Document rQzGL03215ae8J0G6eJKaLbG

Vol. 8, No. 2 February 1948 SPNY 000313 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE NEWSLETTER Volume 8 February 1948 Number 2 Issued monthly by Industrial Htoiene Division m"---- NJTTt/ WASHINGTON 2S, D. 0. FEDERAL SECURITY AGENCY U. S. Public Health Service Editorial Board J. G. Townsend J. J. Bloomfield W. M. Gafafer Managing Editor Catherine W. Beauchamp State Editors Arkansas--Wm. A. McQuary California---Herbert K. Abrams Los Angeles County--Paul G. Brown Los Angeles City--A. V. Nasatir Colorado--"P. W. Jacoe Connecticut--Esther Glanz Florida--Howard M. Nelson Georgia--L- M. Petrie Idaho--A. L Biladeau Illinois--Kenneth E. Morse Indiana--L. W. Spolyer Iowa--C. L. Campbell Kansas--P. H. Whitman Kentucky--Rosalie Blum Louisiana--Warren H. Reinhart Massachusetts--Bernice Linde Michigan---Knowlton J. Capian Detroit--George M. Hama Minnesota---G. S. Michaelsen Missouri--V. Scott Johnson St. Louis--Robert M. Brown Kansas City--H. F. Schulte Montana--Paul M. Giever New Hampshire--F. J. Vintinner New Jersey--Marie A. Sena New York--May R. Mayers North Carolina--Wm.H. Richardson Ohio--Thomas F. Mancuso Cleveland--Harold C. Cutter Oklahoma--E. C. Warkentin Oregon--Charles M. McGill Pennsylvania--Philip C. Hill Rhode Island--Joseph Wuraftic South Carolina--Harry F. Wilson Tennessee--Marion F. Trice Texas--Martin C. Wukasch Utah--George G. Richards Virginia--J. C. Johnston Washington--Russell H. Scott West Virginia--Paul D. Halley Wisconsin--Walter H. Poppe, Jr. This publication is free to persons engaged in industrial hygiene in governmental agencies (Federal. State, or Local). For sale by Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Rates--$1 a year (Domestic); $1.25 (Foreign). Statements made in this publication by authors who are not members of the Industrial Hygiene Divirion do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of the USPHS. Any information printed in this publication may be reprinted without request from the USPHS. Acknowledg ment would be appreciated. Approved by Director, Bureau of the Budget, as required by Rule 42 of the Joint Committee on Printing Bloomfield Recommends Broad Industrial Health Program for Peru After S months of observation in the mines, mills, homes, and schools of Peru, South America, Mr. J. J. Bloom field, USPHS, recommended a broad in dustrial health program for the workers of that country. In view of the inade quate housing, sanitation, and education available to thousands of Peruvians, Mr. Bloomfield emphasized the need to de velop better Uving conditions at the same time that industries improve the working environment. Peru passed a law in March 1947, creating a Department of Industrial Hygiene in the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare. Soon after the law was enacted, through the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare'requested the Public Health Service to detail Mr. Bloomfield to assist him in studying the industrial hygiene problems of the country and in organizing the new department. Under the auspices of the Health and Sanitation Division of the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, Mr. Bloomfield went to Peru where he worked jointly with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Servicio Cooperative Inter-Americano de Salud Publica. That Peruvian industries had serious health hazards was well recognized. However, there, was no one source of information which presented a wellrounded picture of these hazards, and it was necessary for Mr. Bloomfield to obtain first-hand information. Peru's Future Although Peru is primarily an agricul tural nation, its manufacturing industry is growing rapidly, and it is extremely rich in mineral resources. Until recent ly Peru's high, rugged mountains re tarded the development of some of these resources. But in the past few years, a number of good roads have been con structed which connect the three im portant sections of the country and make good transportation and communi cation services possible on a national scale. Aviation also is playing an increasingly large role in the communi cation field. The study made by Mr. Bloomfield included an investigation of general living conditions in Peru; a survey of industrial hygiene conditions in 21 representative mines, mills, and manu facturing establishments, employing ap proximately 23,000 persons; and a brief study of official and nonofficial agencies whose work was related to industrial hygiene. Present Conditions About 2K-million people in Peru are gainfully employed, and approximately lialf of them work at agriculture. About a half million are engaged in industries known to present major health hazards. SPNY 000314 February 1948 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter 3 Living standards among all Peruvian workers are extremely low. These conditions exist because of the low wages paid most workers and are aggravated by the economic inflation which currently prevails. Although the miner is somewhat better off than the factory worker in Peru, because of certain employer-provided benefits, his low wage is insufficient to provide a decent standard of living. Diet de ficiency, poor and inadequate housing, overcrowding and lack of sanitation-- the usual accompaniments of low living standards--are widespread. This prob lem is made more acute by the high rate of illiteracy in the country, especially in the mining regions, and by the scarcity of educational facilities. Much Sickness The development of Peru's rich aturai resources is seriously hampered by disease, the control of which has been limited by lack of funds and trained personnel. Tuberculosis is rampant throughout the country, considerably aggravating the silicosis problem. Be cause of impure water supplies and lack of sewage treatment facilities, enteric diseases are also very common. Mor tality from respiratory diseases in Peru accounts for nearly 30 percent of the deaths in the country. Hazards to health and safety abound in all Peruvian industry. In mines the chief health hazards are exposures to silica dust, sulfur dioxide, heat and high humidity, and fumes from blasting powder. Dry drilling and the handling of dry ores in the mines and mills are common practices. Mechanical ven tilation is practically nonexistent, and natural ventilation is insufficient to cope with the dust' problem even when wet methods are used. In the manufacturing plants and in most of the mines and mills, safety hazards are created by obsolete and run down machinery; unguarded moving COVER PICTURE-A calcium arse nate plant in the mountains of Peru, South America. parts; unsafe floors, stairways, and platforms; exposed electric wires; and poor ventilation and illumination. Reliable nation-wide statistics are not available in Peru on occupational diseases or on compensation costs for such diseases. However, data obtained from individual enterprises indicate clearly that industrialists spend hun dreds of thousands of dollars needlessly because of the lack of a preventive program. Labor Shortage A corollary of bad working and living conditions is high labor turn-over which is a serious problem in Peru. All the mining establishments visited by Mr. Bloomfield are in dire need of labor. The compensation law which provides payments for partial disability from silicosis aggravates this situation, since it makes workers with early silicosis poor insurance risks, and therefore less employable. Sanitation facilities in mines and mills and in manufacturing plants are wholly inadequate and in a poor state of maintenance. Water supplies, washing facilities, personal clothing lockers, and other facilities are completely lacking in many establishments and wholly inadequate in others. Although medical services are avail able to most industrial workers, the standards of such services are very low. Prepiacement examinations are given to workers in accordance with law, but no agency makes a careful analysis of these examinations in order to raise the health level of the working population. Practically no follow-up examinations are given, and, in spite of the fact that the chief health hazard in the mines of Peru is silicosis, only two of the surveyed mines use X-ray as a diag nostic tool. Health Center Recommended At the conclusion of his survey, Mr. Bloomfield recommended that the De partment of Industrial Hygiene should take leadership in encouraging large industries to sponsor complete in dustrial hygiene programs of their own. These programs should include not only activities related to the control of hazards in the working environment, but aiso activities which will improve workers' general health. The industrial hygiene program should be, in effect, an extension of a general public health program and should make use of all health resources available in the com munity. For this reason, Mr. Bloom field recommended the establishment of a health center in the most important mining area in the Central Andes. Activities of the health center--tuber culosis control programs, venereal disease control programs, and other health improvement activities, for example-- can be brought to the industrial popu lation through a plant's industrial hygiene program. The poor health of the mass of the Peruvian population makes this an urgently needed activity. Corrective measures for the protec tion of the health of industrial workers are put in effect largely by private effort and with the use of private funds. The department's most