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FILE NAME: ZK DATE: DOC#: K DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION:WZZE^ZsZ ]1. '- 1 , I' 'Volume 12, . NATIONAL SAFETY CONGRESS , .' TRANSA~9NS , / "~~ , "", . ' : ' 0 ' :. . ',' :.' ~ ,. 'r , ., . INDUSTRIAL ., '\ SAFETY , " , . . '" . '. ' NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL 425 North Michigan Av~nu,~ , , I " Chicago, Illinois 60611 . _ - - - 0-"" . '-~- - - - - - - ' (, .. . uown the shaft to the other two levels, kill- mg 52 men. It was then described as the worst mining disaster in U.S. history and to my knowledKtt it is still so regarded. . man BrieRy, here are some of the facts: of the 52 killed, 34 lived within the limits of one small city. Forty were married. Thrte pairs of brothfrs and three father and son teruns wtre among the victims. The oldest victim Wcl~ 66; the youngest, 18. Survivors included 107 dilldren under the age of 16.. three men left seven children cacho One survived, climbing 800 feet in 10 minutes. The elected county mine inspector was in' the- mine at the time and was one of the casualties. Only 10 bodies were recovered. The maximum workmen's compensation benefit at that time was ~14 per week payable for a maximum of 300 weeks. The operating. company was generally regarded as one' of the pioneers in mine safety. The state mining Ctlgincer said, "The mine had not been under Buspicion as dangerous." The state geologist described mine conditions as excellent and 'said, "Every possible precaution had been taken." All of the CMlmunity's limited resourc~ were mustered to alleviate the hardships- nurses and clergymen banded tOgether to visit and comfort the survivorS, and mer- cbants helped with donations of food and clothing. The company-self-insUtt.d for workmen's compensation - voltmtarily in- cluded the survivors of the mine inspector, who was oot an (jTlployee, '00 their can- pensation payroll. The Red Cross withdrew (rom the Scene, saying the situation was so well handled that anything they might do would be a duplication of effort. . The (:(IInpany was cleared of any negligence, and the U.S. Bureau of Mints report said, "From insptttion and study, it is our j udgmcnt that the mine. was oPerated Qe(:()rding to the best mining practices and that all care possible was ta10en by the mining company to safeguard their ~ and that the accident was due to causes that could not have been foresten." I am confident that in the intervening 40 years tho~e of you who are experts in the field have developed new techniques that would make 3 recurrence of such a disaster highly unlikely, and that you wilt continue to dedicate yourselves to the prevtntion of accidents, ther.cby assuring conliJtUl!d "community stability." A SUMMARY OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH A. SPECTS IN MININ. G OPERATIONS J;lj . ERNEST MASTROMATrBO; M.D.. D.P.H., D.tH. Chid, OctUJ)lltiaual He81th Service, . . . . . Environmental Health Branch, Ontario Department of Health, Toronto, Ont., Cana~ Mining is one of tnan's most ancient occupations. It began when man first began 'to dig for rocks and metals to make tools and weapons. About 20,000 years ago man began to sink shafts and drive tunnels for Rint used to make knives, axes. ;md arrow heads. The Egyptians used copper for metal utensils, weapons. and ornament.. over 15,000 years ago. By 4,000 B.c., copper was in general use throughout Europe. North Amaican Indians had learned to hammer copper utensils, hut they did not learn how to smelt copper. Copper and tin ocCUr together around Cornwall, Fngbnd: they were: smelted tog~th~1' to produce bronze' for the first time about 2,000 B.C. Bronze daggers and swords dating from this period have been recovered . r()l1l a.ncient tQmbs. ' Prehistoric man showed the effects of his occupational exposure to flint. He undoubtedly developed silicosis from Ilint-knapping -one of the oldest of industries. Egyptian mummies have ~ found with anthracosis and pleural adhesio"s. The stone cutttrs for the pyramids must have suffered {rom severe exposure to silica. Miners have already been (garded as a hretd apart. Living and social c:onditioDl described by the early h~ Were ap- palling. The ancient miners 'Wt'l"e almost always slaves, condemned criftlin:t1s. IIrlsontts ". 0A(, 1968 NoliMtGl Sa/t" COfI(JftU of war. or fore! bbor. The coal mines in Britain 'Wtre dedoped in the twelfth taltury. Many Ii.va were lost from accidents, black damp~ fires, and explosion. In the 16th and 17th ctDtaries the coal mines were gt'ltly upandrd with the iOOustrial revotu tion. The indusb.ial( revolution brought rapid changes arid ..... foUowtd by awakened s0cial concern about working conditions. Women and yeung dilldrtn were employed in mines. One oE the carliHt writers on the health aspects of tnimug 1ft! Georgius Agricola. who pubJiJbed his Dt R,M"allictJ in 1556. Agricola diecasml in detail Jhe ~, smelting, and refining of gold and Iilve&'. He rec:ommexled wntilation with fresh air for mine worlciogs. He also recommended_ t he use of masks to protect against mine ousts. mom- Mining