Document pBmvXZ5qXdX0BkBRgg42DDNja

INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE MEETS THE VETERAN INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE Talk given by W. J. McConnell at the Fourth Postgraduate Course in Industrial Medicine at the Long Island College of Medicine, Brooklyn, N. Y. on January 15, 1946- . 2683 JL MSDICINg BSffifa THB TETERil mssm^msm W. J, ItoOonnell, B* O* Assistant Hedioal Diractor Setropollten Life Insurance Company Industrial hygiene may ba defined as that branoh of the medical, nursing, chemical, and engineering adenoaa which la concerned with the study of the affeote of environmental oonditlona in industry upon the health of Industrial workers, and with measures for el,lainsting or controlling the oanaee and thus preventing or modify- lag tiie effects* A wsll planned and conducted industrial hygiene program helpe industrial aanege- neat to carry on the company* * business without damage to the health of the working force and alma at rendering industrial life healthy* safe, and efficient. It results in better employerisnployoc relations, sad in the prevention of occupational illnesses through proper control ever the industrial environment* Sot appraising the plant snvirenneatal factors injurious to health, it is nsosssszy to determine the extent of the average industrial exposure resulting froa the ram materials used, fron the aanufsuturing processes giving rise to toxic gases* fumes, and dusts, and txon the intermediate and finished products formed daring 'each phase of the operation*. Much progress has bean, eads during the past twenty-five years in the development of nee methods sod ae^tools for determining industrial exposures* The development is 1982 of the Oreeuburg-Snith Impingsr gave us for the first time a standard laatramant for the collection of dusts* The underlying principle of > , this device is hassd on impingement and vetting of the dust particles by drawing a$r through a tube at high velocity against a glass plate immersed in an absorption median* - 2684 -'1 2 ' The dost partiales are trapped In the liquid. The Soltad States Puhllo Health Sarrioa established psrmiswibla Units of dustiness on the basis of the results obtained with this device la correlation with nedieal studies. A smaller instrument, known as the midget iapinger, which la identical in principle with the impinger was developed in 1936 by the 7. S Bureau of Mines,and has certain advantages as wall as disadvantages over the standard instrument. Improve ments have been made also in aioroprojactor methods for counting and measuring the sise of dost particles. A filter paper method for obtaining dust concentrations has been suggested ' recently by 0. 2. Brown of the 0. S. Bureau of Minos. It differs from the impinger method mainly in that the dost is removed from the air by drawing the air, with a hand operated pug?, through a special lintless, high-wet-atrsngth, hardened filter paper* The dust is removed from the filter, paper by shaking in a dust-free liquid. Counting is done by the sans procedure used for lsqdnger sample*. Basalts ooaparahle to those of the implnger are obtained. A number of direct-reading Instruments haws been designed to determine whether a health or fire hazard exists in confined spaoes where flammable vaper or solvent mix ture* may oolleot. Combustible gas detectors and indloators are available for adequately 'determining vapor-air mixtures for exploalbillty. An estimate of concentrations of total solvent mixtures in the atmosphere of an industrial environment oaa be made by a gas interferometer. A portable type is available for field work. A variety of methods and dsriess have been developed for the detection and measurement of oarbon monoxide gas in the atmosphere. Some of the Instrtowasta available are designed to continuously indicate oarbon monoxide concentrations in air. Another very useful instrument for field work is the vapor detector which is primarily designed to indicate norouryMrapor concentrations. It cam alio bo used te 2685 .3 -' * indicate other vapor*, such as banana and pyridine, uhlch absorb ultraviolet light* The estimation is made photoelectrically and gives a direot reading of the serous? vapor concentration in tbs air* With the Indnatrialapplioatian of roentgen rays and radium, a number of devices bars been perfected for recording stray radiations In work areas* Similar advancement has been made In the development and application of appropriate control aeasuree for harmful industrial exposures. The choice of the measure used depends upon the oircumetances giving rise to the hazard In each individual process* Usually a combination of measures must be employed to Insure success* In general* preventive measures include the substitution of hazeless or less harmful substances for harmful ones# tha segregation or isolation of processes which produce contamination} analosure of processes or sources of oomtemlnatlonj local exhaust ventilation and inoraased general ventilation} vet methods for dry) protective respiratory devices} good housekeeping, shop education} and medical supervision. The-determinations made from time to time of safe concentrations for various toxic atmospheric contaminants, and the publication of the results,ly tha imerioam Standards Association and other organisations, serve as a useful golds in evaluating <rr the-adequacy o^ ^ meed for/additional control measures. "V, The frequent published listing of all respiratory protective devices that have obtained offioial oartifieatiam of approval, from the U. S. Bureau of Hines aids in the selection of equipment thick has passed the teste for safety, practicability, and efficiency reqaiid jt Hesearch woxfc, both in the laboratory and la the industrial plants, have bean a continuous source of ns* information for evaluating and controlling industrial health hazards* She practical application of nev methods and nsv