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FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 1951 DOC#: NSC485 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NSC Presentation by Dr. Hamlin - Industrial Dusts, What Every Supervisor Should Know ) -P_ Ps T re e 'W lilo 'till' -!)K:rf 1931 1951 National Safe ty Congress (In d e x to Transactions o f all Sessions Officers, Trustees, and Boardof Directors........................ 5 Annual Council Meeting Minutes .................................................................................. 11 Sportsmanship in Safety ..................................................... 13 Address by Millard Caldwell....................... 17 Six Steps Ahead ................................................................. 20 Banquet Address by Robert Young .............................................. 27 Safety Exposition Exhibitors ...................................................31 NATIONAL SAFETY COUNr ` 425 N o . Michigan^ A v e n u e C h l c u ^ . I I , 11.  ) t UT \i- 1 M ;. v - f >. o o o .':1 i isfeSi-j,. .. M ^ ) ) ) ! I 55 Industrial Hygiene Industrial Dusts--What Every Supervisor Should Know By L. E. 1IA M U N . M.D. Medical Dir., Amcncan ttrnfce Shoe Company, Chicago IN. Most mmufacturiug procedures arc capa ble of generating varying nmmiutK ut dust which may be visible, invisible, dangooits or inert. It Is ifiereforc uni>ort;mt that these substances be properly classified in older to protect the health o i employees and pro vide safe environments In which (hey may carry on their daily occupations. Obviously (he supervisor should have some knowledge of industrial dusts since the responsibility for enforcing measmes in stituted for tlieir control usually falls upon Ids shoulders. Unless he has a good Idea of the actual risks confronting him, he will be at a disadvantage in securing cooperation from those under his direction. Ability to answer questions concerning plant intznrif in a convincing mancr 1$ a very important factor in any dust control program, and if the supervisor rattmri explain the m-vcs.xrly tif avoiding vx|Hsmc to toxic m alritals it* woikcr mule* his charge is very unlikely to pay nUoUioti to it. On the other hand, a brief explanation licit carries the ring of sincerity and truth can frequently correct unnecessary mistmdcrMamJing. For example, a capable young employee was worried about con tracting silicosis because he woilced in n plant where ;d limes there appeand to Ire considerable dust in the atmosphere, lie did not know that this dust was free from silica or other haimful ingredient, but his foreman did. Knowledge of his own dcjinrlinent enabled (he supervisor (o convince the workman (hat tint only \v:ii the dust h in t but aht> plans were under way for (he installation of new ventilating equipment which would remove (be pat deles that wctc already pres ent. The m:ui was salisficd and the com pany uas able lk M*t:uu the servlet- of a Ipmd einplnyei. W hat then arc some of the fundamental things a snpei visor should know about in- dusttiul d u sts7 Oust i* fmmrtf hv m incing earthy inaici inis to smalt slue. i*rwetwcs like grinding, em shiug, {dusting, and drilling produce dust parlivi*. o f slm fru the submicroscopic to the visible. Fumes arc formed from combustion. sub limation and cotajcusuliun. 11tose horn burning o r m elting lend or zinc arc typical examples. The size of the articles is gen erally below one micron. {A micron it l/25,0fXHli of :i inch.) Sumkc is usually of organic origin Hum such things as hurtling tobacco, wood, oil or coal. T he particle size *s usually below a half micron. Mists or fogs arc formed by condensation of water vapor and the particle or droplet sire varies widely. T he most im portant item 1 (he supo*vvan* is the n-nHyalb'o dial In* m ay !* deal lui with a ditvl u b id ran pu*dinv l**dU luwtn. His h ist cousidctalion should he #,J tow is (hr man limiseli allcctcd? ir the duct present hi sniltdcul amounts in the aii to be a source of danger? Docs it ex id h the pure stale or i.s it mixed with Othu dusts? W hat is (he actual count of particle* per cubic foot of air, and what pneentan of these is of respirable size (below If m iaous ami especially those below th u nderous? How long docs it take to dcvclot occupational disease of the lungs fru ex posure to dust?