Document wDz7Da74gJjZ20wEgeZvy1NL3

FILE NAME: General Electric (GE) DATE: 1940 DOC#: GE025 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Transactions of the National Safety Council 29th NATIONAL SAFETY CONGRESS GENERAL AND INDUSTRIAL SESSIONS CHICAGO OCTOBER 7-11, 1940 NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago Copyright, I940, National Safety Council, Inc. Printed in the U. S. A. INC. It Foreword T HE Transactions-of the 29th National Safety Congress and Exposition of the National Safety Council, October 7-11, 19-10, are published in two volumes. Volume I contains the General Sessions and-the meetings of the various In dustrial Sections of the Council. Volume II contains the Street and Highway Traffic,.-the Commercial Vehicle, tin: Transit, the Child Education and the Home Safety Sessions. , Volume I is distributed automatically to all industrial mem bers of the Council. Volume It is sent to members who are } believed to be interested chiefly in the sessions it contains. However, other members of the Council may obtain Volume H upon request. Many Council members have found it advantageous to dis tribute copies'of the Transactions Volumes to the individual executives, foremen and supervisors of their organizations, who make use of- the practical safety information the vol umes contain to organize accident prevention programs. The volumes contain a' vast amount of standard reference ma terial. Extra copifcs of the Transactions may be obtained as follows: Volume I, one to 10 copies at $2 each; 11 or more copies ?1.75 each. Extra copies of Volume II may be had at 75 cents each. T HE Transactions are a condensed record of the proceed ings of the Congress. The papers and addresses anti many of the discussions have been edited to delete extraneous matter, abbreviate the less important portions, and empha size those parts of particular usefulness in promoting effec tive safety organization and other accident prevention meas ures. The volumes are, therefore, a somewhat abridged ver sion, compact, practical, and of particular value to the stu dent, the supervisor and the executive in achieving more thorough accident prevention success. The original manu scripts are available for additional reference, if desired, in the files of the National Safety Council. T HE National Safety Council, at its Congresses, seeks to eliminate from discussion matters which are not pertinent to the aims of the Congress or which may be contrary to the Council's policies. However, it cannot accept responsibility for all the views expressed either in the papers presented or in the discussions based upon these papers. N A T I O N A L S A F E T Y C O U N C IL , Inc. 20 North W acher Drive Chicago, Illinois Council Officers and Director Council Purposes and Prograr Annual M eeting of Members. Annual Banquet ........................ General Subject Sessions-- Agricultural S a f e t y ......... Building Maintenance. .. Eye P rotection ........... Fire Control and Prevent Fundamental Causes of A Governmental Safety Ser' Health Service in Industr Industrial N u r s in g ........... M aintaining Interest in S Occupational Disease . . . Off-the-Job Accidents . . Plant Transportation . . . Psychology and Safety (E C lasses) ........................ S afety B e l t s ........................ S afety S u p e r v is o r s ........... S afety T r a i n in g ............... V isual E d u c a t io n ............. Aeronautical S e c t io n ............... A.S.S.E.--Engineering Sectio Automotive and Machine Sho Cement and Quarry Section. . Chemical Section ...................... Construction S ection ............. Food S e c t io n .............................. Marine S e c t io n .......................... Meat Packing, T ann in g and L< Section ..................................... M etals Section .......................... M ining S e c t io n .......................... Paper and Pulp S e c tio n ........... Petroleum S e c t i o n .................... Power Press S e c tio n ................. Public U tilities S e c tio n ........... R efrigeration S e c t i o n ............. Rubber S e c t io n .......................... Steam Railroad S e c tio n ........... T ex tile S e c t io n .......................... W ood Products S e c tio n ........... Safety Exposition Exhibitors Index ............................................. Il National Safety Council, Inc H O N O RA RY MEMBERS Association of I ron and S teer E ngineers Roiiert W. Campbell Lew R. P ai.mer OFFICERS (1940-1941) Col. J ohn S'tilwell, President Nf.d PI. Dearborn, Vice-President for Education I. VV. Mili.ard, Vice-President for Finance and Treasurer G. T. I I ellmutii, Asst. Vice-President for Finance and Asst. Treasurer W alter S. P aine, Vice-President for Industrial Safety Lew R. P almer, Vice-President for Community Councils and Public Relations j A. V, R ohwedkk, Vice-President for Home Safety R. T. Solensten, Vicb-President for Membership Leslie J. S orenson, Vice-President for Public Safety W. H. Cameron, Managing Director and Secretary EXECU TIVE COM M ITTEE (1940-1941) H. J. A ldrich, Spencer Kellogg & Sons, Inc. J. I. Banash, Past ] 'resident H. K. Dennett, Safely Dept., Automobile Club of Rhode Island C. \V. Bergquist, Past President PI. W. Boggess, Sinclair Prairie Oil Company H. E. Bolt, South Bend Civic Safety Council Ciias. S. Bowden, Public Utilities Section F. W. B raun, ASSE-Engiucermg Section W. H. C ameron. National Safety Council, Inc. I. . C. Campbell, The Koppers Coal Company Robert W. Campbell, Past President D. B. Chant, Ontario Pulp & Paper Makers' Safety Association Nf.d H. D earborn, New York University Lewis A. D eB lois, Past President Marcus A. Dow, Past President H arold F. E nlows, Tlu- American National Red Cross Cadwallader E vans, J r., Mining Section D. D. F ennell, Past President H. J. Griffith, Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. E. E. G rover, Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Company H arry Guilbekt, The Pullman Company J ulien H. H arvey, Greater New York Safety Council G. T. H ei.lmuth, Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4 OFFICERS A N D DIRECTORS, ( H arold G. H offman, N mission W alter G. K ing, P a st I W m. C. K noelk, M ihvai J ohn E. L ong, Past Pre: T hos. H. M acDonald, R obert A. M cA rthur, D r. M iller M cClintock I. VV. M illard, Industri; C iias. A. M iller, Petrol. H arold L. M iner, E. I. H on. E liot N ess, Direct E. J. O 'B rien, J r., Louis W alter S. P aine, Aetna L ew R. P almer, Past Pi C. E. P ettihone, Past Pi G. H . P feif, General Elc A lbert S. R egula, Indus R. J . R eiceluth, Constru Lt. Col. H enry A. R eni: A. V. R ohweder, Dulut C flarles B. S cott, P a s t' F rank T. S heets, Portia C arl L. S mith, Greater ( C. R. S mith, American A R. T. S olensten, Elliott L eslie J. Sorenson, Tral Col. J ohn S tilweli., G Inc. J ohn M. S ylvester, Lehi J. R. T enney, Steam Rai C. P. T olman, Past Pres: George G. T raver, Great V. I. T rotter, Automoth D r. C. H. W atson, Past A. W. W hitney, Nationa R. V. W right, Railway A A rthur H. Y oung, Past ! DIRECTORS (1940- H. J. A ldrich, Spencer K F rank E. A mes, Marine 5 A. L. A rmstrong, Roches' V ern W. A ubel, Safety J. I. B anash, Past Presid D. A. Barrett, CamegicE rnest W. B eck, United OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS/ Continued H. K. B ennett, Safety Dept., Automobile Club'of Rhode Island C. VV. Bkrgquist, Past President E. F. Blank, Jones & I.aiighlin Steel Corporation H. W. Bocckss, Sinelair Prairie Oil-Company O. C. Boileau, Wood Products Section II. E. Bolt, South Bend Civic Safety Council C. B. Boulet, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Cuas. S. Bowden, Public Utilities Section F. W. Braun, ASSE-Engineering Section I rvin A. B rinkman, Metals Section JoSKi'il A. B koimiv, Elizabeth Safety Council F. S. Brown, Standard Accident Insurance Company VV. H. Cameron, National Safety Council, Inc. L. C. Campbell, The Kopppers Coal Company Robert VV. Campbell, Past President Raymond A. Carey, Evanston Safety Council Ray Carney, Kenosha Safety Council Robert I. Cati.in, Aetha Casualty & Surety Company D. B. Chant, Paper & Pulp Section Dean M. Clark, Food Section VVm. M. Clark, St. Jdseph Safety Council Edward L. Cook, Rochester Safety Council J. E. Cullinev, Bethlehem Steel Company Ned H. D earborn, New York University L ewis A. D eBi.ois, Past President C. W. D empesy, The Liquid Carbonic Corporation R. A. Dittmar, Cement & Quarry Section Milton W. D obrzknsky, East Bay Safety Council C. R. Dooley, Soconv Vacuum Oil Company, Inc. J ames'B. D ouglas, The Philadelphia Gas Works Company Marcus A. Dow, Past President Ralph \V. E llis, J r., Springfield Safety Council & Hampden County s Safety Council H arold F. E nlows, The American National Red Cros> Cadwai.i.ader E vans, J r., Mining Section O, D. F ennell, Past President Dr. H art E. Fisher, Chicago Rapid Transit Company E dmund F itzgerald, Safety Div., Milwaukee Association of