opuabons, because of their sity, pme:rt a wide variety of occupational exposul'6, 80IDe of which can residt in ill health and disability. I hope in this presen- tation to touch 00' many of these exposureS, more with particular rtfertnce to the min- ing industry in Ontario. To SOI'J}( ckgm; unckrground work is similar to work dooe within con6ned spaca For this rCIIOO, greater attention must be paid to toxic substaDces tDCOuntered under,;. ground. The air in ~ is mote likely to be contaminated than-the air in fad.ories. With abnormal conditions, e.g., fires, severe COllditiOlUl a~ imposed. Adequate vtllti1ation and control of aiT is most important in mine~. PfCe"'''O(OffiolilProdtltittg Dtuu The poetUllOCOOioses still constitute what is perhaps the most difficult B! well II tht most Rfttt and oostly of the occupational health problema which the. mining industry has to face. amount Coal MMt Prltflm<Jc01fiom. Coal dUJt- itJelf has always been considered to be a basicaUy inert dust. In coat mining opera- tions, i-.owMr. it may be inhaled in largt :uDCXIDt The of f rte .lliea preRDt in the airbotnt dust is ulually quite smaIl Two main types of pneumoconiosis are desen"bed: simple pneumocmiosis and prog- rttm\'e musM fibrosis (PMF)o' The ~ is fmrueutJy assoclattd with focal rmphy~ stma. whertAls in PMF large solid manes of scar tissue are found in the Jung. Tuber- culosis i! impIkakd in the majority of cases, Ontario has no coal mining and '[ have no first band expuience on this subject. A superIiclal look. howeverI at the prtVaJeaoe oJ coal minen' pncurnoooniosis inditatn the magnitudt of the problem uound the world wbcrevtt coal is mined' III the United Stam, a survey of 2,549 AwalaclUan bituminnm coal miners covtring the period 1963-1965 diBdostd 9.8 pet' cent with 'definite xray evidenc::e of pneumoconiosis. These miners had spent an ,avt'~ge of 79.7 yean under- ground. Consitkrable publkity hat been gMn to c:omperas:ltion fOT coat miners' disability in P~nia. The '~ence of pneumoconiosis in coal miners from diliert11t countries is ckmoa- stntro in an IL.O. report. I have adapted information from this publication in the Table below. TABU: I P,nltJlma of CoalMiff", prtttmfoconiosis COfI1dry YMr Australia, N.S.W. 1948 1960-63 Au5tria Czecho&Jovalda France Germany India United K.ingdoo1 1962 1960 1962 1961 1960 1962 . -New cues n!porkd tJuat ynr **UndeJiround miner;; only NtIIItIhd of CoaiMiMrs 11,5l6 3,481 150,(Q) 196,099 317;JfU" 440.900" PerC"" Miwr,MlJc PfCf'tllMcOfioN 125 3.5 (8) 13.3 12.4 (2.668) 18.8 . ,.(1,656>,* ------'" ;e' , , .' . , u SUico.ris; The iDbaIation and retention of for mine air (and COIlKquently no deDidtiOO ~xctssiie a8IouDb of {tcie' silica (ntainly n.e quirt&) aiftI to bOIIUbr formation of of I maxfmsun QOIl(altration which not to be cxa:edCd) has IUly significabl'e unless fibrous 1iIIQe. in the lungs. This' fibrosis incrtaltl aDd impcairs the fuottion of' the tbr: type of ~ the methOd of 1IWlpUnt. ud the uatflre of the dust are p~ lung. .Si1icotb hue iacreased SUSCltptibility to tuberc:ulolla, and this is reSpooaiblc for ditly kDowu.. ,. In mine dust; dderminatiOD of the free the major disability. mma. In Ontario gold sab (qtiartz) contmt of the 2irboroe .dUlt the quam rontent is impol taat. Wrth ooaI dust, it is t1l!tOIbary runs UJI to 40 per CCtIt, and in uranium to inc:!irIerat.e the sample to detcnrlmc the mines up to 70 per ccut. In, nickel nUneJ, amount of aab and allO the qUlltU content tl)c quam CGIkftt is .pte low. In all. there ~~. about .17,CJ'IJ under"OUIId miners in On . of the ash. . The devt10pment of pt1eU1t6ocODiosis in a ~.r!~, 1;'be.~. of dinkalIy disabled ~ of 8~ among these runs from fiv,e miner depends first and foremost on the cumulative elfcct of dutt expoauft. Al the to t.tP.. *.b year. About .m actively em.. .~l~xed. rnlners show x~ray m~ of sill: expoaure increasea the incidence inl:reases. and the cIiIwe becaneI nio~ severe. In .CoSis without any diabiJjt.y-a prcvak:nce of some CIRS, it is apparent. that the total ~: 'about z.J per ccot. .' Of 14,076 actively anpIoyed metal miners man of coal dust (or other inert dust) is more important than its (l()Dtent of ash. .' in'the United Stata eamined betwten 1958-. ,1961, 3.3 per cent abowtd definite aidence In order to standardite methods for assessing the pneumoconiosis risk, a method of of pneu:inoC:oniOlis. gravimetric sampling of the respirable dust, . AmstoN..Asbestoa is a 6bn:ms silicate. This form of JlfIeJID'IIl('4l1insis is manUestid intmtitial fibrosis. Gas difl'u- with analysis of the collected, dust, setnlS in~Je. There is much movement in tl,is gtneral dirtetion. The th~old limit by a diffule sion through the aheobr watt is impaired. value for quart%, for example, is now shown Asbestos is mined e:xtmsiMJ in QtdJec; on a gravimmic basis in the 1968. Notice of ,",,,",ttl tttt is f0aa4. in Ontario. Ca~ of Clumgts published by the American very H 8:sbestosis in Ontario have ~kQ from its COOferenc:e of Governmental IndUStrial Hy- use; e.g., fitsulaton. (cS:aosncsteotaflctailseomsiisnehdavine gieAnistsst.andard for respi'rable roal dust is Ontario, and a few been reported from thil nposure.) necdrd. The earlier British recommendation Drut Mt4lfll'mtaJ. Maximum rdeartmn of for' "approved conditions" is ndted below; dUllt ~rticl.es in the ~ of the lung oc- DIUI Particles curs with partides of OUt to two microns / in particle size. 