** All lids m ay appear to he outside ili scope of the supervisors activities miw a fter all bis /ni Is concerned p rim a:ily will pmdnclinn Ilowcvcr, nueU utditMtb**: plat* the t espunsi idlily for cai Tying out safe*: measures on fhc foreman ami it is appare that his depat (meni will suffer if these at fui( pioprrfy enforced. Safety th crrfm e i tiulrK p in antl(u*4 against uccnpalHMsd `b* v.v.i' a*: well as mviricnm ^v that sm nr kiun*. I edge of methiwU tur fi uni itaiigriun dust, I* 'lling t*Npim finuus m o(b 56 Industrial Safety haimful materials is a proper part of the supervisor's armament. U is not advocated that his duties be so expanded as to encroach upon the field of the industrial hygienist but it is reasonable and logical to suggest that he equip himself wiih the essential details concerning occui*;tt<jitnT risk* in the department lie manaffes. Tlits information can be readily obtained from his company medical de partment or through other agencies such as the Division of Public Health of state and federal governments. These bureaus, wel come inquiry of tlus type and their services are usually available without charge. Much confusion and misunderstanding exists about the capacity of various dusts arising from occupational procedures to cause physical disability. Exaggerated re ports amt misrepresentation by individuals unfamiliar with their specific properties have btcrimmaied certain materials known to he quite inactive and absolved others jum ru to possess harmful qualities. Expe rience accumulated through years of mlcn<5vc study and research indicates that (lie !**"( , minority of industrial dusts Iwvc little effect on health other than their nuisance value and contribution toward poor housekeeping. However, the fact that they arc unlikely to cause occupational desense should not he used as an excuse to do nothing about them, A good working environment demands that they be removed in spite of their in nocuous characteristics and the smart super i o r will do all he can to accomplish their elimination. The wide assortment of dusts met with in Industry makes their classification into '`harmful" and "inert" categories difficult. Those arising from organic sources such as animal and vegetable products as a rule do not cause serious harm but arc capable of producing local irritation like dermatitis or skin rashes, dental conditions, and in flammation of the eyes and the mucous incmhtanc lining of the upper air passages. The majority of harmful dusts encountered m mamdavlwmg processes are inorganic in character. The specific effect on health vatic. Chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and thru compounds produce local irritation as do the organic do* it they can also cause genetal uiioxtc&ti . present in sufficient amounts. The dusts or fumes derived from the heavy metals like lead, mercury, and manganese can be highly toxic and poisoning from these substances has been recognized for many years. Recently serious and even fatal illness has been found to occur from exposure to beryllium ami some of its compounds while another occupational condition known as "Shaver's Disease" has produced severe dam age to the lungs of workers exposed to fumes arising from the fusing of bauxite, the chief ore of aluminum, in (he manu fac- . lure of artificial abrasives. Generally speaking, the particle size which is most dangerous is in the range of one-half to three microns in diameter. Particles larger titan these seldom resell the alveoli or terminal air saces of the lungs since they are filtered out by the "alia" or natural protective mechanism of the nose, throat, and large bronchi. There is also good evl- i deuce that particles below one-half micron in size may be retained in the lungs in suffi cient quantities to result in disease. T ins means that die visible dust m a working place may not be as dangerous as the par ticles which are not seen hy the naked eye. Industrial hygienists emphasize this and also point out that although the amount of visible dust in the atmosphere in (lie vicinity of a` certain job appears great, it docs not necessarily mem that llie workman is in haling significant quantities of harmful par ticles. The exposure may be mlcnmltcnt and of brief duration, or the air at the breathing level of die employee may be sufficiently d ear that no undue risk U in volved, W ith tiic exception of hcryffitiiu and hiiuxilc few of the aforementioned dusts cause damage to hmg tissue and, as ex plained previously, not every person so exposed docs develop occupational