Com merce Victor 15. Fnzi-virick, Richmond Safety Council H oward B. F onda, Burroughs Wellcome & Co. (U.S.A.) Inc. A rthur C. F rey. Worcester Safety Council L yle H. Gift, Peoria Association o f Commerce Safety Council Randolph L. Gii.man, Rahway Safety Council Henry J. Gorman, Blackstone Valley Safety Council VV. A. Griffin, American Telephone & Telegraph Company H. J. Griffith, Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation E. E. Grover, Columhus & Southern Ohio Electric. Comp.any Harry Guilbert, The Pullman Company D. T. H arrington, U. S. Bureau of Mines 6 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, Cc F rank H. H arrison, Inter J ui.ien H. H arvey, Create G. T. H ei.lmuth, Chicago J. C. H erbert, Greater Lo H arold G. H offman, N o mission J. A ndrew H olley, Child O liver H opkins, Rubber i S. B. H orrei.l, The Carey M errick J ackson, Employ VV. F loyd J ackson, Delaw VVm. F. J ames, Philadelplii J asper B. J ohnson, Madis T homas P. K earns, Indus H. II. K elly, U. S. Inters W alter G. K ing, Past Pr< VVm. C. K noelk, Milwauki VVm. S. K nudskn, Detroit C. L. LaFountains, Great R oy L ee, Contra Costa Cc A rnold L ockerby, Grand Joii/iE. L ong, Past Presic J. VV. L ord, Commercial \ T hos. H. M acD onald, l H on. A rthur W. M age Jersey Roy S. M arshall, Seattle R. A. McA rthur, Public f II. N. M cClellan, Berke D r. M iller M cClintock, D avid L. M illar, St. Lou I. VV. Millard, Industrial C has. A. Mii.i.f.k, Petrolet: H arold L. M iner, E. I. di R. B. M okley, Industrial C. L. Murray, Mason Ci G en. Daniel N eedham, M M. C. N ei.son, Des Moine H on. E liot N f.ss, Directo F rank S. N ewell, Toledo E. J. O 'B rien, J h., Louisvi Gf.okge C. A. O pp, The Dt W alter S. P aine, Aetna 1 L ew R. P almer, Past Pre David A. P atton, Newarl V. G. P endleton, Power 1 C. E. P ettihonk, Past Pre G. II. 1'feif, General Kleci J udge H arry H . P ortf.r, A. A. Kali., Refrigeration OFFICERS A N D DIRECTQRS,. Continued A i.hurt S. Regula, Industrial Relations Counselors, Inc. R. J. Reigei.uth, Construction Section Lt. Col. H enry A. Rf.ninger, Past President A. V. Rohweder, Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway Company H enry G. Schaffner, Meat Packing, Tanning & Leather Industries Section Charles II. Scott, Past President E arl S. S hautzer, Utica Safety Council F rank T. S heets, Portland Cement Association J ohn R. Sherwood, Baltimore Safety Council D r. L. A. S houoy, Bethlehem Steel Company E rnest L. Simonds, Hew Haven Safety Council A dolph S kinner, Safety Dept., Xashville Chamber of Commerce Carl L. S mith, Greater Cleveland Safety Council C. R. Smith, American Air Lines, Inc. A rthur V. S nell, Chattanooga Safety Council R. T. Solensten, Elliott Service Company L eslie/ . S orenson, Traffic Engineer, Chicago John 1!. S btNCK, Kansas City Safety Council fc E. C. S pring, Philadelphia, Pa. Cot.. J ohn Stii.wei.i., Consolidated Edison Company of N. Y., Inc. E dmund C. Stone, Western Pennsylvania Safety Council J ohn M. S ylvester, Lehigh Valley Safety Council J. R. T enney, Steam Railroad Section A rthur M. T ooe, Consulting Engineer C. I'. T oi.man, Past President George G. T hayer, Greater Chicago Safety Council V. 1. T rotter, Automotive & Machine Shop Section W ilfred E. V ogi.kr, Albany Safety Council Dr. 11. L. V osiiurgii, General Electric Company J. C. W ard. Superior & Douglas County Safety Council Stanley W arzai.a, Chemical Section 1)k. C. H. W atson, Past President W. B. W eaver, Textile Section T. A nglin W hite, Safety Div., Birmingham Chamber of Commerce S. E. W hiting, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company A. \V. W hitney, Xational Conservation Bureau R. V. W right, Railway Age Magazine Arthur H . Young, Past President E. J. Zauft, Safety Bureau, Duluth Chamber of Commerce A Us, von have.taken a big that man's mind. , Occupational Disease is necessary for me to .'.at worry certainly plays art in accidents. I am not w many accidents -those and if we had not taken WEDNESDAY MORNING SESSION October 9, 1940 mcial difficulties. But 1 did a job for. them but r our safety program at '> getting rid of their The meeting on Occupational Disease, Manager, Engineering Department, Aetna planned as a Panel Discussion, was called Casualty & Surety Company, Hartford, I to order by the Chairman, Walter S. Paine, Conn., who presided. * . redit union is almost an nr safety program. Panel Discussion hospitalization and sick- CHAIRMAN PAINE: At every meeting Considered as Industrial Injuries?" This i - out in about the same that I have attended in this Congress some will be handled by H. A; Nelson, Director .. man working in your ! one has raised the question of industrial dis of Workmen's Compensation Department, w rate job, he is not ; ease. This is a subject which has been Wisconsin Industrial Commission of AIad- al of money and has a maligned in some cases and has been a fan i.-on. sponsibilities. His doc- ! tasy on the part of others. This, however, We all regret that severe illness keeps I i are going to have to j should not in any way destroy the realities Dr. Paul Brehm, Supervisor of Industrial iken out." The doctor's j that are back of the industrial disease prob Hygiene Unit of Wisconsin State Board of r to be $25, $50 or pos- ; lem. Health at Madison, from being present. 'ie is going to have to o weeks, and there will J In the discussion of this broad problem, The panel will be opened on "Health ' pay there. That is a we have asked the medical profession and Hazards in Spray Painting." Dr. Walsh. the law to help us this morning. Each phase at during the time he is \ of the problem will be discussed on an or ^ Spray Painting iI receive a definite sick- derly basis. We have assigned as the first knows he is going to speaker for each of these subjects one of the men on this platform. After he has finished DR. EUGENE WALSH; Painting is a I 'it benefit, lie is a lot ling to go ahead and topic that has received considerable atten his preamble, we will ask the members on tion. There has been an increasing number I n out; and, again, he a lt a favor and yon a the floor to present any question they may . of hazards imported into the trade. Most have on the subject. of these have received wide attention, par his physical condition. We have the following subjects to be dis ticularly in the past few years. It has been ? them do play a part cussed: "Health Hazards in Spray Paint incident to the wide use of the spray gnu atety program. . ing." Dr. Eugene Walsh, Associate Super and of the lacquers, particularly. Many of LER: Ladies and Gcm- * visor of Medical Service, International the solvents and products used in the paint Harve-tcr Company, Chicago, will open this industry have known toxicides. Others are ltd interest this morn-udicicnt satisfaction to subject. in the experimental stage, so far as use ;n,.i panel that the Chair- "Ealiguc and Its Relation to Occupational so far as their hazards to health, arc con than to turn to them Disease." This subject will be taken up by cerned. n behalf of the Pro- V* Dr. Xorbert Enzcr, Director of Labora In the old days of brush or dip or llou arc glad that there tories, Mount Sinai Hospital, Milwaukee. painting, still widely used, solvents of rather . not more discussion "The Toxic Limits of Common Solvents." low volatility were employed, and the haz :nm this panel. ( This subject will be opened up by Dr. ards associated therewith were not as great. hat a good part of the Elston L. Belknap, of Milwaukee. However, when we come to the spray gun, mg will be published "Lead in Industrial Processes." Dr. Bel particularly in its use in the recently devel ; knap will also handle tills subject. oped lacquers, we come into a host of new "Skin Affections." This will be handled solvents. by Dr. M. J. Reuter, Dermatologist and The quantities used per year m lacquers Sypliilologist, of Milwaukee, Wis. and solvents in the paint industry in the The last, but one of the most important, United Slates reach astronomical propor will be "Should Occupational Diseases Be tions. Many, many tons arc used. 165 \ i I j f 29th National Safety Congress n tin: paints we have the following hazfir.st, the pigments. There has hecn a ".ling trend definitely away from leadniiig pigments toward non-lead pigments, my of the non-lead pigments have their tiliar hazards. Many of them are relaly innocuous and can be used with rela immunity. 'o far as tlie fluid constituents of paints concerned, in the order of volatility in --ral, we have, first, the solvents which , largely, for paints; the paraffins, oils ! varnish; varnish with some turpentine some spirits of various and sundry types, e lower the volatility, of course, it" it is isic product, the greater the toxicity, he ordinary paints and lacquers can he ddcred together because the problem of solvents, largely, is what we wish to I with. The solvents used are relatively boiling products which volatilize readsuch as acetone, ethyl acetate, butyl tate, amyl acetate, and so forth. 