Document rx6YekpMGoNj6GD77QvJRyze0

FILE NAME: Sprayed Asbestos (SPRA) DATE: 1949 DOC#: SPRA007 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: UK Govt Report - Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories for the Year 1949 FACTORIES ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF FACTORIES FOR THE YEAR , 1949 Minister of Laban, and National Se, vice lo Pai lament Presented by the by Command of His Majesty l e limai v IV5I HIS Cmd. 8155 LONDON MAJESTY'S STATIONERY PRICE 4i. 6d. NET OFFICE 1937 Act) judging by an for this group. ss in 2.874 instances are led certificates of fitness, authorities, and these are aive bodily development" ,f young persons in 1949. osis (presumably capitis), . out of every 131 girls mbject to re-examination, 1.077 cases), while in a te (in force for 21 days) ms of girls. Among the ,f fitness had pediculosis, a -- conditional and pro- ,ve errors insufficiently or rtant cause of rejection. concern the girls, out of m 313, while comparable ..sc is higher than in the >f boys examined. Much ;ie girls seems to be true or throat, for which 113 utional certificates subject ,,-cts was particularly large uers examined, disease of cquent than in 1948, but jd in these circumstances, c provisional certificates, . granted on this account. i the liaison between the officer is growing, to the a the outskirts of London persons in 1949, "several the year. Provided they If they were given an rve precautionary notices. ,o attend school". Pneum oconiosis The usual Tables have been brought up to date and are set out below. TABLE XIV Deaths from F ibrosis of thb Lung, including Silicosis, Asbbstosis, Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis (England and Wales), 1940 to 1949 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 948 1949 Silicosis:-- 1. Refractories industries ... 2. Pottery, manufacture o f ... 3. Sandstone quarrying and dressing ............... 4. Sandstone masons ... 5. Metal grinding ............... 6. Sandblasting ............... 7. Steel dressing and cleaning of castings ............... 8 . Stone, pebble, flint and sand cru sh in g ............... 9. Scouring powders, manu- facture of ............... 10. Abrasive wheel manufac- ture ............... . 11. Glass cutting and bevelling 12. Millstone dressing ... 13. Slate quarrying and dressing.......................... 14. Granite quarrying and dressing.......................... 15. Tunnel mining (sewage works, etc.) ............... 16. Coal mining ............... 17. Gold mining (South Africa) 18. Tin Mining ............... 19. Iron ore (haematite) mining 20. Lead mining ............... 21. Copper mining ............... 22. Barytes mining .............. 23. Clay mining .............. 24. Mining engineers ... 25. Miscellaneous .............. Total--Silicosis ... Asbestosis ......................... 16 12 7 7 6 9 8 10 13 13' 53 45 47 41 32 41 49 54 48 63 42 24 14 24 26 21 20 12 28 15 67 24 58 13 40 13 53 11 31 7 44 11 41 43 40fi 36 14 13 4 4 0 A55 5 4 9 9 4 10 5 22 13 13 18 5 1 2 1 31 3 -- 2-- 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 -- i2 2 ---- -- ---- 1 7 6 4 6 7 6 13 20 16 21 1 1 3 2-- 1-- 4 1 1 2 2305 2746 2747 3243 3435 347 3223 3362 232 196 10 7 7 4 9 4 7 54 4 21 17 12 14 11 19 14 12 20 20 4 7 5 7 2 9 6 11 9 1 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 -- 1 2 1 -- 1 33 2 1 1 3 ---- 1 1 1 -- 1 2 i 2 112 1 11 7 7 522 406 417 470 445 508 553 558 534 575 11 17 11 8 10 11 16 15 15 17 Pneumoconiosis :-- Coal Mining .............. Other Industries .............. Byssinosis ......................... 34 64 78 230 317 420 11 5 12 19 14 6 7 1 1C 3 4 8 7 Other Cases or (Non-Occu pational) Fibrosis ... 65C 461 443 493 531 52S 568 616 651 554 Grand Total .............. 1,182 884 87" 97t 1,024 1,133 1,223 1,435 1,544 1,587 139 Even in the home of this staple industry there are hardly any unoccupied weaving sheds, and what premises have been available have not complied with either the whole or parts of Regulation 7 of the Cotton Cloth Factories Regulations. The main difficulty has been in complying with Regulation 1(d), which prescribes that the average height of a shed shall not be less than 14+ feet and Regulation 1(b), which prescribes that the lights shall face between north-east and north-north-west. In a number of suitable cases exemptions from parts of Regulation 7 have been granted, but there have been several cases where applications from firms to use unsuitable premises for weaving have been rejected on the grounds that the premises have been so patently at fault from the viewpoint of the Regulations that District Inspectors have unhesitatingly advised the people concerned to seek alternative premises. Inspectors report that the number of "dry" sheds, i.e., those in which no steps are taken to humidify 1he atmosphere by artificial methods, is undoubtedly increasing, due in part to changes in the type of cloth woven. bet.