disease. A t the present time it is generally agreed that the most important sources of Indus trial disease of the lungs arc free or uucombined silica and asbestos. Silica or Silicon dioxide which makes up approxi mately (iO per cent of the rnrks aml inincnils of Ihc cut til's crust, is the specific cause of the ailment affecting the lungs of workers in dusty trades, known ;is silicosis. It is very important to recognize the fact that tins widely known condition cannot be acquired from any materia! other than ) ) fiic/it tfrtal 0003 ?:>! S7 free silica and also that it happens only when panicles smaller than leu inictons hi size of this mineral have been inhaled over long periods of time, such as from two to 25 years with an average of lea years. The tenn " Free silica" usually menus quartz of which there arc many varieties. There aic also other forms of free silica. The scarring or fibrosis of the Imigs which results from the action of tmeomhined silica casts characteristic nodular shadows in the chest ruenigciioKrnuts of those af fected. Frequently this is the only way die disease can he delected as it causes no symptoms hi die early, uncomplicated stage. Other dusts may produce x-ray patterns which are difficult to differentiate from sili cosis and some imreiated illnesses may re semble it closely. The x-ray picture ob served after (he mhulalhui uf imn oxide particles among some welders and grinders shows densities which arc all too often mistaken for tho*c seen in silicosis. Since this condition (sidcrosis) is harmless, flic implications of such misdiagnosis arc ob vious. Uiifamilinrily w hh industrial discass-s of the lungs by those charged w ith evaluating them properly has resulted in mployocs Fc- comiug needlessly alarmed, fprstaking their jobs ;tnd fnrfeilm f; sernorily while* inriiwirv has bed wnikmrtt amt piuUtetbu. It unjust claims fm divnbih tt I n ^ ^ .^ J a tid n of this srt iha snitcrvfst^ with the rest since. ULs dfr fiaSW&Fl i5 1>oiuid to he'affected by lljei* conditions. T o attem pt to tell the supervisor ah h should know Unit the extensive subject o otriitxtriu! du*fs is an impnsdbh* a^sigmm-in Siillive it in say that ibe m ore he team about them through Ins own volition, dt heller his qualifications for his j<>h will hi T hrough such rulerprisv he will enter a nev field of endeavor and discover a fasr.iunfm experience which will pay dividends both t himself and Ids company. T he complexity of problems which cut front the director of any departm ent t today's exacting requirements presents formidable challenge to bis resources, sm ilK allng will) tin* winking m an's immu able' hr.istciif*e on a belter place to wrt flcmoitstralcx lliat a knowledge of imkislri: hygiene may writ hr a most im portant fa* u in life efficient disrh.'o g<: of bis duln-s. T he best trcalmcut of any dixerwi: a s sn ntrd with industry is Jtl In l*t it hupp `til ttiv Cirsl place. T he prnblt-m Is (<t rir noers rather titan physicians, but. ivu-irdlc >{ Itic one on whom the burden fails, ll btial outcome depends upon lint m U-tod ai IrHiiirurv td Ibe n;n who munaiv"*- a tl |mi Innni, Occupationcd Dermatitis; Teamwork in Engineerin' and M edical Control Hy W AUT15R F. S C ItO f/I Z Supvr., Industrial Hygiene, AiHx-Clifihncrs Mfj;. Co., Went Allis, Wi;;. W e flave accepted the challenge th at occu pational dermatitis presents to industrial medicine, ami accordingly it can be stated that with p n q x r erne and iutmxivt* educa tional progiauK. occupational dermatiti:: am he cheeked and {real savings eftcclcd. Tlunuj;} the ut<nitnlim :md m.tttitrun'u e ut vi !il 111{ infatui wm Linen i.in be ptn- tcctcd against d iim alitis pioduem g oils, chemicals, etc. The ideal contini incasm cs wilt pi nicel um bilici! all :ih*n;*. the Utir - from the unundacUtung o f the h.c.i: m alerials to the completed fabricated part. M odem industry fockxy ij: becom ing so t'ngsm'unl n f the. h'-nelif of good prvvti`i measures that Ihty aie ul only iriyim i the w o rk e r alone, hul m e seeking the {: Woll.' ill i'V{My n n r COll'VI :ivd. Sino* die puf n f Hie pudding \ < in t viti-;, I wtiiihf like lo tate w hat h:*> 1mu' lluouph a wu i*uh aO 1 jj`*M"un c n up.iliiMi.d In lit i( lit-. rotui-d and I'* linn u hit It 'Ip ltd in l`M.t :l ibe V\ < -I ut'ib'i 'd Mir cuiupatie. *1 lii< in n .n f *: Jl1*r.nti ! k ii-MllUl m a 7 I pa n oi c ic a le ;md a min* tin ' `n IUd I* .1/ the umnhrr of cwn'. Slum m .n if" <i f e xposui c