tools depends largely, however, upon the training and axpertanoe of thoso *faq, use then* The rapidity at vfaioh k> the field of industrial hygiene had expanded during reont year* hee practically ex* hanated the sober of arallahle trained personnel required for industrial hygiene rrork The need for paraesmel ia great and the opportunities are many. 2686 aBm.mCT mm w mm V. J. IcOotmell, M* 0. Assistant Ketiioal I&roatcr Ketropolitan Lifs Inaursnoe Oaapaay --1 Industrial faygiaaa nay ba dafln*^ as that braaoh of the sadlaal, nursing, abacioal, end ogineariag aoUneas whiah la aanammmd with the study of the ffota of cxrlrouuatal oonditiona in industry upoa tha health of industrial workers, sad with measures for eliminating or ooatrolling tha cansee sad thus prorating or modify* lag tha offsets* A soli plaanad cad osodaotad indoatrial hygiene program helps industrial linage* nenl to carry on tha oocp*ny*o business without daoage to tha haalth of tha working feroa and also atradorjng industrial Ufa haaltty* safe, and efficient. It results in batter employer saployeo relations, and la tha praratloa of occupational illaaaaaa throogh propar osotrol evar tha ladoatrial covtramat* Zn appraising tha plant nwironaaotal factors injurious to haalth, it la nacaacary to datamiaa tha axtaot af tha average industrial aaepaoura raaultlng free tha raw watariala used, fwu tha manufacturing processes giving rlaa to toxic gases, fuaes, sad duata, sad Ikon tha lataroadiata and fislahad products foraed daring each phaaa of tha opcntiai* Much pragma baa bean aada daring tha past traWive years in tha developaent of naa aathoda and now tools for deterolaing industrial exposures* Tha davwlopMot la 1922 af tha Oraasburg^Snlth laplngar gave ua for tha first tioa a standard laatnaaut for tha oallaatian of dns&c.* Tha underlying prinolpla af this device la baaed on laptngsaont and watting of tha dost particles tgr drawing air 1 through a tab# at high velocity against a glass plat* inaaraed in an absorption sadiast, aes? 2 ' fosdust partiols* arc trsppsd 1b tha liquid* Bib foiled Stales Public Health Service established psmissible Units of dustiness on the basis of the result* obtained with this device la correlation with aedloal studies* 2 aaallar inatruasnt, known &o the aldget iepingcr, which la identical la principle with the iapingsr was developed la 1936 hf the 9. 3. Buroea of lines,and ha* certain advantages as well as disadvantages over tha standard inatruaant. Ieprovoeents haws bees nade also In aicroprojactor natheds for oountlag and eossurlag tba aIsa of dost partlelss* A f11tar pamper eathod for obtaining dost concentrations has boon suggested Jrecently tgr 9* 2* Brown of the 0* 8* Bureau of Mines* It differs from tba inplager eathod aalnly In that tha duet is raoowed from tba air Iqr drewlag the air, with a hand operated pafPt through a special Untie*#, hlghnwat-atrangth, hardened filter paper* foe duet is renewed froo the filter, paper by nbshjng in e dust-free liquid* Coonting la done by the hh procedure used for tapingar saapiso* Basalts aomavetaie to the*# of <* * the iepinger are obtained*. A nunbar of Olreet-rsadlng inatronante bare been derlgned to dstemlne whathar a health or fire hazard aniata in oonflnad epacoe where fTauaahla vapor or solvent six* taros nay selloot* doebustlble gas detector# and Indicators ere available for adequately dsteraining vapor-air matures far exploslbility* An satinets of concentrations of total solvent nlxfeuras in the ateesphsre of an industrial eariroueant eea be nade tqr a g&s intarferoeeter* A perlable type is available for field week* variety of Methods and devices have bans developed for the deteotion and Aa- sa^suraneat of sasbon nonooide gae In the ataospbsre* Sons of the instnauats available are designed to continuously indicate carbon acpowide concentration# in air* Another very useful Instrunaot for field weifc is the vapor detector whisk is prlasrUy designed to ladioste m*roary*apQr oanosntrntions* Zb can also be uaad to 2688 isdleate ether rapera* aaeh a* tonsaoe and pyridine, *hioh absorb ultraviolet light* The estiastiee i node pfeobse&eetneelly end glee* * dlreot reading of toe eeroury vapor aonaontrettae ilk toe air With the todoetrttl application af roeotga* ray* estd rediaa, a sg&bwr of devteae tore bean perfeetad fa# recording stray radiations to tok omi. Sf.atl.ng adaeaoacaot fcae been sade to the devclepaoab end eppUsetiaa of appropriate control Swansea fad harsttol ixuJootriel esgxMurae The aboiee of the aeesure used dreads, opan the airmnste&eee giving rise to the baser* to each individual prorata* Usually a wMmtlai of nwnn* mat to seplojrod to insure aaoeeae* to gaoermlp preventive --wee inetade the cutatitutioa of torelees or leae harofol eubetaaoee for toreful meet tto segregatlm or 1Mistier of pneeese* *fcteb prodoee oeniasdnatifflej aeoleasre of prosocee* or eoareee of owtatottot loesl ,exhaust ventilation end iaersaeed general veatUsttoaf vat eettods for dry* protective reepiretory deviant good bmetopia{} stop sdwttotf sad ssdleal asparvitisa, Tto dotwotoatlnaa made free ttoo to ttoo of aafe eonoeBtratisne for various toxto stawajA^rlo contaelaaate* tad too puhlloatioe of toe reaulte,hy tto toerlesa Standards toaoUtlM and otter oqpaiwUA^i Mm a# a useful goto* to eaelaatlag ? ^ toe ede<swwy o^ a meed t*rf additional ocstrel mwmi The frequent pddidM Ultlat of ail mptotoqr proteetire deviate tost tore obtained offtoUi sertifleatlaa of afpswei twm toe 9* f Bureau of Macs e&de to toe aaleetlan ef ajtotod vhloh toe paeeed tto'taat* tor safety prutioibtUi/i and effieianur raptott Beeeareb ti both to tte laboratory and to toe industrial plant** tore base e oontimMoa source ef a infsmttM tor eeaZaettog ead saatrailing industrial besltt tosavde* ihe preotieal appUeatZan ef me* aettede ead nt teefta depeinds totgeift bmmtmr* open tte tratotag tad arwperlseee of tooee to we toes* Tto rapidity et afelafc 4 2609