important task, in Mr. Bloomfield's opinion, will be to show industry how to solve its own health problems. The department should help industry achieve a health ful environment; cooperate with and coordinate the work of all other public and private agencies involved in indus trial hygiene activities; develop stand ards for healthful practices; collect and analyze occupational disease reports; and give impartial advice when it is needed for the adjudication of claims. Progress Made Several steps have been taken already to implement the 1947 legislation which authorizes medical and engineering con trol of health hazards. At Mr. Bloom field's urgent recommendation the ad ministration of the Department of Industrial Hygiene was placed under the direction of the Servicio Cooperative Inter-Americano de Salud Publica. Mr. B. D. Tebbens, industrial hygiene engineer, was transferred from Bolivia to Peru to take charge of the program, and another engineer employed to assist him. A physician is now receiving training at Harvard preparatory to as suming leadership in the medical pro gram for Peruvian industrial workers, and another physician is already on the job. A chemist from the Industrial Hygiene Division, USPHS, will be sent to Peru on loan for approximately a year to set up a laboratory, establish standard procedures and train personnel in chemical techniques. SPNY 000315 4 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter Volume 8, Number 2 Ventilation Plan Examination in New York The period of reconversion from war to peace has provided our engineering unit with an unusual opportunity to assist industry with its industrial venti lation problems--particularly the in stallation of local exhaust ventilation for the removal of injurious dusts, gases, fumes, vapors, and mists. While much of the plan examination work comes to our unit as a result of inspectors' orders for ventilation in connection with their enforcement of industrial code rules and labor law re quirements, other plans come in for approval as a result of consultation with industry by members of our en gineering unit, or their own initiative, in connection with regular held studies conducted by our division for the con trol of health hazards in industry. Many of the largest plants in New York State, each employing thousands of workers, have worked in close coop eration with our division in designing their ventilating systems. In one plant alone, recommendations made by our engineers, on the basis of their extensive experience with industrial ventilation, made it possible in a system employing close to a million cubic feet of air per minute to save 25 percent from the amount specified by plant engineers in their original plans and actually provide better protection for the workers. From this it can be seen tliat substantial savings were effected not only in the original ventilation costs, but in costs for current operations of the systems. One plant which manufactured heat exchangers for submarines, tanks, and airplanes during the war, has now recon verted to its former peacetime produc tion of automobile radiators, heaters, and defrosters. Their main problem was that of safely and economically controlling the lead hazard due to exten sive torch soldering and hot lead dipping operations as required in the process of manufacture. Close cooperation be tween the plant and our engineering unit resulted in the design of about 50 highly efficient exhaust systems with a concurrent net saving of about 150,000 cubic feet of air each minute. In another plant, it was possible for our engineering unit to contribute materially to the solution of a rather unique problem in ventilation. It devel oped that it would be necessary to supply to this factory about 750,000 cubic feet of make-up air per minute to replace the air removed by industrial exhaust systems. This was tempered by direct firing of commercial gas in the air supply system. This method of air heating is very economical, but it was necessary for our engineering unit to require extensive safeguards in order to proteot the workers from the possible carbon monoxide exposure which might result from incomplete combustion of the gas. These safeguards were worked out with company engineers and the system has been satisfactorily installed. Still another large company was faced with the problem of a rapid reconversion from the manufacture of airplane sub assemblies to automotive subassemblies. Their problem was of a general nature, including metal working, degreasing, plating, and painting, and was dis tinguished by its great number of ex haust systems and the enormous quan tity of air exhausted. Although the systems were largely of standard design, careful checking by our office resulted in very substantial savings of power and heat. In the postwar expansion program in a different type of industry, it was necessary to control dust Jrom a battery of about 60 newly placed knife finishing machines. The particular problem en countered in this plant was one of collecting great quantities of waxy and other sticky buffing compounds gen erated by the process. Systems which had previously been installed on similar machines were known to have resulted in serious clogging of air ducts by these buffing compounds. In order to main tain efficient dust control, it was necessary to devise a method of pre venting this clogging. A system was proposed to the company engineers, which provided that the bulk of the refuse was collected at each machine by a small primary cyclone dust sepa rator. The exhaust mains and second ary dust collector were thus relieved of this burden and the trouble-free opera tion achieved. This system has been installed and is functioning very satis factorily. In the field of industrial solvents, control designs recommended by the engineering unit were very numerous. One such installation is presented: The chief engineer for a plant manufacturing artificial pearls brought a tentative design for exhaust ventilation for this operation to the engineering unit for approval. This involved exhausting about 12,000 cubic feet of air per minute from the dipping and drying machines. After careful study of the operation, our engineer suggested a design employing only about 1,500 cubic feet which when installed resulted not only in effective control of the solvent vapor hazard to health but in improving production. The above illustrations are indicative of the nature and the diversity of the problems which were presented to our engineering unit for solution in recent months, in connection with the exami nation and approval of ventilation plans for the control of health hazards in industry. During 1946, a total of 2,606 ventila tion plans were submitted to our engi neering unit. Of the 2,587 plans which were acted upon, 2,051 were approved. A total of 19,480 workers at 11,904 machines were protected thereby from injurious exposure to noxious dusts, gases, and fumes. This plan examina tion work necessitated 1,70? plant visits for study of the ventilation needs of the situation and for con sultation with management. SPNY 000316 February 1948 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter 5 Some Thoughts on Silicosis L. E. Hamlin, M. D., American Brake Shoe Co. Silicosis, perhaps more than any other condition, has demonstrated the inex actitude of diagnostic standards for occupational disease. For example, the work of Gardner and other investigators has shown that, far from being fatal, the uncomplicated form is nondisabling except in extreme degrees of fibrosis. There has been so much intensive study of silicosis that it might appear that little remains to be done. Complacency amounting to boredom has crept into the picture, and on occasion speakers discussing the subject have been intro duced with a note of apology for bring ing up such a shopworn, dusty topic. A few individuals imbued with un justified optimism have even predicted that since we have learned everything about silicosis, the application of modem methods of control will soon make the disease another vanishing entity. Unfortunately, the experience of the last few years does not substantiate this rosy outlook. Tremendous advances have been made in controlling the hazard but knowledge of these often seems to be lacking, especially in those quarters where it is most urgently needed. Physicians, industrial and otherwise, still make a diagnosis of occupational fibrosis because of the chest X-ray pattern and/or a history of employment in a supposedly dusty industry. No consideration is given to the fact that dependable estimations of respirable sized particles of dangerous dust and safe atmospheric concentra tions have been established. The plant physician is frequently unaware that such standards exist and management has been lax in bringing the matter to his attention. Industrial compensation commissions need to be reminded that CHEST CONDITIONS WHOSE X-RAYS SIMULATE SILICOSIS A. Industrial I. Organic............................... ............................... (a) Byssinosis. (b) Bagassosis. (0 Tabacosis. II. Inorganic............................ ............................... (a) Anthracosis. (b) Radiopaque Deposits-- /Barium (Baritosis). Inert < Iron (Siderosis). (Tin. Toxic (c) Beryllium. Proliferative W) Asbestosis. B. Nonindustrial I. Mycotic............................... ............................... (a) Aspergillosis. (b) Moniliasis. \ easts and Molds (c) Wood dust spores. (d) Coccidioidomycosis. (e) Blastomvcosis. (f) Actinomycosis. II. Miscellaneous____ ___ __ ............................... (a) Miliary tuberculosis. (b) Sarcoidosis. (c) Mitral Stenosis. (d) Cancer (Metastases). (0 Vascular changes. (0 Miliary calcicosis (Wheatena) (g) Polycythaemia Vera. 00 Bronchiolitis. consideration of these factors is essential before awards for disability, based on vague roentgenographic shadows and uncertain exposures, should be granted or upheld. As more unrelated conditions whose X-ray appearances closely simulate silicosis arc recognized, the unreliability of the roentgenogram alone as a diagnos tic measure becomes obvious and accur ate interpretation is correspondingly difficult. A situation of this kind points out the necessity of accumulating factual data on exposure through industrial hygiene surveys. Such appraisals must include enough samples to be truly representa tive. They should faithfully portray actual working conditions and environ mental hazards. One should not be concerned so much with the amount of visible dust in the atmosphere of a working place as with the number of harmful particles that actually reach the alveoli of the lungs and are retained. We have seen reports of plant surveys where obviously the hygienist has been too impressed with visible dust around a shake-out where careful analysis revealed mostly smoke, steam, and carbon particles with free silica well below accepted safe limits. This same individual missed a really serious dust hazard where free silica was present in high concentrations but was not evident because the general atmosphere ap peared to be clean. In recent years considerable attention has been given to nodular patterns observed in the X-rays of workers ex posed to significant concentrations of iron dust. Reports from this country and abroad have shown that such ex posures are capable of producing shad ows almost identical with those of silicosis, even in occupations where tests indicate a practically complete absence of free silica in the atmosphere. Post mortem findings on some of these indi viduals have demonstrated only simple deposits of iron particles in the lungs with no evidence of fibrosis. We have noted similar X-ray changes in certain grinders and burners in the foundry industry. The shadows have appeared in comparatively short periods of time, the average being about 6 years. Analysts of the air-borne dust in these locations by counts, X-ray diffraction, and estimations of particle size and per- (Continued on page 16) SPNY 000317 6 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter Volume 8, Number 2 ELECTROSTATIC PRE CIPITATOR IMPROVED In the November 1947 issue of the Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, an improved M. S. A. electrostatic precipitator is described. Tbe article, written by George D. Clayton, USPHS, is summarized as follows: "1. The operating voltage has been increased by the development of an oil immersed coil which will provide voltages up to 13,500; "2. Increased dependability of the electrical system has been secured; HERE'S IIOR No one has o "corner" on ideas. We believe industrial hygienists have found many ideas and devices to increase the efficiency of their work, or to decrease the time and energy spent in doing a job, or perhaps both. If you will share your favorite laborsaving devices or successful tech niques which you have discovered useful in laboratory, office, or field, toe will publish them in this column. Send your ideas, illustrated with sketch or photograph, if possible, to the Managing Editor, INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE NEWSLETTER, V. S. P. H. S., Washington 25, D. C. "3. Rapid and easy changing of tbe vibrator points has been achieved by the development of new, totally enclosed vibrator unit; "4. A flexible head has been developed which will insure greater sampling flexibility; "5. A manometer made of plastic material hag been designed to obtain greater accuracy in measuring flow rates; and "6. A description is given of a simpli fied voltmeter which will indicate tbe performance of the instrument with ease aud dependability." NBS CO INDICATING TUBE ^ RUBBER STOPPERS S' BRASS TUBING ^HARDWOOO BLOCK * 24 NEEDLE TOP VIEW OF SYRINGE LOCK D* I/I6*LARGER THAN OlAM-OF SYRINGE FLANGE 50 CC SYRINGE ENGINEER WANTED BY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA "We are looking for a relatively young engineer who has had experience in industrial hygiene and sanitary engineering to join the faculty of the University of California. The post will probably be primarily in the school of public health, but will also be coordi nated with the college of engineering. The man's time will be devoted pri marily to industrial hygiene, but he would possibly also be required to teach some classes in sanitation or sani tary engineering. The position that we have in mind wilt probably pay $5,000 to $5,400 s year for the man whose experience, previous research, and publications meet the standards of the university for the tenure grade of associate professor."--Harold B. Gotaat< University of California, College of Engineering, Berkeley, Calif. LEAD SHOTS 8AY0NETTE LOCK FOR SYRINGE TIN CAN BRASS STOP STOP PIN ^SEALING WAX COVER LEAD SHOTS ALTERNATE METHOD OF LOADING PLUNGER ASPIRATING DEVICE FOR NBS GO INDICATING TUBES L.H.K. 12-1-47 SPNY 000318 February 1948 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter 7 Aspirating Device for NBS CO Indicating Tubes A. N. Setterlind, Chief Chemist, Division of Industrial Hygiene, Illinois Department of Public Health Some time ago we needed to deter mine a very low concentration of CO in a small sample of air. Having on hand a quantity of Na tional Bureau of Standards CO indi cating tubes but not the needed aspira ting device, we constructed the instru ment shown in photograph No. 1. It consists of a 50 ml. syringe, locked in a vertical position, having a B-D No. 24 short needle. The needle pene trates a rubber stopper inserted in a short length of brass tubing press fit into the upper wooden block. The other end of the brass tubing serves as seat for the rubber stopper into which the indicating tube is inserted. The plunger is weighted to give the desired rate of flow. In the instrument shown, this was accomplished by filling No. 1 the plunger with buckshot through a hole drilled in the handle. An alternate method is suggested in the drawing. To eliminate variations in flow due to fric tion between the plunger and the hous ing, the plunger is made heavy and the flow restricted by use of the relatively fine No. 24 needle. The weight of the plunger shown in the photograph is 275 g. The color development of the NBS tubes is critical to the rate of flow. They have been calibrated for a rate of 90 znl/min. In determining the load of the plunger a fresh tube should be con nected to the inlet side of the syringe and the plunger successively weighted until the time taken for the plunger to pass between the 5 ml. mark and the 50 ml. mark is exactly 30 seconds. The volume equivalent to 1 squeeze of the NBS instrument is'54 ml. A stop consisting of a cork black or other means should be attached to the base to limit the stroke of the plunger to the above volume. In the field, a tube, after breaking the seal, is inserted in its place at the top of the instrument which is then placed in a position as vertically as possible. Molding the plunger with the finger against its top position the pin stop is removed and the finger released to let the plunger travel by its own weight. After the stroke is completed the tube is removed and read, and the plunger pushed up to its top position. (On later models the side pieces pro trude above the brass tubing, as indi cated in the drawing. This permits the operator to stand the cradle on its head letting the plunger slide back to the original position while the tube is being read or exchanged.) The device has been very successfully used. It is easily constructed and easily maintained. The syringe may be quickly removed for cleaning with alcohoi when and if necessary. Its chief advantage over the squeezebulb type is the ease with which the rate of flow is checked and the fact that the flow is constant throughout the sampling period. The availability of a simple method to obtain a constant rate of flow caused us to reexamine our method for de termining H}S by the use of filter papers impregnated with leal acetate as de scribed in Leaflet No. 1, Department of Scientific and Industry Research. Pre vious calibration of the papers against known concentration of HjS has shown rather wide variations when aspirating the test gas manually by pumping. After constructing the device shown in photograph No. 2 it was found that excellent reproducibility was obtained at a rate of flow of 300 ml/min. Thus by producing stains from known con centrations and reading the percent light reflection of the stain compared to that of unstained paper (in a meter of our own design), a calibration curve was obtained fully as accurate and reproducible as many of the curves of colorimetric solutions in standard color imetry. The pump shown in photo graph No. 2 was obtained from a Sears Roebuck tire pump and converted to a suction pump. It had a capacity of 600 ml. The lead weight weighs 1,240 g. A No. 20 syringe needle inside the tube connecting the test paper holder with the pump serves as the flow con stricting orifice. No. 2 SPNY 000319 8 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter Volume 8, Number 2 DENTISTRY