'l'btre is little retention of Om,"", }ltr C , e ttc co.Hler.tes~ -Less than ~ . , bclwten particles less than 0& JDicron or over' five Arlthm microns in site.. The limit' of 'tin: resolvmg ., _t athnd 51)~C[~~ ~ss an f ~er O~ a. very --.I 5~ .~....,:..;.:., c ~. ~~ lS Other cotlicrits IhN UCLW((f1 1 and 5 microns a t limit is tnl~ 5""""'...y. nxed at 0.5 to 1.0 micron. le ower There is Stone driftun4 hard f ' all Les~s tahnadn54SO. betwetn general agr~ that ~ in ,the' rang,e , : : } microns of 0.5 to 5.0 mKl'OI1S 3rt unportant from . stud!ts the point of view of inhalation into and .Further. " . ., ~ve tak~ place In. Brltam retention in the lung.' . WIth gravunetnc ,SIU setec~ve samph~g, and In Ontario, dust AIllJ)ling in mines is done m with,tbe konimeter, IOOSt o the United the mUlts of thUi !tOOy Will be of mtert3t. 'f}1e USSR maximum pc!nnislIible COI~cen States it it done with the impingtr, and in l~t~ f~ coal dust of less than five mICron Bri~in the ~ precipitator is mainly particle stU a~ also shown. Ma.rimlUll used. In Ontario, kmimdrJ counts of less than 300 p1icla per c.c:. are <XItI!idered are ~ of 300 to ~ fair, and Coal DIUI Ptrittiuiblt CO1fctrttrahOft mg/m' goOd;' cOUnts' greater than SOO arc consid~ bad; al~' ~nes ~ samp&rd twice ~ly.-& Coal, tl10fe than 10% quarti 2 mattcri stand at pri:acnt.' no evaluation or COal, less thaD I~ quart: 4 C6ni'pamon of the dust~measuring methods Coal. no quartz 10 ,JP63 National Sa/ely CoJtorm ,Toxic Dusts Therefore, }ltf50ns in, an o,cygen-dcficient Miners exposed to mercury, manganese. or soluble lead dusts may develop systemic atnJosphere, ,may, be aware of sPme difficulty, but they are unable to take the appropriate poisoning. Lead sulphide ores present no real safe action. hatard in mining-only in smelting. Miners . The co~centration of oxygen in mine air exposed to manganese dust in both Chile should be maintained above 18 per cent. arm Cuba have' been reported to de'Vetop When the CQIlccntration falls below 16 per , cetttral 4tervous system effects similar to e01t, symptoms of oxygen lack begin to ap- Parkinsonism. No mercury, manganese, or pear. At levels of six per cent or less, col- ltad mines are found in Ontario, It is per, lapse c:tn occur very quickly. baps worthwhile to mention that manganese steel is commonly used underground in jaw , Nitrogen" helium, argo~, and hydrogen act as simple asphyxiants by excluding oxy- crushers. A welder in Ontario using fln oxy~ gen. Some other gases may be broadly con- acetylene torch to cut manganese steel under, sidered to be in this category even though ground developed kidney damage which was attributed to the manganese' fumes. VentiJa~ they have other physiological actions. These include ~rbon dioxide, methane, and ethane, tion in the work area was inadequate. Th\! older term "blaCK damp" refers to a Much of the free world's nickel is mined mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, in Ontario. Dust in nickel mines has not produced occupational health problems apart f dermatitis. Increased Carbo,. Diaxid~. This gas acts as a re- spiratory stimulant. Air 1lOrmally contains about 300 ppm. Workers would not be from occasional cases o risk of nasal sinus cancer and 'lung cancer has been repOrted in workers involved in likely to notice any effect on breathing until sintering aDd calcining nickel sulfides. This has not occurred in the nlining operations. the concenh:ation exceeds two per cent in air. Since it qIUses rleeper'and faster breathing, it may .enhance the effect of any toxic Increased 'risk of lung cancer has also gas present with it, for example, carbon been demopstnted in the refining of a cobalt monoxide. ' :' , ' ore containing arsenic. These workers also showed increased incidence of chronic pul~ Mefhane. This gas occurs most commonly monary fibrotic disease. This exposure is still under study. Arsenical dermatitis is in coal mines. It is occasionally encountered in other mines-iron ore, s:tlt,' etc, It is ~ommon in handling this ma~erial and a few oration o~ the nasal primarily a fire and explosion hazard rather than a health hazard" but can a.ct as an cases involving perf septum from arsenic have occurred. asphyxiant. No~ious Gasi!S Carbon ,Monoxwt. Carbon monoxide is not a normal constituent of the air. It is Tho WQrd noxious comes from the Latin word injurious. To the industrial hygienist, produced hy combustion sources-fire, ex~ a. noxious substance is one which produces plosion; or' the intemal combustion engine. It is produced by blasting agents, Concen- adverse effects. on the worker from annoy , ance or discomfort to illness or death. trations of 400 to 500 ppm in air' may be tolerated for a short time; exposures. of OxygNi Lack. Oxygen is the ~ost impor- 1,500 to 2,000 ppm,8Tt dangerous in a short