lesser Known Facts About Occupational Diseases By ROBERT B. HUNT, M.D. America* Mutual Llabllltu Intunnce Comp-sag ROBABLY the leader in the pa the discomfort now produced by in P rade of Industrial diseases is an acute or chronic inflammation of dustrial dermatitis. the skin which we call dermatitis. TMhisetafs disease may present itself in any type of shop, factory or foundry. Any paste, powder, gas or liquid which comes in contact with the employee'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. Lead: 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 does a good job except in the case of tetraethyl lead, which is used in The wide diversity of causes, to gether with the varying susceptibility of different individuals, makes the problem of control difficult. Much investigation is under way to determine why one person may be sus ceptible to a certain substance while an other is not. It has bees proved many times that a poisonous substance formed within the body has been able to prolong the action started by some external in fluence. A printer developed a marked dermatitis from ink which persisted for blending gasoline and which is readily absorbed through the skin, having a tendency to create changes in the nerv ous system. The effect of other forms of lead, through that avenue of entrance, is practically nil, which explains the ex tremely low poisoning rate in typeset ters, 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 whit the porta! of entry may be, lead is acted two years. Finally food tests were made and showed that he was susceptible to lettuce. Removing this from his diet cleared the skin. He returned to his usuaL_<%ccupsilon without a -return oi symptoms. upon by the body fluids and so con verted that it may eventually be de posited within the bones. Those bony safe deposit vaults may retain their lead contents for days or for years, and if the exposure is removed, The poisoning of allergic substances may also free the employee of all signs is usually an accumulative process. It and symptoms of lead poisoning. But takes time to produce a manifestation of imagine the surprise of that supposedly disease, but let any other substance cured person when years later, perhaps cause the disease, and the irritating food following some type of infectious disease may be of sufficient strength to mag or the excessive use of alcoholic bever nify its action. ages, he awakes to find that he suffers All cases of dermatitis cannot be the aches and pains and paralyses of an cured by -eliminating offending foods, acute lead poisoning. As the body fluids but further investigation along these alter lead that it may be deposited, so lines may give us a due with which to may those fluids attempt to de-lead the lessen the loss of time from work and hrtdv. nrvl too r.inid .ihcnrnfion mi>' nrn. duce the original disease with all its dis comforts. One can readily see, then, that in some cases investigation of previous occupa tions is quite necessary to determine the original contact with lead. Heating of molten lead causes a black scum-of lead suboxide to form on its surface, and the heat from the metal disburses the fine powder into the air. Hence, in the process of smelting ores such as zinc, copper and silver, mixed with lead, we find a rather high lead poisoning rate. Those engaged in the manufacture oi lead wire and cables, batteries, glass, pottery and rubber industries, plumber* and users of dry colors offer their share of lead poisoning cases. Probably the greatest source of lead poisoning may be found among those who sandpaper, scrape, chip or burn lead paint, for the dust and fumes caused by those activities are rather rapid in their action. Such workers may become in capacitated in a few days because the inhalation of lead dust causes the maxi mum amount of absorption into the blood stream in the minimum space of time. Chromium: Chromium is a metal widely used as a foundation for colors, and dusts from its various salts may produce lesions of the skm and mucous membranes of the nose. Chromium plat ing by electrolysis may cause fumes which are similarly irritating. Although ^ chromium poisoning does' not "'Usually cause death, the number of days of ab sence from work on account of mcapacity which it causes is gradual;- ,n' creasing. Other Metals: The most effcim1 portals of entry of foreign substance* into the body are the nose and inul The smaller the dust {the size of smo.i particles for example, the greater 1 * speed of absorption by the blood. Fum from hot metals carry not only P01*'' but numerous minute dust part''-** t-l:_ *___i.:___.l._ - ...........enf-- electric cutting and welding. mind, particularly when dealing with the industrial field has been widely (|is. When men are so employed over a silicosis and asbestosis, relates to the tributed and most important. Led bv prolonged period of time, the constant progression of such disease. When carbon tetrachloride and its chemicaliv inhalation of fumes and dust might pro changes occur within the lungs as a re associated members, it has furnished in", duce symptoms of the metal upon which sult of the presence of such dusts, nature dustry with refrigerants, excellent sol they work. In the shipbuilding trade, forms scar tissue to heal such lesions vents for rubber, wax, oil and grease particularly in the construction