IN INDUSTRIAL HEALTH PROGRAMS Dr. R. I. Humphrey, in a talk before the Illinois Public Health Association in April of 1947, spoke on the importance of the almost unrecognized part in the profit-making role that oral health plays in our industrial plants, namely, that a healthy oral cavity has a direct construc tive influence on in dustrial production. On the otherhand, the contrary is true in the case of oral infection. "An aching tooth in an individual can become a company's toothache affecting not only the well being of the individual, but jeopardizing the safety of fellow employees. Pain of dental origin causes loss of sleep, fatigue, and mental distraction. Acci dents follow; industrial accidents are always costly. "Infected teeth can mean a staggering loss of man-hours. There is authority for the statement that at least 25 percent of employee absenteeism from nonoccupational illness is directly traceable to the mouth. Continued study and analy sis of absenteeism will some day enable a greater degree of accuracy in trans lating the cost of lost man-hours in terms of dollars and cents to industry. This problem could be solved through the war-born philosophy of labor-manage ment groups with the cooperation of the medical and dental professions." Many industrial oral health programs are in operation and are providing ex cellent service for the workers yet "they are minute when compared to the vast field yet untopched. Approximately only 1 in 10 industrial plants offers any type of dental attention today. "There is no altruistic approach to the problem of dental health in industry. By and large, management is chiefly in terested, and will continue to be inter ested, only in terms of what the health of the worker means to the company in profit or loss statements. "Occupational hazards, directly trace able to and responsible for oral diseases, are readily understood by management, and therefore are likely to result in ac tive oral health programs. "There have been unfortunate experi ences involving unethical and poorly qualified dentists, resulting in expense to the company, loss of good will and respect. And in some rare instances, antiquated state laws governing industrial dental practice have acted to limit or re tard the advancement of oral health for worker . "Labor unions -- ever watchful over the general well-being of their members, have demonstrated an eager willingness to cooperate with management, with professional organ izations, national, State, and local groups. Usually they favor complete dental service for themselves and their families with a minimum outlay of expenditure. "* * * There can be no fixed uniform program which can be wrapped in cellophane or Christmas paper and laid at the door of industry * * * . There are many factors entering into a decision of the most desirable program. Different conditions prevail in different industries. "Occupational hazards must be taken into consideration. Wage levels, avail able community medical and dental re sources, size of the industrial plant and the number of employees--all of these factors must be considered in develop ing an oral health program. "Out of the welter of existing indus trial dental services has come a definite trend. Some term it preventive dent istry. Briefly, it consists of examina tion--pre-placementor pre-employment, periodic examination--dental health ed ucation--referral--follow-up and emer gency treatment when necessary." Dr. Humphrey emphasized the use of an examination service utilizing roent genological methods as patterned after the Chicago Dental Society mobile serv ice for industries. This plan for exam ination and X-rav could be utilized by several of the smaller plants employing less than 100 persons or as many as 500 employees. "No dental service plan can be suc cessful without health education of employees. Employee publication or house organ furnishes an excellent ave nue of approach in this resj>ect. Infor mation carried on these pages, including authoritative articles, is frequently taken into the homes of employees and read by other members of the family." ' A complete print of this address by Dr. Humph rey appears in volume 4. no. 2 of tvex in in- dutnial Hygiene, Department of Public Health, Division of Industrial Hygiene. 1800 W. Fillmore St.. Chioaeo 12, Illinois. COMMENTS ON 1947 MAC VALVES By Lawrence T. Fairhall Over & period of years the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has been concerned with threshold limits and has at various times released tables of such values. Accord ing to the constitution these values are subject to annual revision. Some ad verse criticism has recently been made of the values set up by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Also the fact that these values were published in the August 1947 Industrial Hygiene Nexotleiter has been interpreted as implying that the values are those of the Industrial Hy giene Division, U. S. Public Health Service, in spite of the following state ment at the head of the list: "The fol lowing maximum allowable concentra tion values were a part of the report submitted by the Committee on Thresh old. Limits and accepted by the Ameri ca;! Conference of Governmental Indus trial Hygienists at the 1947" meeting. These values are revised annually." Moreover, inference has been drawn that the changed values were not made on the basis of scientific evidence but presumably according to the whims of the committee. Concerning this, one of the committee members writes as follows; "Some 35 of the 1946 values were changed. Of these, three were in creased and presumably these changes are satisfactory to our critics. Of the remaining 32, 7 were reduced from values of 10,000 p. p. m. and less down to 1,000 in accordance with the basic idea, which has been proposed several (Continued on page 9) SPNY 000320 February 1948 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter 9 and Gaetjens, C. F. Tolerance of farm animals to feed containing 2,4-dichloro INDUSTRIAL TOXICOLOGY phenoxyacetic acid. J. Animal Science, 5, 226 (1946). Lawrence T. Fairhall, USPHS V) Rooney, H. A. Determination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and its compounds in commercial herbi 2.4-DICHLOROPHENOXYACETIC ACID weed eradicator. Further, an important factor in the use of this material is re lated to residual 2,4-D on plants in cides. Ind. Eng. Chem., Anal. Ed., IS. 475 (1947). tended for human or animal consump 2.4- Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, tion. Hill and Carlisle () found that known as 2,4-D, has come into extensive the LD50 dose of 2,4-D by mouth was use within the past 3 years as a plant 375 milligrams per kilogram for mice,. hormone which kills common lawn weeds 666 for rats, 800 for rabbits, and 1,000 such as dandelion, morning glory, this for guinea pigs. Rats were fed up to tle, and burdock, without harming one-tenth percent by weight of their ordinary grass. It is reported to hasten diet over a period of 1 month without the ripening of fruit and has been used any harmful effects. Guinea pigs tol in orchards to prevent the premature erated 1 gram of the material adminis dropping of apples. This substance is tered in divided doses of 100 milligrams prepared commercially by causing chlo- over a period of 12 days. The experi roacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenol to mental work indicated that the mist or react to aqueous alkali or by the direct clouds of the dry dust of the sodium salt chlorination of phenoxyacetic acid. was relatively nontoxic. Since 2,4-D is a plant hormone, it Mitchell and his associates (S) have acts as a plant growth regulator rather shown that no harmful effects on the than as a contact poison. In its action health or performance of farm animals on leafy plants it appears to be absorbed resulted from the consumption of pas primarily into the epidermal cells from ture grass liberally sprayed with 2,4-D. which it is translocated to various parts The 2,4-D was not found to be secreted of the plant. 2,4-D induces rapid hy into the milk nor was it found in the drolysis of starch to sugar and increased blood serum of a calf fed milk from the respiration (1). The killing of plant cow that received it in her ration. Ac tissues is usually a 6iow process and the cording to experiments conducted by killing time may require two weeks or the U. S. Department of Agriculture, even longer. Young, vigorous plants one cow received a special dose of about are quickly affected and the most effi one-fifth of an ounce of 2,4-D daily. cient herbicidal effect occurs when Blood samples showed its presence in plants are treated in a state of active her circulation but it did not appear in vegetative growth. her milk. Mitchell quotes the experi MAC VALUES (ContinuedJfrom. page i) times, that 1,000 p. p. m. is the most which should be allowed of any un natural atmospheric contaminant. *'Five substances, benzene, ethylene chlorhydrin, nitroethane, nitromethane, and tetrachlorethane were changed in the light of recent data which certainly can be classed as experimental evidence. Two others, ethylene dichloride and methyl cellosolve, were revised in ac cordance with previously reported field evidence which had been ignored when the previous list was compiled. Three other substances, arsine, stfbine, and dioxane, were reduced because a very superficial examination of the data avail able indicated that.the values previously given were much too high. Three ad ditional