tant constituent for human life. Man can ,time. J do, not feel there is sufficient evi- ,. live only a few minul,ts without oxygen- dence to accept the concept of chronic car:- his resenre of &t{)red 1!'xygen in the lungs, bon monoxide pOisoning from repeated ex- blood and tissues is sufficient to last for posures underground. only four to ,five minutes once he is deprivM of oxygen., " /" A.11mbHUJ, Ammonia is occasionally or Oxygen lack can 'OCcur in mines ~ differ- encountered, underground, It provides ade- quate warning its 'presence, because of its ent ways-b,Y. dilution with simple asphyxi ants seeping out of rock 5trata, by absorp- i~ritating a~tiot1.' tion of oxygen into rock strata (this occurs Sulfur Dioxide. This is produced by the mostly in coal mines), or by 'consumption reduction of sulfide ores. Blasting in some in chemical or biological reaction. Oxygen types of sulfide ores may pro,duct tempO- be vtry insidious in its effects. be rary high concentrations. It acts primarily lack can \:ause it causes impairment of judgml;.Ut. as an jrri~ant of ,the upper resfJiratory tract. l hut sever~ exposure: may result in bronchitis and occa~ionaUy C1lema of the lU1,1g8.. It bas may result in two to six days in these severe cases. Chronic changes from :usin~ exposure been sQggested that C()IltU1ued exposure to may also occur. low ~tratlons of sulfur dioU1e could Hydrogm Stdjidt. Hydrogen sqJ6de is rtsUIt ill chronic respiratory disease; e.g., produced chiefly from the detOlnp()sition of chronic bronchitis with or without emphy- organic matter. It nmy occur in mines where sema. At the present tinle, a study is under- sulfide ores are found. It is soluble in water way in a group of smelter workers exposed or oil and it may flow for 'some dis'tance to sulfur dioxide in Ontario. Their respira- . from its place of origin to escape at some tory illness exptrience will be c:ompared to 'uneJCpectcd prate. Hydrogen sulfide has a other groUps in the same company not ex- characteristic odor at low concentrations. Its posed to this gas. odor cannot be.relied upon, however, to give Oxides qf Nitrogen (Nitrous Fumes). Of adequate warning of its presence, because these, nitrogen dioxide (N02) is of special in lethal concentrations this gas rapidly paras produced in diesel cxraust lyzes .the sens.e of smell. Such concentrations imporb\nce. It i and from blasting agents used underground.. also affect the respiratory center in the bmin The ventilation requirement for diesel-en- resulting in failure of respiration. gines used ~nderground is detennined by the tlitrogen dioxide produced (and the dis- Radioactivity :lgrceable odor of aldehyde), Radium. a naturally occurring radioacti.c This is one of the most insidious of all isotope, i9 distributed in small amounts in the earth's crust. The radioactive disintegra- gases. It may be inhaled in lethal concentrations without marked discomfort. at the time tio~ of radium results in radon2ZZ and radon daughters. The air in underground of exposure. Later, it produces a delayed workings contains sdme radon fr01ll. seepage __ pulmonary edema. of the gas into mine workings. In most oon- Air sampling after. blasting underground uranium mines,. the concentration of radon shows peak concentrations occur two to sOt does not presen't any significant exposure; minutes after the blast, and significant con- one notable exception is the fluorspar mine centrations may remain for about 15 min~tes in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland. . after the blast. Commonly, levels of 200 In uranium mines the radon concentration ppm are prOduced, but values up to 800 ppm in the mine air is much higher than in other l\,wc been reported after blasting. mines. Studies of uranium miners in the Adequate ventilation must be provided to United States have revealed a' significant remove nitrogen dioxide and other gases increase in the incidence of lung cancer. The produCft.1 by underground blasting. After increased incidence is related to the concen- blasting, there is nmeoarnloyxiadlewaaynsd moixxieddesexo-f atrnadtiotno otfhera.dleonngathndoiftstAimheorto-lfiveedxpdoasuugrhe.terIst. posure to carbon nitrogen. For this reason, any worker af- has been estimated that 30 to 50 per cent fected by blaosltlianpgsefushmoeusl.d waliwthayhseabdeaccohne,- omfindeersathwsasinfroSmchnleuenlg?ucrgancaenrdaJsoaachreimsusltthoafl dizziness, or c sidered to have suffered a significant expo- radon exposure. . sure to oxides of nitrogen as well. Restric- The hazard from radon daughters is tion of activities for 24 hours is most measured in Working Levels (WL). One important in these cases. WI.. is defined as that combination of radon It bas been recommended that 7S cfm per horsepower be provided for the control'of daughters in one liter of air that will result in an ultimate emission of 1.3 x 10~ MeV diesels ustd underground. of potential alpha-cnergy. / Ar.n,." Arsine is fonned when nascent hydrogen is produced in thepresenee. of In un~tilated underground mi.!1es, the concentration. of.. radon daughters ~y .vary arsenic. Add treatment of arsenical' ores may. give rise to arsine production. Exposure from a fraction of a WL to several thQ6sand WL. Presumably. some degree of risk exists to arsine results. in destruction of red blood at aU working levels but the ma~um in- alls with anemia. This anemia may develop crease of lung cancer ~r~ .wht!h.the cumu- within a few bouts in acute exposures, and in sCV:ere (ASCS. the anemia i~ e)Ct~e; death lative exposure exceeds J,(9) :working level months (1,000 WLM), a,.dwhenthe miners 31 1968 Na,itmtJI Sufet, (""firm arc modera~t to heavy slUolttrs, n,m when they have wor~td in the millfs 10 years or dliakrtkly loccatoions~. Sutods~ IM1i ofa' inlJiunIieiMrtiio~n w.., rtlOrt. No repol'tl of aystaptai, till ill Britbli <Xla1 mIners.in late .