^ r. slz'n8 and the introduction of rayon yams into cotton sheds. Where' artificial humidity is used, it is reported as a great deal less on the whole than was the custom at the time of the introduction of the Regulations. The long warm summer last year gave ample opportunity for observing conditions m weaving sheds when outside temperatures were high, and it was interesting to find that in only very few d'ases did the Inspectors in cotton districts find contraventions. These cases were mainly among firms weaving very fine cloths where 75 per cent relative humidity was stated to be required a.v ld warp breakages. As the temperature rose, readings in excess of \ J cwere found on the wet bulb, whilst humidity was still required to attain 75 per cent relative humidity. Complete air conditioning plant which would entail the installation of refrigerating plants to deal with the very few hot dry days on which such conditions occur in the normal English summer, whilst a possible solution of the problem, is not a practical one from the financial and economic standpoint. Another marked change over recent years is the fact that temperatures are rarely found too low on cold mornings -- the use of unit heaters and air conditioning plants and combined heating and ventilating plants has materially improved conditions in the sheds, and temperatures can now be raised much more quickly than by former methods. Far more cotton-weaving factories have now installed plant whereby the temperature can be automatically controlled. ' Asbestos Regulations The Code of Regulations dealing with the dangers arising in the handling of asbestos has been in force since 1931, and reports show that constant vigilance is necessary in order to ensure that there is no slackening in the fulfil ment of the precautionary measures laid down. In factories where processes scheduled under the Regulations are carried on, the maintenance of dust control, particularly adequate exhaust ventilation at all possible points where dust may be evolved, is of the utmost importance. Those firms which have had long experience with the product and realize how the incidence of asbestosis arises are fully alive to the many problems involved, and from the inspection point of view, it is very necessary to keep an ever watchful eye for the new use of asbestos in some manufacturing or other process, for example, on ships or buildings where the work may be undertaken by some one not fully realizing the necessity of preventing as far as possible the inhalation of asbestos fibre and dust. 144 y there are hardly any unoccupied | It is well known in this industry as in others where there is a dust hazard, been available have not complied i that there is scope for research and experiment in the effective application of >1011 7 of the Cotton Cloth Factories I exhaust ventilation to a variety of processes and machines. The weaving of . in complying with Regulation 1(a), asbestos is one such process, and reference is made to one weaving factory of a shed shall not be less than 14$ where it had been the practice to wet the asbestos before weaving and it was js that the lights shall face between realized that there would be certain advantages if this wetting could be amber of suitable cases exemptions dispensed with. The local application of exhaust ventilation above and below >ed, but there have been several cases the warp, behind the heald and at the "beat up" have been tried with only .suitable premises for weaving have \ partial success and it was thought that it might be possible to place each loom mises have been so patently at fault | in an exhausted enclosure so that the weaver remained outside and all the ns that District Inspectors have 11 dust produced at various parts of the loom thus extracted without entering .cd to seek alternative premises. j the air of the shed. This was tried experimentally on a pair of looms. The "dry" sheds, i.e., those in which no I iosphere by artificial methods, is hanges in the type of cloth woven, >m yams into cotton sheds. Where , a great deal less on the whole than ijtion of the Regulations. enclosures were built up of light hardboard panels some hinged and some removable to give access to the loom when necessary. Panels of transparent plastic material were fitted in the top of the enclosures and artificial lighting provided inside. The enclosures were exhausted from the top. It was found that this was an effective way of dealing with the dust, but there were so many other difficulties with regard to lighting, heating and handling to over come that the firm decided not to extend the idea. It was finally considered .e ample opportunity for observing that reorganization involved in filling a weaving shed with large box-type temperatures were high, and it was enclosures was too complicated to make the idea worth-while. Other methods cases did the Inspectors in cotton of exhaust ventilation are now being considered. were mainly among firms weaving humidity was stated to be required mature rose, readings in excess of mist humidity was still required to i .lplete air conditioning plant which ' ng plants to deal with the very few | ecur in the normal English summer, i a, is not a practical one from the I The main method of preventing the escape of dust into the air of another weaving shed consists of a combination of an extensive exhaust ventilation system and wet processes. The weft pirns are steamed in cabinets situated