'ext, the paint must have a diluent. Fn ordinary paints--oils, turpentine or spirits be used. Tn the lacquers--alcohol, ml. xylol, mineral spirits have been used, the past, benzol was used. W e'are glad ay that there is a growing trend away m the use of benzol, which has cumulaactions in the human individual, result:n the low grade chronic toxicities due depression of the hlood-forming organs. re is a definite trend toward less toxic cuts. lie next essential part of the lacquers illles the driers, such as ethyl lactate or 11solvc, monomethyl ethers and various :r chemical products of known and tinwn toxicities. Also, there must he a ilizer or a substance giving flow to the tic. These are relatively high-boiling lowilility products, triphenylphosphate, casoil, camphor and others, again of known unknown toxicity. lie toxicities of the various individual Juris arc often known. Jt is not the city of the pure product, however, that are often concerned with. It is the prodwliich is used commercially. It is often impurities in minute quantities that add he toxicity. For example, we may say e is, in the case of xylol, some question n its inherent toxicity. However, since :>! is so frequently a contaminant, wc lave some benzol toxicity to be conskl- ered when xylol is qsed. ,Al-<-, when we lia\;e two substances which are used to make a paint or lacquer fluid, its toxicity, result ing from the combination of the two sub stances is not usually that of a summation of the individual toxicities of the two. That is, if we have two products (A and II), A of one-plus toxicity, if wc wish to use that terminology, and Ii of one-plus toxicity, we may get a resulting toxicity of three-plus, or something of that nature--just to Use an arbitrary form. The methods of control are: First, tinsubstitution of non-toxic products such a< we mentioned in getting away from leadhearing pigments in paints. Wc are fortunate to have alert chemists in the paint industry who arc alive to this problem. Tiny are constantly striving and working with the in dustrial hygienists and the physicians in de veloping non-toxie products, so far as both pigments and solvents- are concerned. J Another factor that has been considered anp is of importance today in reducing toxicity is the mechanical development of th spray gun. Many years ago, in its in fancy, no precautions were taken. The en gineers weren't particularly interested in it. A man would spray with one or another, spreading the toxic substances about. Today, however, with the development of lower pressure spray guns, with the development of engineering methods of control of vapors and funns and dusts incident to the process, we have less toxicity. If an individual corporation is alert in ob serving and controlling the hazards present, very little toxicity need he encountered in most processes. This includes, of course, the precautionary methods for the individual, when I speak of the industrial hygienist and the engineer's phase of the problem. Tf an individual is working in a place where en gineering methods are not feasible to control the vapors and toxic products, then the in dividual must have his respiratory protec tion to prevent inhalation. Most of the solvents which are used have a narcotic action, and their action is by way of ab sorption through the respiratory tract. Tak ing away the fumes is the way of control. I have very briefly outlined some of the major points. Do you chouse to pursue this question ? CHAIRMAN PA IN E: Discussion will he carried on from the floor and also from Occupation the viewpoint of the panel. May we proceed on this subject, namely health hazards in spray painting? EDWARD SMTTH (Jewell Alloy & Malleable Co., Buffalo, N. Y.) : No mention was made about spraying whitewash. DR. W A I.S ll; Spraying with whitewash is a common procedure. As whitewash is largely calcium, it is a relatively innocuous substance. It is irritating to the respiratory tree and may be followed by a chronic cough. Not infrequently there are contam inants in whitewash which may have toxic products in them but, ordinarily, white washing is a matter that is done today, next week, and perhaps a month hence. It isn't done in most industries day after day. The exposure is relatively infrequent and the hazards are not great. Likewise, most of the whitewashing pro cedures are done in large, open, airy rooms. That isn't true of some tunnels, of course. If it is done in closed rooms, tunnels and places with poor aeration, it is advisable, if the process is to consume any length of time, to have the individual protected in some manner. Just a simple draft of air or a mechanical dust type respirator probably would he usable if the exposure is to he oi any length of time. X-Ray Examinations DR. ROBERT M. BURNS (Mirmv.-ni; State Medical Assn., St. Paul, Minn.) : An there m ethods by x-ray examination iron time to time or from year to year that wil show progress of bronchial trouble as a re sult of these paint inhalations? DR. WALSH-. There are those thy - would answer your question in the affirmy five. Most roentgenologists, however, rathe scoff at the idea of making a diagnosis c bronchiectasis by x-ray. The shadows whic wc see in the x-ray are largely those of tl blood vessels and fibrous structures of tl lung. It is true, however, if an individual using some paints which bear silica--at one paint that I did not mention is that usi in the porcelain industry, silica-bearit paint--that is another problem. If you a using a silica-bearing paint, you will get t characteristic changes of silicosis. A- However, for the ordinary pigment, little is absorbed, so few of them produ progressive changes in the lung, they ran 29th National Safety Congress protection of the supplied air type, supi also witli a charcoal canister at the 's waist, so that when lie breaks the icction temporarily to go back in the ii, lie still lias the protection of the charcanister. The connection, when broken, inatieally shuts oil both the air supply also the air connection, so that he canireathe the room air. R. WALSH: That certainly is a fine igeincril. 1. ALICK HAMILTON (Division of >r Standards, U. S. Department of ir, Washington, D. C.): in the Division .ahor Standards in Washington some or three years ago, when I was visitlutoinohile plants, I was told they were :ng a change in their coatings. I wonder her that has proved to be true? They me they were substituting synthetic s for nitrocellulose and as a solvent using hydrogenated petroleum prodwhich had very low volatility. It ed as if that were going to be a revo1 in coating in automobile factories. I Id like very much to know whether that ic has been made. [AIRMAN PA IN E: Can anyone anthc question of Dr. Hamilton ?- 1. WALSH : I would like to say to Dr. ilton concerning the substitution of etic resins for nitrocellulose products he automotive industry particularly, of us receive all of our information rning the newer development of hazfrom no person other than Alice Ham- If anyone in the room can answer the ion, I am sure that she can. She beau, reviewed the. entire literature in a ation that she produced in 1936 called tit Changes in the Painter's Trade" is Bulletin No. 7 of the U. S. Deent of Labor. It is a beautiful presen, and it is worth while for any of you sted in the paint industry to read it. icerning the question at hand, I know particular changes at the moment that been instituted in the industries that I been acquainted with. I do know that things arc in progress. As Dr. Hammggests, I think that they are changes right direction, in many instances. A. L. BROOKS (Fisher Body Di, General Motors Corp.): We do quite of spray painting. I believe there has io radical change in the solvents and diluents used in the lacquers which we arc now employing. The process is very much the same. There has been some change in the length of time required to dry these lacquers, hut the constituents are the same as they were. W. H. KRAUSE (Allis-Chalmcrs Mfg. Company, West Allis, W is.): There have been recent changes in regard to the diluents used in paint. Quite a few of the largei oil companies are now producing hydrogenated naphtha. These do contain considerable quantities oF benzol and toluol. I wonder if there had been any experiments made with regard to the toxicities? Benzol Frowned Upon DR. W A L S H : I should have mentioned, when we were speaking of toxicities of sol vents, that the medical profession frowns upon the use of benzol as a solvent or di luent in any proportion. We just don't like benzol, regardless of its percentage, because it is so easy to get out of hand, and the chronic effects of its poisoning come on so slowly and so innocuously, they creep up oil you before you know it. It requires rather close observation wherever there is any benzol or toluol. So far as the hydrogenated naphthas are concerned, it has been said that the hydro genation does not change the chemical struc ture of the naphtha, and it dots