substances, styrene, MIK, and methyl butanone, were reduced to make them all more in line with other similar substances. Finally, two other sub stances, tri- and tetra-chiorethylene, were reduced on the basis of extensive experience by one of the divisions involved." Furthermore, the observations of ex Since 2,4-D is not very soluble in mental work of Kraus concerning the in perienced members of the conference water or oil, water-soluble salts or oil- gestion of 500 milligrams of purified derived from various plant surveys have soluble esters prepared in the form of 2,4-D per day by a man over a period added to our knowledge of the effects of emulsions or as dry dust mixtures are of 21 days without ill effect. many of these substances on humans used. Water-soluble salt dusts of 2,4-D The possible presence of poisonous and should be considered as valuable have been used extensively in rice and impurities in commercial preparations of supplementary information beyond that 6Ugar cane fields with uniform weed 2,4-D should be noted. Methods for obtained by an animal experimentation. control. During 1945, the first year in the determination of 2,4-dichlorophe- For the benefit of those who would which production figures are given for noxyacetic acid consisting essentially of ascribe a legal interpretation to such 2.4- D, 917,000 pounds were prepared in the titration of the acid gTOup have values, it may jterhaps be advisable to the United States. been developed by Rooney U) use the older expression "threshold Owing to the phenomenal effects of 2.4- dichiorophenoxyacetic acid on weed References limit" rather than "maximum, allow able concentration." Furthermore, it eradication and the consequent commer (/) Southwick, L. Chemical weed is the writer's opinion that the maximum cial development of this substance as a killers. Chem. Ind., 60, 786 (1947). allowable concentration values referred weed killer, knowledge of its toxicity is () Hill, E. V., and Carlisle, H. to should not form part of a code itself important. Workers are exposed to the Toxicity of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic but should appear as supplementary dust of the sodium or ammonium salts acid for experimental animals. J. Ind. information in an appendix and should and to the mist from tributyl phosphate- Hyg. Toxicol. S9, 85 (1947). be used only as originally intended, Dtesel oil emulsions, in applying this (3) Mitchell. J. W., Hodgson, It. E., that is, as a guide and not as fixed values. SPNY 000321 10 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter Volume 8, Number 2 Massachusetts Holds orker Health Conference Through the cooperation of the Mas sachusetts Division of Occupational Hy giene and the Merrimack Valley Nurses Club, an outstanding program was ar ranged for the Merrimack Valley Con ference for Health Workers in Industry, held on November 22, 1947, in Lowell. Much of the planning was done by Mrs. Sarah E. Almeida, R. N., State indus trial nursing consultant. Highlights of the conference were talks on "Interdepartmental Relation ships" by Prof. Herman H. Brase, Lowell Teachers College; "Combating Absenteeism" by Dr. Robert B. O'Con nor, Liberty Mutual; "Expanding the Medical Department" by Dr. Benjamin Lambert, Sylvania Electric Products, Lowell; and "Emotional Illnesses" by Dr. Warren Stearns, psychiatrist and professor of sociology at Tufts College. Particularly stimulating were the dis cussions in groups led by authorities on each subject. Leading industrial health workers and educators in the region Attended this meeting, including nurses covering plants having a total-worker population of 32.000. Industrial Health Conference to Meet in England, 1948 The Ninth International Congress of Industrial Health is scheduled to con vene in England, September, 1948. Meetings are planned for both general and special sections to be held from September 12 to 17. All communica tions should be addressed to: The Secre tary, The Ninth International Congress on Industrial Medicine, 14 Hobart Place, Westminster, London, S. W. 1, England. COSTS OF INDUSTRY'S HEALTH FACILITIES Dr. C. 0. Sappington summarized the findings of a 2-year plant-to-plant sur vey in a speech titled Administration Functions and Costs of Industry's Health FaeilUits given at the Industrial Hy giene Foundation meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa., Nov. 20, 1947. He said, in part: "The findings from this 2-year field study, covering 278 plants in 33 States, help piece together the story of what industry is doing about the health of its employees and how this is being done. "Administration.--Taking the person in charge of the health or medical service as an example of administrative policy, we find physicians in charge in half of the groups, nurses in 6 percent, and other persons in 43 percent. How ever, in the largest plant grouping (10,000 employees and over) physicians were in charge in 90 percent of the cases. "Taking another example of the administrative relationships, in more than one-third of all establishments, reporting was done direct to top manage ment by the health department; the tliree divisions of safety, industrial rela tions, and health were administratively on a par in approximately 40 percent of all plants; and the health depart ment had the final word on health problems in approximately 43 percent of all plants. "Functions.--Comparing those func tions which have been well established over some period of time with those which are newer, there was great varia tion in both types according to popula tion groupings in the different sized plants; but those functions not so well established (that is, newer) showed greater variations in the size break downs. Preplacement examinations showed the highest percentage in all groups (72 percent); retum-to-work examination after illness or injury (65 percent); provision for dispensaries (61 percent) and periodic examinations (60 percent). The largest plants of 10,000 employees and over showed high pluralities (above 90 percent) in all of these functions, while the smallest plants (under 500 employees) showed less marked but nevertheless definite pluralities in the doing of preplacement, periodic, and return-to-work examina tions. Less than half of the smaller plants provided dispensaries. "Justification.--Benefits may be di vided or classified as economic, profes sional, and social. Economic Benefits "Prompt treatment--prevention of infection and other complications. "Early control of disability. "In-plant service more economical. "Decrease in spoilage. "Better control of medical, hospital, and insurance expense. "Good care more economical thaD high compensation rates. "Healthy worker more productive. "The manager of a chemical plant figures that a sick absence costs the com pany at the rate of a dollar an hour. On this basis, obviously any reduction in sick absence is bound to add up to a siteable sura over a large group of work men for the period of a year. Good working conditions reduce labor turn over. A conservative figure is that each turnover case costs a company $100. On the basis of the dollar-an-hour figure for absences, and $100 per case for turn overs, the company found that it saved $4.08 for every dollar it had spent for industrial health." Los Angeles Holds Indus trial Health Conference Los Angeles' first industrial health institute was an all-day meeting held at the Riviera Country Club last Novem ber 18. The institute was sponsored jointly by the Industrial Health Advi sory Committee of the Los Angeles Chamber 6f Commerce and the Section of Industrial Medicine and Surgery of the Los Angeles Medical Association. Some of the speakers and their sub jects were: Carl Peterson, M. D., Secretary, Council on Industrial Health, American Medical Association, "History and Economic Aspect of Industrial Health"; F. E. Poole, M. D., medical director, Lockheed, Rexall, and others "Organization of Plant Health Ser vices"; A. A. McDermott, supervisor of plant hospital, Warner Bros. Studio, "Industrial Nursing"; Henry L. Clark, General Motors Corp., "Manage ment Views Industrial Health Pro grams"; and, E. F. Stegen, M. D., National Physicians Committee, "In dustrial Health and the Community." SPNY 000322 February 1946 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter 11 AIR FLOW MEASURING INSTRUMENTS Engineering Section, Industrial Hygiene Division, USPHS Many times it is of considerable interest to industrial hygienists to measure air movements for purposes of evaluating the adequacy of control measures or comfort conditions in a workroom. Several different types of instruments are available for making such measurements and aTe in common use by engineers. The choice of meter ing device depends on features pertinent to the instrument as well as on the character of the airflow. Principles of operation and limitations of these de vices will be discussed briefly, direct reading instruments in this issue, and indirect reading instruments in a sub sequent issue of the NEWSLETTER. Yelometer A velometer operates on the principle of radial displacement of a pivoted vane by theairstream. The vane is counter balanced for steadiness and operates against a torsion spring. A pointer at tached to the vane indicates the amount of displacement on a calibrated scale. The mechanism is enclosed in a plastic case with an inlet and outlet opening for the air stream. Numerous attach ments are available for measuring different ranges of air velocities at inlet and exhaust openings of