~ Ira 0n- The simplest control measure 'is .to Vtnti~ tario. Mioer'a ..., . . .,,,.. .i"I,~ to poor late the mine with fresh, outside air. Auother method' of .control . is M" limit the levels of illuminatlori, bat tIBe QPClrs to areas an miner-8 time" in high in .radon and be .e.motio.nal overlay. daughter product8, In all areas 'where radon Vibration' is being emanated, the ventilation rate :should . In Ontario, Ra)'DOldd'. JIbmommOn of provide one complete air change every four OOOI;Kltional origin (while bmI) bas. oc- minutes unless radon daughters have been curred in large numbers of aluminum found- shown to be low. (This rate of ventilation ~ ~ippen using lJOCI'd12tM:.1UlIS. ~~ is very high for a mining operation and I do not think it would be feasible for large ally; ~ are eucoantaed .. SUd dlippmg ~nd iu~o. 8Sblbly wort, fJdt thee are quite scale uranium oPerations.) Each pair of men 4nOOttUllon. I am mt 2W2II! of. any cues mining in the ore should be provided with Oeeutring in Ontario hard rock,mibeq usiua from 1,000 dm of fresh air discharged an pneumatic dri1h. It was m.r impressioo ~ outlet not mort than 30 feet from the work- the vibration .freq~ . . the amplitude ing face. On drifts, the airflow needed sbouId was not if. the same nnge as that of tfw; be calculated .to provide a velocity of 3Q aluminum chipping 8UItS. It is of interest. ftJmin, These recommendatkma on VdltiIa.; however, to note that ~ hhe beet re- tion are all taken from P.blic Htalth J)()md'in uranium miners in Sub~ Sl'mu Pf4blkatirm No. 494. who u~ a smaller .jadt~ drill An im" Exposure to thoron and thoron daughte~ i>otbint factor in these ~. is the cold, has also been raised in connection with ambiatt temperature: in the'area w1tm! these umnium mining. This is currently under rom worked. study in Ontario. E~,.Josif!u . Noesr Some oceupatiooaJ 1ieaIth aspr.ds involv- Noise in mining operations deserves special ing explosives have IJeeta 1OUChed,Oft .in. discussing the variOUJ gases which might be cotrunmt in its o~ right. Drilling and underground crushing almost always cmate encountered in mining. Careless handling and excessive noise levels requiring a good hearing constrvation program, involving pre- periodic audiognuns piuS storage of dynamite cmbiniww oitnJlbudu may result in headacbts '(pc)wder headac:Ms) and cardiovascular stra:a. N"~in tn- employment and the wearing of hearing protection fer aU ten the body by.inJcabtioft or skin cootacl It dilates capillary blood miIrk, rtstdting in workers in' high noise areas, loW' blood prmure. Two .....5 employed Heal , in the manufacture of' eXplosives died of As "mines go deeper, the rock temperature tatdiovasctllar stress Maile' :away from the increases by about ~. to lOF for each 100 job. . fect. When the area is opened up, the h'eat More "recently, ~ of' amnioniUIU radiates into the air space. At 8,000 feet, nitrate: and' diesd fuel (Al(JFO) have Northern Ontario mines reach a trmperalurt cOme iitto use in uudtiFqund blasting. or.:aboUt ~. to 100F, with high humidity. Trouble has been eX~ in Odlario <{Intro! of bumidity at thm temperatures with ImIiroper' t1tixias. of this mkktial in pr~ents problems. ' . . the .p3!1t. ,This leU' bcIm c:oottoUed.Qcca..: 'In rdativeiy shall~w dunes, from 300 to sionally, there are iIoIated ases: of '~rm:~ 600 feet down, told can present a problem litis, F~ time. to time. fldestinns ~'Ii!-istd in Northern Ot)tario, Heating of fre!lh mine t;9,~cerJ)ing Qil ~ esPP5UfC. ~Ilr~ in :Uk- is done to bke rani .0 these upper levels. fiJllng .overhead holes. . - r;' i . I.. . .. :From . the :octupation2l .baldi" point of Liglt'sftiJ . Beause of the long dista~ btvciIWi vie\*;' AN/F'O tiIiUuR does'I!bt presebt any p~t hazard: tbaD ~ lilt'of COIftettional and the large unused area unde~. in explosives. ., I ~ . hard rock mines, lighting i~ not eifen!ivelj' or u~' in mines: Miners' often Work 'in semi- !'In' Ontario, a ituinber &atlaS have 00- curted in worker. ,entering bhm artU too lOOn after, ~ eXplOSion. 