riot increase, particularly, its toxicity. If it is in relatively large quantities, 400 to 500 parts per million, then there is the problem of the toxicities inherent to the hydrogenated naphtha itself. But we would much prefer not to see ben zol at all. CHAIRMAN PA IN E: Dr. Hamilton, did you wish to say anything else on the sub ject? DR. HAM ILTON: I think not. My study of the subject is four years old. I thought perhaps very important things had come to light since then. Apparently benzol is still a lurking danger which arises in all sorts of unexpected ways, especially as we use more cracked gasoline than we did before, f quite agree that it is something that should he avoided. Wc always advise the substitution of toluol, when possible, for benzol, but 1 don't tliink any industrial physician would lie will ing to give a clean bill of health to toluol. Occitpalio) We are beginning to look upon it with more suspicion. Dr. Gammon of the <lu Pont Company believes it is much more harmful than we have thought hitherto. I hope he will, as the years go on, accumulate more accurate knowledge about it so that we may perhaps encourage its disuse, also. I think that probably would he ill the right direc tion. MR. GUMMAR (Barrett Company): 1 would like to'offer one minor observation. Commercial toluol, as sold in this country, dries not contain any measurable amount of benzol. CHAIRMAN PA IN E: We will have to pass on to the next subject: "Fatigue and Its Relation to Occupational Disease." This sub ject will he opened by Dr. Norbert Enzer, Director of Laboratories, Mount Sinai Hos pital. Milwaukee. - Fatigue and Occupational Disease DR. NORBERT ENZER: At ten-thirty in the morning I generally have a very low level of activity and suffer from fatigue. Fatigue is a slate of Bodily ill health, of transient character. It is evanescent, as we understand it and as the term is commonly list'd hut. so far as industry is concerned, fatigue is that state of the individual at work which makes it impossible for him to perform what may he considered an average good output. It is characterized by certain symptoms. It is characterized under ideal conditions of investigation by certain objective findings which I will elaborate in a moment. In the strictest sense of the term, I sup pose an occupational disease is that condition which can be directly traced to some agent or circumstance in employment which can lie labeled as the causative factor of the dis ease. But as our horizon widens and our concept of disease becomes broader, and as wc interpret the word "disease" as it was originally used in the Greek sense, a state of variation from health, or dis-ease, then we must regard an occupational disease as any state of ill health which has been contrib uted to by circumstances of employment. Under that definition there is hardly a disease which, under some imaginable state of affairs, couldn't be related to what the man is doing. Those are the two extreme 29th National Safety Congress hour period. In other words, if a ceritandard of measurement was applied e morning before work began, the same lard applied at the end of the day, we 1 demonstrate in almost all individuals sted that they had experienced fatigue, that that experience was definitely re to the ability of their nervous system ,,guate their muscular activity in eo lation. >w, in jobs which call for a stationary ion, manipulation of instruments, or tony of exercise, that kind of fatigue he recognized by the industrial phvsi- te occupational disease, conversely, may uce a fatigue which may not be rccog1 unless the individuals arc subjected to ral examination. For example, we have I that individuals with a mild type of ricnsion, increased blood pressure, have any instances a lower fatigue threshold individuals whose blood pressures are ud. Or an enlarged heart, due to valvuliscase, a leaky valve, will produce the : phenomenon; or individuals with diai or individuals that have a low basal .holic rate, because of a thyroid gland lrhancc, or individuals who are abnally obese will all show variations in fatigue thresholds. ic only way that aspect of the subject properly be investigated is to approach om the medical point of view first. Exlation of the individual becomes the imant thing. It is important to apply critstandards of evaluation, then to attempt arrect them by medical prugram. te industrial factor of fatigue, which 1 tioned first, calls for a recognition that lin kinds of work can produce fatigue, then to apply methods which will relieve want to illustrate just two: we recognize that a certain occupation luces fatigue, wc have disrovered things :h will relieve the fatigue. A man whose calls for standing at a hunch, in more less one position, doing the same job and over again, will have fatigue which be relieved if he can periodically sit n. because his oxygen consumption in sitting position is greatly reduced over standing position, and he perforins virly less work within himself. Conscltly he has available greater reserves of ay for his performance. It has been pointed out, and wc have been able to show in some small investigation;, that if it could be arranged that this job could be done in the sitting position, the output would be increased and the individ ual would suffer less fatigue. It has been shown that, in jobs which call for a to-and-fro movement between more or less fixed positions, without much opportunity to rest, if the period is broken hourly or at hour and one-half intervals, arid simple freedom of motion allowed to get out of the range of what he was doing, rest is instituted and fatigue is relieved. We have been able to show that the appli cation of bathing, in certain kinds of imlu>tries,, will produce a diminution of fatigue and raise the capacity oi the individual to resist his industry or his job. Those are some of the features of the occupational aspects of disease, or the industrial aspect of fatigue, rather. With that casual intro duction wc Can go on and attempt to answer some questions. Tests of Fatigue CHAIRMAN PA IN E: Are there any questions from the floor? This is an inter esting subject. DR. WAT.SH: I should like to ask a question in relation to various tests of fa tigue. The psychologists have all had people putting round pegs in square holes and all that sort of thing, rapidity of processes. That is one method that is not my concept of the way to measure fatigue, but it brings up one point; namely, the relation of fatigue to the mental status of the individual. Again, tlie psychological yardstick may be applied. Wbat is the relationship of the in telligence quotient of the individual to fa tigue? Does the person using his mind in his work fatigue more readily than one do ing physical activity in which no mental ef fort is required? DR. E N ZER : If I may restate the ques tion, I think Dr. Walsh really wants to find out whether individuals of low I.Q., so to speak, experience the same phenomenon of fatigue under the same circumstances as an individual of high I.Q. DR. W ALSH: That is right. DR. E N Z E R : I would say he docs, al though that is not generally recognized. Occupatioiu BEN JO H A X EK (Connor Lumber Co., Wakefield, Mich.) : Do you not think a lot of this is caused through improper food? DR. E N Z E R ; We are now recognizing that nutrition plays an important part in nervous fatigue because we know there are certain elements in food that are important for tlie integrity of the central nervous sys tem. But wc have been able to show in some preliminary experiments and from some sur veys that, in a general way, food intake, ex cept in an extreme instance, is not important, lint in acute instances it is. What do I mean by that? An individual who has been de prived of food for longer than lie is nor mally accustomed, in other words, if his meals are separated by too long a period of time, fatigue will be produced. We showed that on ourselves. We took no food from early morning until late at night and were able to show increasing fatigue. We were also able to show--and this is well known, of course--that there are cer tain kinds of food which give some tem porary relief from fatigue, most notably the sugars, carbohydrates, Hid a good deal has been done on the proteins of diet. But in the sense that I have tried to lay the subject this morning, diet is a factor in fatigue be cause it becomes a disease state, and a dis ease state induces fatigue. Diet will produce a state of fatigue if we have some acute disturbance in the habits of diet. Factor of Noise MISS MARY LOU SCOTT (Jos. E. Seagram & Son, Louisville, Ky.) : I would like to know the effect of factory noise in regard to fatigue. DR. ENZER : Noise is a factor in fatigue We demonstrated that objectively in a sci entific way in a laboratory, in this manner We tested individuals for the flicker pile nonienon rate which, as I said, constitute' our base line. Afterwards, we stimulate! their car with a sound of a regular inten sity, rhythm and rate, the object being t< sec whether wc could fatigue one center o the brain and in that way effect fatigue i another center of the brain, or whether w could distract one center from the other. We found that this,investigation brougl to light two rather interesting things, or would say three, perhaps. One is that thei are, constitutionally, individuals who ai 29th National Safety Congress lively true dial cxpcricnci with a job arantec against fatigue. MRMA.V PAINE: In order that you ot he fatigued, I am going to change bjecl. I am asking Ur. Belknap to take 0 next subjects, 3 and 4: "The Toxir . of Common Solvents'1 and "head in rial Processes," and dwell on those ts as one. 