alongside the looms and the warp is damped as it passes over a roller which revolves in a trough of water mounted in front of the warp beam. Exhaust ventilation is also applied above and in front of the shuttle race and beneath the reeds and healds. Blending for the textile product at this works is at present carried out by hand on the floor of one workroom, mechanical exhaust ventila I tion being provided in this room by means of a duct at a height of .rs is the fact that temperatures are j - the use of unit heaters and air and ventilating plants has materially 7 ft. 6 in. on the walls with many openings fitted with slides which can be opened or closed as required. Experiments are in hand, however, with a mechanical drum blender in which an oil spray is injected as the drum rotates .iperatures can now be raised much and the whole plant installed in an enclosure provided with exhaust ventilation. bar more cotton-weaving factories temperature can be automatically One large asbestos factory has instituted a scheme for replanning and reorganizing part of the works where opening and mixing processes are carried on, because they were dissatisfied with the existing methods of dust suppres sion and realized that having regard to the old premises in which these alations particular processes were housed nothing short of re-siting and reconstruction would solve their difficulties. At the same time, on the medical side, the firm t the dangers arising in the handling i, and reports show that constant u there is no slackening in the fulfil* iown. In factories where processes med on, the maintenance of dust illation at all possible points where portance. Those firms which have .nd realize how the incidence of y problems involved, and from the ary to keep an ever watchful eye .nufaeturing or other process, for work may be undertaken by some- has started a new scheme of medical examinations, and has appointed a part-time works' doctor who has a thoroughly good knowledge of the asbestos industry and the risks of working therein. The new scheme includes an initial clinical examination and X-ray screening, followed by a clinical and/or X-ray examination every year of workers employed in scheduled areas. Arrangements have been made to buy screening apparatus and to have X-ray films taken. It is proposed to alternate clinical examinations carried out by the works' doctor with those carried out by the Pneumoconiosis Medical Panel and for this purpose the firm is anxious to work closely with this Panel and have made a request to the local doctor in charge. The scheme should be well under way in 1950 and its development will be watched with the greatest interest. preventing as far as possible the Portable asbestos spraying plants are used to an increasing extent by con tractors on buildings, ships, etc., for insulation purposes. Asbestos is fed into 145 the spraying machine by hand, and conveyed by means of a small spiked srnSl card cylinder which takes the fibre from the travelling band and feeds it in a flocculent condition to a fan by whkh it is blown to spray min where it is ejected by means of compressed air. The spray gun consists or f ^ n tr e T e t for asbestos!surrounded by four jets of water- w h i c h ^ r g e on the asbestos spray at about 1 foot from the end of the gun. Also a tin snrav of watei is provided over the spike band conveyor in the actual machine The control, by means of a valve on the spray gun, is so am nged that the water jets must be in operation before asbestos can be dehvered o the gun S th i water supply fads the supply of asbestos is automatically topped. h _isks tQ health ,,,,less proper precautions are taken in as well as from the British Isles. . Several Inspectors refer to the unsatisfactory practice of packing raw S n the f a c t o r 7 - for which purpose only containers constructed of ,,,nri/,rCrnnremed is verv important. CUy Works (Welfare) Special Regulations, 1948 These Regulations have now been in force for over a year and it is possible toT t o V S sment of the degree of compliance than was posstbk last scrious^auemptloVulfil'tlre8t^ufrem entfis^being rn d e in 'the larger works. remote areas without sewerage or piped water supply. In some localities it Lems th it employers have decided not to act unless pressed, Particf f}' TM the provision of protective clothing, and several Inspectors sugigest that cga nrooeedings may be necessary before this attitude is changed. In one Djstr c WES P o u t e d and fined and now shows L T o f improvement In another, a firm fined for breaches of the sa ety S o n s of the Act has had a general change of attitude and is now setting about the provision of amenities. ,. , t nropress ;s reported in the provision of washing facilities, some- tiitS tothe?aee o f very real difficulties of water supply and drainage. Many S s tlll o " ew b S s with hot water laid on : some works have showe r a t r K and abusf is rare. Poor provision raptdly becomes worse as there is no incentive to treflt it well. # t T There has been steady development in the provision of canteens. In thi smaller*worits,Attack meals are opular. Some messrooms have been traps- r ___________1 Wei rtrtl/M1r 146