various shapes and sizes. The vane is very sensitive to fluctuations in the air stream and therefore the indications of the pointer must be averaged to obtain the average air velocity. For accurate measurements, correction factors must be applied to the readings. Serious errors of unknown magnitude are in troduced when the velometer, without attachments, is used to measure air flow through very small openings. Vane Anemometer The vane anemometer consists of a small multivaned propeller mounted inside a thin metal ring. Linear feet of air movement through the instrument are indicated on a calibrated dial counter to which the propeller is con nected by a gear mechanism. A lever is provided for engaging or disengaging the gear mechanism from the dial counter. A time interval device such as a stopwatch must be used with the usual anemometer for obtaining air velocity. Special anemometers are available which indicate air velocity directly. The anemometers are designed for a limited air velocity range, but are available in various ranges. Like the velometer, correction factors must be applied to measurements made at various types of air discharge and exhaust openings. Also, errors of un known magnitude are introduced when the instrument is used in the plane of very small openings. Smoke Tube This device consists of a tube filled with a specially prepared chemical which reacts with the moisture of the air aspirated through it to produce a smoke. By observing the time of travel of the smoke over a measured distance, the velocity of air is determined. At best, such measurements are only estimates. Smoke tubes are especially useful for determining the direction of air movement or distribution of air currents. Report on Prepayment Hospital and Medical Care Plans Available The U. S. Public Health Service has published the report of a Nation-wide, 3-year study of Blue Cross hospital service prepayment plans and affiliated medical service prepayment plans. The report, Blue Cross and Medical Service Plans, by Dr. Louis S. Reed, health economist, Division of Public Health Methods, gives a detailed account of the development and growth of both types of plans, the areas served, enroll ment, subscription rates and benefits, remuneration of hospitals and physi cians, enrollment procedures, the legal status of the plans, the composition and selection of the boards of directors, finances, administrative organization, cancellation rates, subscriber utilization of hospital and medical services, and interpl&n coordination. An appendix describing commercial hospital, surgi cal, and medical expense insurance is included. Copies of the report may be obtained free from Public Inquiries Section, U. S. Public Health Service, Washington 25, D. C. NOTICE TO STATE EDITORS When you have news of a timely nature, such as a conference, which you wish to announce in the Industrial Hygiene Newsletter, please keep in mind the deadline dates for each issue. For instance, the copy for the April issue goes to press February 18. Your copy should reach the editor's desk by February 12 to give time for typing, proofreading, and clearance by the editorial board. SpNY 000323 12 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter Volume 8, Number 2 MASSACHUSETTS Conference--Dr. Hervey B. Elkins, as chairman of the New England Section, American Industrial Hygiene Association, was active in arranging the program for the annual meeting of this group which was held on Novem ber 29, 1947, in Boston. Talks were given on a wide variety of subjects of interest to workers in the field of industrial hygiene. Those on the staff of the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Hygiene who were speak ers included Director John B. Skinner on "The Hazards of Ozonizer Use in Garages," and Dr. Harriet L. Hardy and Dr. Hervey B. Elkins on "Medical Aspects of Maximum Allowable Con centrations: Benzene." In addition, Dr. Elkins also led a round table dis cussion on "Urinary Excretion of Toxic Substances," and acted as chairman of the afternoon session. Personnel--Gertrude J. Hornung, R. N., has been appointed to join Mrs. Sarah E. Almeida, R. N., in the nursing consultant activities of the Massachu setts Division of Occupational Hygiene. Miss Hornung has an academic back ground in physiotherapy and public health nursing, and was on the staff of the Massachusetts Department of Pub lic Health. During the war she served with the U. S. Army Nurse Corps. Foundry Survey--The engineers of the Massachusetts Division of Occupa tional Hygiene, in cooperation with the U. S. Public Health Service, are now making a complete survey of some lOO iron and steel foundries in Massachu setts. The present status of dust and fume conditions, as well as available medical and sanitary facilities, is de termined in each plant in order to evalu ate existing health hazards and their control. NEW JERSEY Publication--Phosphorus is the title of the most recent industrial health bul letin issued by the New Jersey Division of Adult and Industrial Health. The in cidence, toxicology, control, and medico legal aspects are discussed briefly. PENNSYLVANIA Speech--In a talk before a meeting of the Engineers Society of Pennsyl vania, held in Harrisburg on November 5, Dr. Joseph Shilen, director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Industrial Hy giene, stressed the importance of health in today's industrial establishments. His subject was "Improved Health Means Increased Production." Point ing out that the plant manager who utilizes modem industrial hygiene meth ods benefits not only his employees but his balance sheet as well, Dr. Shilen touched on many instances drawn from his own experience in the field of indus trial health to emphasize his points to the audience. TENNESSEE Conference--The Tennessee Indus trial Hygiene Conference held its second meeting in the auditorium of the Doc tors Building in Nashville on December 5, 1947. There were 85 persons regis tered, among whom were representatives of some of the larger industries in the State. An excellent program had been ar ranged. Mr. Guy Isenberg, safety engineer of the Tennessee Eastman Corp., Kingsport, spoke on "The Eye Protection Program of the Tennessee Eastman Corporation." Mr. Charles L. Cornelius, Jr., discussed "Tennes see's Occupational Disease Law," which was passed by the 1947 General As sembly. Dr. R. A. Kehoe of the Ket tering Laboratory of Applied Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, spoke on "Metal Fume Fever." The program was well received and there were many requests for copies of the paper presented by Mr. Cornelius and for transcripts of the discussion by Dr. Kehoe. During the business meeting the Con ference voted unanimously to make application to the American Industrial Hygiene Association for the incorpora tion of the Conference as the Tennessee Section of the Association. Institute--The Industrial Hygiene Service participated in the program of the Institute for Factory Inspectors held at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, November 3-8, 1947. The institute was sponsored jointly by the Tennessee Department of Labor, the Division of University Extension, and the Department of Sociology of the University. The subject, "Medical .As pects of Safety," was discussed by Dr. H. H. Hudson and Mr. M. F. Trice, director and chief engineer, respectively, of the Industrial Hygiene Service. Their discussion was based largely on the State's recently enacted occupational disease compensation law, which is administered by a division of the State Department of Labor. The relation of industrial hygiene activities to the work "of the labor de partment was developed to disclose that the function of each agency comple mented the work of the other. All State factory inspectors were present and evinced much interest in the dis cussions. An amicable liaison has ex isted between the two departments, but an even closer cooperation is anticipated henceforth as all present were in accord with the idea that each could be the eyes and ears of the other to the end that a more effective program of worker health conservation may be realized. Many of the instruments commonly employed in workroom studies were exhibited. Nurses--Due to the increased number of nurses employed by industry in Tennessee, another industrial nursing consultant, Mrs. Elsie Bryant, was added to the industrial hygiene staff. Mrs. Bryant has several years' experi ence in industrial and public health nursing. Recently she received post graduate training at Peabody College. WEST VIRGINIA Publication--Recently released by the West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau of Industrial Hygiene and Divi sion of Sanitary Engineering, is a 12page publication entitled Industrial Sanitary Facilities. The recommenda SPNY 000324 February 1948 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter 13 tions made by the department are clas sified into two groups, as follows: minimum, or those which are obviously necessary for the preservation of life and health of employees; and supplementary suggestions in regard to design of equip ment to conform to good public health practice; and personal conveniences which contribute primarily to the com fort of employees or pleasant employeremployee relationship. WISCONSIN Clinics--The Wisconsin Council of Safety will conduct two clinics. One will be held at Manitowoc, Wis., on February 27, 1948, and the other at Eau Claire, Wis., on March 26 and 27, 1948. These clinics