'Toxic Limits of Solvents ELSTON" L. BELK.VAP: Mr. nan, I know there may be*several dis ced guests but I am sure that we in alical profession always feci peculiarly :d when Dr. Hamilton is in the audi1f there has been anyone who has csponsihle for bringing to the atteni American industry and the medical sion the importance of toxicology in ry, I think it is Dr. Hamilton. II emphasize a few of the toxic limits common solvents, so-called thresholds, these limits have been more or less . upon by authorities in this field, par ly such as Doctors Drinker, Haggard amilton, there is no threshold that is inly perfect, and the actual decision tther or not the solvent has been toxic observation of the patient who has xposed to that solvent, by a physician lust determine whether or not there een a temporary intoxication and r or not there has been a residual. Walsh has really very ably covered bjcct of the hazards of spray paintd solvents which are the chief hazards ' ry painting, but I will mention a few I have grouped in increasing order of n example of probably the least toxic --I say least toxic because no solvent potentially toxic; in fact, some go so to say that all good solvents are toxir : is gasoline. It has been slated that arts per million is a safe limit for led exposure. The matter of contamby other substances such as benzol 10 per cent in certain gasolines, ccrivould alter that safe threshold. next group of solvents which arc more toxic, are the amyl and butyl s and ether which are allowable in rts per million. Some authorities still int they belong in the l.OfiO-part-per- inillion class. The most recent report classes them as 400. The third group of 200 parts per million, include the following; Methanol or wood alcohol which, as you know, may have a serious effect on vision and cause blindness ; toluol and xylol, tctrachlorethylene, tri chlorthylne and turpentine. The fourth group, which has dropped to 100 parts per million, include carbon tetra chloride and ethylene dichloride. Then the fifth group of 75 parts per mil lion, benzene and dichlorbenzene ; and finally nitrobenzene, which we, fortunately, actu ally use very rarely as a solvent, is 5 parts per million. . - I think it is important to remember that these solvents, if in sulficient concentration, may kill. This is in contradiction to the other subject that I have been given, which is lead, which very rarely kills. These sol vents kill, first of all, by simple suffocation, if they arc used in an enclosed space, such as in a vat. Hut the sinister element of the solvent, of the toxic solvent, is the fact that it affects the central nervous system because, as you know', these solvents are fat solvents, and our nervous system is largely made up of fatty tissue or lipoid tissue, so tiic nerv ous system is very easily affected. We have involvement, therefore, of the eye, one of the most highly 'developed nervous struc tures. Then we have central nervous system involvement, paralysis, inability to walk. Also, we must realize that some of these solvents actually damage the liver and the kidney, causing an acute Bright's disease. It is thought that some of them may cause cirrhosis of the liver. Fortunately, one of the best solvents and one of the most dangerous is not included in the list at all now, the tctrachlorethylene group used in the airplane industry in the past. That had the peculiar ability to attack every part in the body, including the heart muscle. That, too, is said to be a contam inant of some of our other solvents. It has been , mentioned that possibly the former contamiiiance in tricblorethylcne was really the reason why trichlorthylne had orig inally had a rather bad name. I think one of the most important things to remember in dealing with the control of a good solvent is that we arc dealing with a potentially dangerous substance and not make any effort to conceal that fact from Occupational anyone in the factory. We of the medical i profession have always felt that we like to > put our cards ou the table. We know that it t is a great deal simpler to follow the ancient 1 axiom and tell the truth. So that I admire, for instance, the benzol company which puts i on its barrels, the word "Poison." 1 am not ; in a position to know whether they more or 1 less did that because they were told to, but I I know they do it. 1 . I think there are many other companies that should put the same label on their prod ucts. In this connection I would like to tell 1 of a rase that I was asked to see, where a young hoy. in the middle of the summer, working in a shop which made motors, sud denly became very sick, had severe headache, was dizzy, and had to slop work, fie was working with a substance which he regarded as harmless. ; W'hcn I first heard of the ease I insisted j I would want to see the process and see the ' plant and get my information firsthand rather than attempt to talk to some foreman by telephone. (The medical profession as a whole is learning that it can only fulfill its responsibility by demanding the right to know all about the 'exposure of the patients that come into their hands.) When I went into the shop I found that this worker was using a large paint brush, dipping it into a large howl of liciuid, which he then slapped on the motor to get the grease off. On this particular hot day he evolved the idea of setting a fan, which ordinarily, perhaps, blew the fumes away from him, directly opposite the bowl of material and blew the fumes directl.v in his face. He got cooled, ami then he got sick. I asked the foreman what was in that -* material, and he said he didn't know exactly; jt was stock material, perfectly safe, as far as he knew. I said, "Well, I would like to know what it is." So there was considerable upsetting of routine. We finally' went out into a shed in the yard, completely dark; we finally got a flashlight, and we found a barrel of benzol marked "Poison." Now, no one in that shop knew what they were doing. There were a dozen other work ers each doing the same thing but who, fortunately, had not gotten this brilliant idea of the fan. The curious thing about this particular shop was that in another department, not 291h National Safety Congress p a cold once or twice. Every time he lie developed jaundice. Then, of course, lid liver function tests and found reducof that. YVc found lie had a weakening lie heart muscle. \Ve found a definite of the reflex in one ankle-joint, showing finite involvement of the central nervous L'1" ' e were able to get all the physicians to e that this man was considerably disd.'tluit it was due to his occupation. Von understand, f was seeing him not for self but for the company. 1 think a good y of them thought I had been a little rous to this malingerer. I his man went id and got a large settlement. I don't >v anything further about the case except I did hear that the man died and that death certificate said "cirrhosis of the and heart failure. Unfortunately, we t have an autopsy to confirm it. plants, when I came there about ten years ago we were having an incidence of about 24 lead cases per 100 employees per year, which corresponds pretty well with the perventage of 15 to 16 reported by the Public Health Service in work about that time, j,, flvu ycarSi by coo,lcr:ltion with the medical department, the engineering depart- incut and management, we dropped that u> an incidence of 2 per 100, and for the past live years we have had no cases of lead poisoning at all. YVe tire still handling lead, and we are still handling it in large amounts, 1 think that in the storage battery indu>try, probably, men are exposed potenthilly, at least, to the greatest concentration of h ad for absorption directly into their bodies than in any other industry, f am glad to report that/ having followed this particular group of workers of about 80 for this period, at the end of ten years they' are certainly just my opinion, the toxic solvent is one of most dangerous substances and it mav mslv disable and kill. Lead in Industry s a preface to the subject of lead in inrv T would like to say that I am not ializiug entirely in industrial medicine. t one of that increasing group who feel industrial medicine is not a specialty in . hut is merely a division of Internal cine or diagnosis, the large field of cine which in private