'In some ~ the workers ditd of atutetarbon monoxide poi- !I<XlbIg; In othen, mild carbon tnMoxfdt ~ftects were oottd, foUowed by a fatal puI, monaty edema. {rom .'inhalation of oxides of nitrogm. SytftMitc Rt.riN Various synthetic resins have been iotro- duced into minini applicatiom for special putpO&eS ;1e:i:', grouting and staling, and rock bolting. . " Epoxy :md pcilyester resins are uW in rock bolting. The use of epoxy re!ins mI,Y result in cateI:of respiratory irritation aad dermatitis' from the hardcriefS used. Derma- titis is oc:tASiOnaUy enoountered with the polyester used. a Po~rethane has been used in mines as ieal. These contain isocyanates (MDI or TOI). Of thtse. MDI is Its! volatile and 'ess likely to give trouble. Both of these isocyanates, however. may give rise to bran cltial irritation or allergic bronchitis with asthmatic-like symptc:im9. -Wot'ken applying polyurethane foam and those in the gcnml area should wear adequate respir.\tory protect:ioo. An air lin~ respirator is recom- mended. Workers 150 feet away or mof'I:; do pot require respiratory protection. provided the air flow from the' a~ of spraying is not too excessive. Acrylamide bas bttn used for grouting. Aerylamide is quite toxic, and casts of dermatitis and peripheral' neuriti~ have been reported with th, is material. ' COffclf&.rioJu A wide variety of substances and .other agents may be encountertdJn mming opera- nons. It is impo~t that supervisors and the workers be familiar with. the possible ad- verse health effects of their ocospationa\ ,exposures. To help eliminate or minimize these health effects. and otber measures mtht following especially prevarti,~ noh:d: , 1. ,Education and 5upcrvisloD of the ~;' ,,- z. 'llnd1iol methods to minimize dust. 3. VentnatiOb. Local ventilation should be UMId, where pbUible at the point where IXlIltarniDassts are ~. ~ ventfia.. tioo -with provision of fresh air to maintain the eotttentr~tioD of tontamiunts below r,...,. their threshold lhnit values. Vmt11atioo doors and fans must not' be intetfend with. -t. l{escue and First Aid 5. Regular Monitoring.. reriodic dust sampling should be, carried out. The threshold limit values should be uJed as guides to arrive at reasonable eontrol tJteaJUm. Radio: activity levels, should be ~ out regu~ larly, not only for utanium Irtines, but others as well. 6, Medical Supervision (a) Dust' Exposure. Pre-enployment and periodic examination, indud: ing chtst x-rays. should be done on all miners.. ' (b) Noise Exposu're. An adequate audiometric 'testing program should -be done.. (c) Toxic Dusts (e.t.. lead). A reglllar progwn of examination and biological monitoring shouM be carried out. (d) Radiation E)lposurc. ~/fIf'fIfIftI(Jf 1. IAtnhart. w. 8.: J'e1Icnl. B.: Jaeoa.on, G. aM PnD_I'I'~. ll.~ ~ ~,11:", lIRa, ..t. Jr.... ArM. 2. 1~fW~.6."~'~I-I. ". ". "".. 01 .DI1nmte'r"- , D&tloUJ lAIIoor DD, Inter- ua. natlouJ Btport, (Jell.,.. tI8I. !. "nu.t Sa$P!!n in JIIIM" ~iotI4i B&fcJtJI .,.. B'f!Nila ,.,.. No. t. lntertUl- tlODal Labour OrpnIaatIoD"GeD8'r*. 196'l'. 4.. ''Coeltrol of Ra401A aid ~ten In Un alul JDr.ae. .... CaJeq~ Bto~e )Cr- ..ra ttdl,, PUJJo NIIocIHott No ... tt, 8. ~t of Health, Edu- catton del Welfaie.. . l. Header8OD,-Y. ad Baaard. JL W.; NIn:- , lou Gal. '1'D11 CbemIail- catalog 00.. lot.. New Yort. 182'1. 6. OtrhardJacm, G.; NonIWIll.J/. Nat(. Vol. oM. P. 3&-47. 1988.' , , . . \ \. ,'. ~' ., .,' Labor Sessions Cifotit#! for Distinguished S(rtlice 10 Safety to i... JULIUS N. JACOBSEN. Safety Qlainnan, Oil, Chemical, and AtOO1ic Workers Local 4-447, Destrehan, La. The judges were impressed 'with Brother ts on behalf of Tbe ; udgcs noted the many areas of activity in whi~h he is engaged, including . . J300bsen's tenaciQus effor safety in his local union. The documented safety training, and the fad he, was not material vividly revealedndthpeamrtiacnipyaetexdtmins.ivIet dAewtearrrdesd cinomamchiiteteveinogf nthoetcwLoarbtohr:t ugmoales.reTnhcee ., activities he promoted a also showed the amount of time and energy warmly commends him for his solid achieve- he unselfishly put forth to promote safety. ments. OCCUPATI'ONAL HAZARDS-MAKING THE INYiSI8~E VISIBLE By RALPH NAD~R . ..to) Attorney, Author, Safety Critic, New York. N. Y. The chief {onus of domestic violence aftecting American working men and women are motor vehicle crashes and QCcUpational dangers and diseases. Taken t~er or singly, their roll in death and injury utterly dwarfs the violence incurred through street crinles. While the nation is properly -wn- cerned about street crime, it virtually ignores the far greater death, injury, and wage losses on fanus, in mines, factories and open work areas such as construction si~ Consider one comparison out o( many that could be detailed: all the riots in this country during the past three years iII our cities have led to about-,260 dead; each working day brings death to 55 workers, disabling injury to 8,500 workers and lesser injuries to 27,200 other laborers. Every year, 14,000 to 15,000 workers die, over half a million are disabled by occupational diseases, over two million arc disabled by\occupational accidents, and over seven million arc injured. The toll is even greater than indicated by the above data because death through toxic exposure over time to chemicals or partieulare matter is rarely recorded. The half million plus workers disabled from the effects of asbestos, berylUum, carbon monoxide, coal dust, cotton dust, cancer-eausing chemicals, dyes, pesticides. radiation etc. must be taking .terminal doses over time from some of these expoSUre!. 