Document qzzVoLDjGmzDKnMOzeqE1ZaK

FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 1953 Feb DOC#: NSC025 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NSC - National Safety News - Industrial Health Abstracts of Current Literature on Industrial Hygiene, Medicine & Nursing Temporary Deafness Temporary Changes in Acuity of the Human Ear Following Exposure to In tense Noise, by John B, Gallagher and john E. Goodwin. The AMA Archives cf Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Medicine 6:332-338 (October 1952). T h e r e h a s b e e n a number of investigations of the effects of exposure of the human ear to in tense noise for comparatively short periods and the investigators are generally agreed that it produces e. temporary hearing loss which may be moderate to marked but with a gradual complete recovery to normal acuity. It is also gen erally agreed that the loss in acuity is in the higher frequencies, particularly in the region of 4,000 to 6,000 cycles per second. Two of the investigators have suggested that there is a relation ship between the temporary deaf ness which can be produced ex perimentally and the permanent deafness which may result from long-time exposure to noise of high intensity. These have been only suggestions and such relation ship has not yet been definitely established. In this investigation a number of individuals were exposed for short times to approximately 115 decibels of a noise with approxi mately even intensity from 25 to 7,500 cycles per second. The experimental subjects pre sumably had normal hearing. They were tested with a pure tone audiometer before the experiment started and used in the experiment only if they had no threshold more than 15 decibels below normal at any frequency or more than 10 decibels below normal at more than one frequency. A total of 47 individuals ranging from- 18 to 30 years of age were subjected to the intense noises in one or both ears. There was a small group each of whom had one normal ear and one ear showing early or minor abnormality and which consequently could be tested, in only one ear. After an exposure of 10 minutes to the noise, the hearing acuity of each individual was tested at 2,048; 4,096 and 8,192 cycles per second as rapidly as possible. The pre-exposure level of acuity was always attained for the lowest frequency within 30 minutes after exposure and within the same 30 minutes the acuity was practically up to normal at the two higher frequencies. Loss of hearing from the noise exposure was greatest at 4,096 cycles per second in most instances but in some was more severe at 8,192 cycles per second. The losses were generally repro ducible within about 5 decibels on any given individual. The hearing losses at 4,096 cycles per second were such that the test group could be readily divided into three distinct sub groups. Thelargest of the three groups was those whose ears showed relatively low susceptibil ity to noise and who, in this series of experiments, did not show any greater initial hearing loss than 17 decibels. Auswb THE The second group were those whose ears were highly suscep tible to noise at this frequency and who showed hearing losses of 22 to 40 decibels with a mean of 32% decibels. The third group, with the pre-existing slight hear ing loss in one ear, showed the same results in the other ear as did the more susceptible group of _ those with normal acuity in both ears. This group of experimental subjects is small for drawing any very general conclusions, but it is of interest that all of the indi viduals who showed a minor loss in one ear had previously been exposed tc? excessive noise. Those with the more susceptible but normal ears had never been ex posed to high noise levels before the experiments. The results are sufficiently suggestive to justify the further investigation of the possibility that measurement of the temporary loss produced by a short exposure to high frequency noise may give an index to the permanent loss which will be pro duced by chronic exposure. Pneum oconiosis Pneumoconiosis Due to Diatomaceous Earth, Clinical and X-Ray Aspects, by Reginald H. Smart and Walter M. Anderson. Industrial Medicine and Surgery, 21:509-518 (November, 1952). Disabling human pneumoconi osis due to work in diatomaceous earth or kieselguhr was reported by Legge and Rosencrantz in 1932. Among 118 workers ex amined in a California diatoma ceous earth plant they found 68.5 per cent with pneumoconiosis due -- To page 103 PLAINTIFF'S t .EXHIBIT Wa/Jono/ Safety Wows, F ebruary, 1953 p.9t r i a l H e a ltlr :Frvrn page 64 vHO\v yo; am. Yoi which men canili a progn ^ a5 uniat and yqj o steadily1] self in fo ist as Ioni out decei spot." ' the" : decision slant ina erse lidie oundexin| ic thing~S sense TB'a ng closeljy icb f a s f Five of these cases were ^fldva ced sufficiently th a t they recommended a change of job and onc individual was recommended for hospital care. Reports of pneumoconiosis in Huronean w o rk m en have de scribed typical nodular silicosis in sonic instances, but this diatoma- earth is heavily contam inate! with silica which probably accotnts for this nodular lesion. Jj, ore Italian report the individut is who developed pneumoconictis were e n g a g e d in the fc. manufacture of silica filter candles t i n th e course of which manufacItnre the diatomaceous earth was ^ h e a te d until it was changed to I'cristc balite and tridymite, both of Btvhicit are considerably more toxic tin tissue than is ordinary crystal- Stine M.iica. S-'.-.-In the -diatomaceous earth in-dustry on the West Coast where these studies were carried on, the diatomaceous earth is relatively free from admixture with crystal line silica. Also, the crude ma-teria is not in a state to produce -very large amounts of dust so that gjpneuaoconiosis cases are not very ' common in the quarries or mines. SEE PAGE 11 In the plants, the crude powder is dried, ground.and air classified arid some grades are- calcined or flux-calcined and again milled and fair classified before packing. This -drying and milling of the material -.