practice corred* to or is correlated with the field of ral surgery. I am glad that a large proon of my practice is still private pracI am also consulting medical director lie of nur industrial concerns In Miltee. with brandies oyer the country, so I have an opportunity to see lead and toxic materials. hen you see a man who has said, "I lead poisoning,'' do not forget he mav some other disabilities and diseases. as acute appendicitis, gallbladder, kidrolic and so forth. In my private pracmy interest has been sharpened so that .avs make an cITort to take a very careccupatiomil history on a patient, even di he may come to me purely as a heart lling case or wliat-have-you. as !lcj'bhy and, in many respects, 1 think healthier than the general run ot the population. Of course, we have reduced their lead absorption, but at times it will break down the physical resistance and respiratory protection. They' occasionally have large doses of lead. Many of these workers were persons who had had lead poisoning or serimis lead absorption in the period of ohserration. Lead is one of the most widely used socalled poisons in well over 200 industries, [ think there is no douht but in the large industry the hazard is well controlled. First ,,f all, it Is recognized and then every effort s riven. Xo expense is spared to study the men and to reduce the continuance of anv CXpostire. However, in tile .small industry, wdilcli is the major portion of industry in this country, lead is continually cropping up. .,llc[ cven silicosis, which got the center of ihc stage in recent years, certainly in YY'is- cousin, has now taken a hack step, and had has come hack into its own, together with A'1' ever increasing use of solvents, J would like to stress again the danger here is one of non-recognition, that we have our trouble in the small plant, not In the large plant. I will rapidly rim through tin types of industry where I have seen lead poisoning occur and in which it is an mi porlant factor. this particular plant in Milwaukee. The most important is the storage battery li began by having and still has, as a industry. Then the streamlining of our auto proportion of its work, storage battery mobiles and trucks where, after welding, of Occupatio course, as many of you know, they were at first smoothed off by lead paste which, after it cooled, was thou ground by machine grinder and produced a great amount of finely divided, inhalahle dust. This brings up the fact that the most important hazard in any lead industry is the point of inhalation. Remember that lead dust inhaled is much more dangerous than swallowed, and that very rarely are lead compounds absorbed through the skin, perhaps with the one ex ception of tetrachloride fluid which is an organic and fat soluble substance. It is rather amusing that many plants, smaller plants, particularly, have had to give tip machine, grinding of welded joints. Here is a return of modern industry to the horsc-and-buggy stage. They are going back to hand filing where, of course, the particles are heavy and are too large to be inhaled. The problem can he licked, however, even by machine grinding, if one uses respirators. It has always been said that lead poison ing was very common in painting. My ex perience in ordinary painting nowadays is it is very rare, particularly on inside painting where lead has been substituted by other substances, such as titanium, zinc and so forth, which are harmless. On the outside, however, lead is still used, in many instances, because it is the one substance that will stand the weather. Here wc conic again to the question of finely divided, inhalahle dust where men burn oil old paint in private homes; not in the large installations, of course, or sand, cither by machine sanding or by hand sand ing. There wc have the question of finely divided dust which is inhaled. You must remember that dust when inhaled passes di rectly into the system and immediately cir culates throughout the entire body. I make a recommendation, therefore, thal any worker that bus gotten his lead by burn ing off or sanding, be given a respirator for that purpose, even though he is an outside worker. In the wrecking of old buildings and ole ships, of course, there is the constant pres ence of lead absorption when the steel ha; been coated with several coats. It ideally forms a fume which is so fine as to be al most invisible and is absorbed directly Inte the system The only way that a workci doing that can really protect himself, in m3 opinion, is to use an air-line respirator. ! 29th National Safety Congress pni-uning. However, as a matter of heal interest, I think it is very difficult a t there in ordinary industry, and I Id more or less formulate 3 as a safe I. I think it has also heen found by other kei s. However, if you get over 3 you .ainlv have the possibility of serious lead irptinn. want to emphasize that mere lead abticin does not mean the man has lead nwing. He may have a lead line, may . lead in the urine, .08 milligrams per hut that does not make lead poisoning, it is merely evidence of absorption. He -t have, in addition, clinical symptoms of of the three types of lead absorption. s a final word in regard to the role of medical profession in its cooperation in tstry, it seems to me that the medical i should first of all be responsible to highest man in authority in the plant, so ; he can go direct to him with any probs that arise, and before any new proire is used or any new chemical, have a ferenec with the physician to see whether e is any possible danger, whether there volatile solvents or lead, so that the gcr to the men may be prevented before ippens. am not making a plea for absolute subition tor and avoidance of the use of ;. 1 think industry cannot get along witlithe use of lead, cannot get along without use of a number of these solvents; but idustry is forewarned, and if the worker lformed correctly so he will cooperate in use of protective devices and, finally, the iral profession is allowed to see the pa; as often as they see fit, perhaps every or three weeks, then there need occur ccupational disease in industry'. HAIRMAN PA IN E: Are there any tions on either one of these subjects that would like to ask? R. HUTTER: What is the effect of the 1 of kerosene on the worker? Is that a lanent effect or just temporary? R. BELKNAP: As far as I know, there > ill effect from the inhalation of kero- S. SKYRM (Employers Liability Asncc Corporation, Boston) : Would Dr. nap recommend the direct venting of pots on linotype machines where the are electrically heated and thermo statically controlled so the temperature of the lead docs not exceed 500 degrees? DR. BELKNAP: That is a good prac tical question. As we know, lead melts at a much lower temperature when volatilized. In my experience, lead does not really' vola tilize until around 1,000 or 1,100 degrees. In this group of workers that I am fol lowing, some years ago, large lead pots, two or three feet in diameter, were unhooded be cause of certain changes in technical pro cedure, and the plant never got around to the hood. I disapproved of that and re peatedly said they would have cases of lead poisoning there if they didn't hood. They said they would just as soon as it was prac tical. It has never been practicable, and 1 am here to say we have had no lead cases develop to the point uf disability, and we have had very little lead absorption result from that. The same men have worked there for, ten years, dipping lead out of the pot, iuejilentally, at temperatures ranging usually frojin 850 to 950 degrees. In this group of linotype workers we found no evidence of lead absorption ill some of the shops where they had no suction. 