1'hen~ is another reason why the above data must be con- sidered understated-a reason which leads to the first of six realities which should be recognized publicly before significant progress can be made to reduce worker injury and disease: 1. Under-reporting by industrial firms of actual injuries and disease experienced _by laborers has long been an endemic mana- gerial disease., First, the definition of what constitutes an injury is decided by an indus- try-dominated 'body called the United States Standards Institute of America-a group of industries and industry technical societies. Second, companies go to considerable length to avoid reporting a lost time injury-not only to keep their insurance rates down but to preserve their place in safety competi- tions. For example, a worker in a Jones & Laughlin steel plant received- a groin injury; he was taken off his usual job and placed in a chair where he sat doing nothing for two weeks. Any blue-collar man knows that such a practice is not unusual in nUmerous industries. . 2. -Plant physicians surrender to~ or are constrained by ~rporatc dictates as to tfu: exercise of thefr medical judgment and right to publication of cases in the medical litera- ture. A recent case in point involved a Dr. John Zalinsky, a physician at the Brosh Beryllium plant outside Cleveland, who had cases -0 workers suffering from beryllium poisoning and wanted to publish them in a l~ 1968 National Sn/dy Cmlgrtss in- medical journal (without mentioning their and mines, leaving only 827 inspectors for e was told if he did general safety inspection. construction, safety namell, o course). H he would have to look for another job. promotion and education, health, and in- the doctor had angbadforheoatrhteranedmpwloaysmceonnt-. LduasbtoriralShtaytgiisetnice!,. ac(cTohrdeirneg atorethaelmBousrteatuwiocef cemed about looki Before he could do anything, he died of as many fish and game wardens - about " a second heart attack. 3,000 - employed by the states to look out Dr. Lorin E. Kerr of the United Mine for wildlife.) Four states have no safety Workers Welfare and Retirement Fund, an spection staff in any area and 17 other states aut~ority on coal workers' pneumoconiosis bave 10 or less on their safety inspection (or, ll! The coal dust disease is popularly called, "black lung"), has sharply denounced staffs. More shocldt1g is the fact that only three states have staffs speCialixing in the "the attitude and influ~ of emplC)yer~ area of occupational health and industrial oriented physicians who avoid fating known fads about the ravages of coal dust in bu- hygiene. 4. By and large, union leaders have been man lungs becaeusime ptaoctdoo( pohthyesriwciiasne kwDoouwlld- mfacrnttolsoinpalicatbiokn:--OwrhdeencicsioOntlfSrornetgeadnlbiyngtpwanoarkgee-r cost money, Th edge and attitudes is apparent in inaccurate health and saftty. Tho often, health and or incomplete deathtialcerftoifricadteeste. rmTihneisneg dothce- sfoafretmyocreon'td;mitigoinbsle aureniotnreagtaeidns aisn twraadgee-sofafst uments are essen existence of a dangerous dust requiring gov- the collective bargaining table. Thi! has emmental action for cmonet;ryorlnooracetriaodni.caPtihoyn-. bMeeinnethWe ocraksee,rsfolreaedxearmshpiple,, wwhitihchthfeinUallnyiteids Too often,' no records sician denial or avoidance of known facts becoming s'tl8htly aroused over the plight,of can. also determin( the publication of ino~mation. In 1956, the concern of .s~e physi- their workers but little dedicated to overturning coal management's modus openmdi dans about management attitudes effectively of a paper of mine that treats coal miners as being less experisive than coal. Union leaders simply do blocked the. publication on coal workers pneumoconiosis in the most not give health and safety a first rank pri- widely circulated medincalonljyourwnoanldeirn htohwe othreityp;rotphoesierdlaOcckcuopataiogngarlesSsaivfeetyloabnbdyiHngeaflothr United States. I. One ca many times other medical information vital Act of 1968 in Congress cannot be covered for the protection of the healethsaomf ewroeraksoerns. ufopr btyhe rerseocolurtdiso.nsLaanbdor rleesaodnearnst asrteatewmanetnetds has n()t been published for th Physician attitudes also influence other on the ramparts, not just on the record. groups such as company lawyers, state legis- 5, The Federal government has abdicated lators. and officials who, all-told, are remarkably resistant to the elimination or control its responsibility to devote ,funds toward effective research programs and training of coat dust because it would cost money." programs for occupational health and safety. Coal workers' black lung or pnemvocolli-. The Department of Health, Education, and 00 active and retired Welfare (HEW) has had' no sense of the osis affects at least 150,0 miners in advanced. stages of lung destruc- importance of this problem, the need to de- tion. Two thousand men die from this dis- vclop preventive systems and