Document v123z46pLpO29N2YQ1y2RxGM6

1957 National Safety Congress mists, fumes, dusts. Also asphyxia tion, irritation of lungs--acute (edema, pneumonitis), irritation of longs--chronic, pneumoconiosis, fi brosis, emphysema,'and granuloma (Be). In addition cancer of lung, deposition--radition within lung and hilar lymph nodes; specific carcino genic agents are hazards. Ingestion of chemicals, following upper-res piratory trapping of dusts, follow ing contamination of hands and handling things that go into mouth and following contamination of food stored in work rooms--eaten in dirty* lunch rooms are potential dan gers. (2) nature of hazard--aspect of absorp tion--systemic effects such as: acute intoxication, percutaneous, respira tory, alimentary absorption (often two or all three combined); chronic intoxication--remote enzymatic or metabolic effects and organic dam age; or remote radiation effects fol lowing absorption and distribution of radioactive materials in body-- example--bone and marrow, follow ing absorption, distribution and me tabolism nf specific cardnogtti?-- example--bladder tumor. RECOGNITION AND IDENTIFICA TION OF HAZARDS 1. Toxicologic investigation (in labora tory) (stepwise with progress of re search and development in industry*) (a) screening--preliminary choice or elimination of materials under con sideration-- --immediate toxicity--indicative of type of control measures based on portal of entry (type and point of application of preventive procedure) (degree of precision required m protection, i. e. extent of apparent danger) (medio! criteria--type of antiripated-injury or disease) (b) Comprehensive--(adapted to the problems to be met) --manufacturing hazards --hazards of transportation and use as raw materials by* others --hazards of consumer of final prod uct --cumulative effects if any --metabolic fate in body--remote ef fects--long-term--chronic--injuri ous effects --diagnostic and prognostic procedures based on results of investigation 2. Toxicologic investigation--(inplant) cliniol investigation of personnel --basis of all specifications for safe en vironment --sometimes the only baas for recognition of hazard, e. g. beryllium, occupational cancer CONTROL OF HAZARDS I. XfMtral measures of control environTTwnnal--(operations, plant conditions and (how* men work) --clinical examination--all types. --jujljring the plant--(clinical findings and tests on personnel) --identification and quantitation of re sponses to observed exposure--within physiological (tolerable) limits--beyond physiological limits --warning ox need for further protection --disposition of personnel with respect to exposure restriction of time (duration) of exposure--removal from exposure --temporary or permanent --personal protective equipment (choice and supervision, physiological criteria) adequacy of equipment employed--ade quacy* of its maintenance--adequacy* of its use --education, group meetings, written in structions, hygienic manual, combined whh operating manual --reports to engineering personnel (in both operations and industrial hygiene) and to management 2. Engineering measures of control --designing and applying measures of con trol--physical devices for protection against chemicals--plant design--opera tions design--ventilating design --policing the plant (environmental moni toring) inspection--critique of mainten ance operations--analysis of materials --air analyses. --personal protective equipment (choice and supervision--engineering criteria) --reports to medical personnel, and man agement (directly or through physician) 3. Administrative measures of control --appropriate organization of hygienic fa cility in relation to operations --appropriate budgetary provision for hy gienic effort Adequate control depends upon the com plete understanding of the hazard through physiologic and toxicologic research. In addition, satisfactory team work in cludes : Chemical Industries 1. Physician (including nurse and techni cians} measures applied to personnel measures to be applied to environment (hygienic specifications) Z Engineer (including chemist, physicist and technicians) measures to be applied to environment (hygienic technologic applications) 3. Management proper organization proper financial implementation A LIVING IN THE AIR WE BREATHE by H. H. FAWCETT safety director, research laboratory, General Electric co., Schenectady, N. Y. Using in the air we breathe has been a problem since God created man from dust and then breathed into him the breath of life! Bxxt even today, the vital role of breathing in our daily life has not been com pletely' appreciated. This paper reviews briefly (1) air contaminants, and (2) com mercially available respiratory protective de vices. with emphasis on their limitations, and on the training and maintenance necessary for safe and effective use. "day-by-day" thought and deliberate action to obtain. We live at the bottom of an ocean of air called the atmosphere, a name given to a mixture of several gases which consist mainly of four-fifths nitrogen and one-fifth oxygen. Virtually limitless in volume and mass as we view it from the ground, it thins <mt into space. Half of its density is tinder 16.000 feet. In a multitude of ways the air assists alt living things to exist. Each of us is a creature of habits, but none of our habits is mote vital to life than is breathing. So automatic and effortless is this habit that we give almost no thought to our respiration, although most of us cannot live without air for more than five minutes. From the second of our birth when we de scend from in utero (where the oxygen partial pressure corresponds to 33,000 feet altitude) into a world with a mWlure of gases railed air, we must breathe several quarts of ah* each minute so our body cells ran exist, grow, and perform their func tions. For an average lifetime of 70 years, we may breathe in excess of a half billion times. By contrast, we consume "three square meals'* and "six glasses of water" daily. Our air requirements which we obtain vir tually without effort are of greater signifi cance by any standards than water, food, clothing, and shelter, which demand much FUNCTIONS OF AIR Besides proriding oxygen for breathing* oxygen which lungs transfer to the bloodair conveys both sound and light, absorbs heat, enables fires to burn, propels boats, turns windmills, makes possible ah* brakes, vacuum cleaners, and other useful machines. Air in motion forms winds which modify climate, equalize heat and cold, and distri bute rainfall Rivers high in the air, such as the jet stream, greatly influence weather and are an increasingly important factor as air planes travel at higher altitudes. The ancient Greeks ranked air with earth, fire and water as one of (he four fuudamoital elements. Since each of us has been breathing sev eral times each minute from our birth, res piratory protection and devices to aid or supplemait breathing might seem unneces sary. If pure air were truly ubiquitous, and no harmful gases, vapors or dusts existed. 11