1 would not say in my own experience that hooding is necessary at 500 degrees. MR. CARR: 1 wonder if there is any evidence to indicate the toxic limit for butyl alcohol could be raised above that given? We had experience over some twenty years with the same group of men, working in concentrations from 200 to -100 parts per million, and under careful examination they have shown no indication of trouble. One other question is whether much work has been done on toxic limits of dioxene? DR. BELKNAP: t think Dr. Hamilton will have to state if she recalls whether we have toxic limits established for dioxene. DR. HAM ILTON: Dioxene is the trade name for diethylenc chloride. No toxic limit has heen established for that. \Vc considered it a fairly sate solvent until some very dis astrous cases occurred in England from over-exposure, causing five deaths. Since then we have looked upon it with a good deal more suspicion. There has not been enough work done on it to establish any maximum allowable concentrations. DR. BELKNAP: In regard to butyl al cohol, the butyl radical acetate is much less toxic than ethyl or methyl, particularly. So I would be interested in your point of view. Occupati I I think probably it could be made at saf limits. MR. GUMMAR: I want to endorse com plctcly the principle of maximum clearance of safety standards in engineering, but the should be based on factual data. As regard toluene, there have been enormous quantitie used in the lacquer industry since spra painting came into use. It is sprayed into th air as fine mist, and even though it evap orates at a slower rate than benzol, if yo inhale the mist, you get severe effects, if is toxic. I have employers in four states, New Yor State, New Jersey, Ohio and Connecticu I who for the past sixteen years have not ha any reported cases of chronic toluene poisot ing; yet Ohio in the past sixteen years ha had over 69 cases of poisoning from gasc line iti the petroleum industry. As to the experimental results, I can fin no experimental data indicating the toxicit should he such a low value. Some of th confusion arises from the failure to di: tinguisli between chronic and acute poisoi ing. It is a fact that extremely high cor centrations. toluene and xylene are moi toxic than benzol; that is, if you go into chamber where there arc 20,000 parts pc million, you would he unconscious quickc from toluene and xylene than you word uith benzene, but that is an entirely separai phenomenon from the slow chronic poisor ing. CHAIRMAN PAINE: The next top will he "Skin Affections" and that will 1 handled by Dr. if. J. Reuter. Skin Affections DR. M. J. REUTER: When we consult to what extent the skin of the worker exposed to injuries, the action of chemic irritants and the various infectious agents, is not surprising that occupational skin di cases are a major problem in industry. Tt United States Public Health Service est mates 69 per cent of occupational discas are skin diseases. They carried out a stuc in 100,000 workers and found, in the com of a year, that one per cent of these worke were affected with some skin disease as result of their work. This,did not inchu burns, splashes of acids and alkalis, and tl ordinary pus infections of scratches i abrasions. 29th National Safety Congress acids or alkalis producing simple innmation of the skin. \s a sulijcct for discussion, I might say [ probably cleansing agents used by the DR. REUTER: I have had very little occasion to pass on a question' of cancer of the skin arising from alleged contact with some carcinogenic agent, kers arc one of the most potent factors lie causation of occupational dermatitis. HAIRMAN PA IN E: This is a subject which there are a number of men intcrd. Will you expedite your questions? iR. ENZER: I would like to ask Dr. C. T. DENSMORE (Koppers Co., St. Paul, Minn.): I would like to hear a little about the effects of coal tar and crco.-ote oils in relation to cancer and what-not, and also the inhalation of the creosote va pors . iter to say a work about skin cancer in nplitional exposures. DR. REUTF.R: Regarding the develop ment of cancer from coal tar and creosote, Skin Cancer I have had no experience. We do know that coal tar is the neatest to the skin and does d\. REUTER: Ewing has set forth live ulales which must he fulfilled before pting trauma as the cause of given can- Ewiug stales: "First, the authenticity adequacy of injury must be estubd." That is, the patient's statement rehng injury must he substantiated, and e must lie actual tissue damage. n'cond, the previous integrity of the tidcwl part before the injury must he hlished. produce an inflammation about the hair follicles railed folliculitis. It is undoubtedly due to the plugging of the follicles with the tar and perhaps some stimulation of the epidermal layers of the skin from the tar, which sets up this inflammatory reaction around the hair follicles. I think the same is true with creosote. Ilut, regarding the actual development of hypertrophic lesions of the skint, particularly cancer, I have had no ex perience. r hird, the cancer or tumor must arise at point of injury. DR. BELKNAP: As for creosote, I have had no actual cases brought to my atten tion. As far as I know, the fumes would he 'ourth, there must be a reasonable time t between injury and the development of tumor." That is, if the tumor develops in two or three days after the injury, no more irritating, possibly, than causing an irritative cough. I know of no cases, really, of acute chronic bronchitis or other car cinogenic results. i'i reasonable that in that short a time a CHAIRMAN PA IN E : Wc will leave >r could have developed. any other questions to the end of the ses ifth, the positive diagnosis must estahthat there is an actual tumor present the nature of the particular tumor." 1AIK XIAN PA IN E: Dr. Enzer, du sion and hear Mr. H. A. Nelson, Industrial Commission of Wisconsin, on the question : "Should occupational diseases he considered as industrial injuries?" rant to speak to the point? Disease Vs. Injury L. ENZER: I thought Dr. Reuter might i word about the increasing attention II. A. NELSON : Mr. Chairman : The being given to highly complex chemical question which I have been assigned is sus s which have the property of inducing ceptible of treatment in several ways. We r in the experimental animal. We know ran treat it in a highly technical way and rtain agents which have that property quibble about the court construction of the : human. The commonly known one is word "injury" or we can treat it in a gen nicer. We know' also of certain aniline eral way and ask whether occupational dis cts which would produce cancer of the, eases should he compensated. That is the of the urinary bladder, and so on. 't real crux of the question today. that subject is highly complex, but I it should be brought to your attention n the dermatology of today we deal lly with dermatitis but also deal with It sometimes astonishes me that thirty years after the passage of compensation acts we are still disputing this question of whether we shall compensate a condition which may cause disability and which arises Occtipt out of industry just as clearly as does accidental injury. There are various ways meeting the problem. One, of course, is do nothing about it and that is what abi eighteen states in the Union are doing. T1 are not compensating occupational disea at all. Out of the other states there are few which are compensating all occu] tional diseases, and some of them arc co pensating by schedule. Now, schedules are usually designed that there are a great many diseases wlii arc named, but very generally you will fi that they leave out the one occupational d case which causes the most disability. Iexample, silicosis is left out of a great ma e>f the stale laws which have sfhrelul Therefore, silicosis, which is a serious e eupational disease is not compensated. When we go hack to the prime principi of workmen's compensation, we: woneler w the eoiiipciisation fathers didn't face I ({ticsl it in at the time the compensation ;u were passed. That was the time to elo Either through inadvertence or, in sot cases, through design, occupational diseas were left out of thc^aws pretty general but accidental injuries were to be compc sated. I think that was largely because the rather violent split from the old comnu law system and leaving out of considerate the question of negligence. It was a rath violent split, but it is surprising that in : of these years occupational diseases still r main uncompensated in so many states. When we consider the nature of an occi pational disease, which is usually a slo\ insidious process, over which the man bin self, the employee, has no control, but ovi which the employer, as these physiciai have told you this morning, has the entii power of control, there seems to he 01 hundred times more reason why tjje en ployce who cannot protect himself in an possible way should he compensated for ot eupational disease rather than for accidei tal injury. I suppose there is no question hut th; the real crux of the matter is that of ex pense to the employer, and that comes be cause of the so stated accrued liability. Her lias been an accrual of dosage which fiuall eventuates in disease, and this, accrual i such that the disease may come at a give moment If the employer has a large number o 29th National Safety Congress i. compensated. Tiie trend is cumins believe th:it industry and society will ilificd when the problem has been by whatever methods may be adopted iled to the different states. UKMAN PAINT.: Are there any ms yon want to ask Mr. Nelson bec go into the general discussion? U,l7 AMRAM (Hamlin & Co., New ity) : We passed a compensation law v York State some two or three years crimps you recall that first \ve passed t illogical law, the all-inclusive act acted most disastrously not only to initsclf but to the workmen. You are .r with the history and the recall of :t. I dare say in a number of states it 'lately right and proper the compenart should include silicosis, but it include silicosis on a schedule basis, ink is the case iti Illinois. NELSON: All states are not as tte as some other states. I think we 'wing generally throughout all of rhe that the problem can lie solved. Protection for Welders tIRMAN