competent med- ease in Pennsylvania every year. What Dr. ica~and engineering personnel HEW's ad- Kerr was rderring to was a critical rupture in the recording and communicating of data vocacy has been weak and, if anything, the occupational health activity in the De- by members of the medical profession. partmen,t has b~n downgraded recently. The one area where HEW has received some 3. State safety laws and regulations are or, and penalties rarely consistent funding~ million since 1953for research on the causes And pmention weak, inspection is po imposed. The states spend an average of of cool workers' pneumoconiosis has had 40 cents per worker per yheaars onTeixnadsustarinadl lsittutldey tocosmhopwletefodr tiht,reaepayretafrrsomIlgoa. pIrteviaslednicse- safety. Some' states suc Oklahoma have taken this down to two maying to note that not only does Western cents .per worker v;r year. ,Of the.1.524 state mspectors, 697 Inspect botlers, elevators Europe spend twenty times the level on _ search in the coal dust di~:K: area, re- but 14 lAbor SCSsiOlU rotltfol measures are: years ahead of this country,. which does ilOt c:ven have coal dust the present governor and hi! predectssof I ha...e not considered law and order to be standards in force. -. applicable to (OIlt operators. 6.. The workments compensation system in this country~its coverage, benefits, and <it- Where does this leave the National Safcty Council? Certainly, it docs no servi~ to terrence-is creaking with ohsolesetnce. A truth and candor to hide the fact that the thorough inquiry is needed and serious thought should be given to uniformity. Not Council's industrial members aiJd constitu- cncy take a strong interest in how far the only are there irratlonal or politically in- , Council goes 'in the occupational health and spired differences between states but some gtates are still mired in a value sySkm _of safety area. That interest, to use a mild word, resulted in the Council's being 'fatUi .. a bygone age. For example, coal millen' in a difficult position regarding thI! Occupa black lung disease is 'IlQt considered work- ~,related, py the compensation laws of aU tiona1 Safety and Health Act of 1968. Some observers believed that the Council rctracttd , Irtates, except Pennsylvania (1965), Virginia {rom a relatively positive position on the (1968), and Alabama. Such human derelicta, spitting up coal dust, struggling {or breath, bill in February to a statement more in coosonance, with industry's preferencu a few afflicted with emphysema, ~assive fibrosis, or enlarged heart. are denied workmen's months bter. For the Council. it is the same old dilemma 'of "to be or not to bett that com~sation in such states as West Vir- has plagued its potential independence in ginia. Kentucky, Ohio. and Illinois. In Ken- other safety areas. If the CouftciI is to be nicky, according, to the, statc:'s Departnlhrt of Labor, about 1,400 out of 2,(XX) mines ttve to its potential in occupational health and safety. it cannot ignore at :least some . licensed to do business do not comply with of the above-noted problems obstructing the workmen's compensation law for other progress toward more humane working mine injuries apart ft:om black lung. Yet, conditions. LASER BEAM PRECAUTIONS By WILLu:. McCULLOUGH bmcer, Collective Agreement & Gmvlnce Cuactia11 UtUon of Public Employees, Ontario Hydro Empl~ Loc:a11000. CLCt Toronto, Ont. ani Before we consider the ~azards pr~ cancel each, oilier. Because it is' non-direc- cautions for the safe use of tne I~~-~ we should understand what it is. Thtt name tional and of varying wavelengths, it is said to be incoherent Light from a ~r beam laser is an acronym fonr' olifghrtadaimatpiolinp.caTtiohne ttrhaeveSlsamien wonavlyeleonngethd, irseoctitohnat aintdrdisnfaolrlceast by stimulated "emIssio original concept was invented by Df/Townes itself and is known as cobertnt light. Be- in 1955. In 1958 Dr. Townes and Dr. Arthur cause it travels An one direction in straight .Schawlou gave a paper on how to CQtIStruct an optical maser. The name maser is .an lines, To it is a obtain very narrow beam. a' directional beam from an in- acronym for micro-owf arvaediaatimonp.lifAicnatioonpticbayl cbeoheforecnutsecdo,nvMendtioenvaelnstoheun~ iotf ~ tight sipt rmea\Jdsst stimulated emission maser is a'laser. it', beam again. Ordinary tight sources are Itt 1960 Dr. Theodore Maiman, a scientist then working with the Huglles Aircraft usually heat units such as incandescent tampsi a.rt lights, etc. tn 'a nean tube the glass walts .Company, gave the world's first demoostra- ~ tion of a laser beam. In 1964 Dr. Townes mnai.n cool but the. electrons activate nron 'atoms within the glau tube and the ao- won the Nobel priz~ for his work on the ,theory of lasers. celerate thtm to levels nonnally fotmd at high tetnptratures. The atoma of the sourt:e The light that comes from a conventional light S!)Urce radiates in all directions in material are brought to a continuous excited state and they falI batk to normal by losing waves of varying lengths that reinfOtte or energy through heat and visible light. 15