will be arranged by the Industrial Health and Safety Section of the council in cooperation with the Industrial Hygiene unit. Both clinics will feature outstanding speakers in the field of industrial health and safety. Plans have been developed for a series of industrial medical clinics. The plant visitation type of clinic held in the past has been so successful that it was decided to continue with the same kind of clinic. The only exception is to hold such clinics within various county medical societies. This will reduce the attendance but stimulate greater discussion, particularly of the specific hazards and controls of the industries visited as part of the clinic. Nurses--The Industrial Nurses' sec tion of the Wisconsin State Nurses' Association will hold a l>$-day nursing institute at the Hotel Pfister in Mil waukee on March 12 and 13, 1948. A group of nationally prominent au thorities on industrial nursing will participate in the program. The in dustrial Hygiene Unit of the State Board of Health is assisting in arrang ing this institute. The Committee on Industrial Health of the Wisconsin State Medical Society, in conjunction with the Industrial Hygiene unit, is revising and greatiy expanding the recommendation for standing orders for the industrial nurse. A subcommittee of physicians repre senting the various specialties of medi cine and surgery are cooperating in developing those sections of the standing orders which apply to their specialty. HAVE YOU MADE YOUR BOSTON RESERVATIONS? If you have not made your hotel reservations for the week of the indus trial health, conference to be held in Boston from March 28 to April 4, it is time you made them. Information about hotels was distributed over a month ago to members of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, but a reminder may be in order. Members of the American Association of Industrial Nurses are also reminded by their publicity chairman, Kiletta K. Kaspar, R. N., that their sixth annual conference is scheduled to start in Boston, Hotel Statler, on March 31 and to close April 4. Other groups meeting at the same time are the American Association of Industrial Physicians and Surgeons, American Industrial Hygiene Associ ation, and the American Association of Industrial Dentists. RECOMMENDED READING Anon.: Factories Save Money by Spending on Safety and Health Pro grams. Wall Street Journal (November 21) 1947. Brandt, A. D.: Industrial Health En gineering. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1947. $6.00. Coleman, B. S.: Union Contract and Industrial Hygiene. Amer. Jour. Pub. Health, 37: 1449-1454 (November) 1947. Goldwater, Leonard: The Future of Industrial Medicine. Amer. Jour. Pub. Health. 37: 1247-1255 (October) 1947. McMullen, T. A.: Safety and Health and the Industrial Engineer. Mill & Factory, 41: 154-156 (October) 1947. Morris, J. N.: Coalminers. Lancet, 2: 341-346 (September 6) 1947. Roemer, M. L: Disability Insurance Programs and Public Health. Pub. Health Rp., 62: 1657-1667 (November 21) 1947. Simonson, Ernst: Physical Fitness and Work Capacity of Older Men. Geri atrics, 2: 110-119 (March-April) 1947. 28 refs. Stern, B. J.: Medicine in Industry. Commonwealth Fund, New York, 1946. $1,50. Various authors: Labor Relations and the Public. Annals of American Acad emy of Political and Social Science, 248: 1-316 (November) 1946. Various authors: Symposium on Dis eases of the Respiratory Tract. Medical Clinics of North America (November) 1947. DENTAL EROSION IN WORKERS EXPOSED TO INORGANIC ACID FUMES J. B. Lynch and John Bell--Brit. J. Industr. Med., 4s 84,1947 Lynch and Bell report on oral exami nations of 118 female workers exposed to inorganic acid while employed in an ordnance factory. These workers were exposed during processing of nitro cellulose and guncotton. Acid solu tions used contained 70 percent HtSO, 22 percent HNO, and 8 percent HjOLength of time spent at acid-dipping baths varied. For instance, cottonwaste dipping required 20 minutes, whereas paper-roll (scrolls) dipping required only 2 to 3 minutes. Nitrous fumes are given off from the bath6 during these operations. Wearing of a light-weight face shield of visor pattern is recommended as is a close fitting respirator. Periodic dental examinations should be carried out and workers showing initial erosion ex cluded. Mouth breathers should be excluded from this work. Better ex haust ventilation of the tanks should be installed to eliminate escape of fume. Five illustrations accompany this article, four showing the progress of enamel erosion and one showing the working environment. SPNY 000325 14 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter Volume 8, Number 2 EXHIBITS Arkansas Health Bulletin* Oct. 1947 With the end of the war and the return of fairs, livestock shows, conven tions, and other such occasions where people gather, the exhibitor is again having his chance to teach and to arouse interest by the visual method. The exhibit is an especially effective method for teaching the facts of health and health work--if it is a good exhibit. The great amount of hard labor involved should not deter a zealous public-health worker from accepting the responsibility of setting up and conduct ing an exhibit, but the person accept ing the assignment of exhibit space should certainly be aware of the fact that he is letting himself in for a lot of sweat, if not even blood and tears. Many learn this the hard way and often end up by filling up the space at the last possible moment with a feeble clutter of etceteras. The exhibitor should first acquaint himself with the limitations of the particular situation and then plan to do the veTv best educational job possible within these limitations. Here are some questions he should learn the answers to: What kind, or kinds, of people will make up my audience--urban, rural, or both? young, old, or all ages? pre dominantly men, or women? race? economic status? educational level? The exhibitor himself may have some limitations? Does he have ideas? It may cost money. How much time can he spare? And now comes the actual educa tional planning. An exhibit, like any other educational activity, should be learner-centered. What do the kind of people who will see the exhibit most need to know? What are the most serious health problems in this com munity? The answers to these ques tions should determine the central idea, and the exhibit should be an elaboration of this central idea. How can this idea best be taught? Two things must be kept in mind. Use language and devices that your given audience can understand, and make fullest use possible of the universal laws of learning. Arouse curiosity. Arrest attention. Speak to your learner through as many of his physical senses as pos sible. Appeal to his self-interest as well as his sense of duty, his feelings as well as his intellect. Plan to get him to act on the information you give him. Dr. H. E. Kleinschmidt of the Ameri can Red Cross names these four re quirements as minimum for the planning of a good exhibit. A complete manuscript stating the (Continued on page 16) This exhibit, furnished by the Bureau of Industrial Health, Michigan Department of Health, for the Grand Rapids Municipal Open House, attracted 22,000 people. It included photographs, an equipment display, and a three-dimen sional scale modelfactory layout showing proper illumination and "three-dimensional" painting which was volunteered by an employee of Grand Rapids industry. SPNY 000326 February 1948 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter IS Occupational Disease Reporting IN TENNESSEE In the absence of legislation requiring the reporting of occupational diseases, the Industrial Hygiene Service of the Tennessee Department of Public Health has adopted the best available substi tute. Claims for Compensation An arrangement has been made with the Division of Workmen's Compensa tion of the Tennessee Department of Labor whereby this agency provides the Industrial Hygiene Service with copies of all claims that it receives for compen sation involving an occupational disease. The Tennessee occupational disease law became effective March 14, 1947. This arrangement has been in effect since October 1, 1947, and during this month there were received 118 reports, most of which were for occupational dermatitis. Although these reports of claims will not provide complete coverage it is anticipated that they will provide much valuable information on occupational disease incidence in the State. Death Certificates The death certificates received by the Division of Vital Statistics of the Tennessee Department of Public Health were recognized as an additional po tential source of information relative to deaths from occupational disease. The Manual of. the International List of Causes of Death was studied and infor mation requested regarding certificates with deaths coded to the following title numbers: I, 7. Anthrax (infection by Bacillus anfhracts). II, 51. Cancer of the male genital organs: . Scrotum. V, 78. Lead poisoning: a. Specified ps occupational. b. Not specified as occupational. 79. Chronic poisoning by other mineral or organic substances: a. Specified as occupational. b. Not specified as occupational. VIII, 114. Other diseases of the re spiratory system (except tuberculo sis): a. Silicosis. b. Other and unspecified forms of pneumoconioses. XVII, 178. Accidental absorption of poisonous gas: a. Illuminating gas. b. Motor-vehicle exhaust gas. c. Other carbon monoxide gas. x. Other poisonous gases. 