of metal but may fail to stop when the job is thtnners for lacquers and a very fine ships, we find occasional cases of metal- finished. As a result, the continuation household necessity for the removal of fume fever. "Brass chills" and "spelter of that healing process may lead to such spots from clothes. Hospitals have been shakes" from zinc are names applied by structural changes within the lungs that using it more and more for the removal the lay people to-such diseases. The ter partial or -total incapacity may follow of. adhesive plaster... rific heat applied to some of our com months or years after the employee has Due to the non-flammability of car- mon metals and alloys by acetylene been removed from his dusty occupa bon tetrachloride, it is used in fire ex torches produces sufficient fumes to tion. tinguishers. The rapid evaporation pro cause a temporary incapacity in 24 hours. Permanent disability from such Benzol-Benzene duces fumes which may smother a small blaze, but we must not forget that ex causes is rare, however. Diseases Due to Dust Twenty-five per cent of all workers exposed to high concentrations of inor ganic dust are expected to develop changes within their lungs due to that agency. We are at a loss to explain why the other 75 per cent are not so affected. Mining, quarrying, foundry work, 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 foundation for possible future inca pacity. We are interested particularly In those men who work with sandstone, quartz, flint, granite, and sand, because they expose themselves to silica, and the chemical changes between that dust and the body fluids, in the presence of tuber culosis, may and usually do lead 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 the vigilant methods Benzol is a distillate of coal tar used extensively in industry. It is an essentrial ingredient in the manufacture of explosives. 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 be 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 liquid and use it freely for that purpose upon them selves. The subsequent outbreak of skin afflictions may be the first indication of such unauthorized use. Benzol is extremely poisonous, enter ing either through the nose or mouth or absorbed through the skin. Its action within the body is varied and may pro duce a multitude of signs and symptoms. The bone marrow becomes affected which in turn alters the character of the blood; hemorrhages are common; it may cause death. The fumes from benzol are heavier than air and lie near the floor, which is an important point in the engineering cessive heat of the actual fire may bring about combustion sufficient to produce such by-products as hydrochloric acid and phosgene gas . Like its associated member, choloroform, 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 be remembered when a large quantity of those liquid products is spilled on the floor, perhaps accidentally. Action should be started at once before the liquid gasifies, and employes should be notified to keep their heads up to avoid the low ceiling of 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 leum distillation are frequently combined with those from coal tar to form valua ble chemical combinations. They have been placed on tbe market so rapidly that medical science has been unable to determine their physiological effect upon the health of man. We have known that some of these chemicals are capable of creating changes in the liver, and <>r,iy recently in a city in Massachusetts one of these newer products caused the death of two employees and a battle to retain life among two others. to improve dust control and protect em problem of ventilation. ployees, because all dusty occupations The members of the benzene group Carbon Monoxide arevoWTuial trouble makers.*" 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 ^naycause fatalities among workers. l^ie organic dusts from cotton, silk, wool, tobacco, flour and similar sub stances are practically harmless. Such are absorbed through the skin, and more cases of poisoning are found when men perspire than when their bodies are cool. Probably 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 dust so that it is more readily absorbed through the increased surface blood supply. You remember the-adage.*1 "When*--* there is smoke, there is fire." Wc might add to that, "Where there is fire there '* carbon monoxide." This odorless but poisonous gas ma> occur in any industry or in tiny home but the poorer the ventilation the better the chance of producing physical capacity. Since tbe advent of the motor c-r dusts rarely reach the lungs but may cause irritation of the windpipe and Chlorinated Hydrocarbons whose exhaust pipe may pour forth_^ high as six per cent of carbon innn<'v larger air tubes and result at the most in This group of petroleum derivatives trie, we are all exposed to that gas. r-,f' a mM hrnnrtiitre h:i> been knmvn to science for ve.nrs but ticularly in crowded cities. The u/ passenger car liucruiu* uuuui cubic feet per minute, and one can readily estimate the physical damage that may be done if such a motor is ' Ferrosilicon allowed to run within the doors of a poorly ven'JIated garage or shop. For a.. , I tunately, serious cases of such poison ing are not common among those em Industrial Data Sheet D-Chem. 20 ; ployed