-lead; to the production of eonsidyerab.y more dust than is seen in lithe cuarries. ' TI ese authors have clinically jhtJ examined the employees of six Pa"w cific Coast plants and have also carried on some animal experimenlation and obtained autopsies on 2j workers employed in indus try, of whom four died of diatoma. ceon, earth pneumoconiosis. The reaction of the lungs to diatc maceous earth is quite differ ent from the reaction to crystal line silica in that these cases have all shown diffuse thickening of the iung tissue, particularly in the area around the blood vessels. These thickened areas tend to coalesce and break down and then ALUMINUM DIAMOND PLATE DECK PLATFORM Platform as shown may be used as a 6, 16, 22 or 28-ft. swing stage, Platform consists of two 6-ft. and one 16-ft. sections. Can be used as a swing stage, single stirrup or basket. Air or electric operated. 2 1 0 0 N . A lbin a A vo . n i'e.ttafic] w/ Safety Wow*, February, 1953 103 - vL* X I !j fa! n f . R' BEab; i:!.: w, f I;1 , fill ' |H i - If i<Wl1' fA' % ilJ, '- '' Ms i.tfmr'* irJf't. i-.'lv. r " - : . . PROTECTION WH is DOCKSON GOGGLES BE SAFE against sparks, dust particles, chemical splash and f ;mes, glare and injurious rays with DOCKSON GOGGLES in more than 20 models and a full line of modern lenses for all hazards. to form scar tissue. There is also enlargement and formation of scar tissue in the lymph nodes in the lungs. On the X-rays these conditions show as exaggeration of the linear marks in the lungs and generalized mottling of the lung fields which has been referred to as reticulation or "orange peel" appearance. In the more advanced disease the coalescent lesions appear as large opacities in the X-ray picture and are usually followed by contrac tion of the lung tissue and by de velopment of cavities in the lung tissue. The disease has been observed to progress for as long as three years after the exposure was terminated. The appearance of the coales cent shadows in the X-ray pictures does not necessarily indicate infec tion with tuberculosis. Several of the individuals who have shown this effect gave no tests for tuber culosis in life and showed no sign of tuberculose infection at nec ropsy. The individuals with the pneumoconiosis who did have tuberculosis seemed to show a relatively slow progress of the dis ease until cavitation occurred after which the patient's course was generally down hill in spite of any treatment. The diatomite deposits are of two kinds. The diatomite which has been deposited from fresh water lakes appears to be consider ably less toxic to human tissue than is the diatomite deposited from sea water. Most of the individuals who showed pulmonary lesions have been in the industry for 15 to 25 years, although there are a few ex ceptional individuals who devel oped massive pneumoconiosis in two to three years. Silicosis Some Problems in Roentgen Diagnosis of Silicosis, by Eugene P. Pender grass. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 150:1178-1179 (No vember 22, 1952). The X-ray aspects of silicosis n have been studied and the criteria for proper diagnosis are very well EE COMFOR I ABLE with smooths tting DOCKSON GOGGLES. By.cess w eight is engineered out. EE ECONOMICAL, get longer Lse from DOCKSON GOGGLES. 'BUILT FOR BETTER SERVICE'S ? DUNKING STATIONS! During the past 7 years, hundreds of plants have discovered SIPCO "Dunking Stations" are the "all time" solution to their plant smoking problems. Built for hard industrial use--and abuse! Cigarets, cigars, matches extinguished immediately--no smoldering--no fire hazard. Unit No. 1--Heavy cast aluminum canister, attrac tive metal sign, upright and heavy weighted base for use on floors, aisles, etc. Unit No. 2--Same as Unit No. 1, except without upright and base. Easily mounted on walls, columns and posts. Unit No. 3--(Not illustrated) Canister alone, with mounting bracket. Send TODAY for new illustrated folder which gives complete detaifs. ` HERE IS A DOCKSON DISTRIBUTOR NEAR YOU -- Let us send you his name and our complete catalog of DOCKSON HEAD AND EYE PROTECTION. M akeshifts wan'f da the job-- D u n k in g Stations w ill! STANDARD INDUSTRIAL P R O D U C T S Depf. A . 116 So. Garfield Avenue I U*f National Safety Nows, Fehruary}p in igno-_ nier-, ican :, (No- :S3s" ena well " own fs a number of physicians, mit is generally conceded in this P*country that the roentgen examnation is the best method of demonstrating the p a th o lo g ic a l changes produced by silicosis. It p not customary to diagnose sili- ^s jr the absence of positive y.rav evidence. At the same time ,|K.re are certain difficulties of persona observation and certain ifidiciilbes of recognition of le- f;,in, in the X-ray. In spite of the p-noral impression that lesions of two to hree millimeters in diam eter am regularly recorded on the X- ay, three instances are cited of various lesions one to five centime ers in diameter which have been m issed on repeated i f ,XX --rraa yy ee canainations. i i TT hh eerree- is also the difficulty of r ' I m i f d ia g aosis w here there are y | p e le ; mall massive silicotic lei f t e l i m n s v ith o th e r n o d u la tio n s w h ic h < o not show7 in the X-ray p i c tu r e . T hese eases can be : J l d ia g n o s :d as carcinoma of the Iffy -lu n g aj d such cases have been seen in which the;;silicotic nodule has been recovered at operation. PendergTass has also made the observation that larg e silicotic lesions will migrate toward the hilum area of the lungs on con tinued repeated observations. This will explain atypical distribution of some of these lesions. 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