179. Acute accidental poisoning by solids or liquids: A. Arsenic and compounds. C. Cresol compounds. D. Mercury and compounds. F. Carbolic acid and phenol. G. Lye and potash. H. Tobacco and derivatives. M. Narcotics. 0. Methanol and other alcohols. X. Other and unspecified sub stances. 191. Excessive heat. Upon receipt of information relative to any of the above causes of death, an investigation will be made and appro priate measures taken to prevent fur ther fatalities. IN INDIANA Under the Indiana laws occupational diseases are reportable to the State In dustrial Board and to that agency solely. Occupational diseases have not been made reportable to the State Board of Health, either by adoption of rules and regulations, to that effect by the Board of Health, or by legislative enactment. Thus, reporting to the Board of Health is entirely voluntary. Through an agreement with the State Industrial Board, copies are supplied us of all occupational diseases reported to them. This, at the outset, would indicate that through this technique one should have available data on all occupational diseases occurring within the State. This is not quite true, for frequently occupational diseases are not reported to the board unless it appears that com pensation may result. However, I am certain results are as good as one could expect from reporting to any agency. In addition to the reports received by the industrial board, physicians and nurses frequently report cases to us as information or reasons for further epi demiological studies. All these reports are tabulated and follow-up studies are undertaken whenever the data appear to be statistically significant. Two attempts were made to have our legislature pass legislation requiring the reporting of all occupational disease to the State board of health. The first attempt was in 1937 and the last in 1947. Both attempts failed. Through the techniques described we believe that the voluntary reporting of occupational disease is adequate for the purpose of follow-up studies, and it has one advantage; namely that there is no compulsion.--L. W. Spolyar, M. D. IN CALIFORNIA Califomia'6 reporting of occupational diseases is relatively complete. This is undoubtedly due, at least partially, to the complete coverage law, and the fact that the same forms are used for reporting accidental injuries and occupa tional diseases. The liability of the employer for treatment regardless of the severity of the disability is another factor which makes the employer desire reporting even for conditions that might 6eem at first insignificant. Physicians, in order to be compen sated by the insurance carrier, are re quired to furnish reports on all casestreated. That is probably the strongest incentive for reporting. Another aspect influencing the total statistics is the fact that the reports include the non lost-time cases, which is not usual in accident or disease reporting. Of course, no records are available of non lost time cases which occur in industries having in-plant medical sendees where the physician is on salary. California has no special occupational disease law such as many other States have. Under the workmen's compen SPNY 000327 . 16 Industrial Hygiene Newsletter Volume 8. Number 2 sation law, injuries are reportable to the Industrial Accident Commission and are adjudged for compensation under it. The term injury as used in this law, in cludes any injury or disease arising out of employment, including injuries to artificial members. Legally, occupational diseases as such are not recognized, but under the defi nition of injury all occupational dis eases are covered. The law is there fore a complete coverage, or blanket, occupational disease, as well as injury, law. Since this law has such broad cover age, many illnesses are reported which do not appear in the reports of many other States. For example, many in fectious diseases have been ruled com pensable when they have been con tracted by medical and nursing person nel from contact with patients. Upper respiratory infections contracted as a result of exposure to inclement weather, and tenosynovitis are other examples. The term "compensation" defines both treatment and indemnity pay ment, and is furnished as follows: "All medical, surgical and hospital treat ment including medicines, medical and surgical supplies, crutches and appara tus, including artificial members that may be reasonably required to cure and relieve from the eBects of the injury." Treatment must be given for any in jury or illness arising out of the employ ment although no indemnity is paid for the first 7 days of the disability. In as much as the employer is liable for the immediate treatment and the law is well enforced, practically all injuries or illnesses are reported. When the em ployee first appears for treatment, an initial report is sent to the Industrial Accident Commission by the attending physician or surgeon. The Bureau of Adult Health of the State Department of Public Health, through an agreement with the Depart ment of Industrial Relations receives from the latter's Division of Labor Sta tistics and Research a copy of all injury reports which are considered to be occu pational diseases. These first reports are studied and followed up by the Bureau of Adult Health and each month summaries are prepared of all the cases reported. For several years 1,000 to 1,200 of these initial reports of occupa tional diseases have been received and studied each month. SILICOSIS-- (Continuedfrom page 5) eentage of free silica indicates that the amount of free silica of respirable size in the atmosphere is not sufficient to produce the variations noted in the time indicated. However, there is enough iron oxide in the air to cause them. In an effort to determine whether this dust can produce silicosis we have been conducting experimental work at the Saranac Laboratory for the past year and a half. Animals exposed to typical concentrations of particles col lected in the foundry cleaning room have shown no evidence of the disease thus far. Moreover, there has been no tendency to activate tuberculosis in those animals experimentally infected. The reaction resembles that produced by other inert dusts. The study will be continued for at least another year when a complete report will be made. It is hoped that the results of this work will aid materially in the proper evaluation of occupational disease and discourage the diagnosis of silicosis based on improper and inadequate claims. Until sincere consideration is given to the hygienists' findings, erro neous decisions are going to be made. Heretofore, the accumulation in the lungs of dust particles below one-half micron in size has been considered of little consequence. Recent studies by Hatch and Kindsvatter, however, have shown very clearly that exposure to low mass concentrations of quartz particles, smaller than one-half micron, results in significant alveolar retention in test animals and produces demon strable lung change it: a relatively short time. It is pointed out further that because of the known patho genicity of quartz with decreasing size, particles below one-half micron may be of greater importance in the etiology of silicosis than is commonly thought. In this connection, the use of the electron microscope may well result in revision of much of our present thinking on the part played by submicroscopic parti cles in the production of occupational disease. The injection of recent observations into the study of silicosis should provide the stimulus for more intensive research since the problem is far from solved. While it is true that there is still much to learn about silicosis it should not be assumed that definite standards for diagnosis and control of the disease do not exist. Present day methods which take into account such essentials as a complete occupational history, accurate evaluations of exposure to respirable sized particles of harmful dusts, ade quate physical examinations and intelli gent interpretation of satisfactory chest roentgenograms, have been very effec tive in establishing the existence of this occupational condition. Periodic em ployee health examinations, including chest X-rays, provide an efficient adjunct to engineering and hygienic control of the hazard, while the sensible applica tion of sound ventilating principles will result in safe atmospheres and better places to work. Reference Hatch, F. T., and Kindsvatter, V. H.: Lung Retention of Quartz Dust Smaller than One-Half Micron. J. Indust. Hyg. & Toxicol., S9: 342-346, Septem ber 1947. EXHIBITS {Continuedfrom page 14) purpose of the exhibit, the basic idea, the facts to be presented, the technique to be used, and a budget of the prob able expense. A preparatory sketch showing floor and wall , space, partitions, panels, electrical installations, color, and cap tions. All-inclusive copy of captions, ex planatory matter, charts, slogans, dia grams, and other written, drawn, or printed matter. A budget showing probable prepara tion, construction, and operation ex penses. While such a procedure may seem rather formal for some of the simple ex hibits set up locally, the beginning ex hibitor might be surprised at the good effect achieved by the discipline of a little paper work. A simple and usable bulletin for the amateur exhibitor is .Exhibits, How lo Plan and Make Them issued by the National Publicity Council, 130 East 22nd Street, New York, N. Y. (60 cents). U C. fOVs 4NMC HT MtAT'NC O'flCf 1*4* SPNV 000328