in public garages, but many em ployes are likely to complain of head ache and faintness at the end of a day's work, especially in colder weather when doors and windows remain closed. In the steel industry, where gas is used as the heating agency in the blast furnaces, care must be taken to provide proper ventilation. Within the mines, workers are warned to allow enough A. Problem 1. What are the hazards of ferrosilicon and what precautions are necessary in its use? B. Hazards 2. The principal hazard is that of poisoning by inhalation of the gases that ized by general and abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hemor rhages, loss- of consciousness, dilated pupils, cold clammy perspiration and coma. Cases of poisoning have been mistaken for cholera, gastro-enteritis. ptomaine poisoning, pneumonia and influenza. time following blasts for the escape of may be given off, especially in the First Aid this gas. presence of moisture. 6. When a person displays any Infection C. Discussion symptoms of poisoning because of the inhalation of the poisonous gases lib The skin is a protective covering of the body against infection and is ex tremely efficient as long as it remain in tact, but allowing it to be broken or punc tured introduces bacteria, and a battle ensues between the offensive agencies of infection and the defensive powers of the body. The winner of such a struggle may determine the presence or absence of incapacity. Infections are common throughout industry, but two types are particularly prominent--infection re sulting from anthrax and infection among 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 much 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 and nasty septic wounds are the result. 'Summary * ~ I feel that the time has come when an employer must demand of a manufac turer the answers to two questions: 1. How wilt your product affect my hn\i- ness? 2. How will your product affect the health of ray employees? That employer is entitled to honest answers based upon sufficient chemical and physiological examinations of the questionable product. Too many lives have been lost or jeopardized by too little knowledge of a product's action 3. Ferrosilicon is prepared by melting iron ore or steel shavings with coal or coke and ganister or quartz at a temper ature of about 2,000 degrees centigrade (3,632 degrees Fahrenheit) in an elec tric furnace. In making steel, ferrosili con is used for removing objectionable gases and oxides and also as an alloying element. When alloyed with cast iron, it affects the carbides and renders the iron soft and gray. More concentrated silicon alloys are sometimes used in cer tain processes for making hydrogen gas and in the manufacture of explosives. .4 The hazard in connection with fer- rosilicon results from very small percent ages of phosphorus together with other elements which may be present as im purities originating in the raw materials used. In the presence of moisture the phosphorus compounds react to form phosphoreted hydrogen or phosphine. This is a gas which in sufficient quanti ties is decidedly poisonous. It has a strong and distinctive odor somewhat re sembling garlic so that its presence can be readily recognized. The stability of ferrosilicon depends upon its silicon con tent, grades below 4$ percent and above 65 percent being entirely stable and ferrosilicon in these ranges does not give off any appreciable quantities of phosphine, even in the presence of moisture. It is, therefore, only in the intermediate range between 48 percent and 65 percent that there is any appre ciable hazard. Symptom* of Poisoning 5. When a person has breathed poison ous gases -liberated from ferrosilicon. the symptoms of poisoning usually de velop quite 'Oiddenly and are character erated by ferrosilicon, be should be promptly removed to the fresh air and. if conscious, be given a mild alkali drink. If unconscious, the prone pressure method of artificial respiration should be started immediately after the patient has been removed to the fresh air. In all cases of poisoning the services of a doctor should be promptly obtained. Precaution* 7. Ferrosilicon should be stored away from such places as offices and work rooms or living quarters of any descrip tion. 8. All buildings in which ferrosilicon is stored should be well ventilated and dry. (See Note X.) Ordinarily, in an open factory building the natural venti lation through monitors in the roof or through windows is sufficient if the ferrosilicon is kept dry. 9. If men are required to handle wet ferrosilicon in a confined space, artificial ventilation should be provided. 20. In case phosphine has been al lowed to accumulate in a closely con fined space such as a closed room or boacar, so that a strong odor of the gas noticeable, no one, unless he is wearing a suitable gas mask ~or "fresh air hozr mask, should be allowed to enter the room until it has been thoroughly vrn"lated. (See Note Y.) .VOTE X. Detailed Information on *nl>; tlon will he found In National Safety Couno' Safe Practices Pamphlet No. 3? **ladustr>*' Ventilation." NOTE Y. Detailed Information oo fresh >' hose masks wilt be found In National $***;, Council Safe Practices Psmphtct No. -Besnlratnrs. ties Mask*. Hose Mask' *n* Urralhln* Apparatus.'* National Safety Council, Inc. 20 North Wecter Drive Chicago, III.