PAINE: We have a few s. Anyone in the audience ha (lu te of asking this panel of doctors any ns they want to raise on these main i. GREEN (Edgewater Steel Co., nit. P a ) : I would like to ask to what an ordinary welder in a small plant be protected? Once in a while there : a hardening material which has ms results. Other times there will he 'titting of paint on a product which sc some noxious poison. To what exltild a welder or a cutter have to bi r d `r .JRMAN PAINE: The i|ucstion is. "C we going to protect, and what is posurc to welders on new material, old material that has been painted? ask Dr. Walsh to answer that qtus- W ALSH: Within the past couple of vc have had occasion to go over a >f about 1,000 welders. Of that group 00 have been welding for ten or more They were gone over from the clinical u` view. X-rays of the chest were taken. Disability due to sickness over the ten-year period was calculated and seen for each individual man. There certainly was no marked difference in sickness rates and in disability rates in the welders as compared to the general run of employees working at their side in the same plant and in the same economic situation. When you arc considering welders who are cutting painted materials, lead-hearing paints, or who are welding in confined spaces, you have a different problem; but for tlie ordinary welding grout), working in a large, airy room, with ordinary precaii tions and ventilation, their health is just as good as any other group of workers. If they are cutting paint or toxic coatings of any kind or lead-bearing steel, or if they are working in a confined space, then additional respiratory protection is necessary. So far as the question that was rampant a few'j years ago, that is the development of so-called fibrosis of the lungs due to weld ing, we have not found this to be the case. Dr. Enzer and Dr. Sander at Milwaukee have had occasion to examine at postmortem a few of these individuals who have been welding for long periods of time in confined spaces, usually. They did find there was an increase of iron in the lung but no fibrosis causing harm. Recently, we also have examined annther group of welders, that is a variant of Un welding trade, scarfers, in the continuous production of steel. These scarfers use a long torch and blow out the defects in the billets rather than chiseling them out. This group also, while it is an infant in the group of welders, apparently have no health haz ards of any consequence in their trade. In other words, I think if ordinary precau tions, so far as ventilation and so forth arc concerned, we need not lie concerned other than if we are using lead or chromium or some of the toxic materials. CHAIRMAN PAINE: Dr. linzer will speak for a minute on the subject and then Dr. Belknap will follow him right tip. DR. EN ZER: I want to seize the oppor tunity to make some comments relative to the general attitude of this panel discussion. It is most important that in any approach to the problem of industrial healtli we re member that a statistical analysis of groups is not a true criterion of the health of the individual. In other words, just like the sur- Occupatio, "P-- geon who might boast of a per cent recovery rate from a specific operation, tbe individual who happened to belong to that / per cent constitutes 100 per cent mortal ity for the individual. There is a very sharp contract there. Now, when we talk about safe limits of toxic solvents, safe limits of toxic, agents, >nfc limits of an industry, we must remem ber that the problem is not going to he solved by a blanket generalization of a * *I..ci problem, hut by a careful and meticulous analysis and study of the individuals ex posed to the industry. I know of no other wtty that this can he done except that in dustry realize that the profession of medi cine forms the keystone to the solution of these problems. DR. BELKNAP: I simply wanted to am plify what has already been mentioned, and that is when a welder or cutter works on materia] that has been painted or coated with lead, he, of course, probably will ac quire lead absorption in a serious fashion about as quickly as, if not quicker than, in anv other wav. It is very simple now, with the respira tors we have available, for a shop welder, whenever he is doing that type of work, to use such a respirator. In my own particular series of cases one of bur cases of lead ab sorption was a welder who had been re pairing some ovens containing a large amount of lead. Also, I had occasion recently to see half a dozen cases of cutters who were cutting up tanks in a large chemical plant. These steel tanks had been lined with lead. They could not understand why the men were getting lead. They went through the lead t with a torch 3000 or 4000 degrees and they absorbed lead exceedingly rapidly. It is not a difficult question to solve at all but it is a matter of having perfect confidence i'j what the work is for and preparing for it. MR. CARR: In connection with welding, we have bail instances of zinc chills from work on galvanized iron. We have also had nitrous fume poisoning from the use of coated electrodes. I would also like to call attention to a relatively new development, that of the flame cleaning of metals before painting, by the use of a special oxy-acetylenc t6rch. That includes previously painted metals as well '182 29th National Safety Congress DR. BELKNAP: The question is, whether toluol is really as toxic as I inti mated it might be, being permissible in only 200 parts per million. Is that right, Mr. Gumaer? MR. GUMAER: Yes. DR. BELKNAP: As far as the official authority o that is concerned, it is taken from the code for safe concentrations of certain toxic substances used in industries, whose authors are Bowditch, Drinker, Hag gard and Alice Hamilton which appeared in the June 19-10 issue of the Journal of In dustrial Hygiene and Toxicology. 1 do not know whether there is any prac tical experimental work hacking that up, but inasmuch as toluol and xylol arc very closely related to benzol, I assume that the authors felt that it as yet could not be given an entirely safe record, for instance, com pared to gasoline. I will say, among a group of workers who have been working with adequati^protcctioii for several years with toluol solvents, 1 have seen no general reaction. DR. HAMILTON: May I speak to that lor iust a moment? That presentation to which Dr. Belknap refers was got out simply because a small group of us felt that we might as well let the public know what was our best guess at the present mo ment with regard to maximum allowable concentrations of the most commonly used solvents. It is founded very largely on guess work. The quantity of 1,000 parts per million for ga>olinc is guess, and so is 200 parts of toluene. We are hoping that we ska!! he able to give more accurate figures presently. The American Standards Association has a committee at work in this field, with a small subcommittee. We have just finished dealing with two gases and two volatile sol vents, carbon monoxide and benzol and car bon disulphide and hydrogen sulphide. There we have been able to get pretty accurate figures because we have data to go on. We are now trying to deal with twelve others which arc going to be increasingly important in the munitions industry. We hope to be able to give out more accurate figures then. But it is a very difficult prob lem. You see the only way we can get any accurate figure is by having a combined inquiry made by the physicians, the chem ists and the ventilation engineers, because we have to know how many cases developed in a given workroom at a given concentra tion, and also at what concentration do no cases come. We could do that with the four I have mentioned, but it means, as you see, a great deal of careful study in the factory and in the physicians' examining room. Bringing those two together, we can do it with re gard to lead; we can do it pretty well with regard to mercury, and we have pretty good data with regard to zinc oxide fumes in galvanizing iron and brass foundries and zinc smelting; lint the rest of the substances still are more or less in fur realm of guess work. CHAIRMAN PA IN E: May I. in your hrhali and in behalf of the National Safety t'otincil. thank the gentlemen on the plat form who have so kindly led us in this dis cussion? Will you express that thanks by giving them a rising vote? . . The audience arose and applauded. J* .ilUOURNMF.NT . n t'jc time Jt takes to m made to plastics and ii ' Steam Railroad Section k I 'I t ihe present time, I have do with these materials here and a little there, Officers 1939-1940 trials are synthetic in >t properly handled and natitis. :eascd sensitization has connection with dermaaccelerators. Patch testterable to hear out this n who has been slow in the first test, may later vc to the materials used. ;crs have been forced to work they arc doing beork causes an immediate rash, usually in an ag- (fenci-.:/ Chairman--E. L. H enry, Chicago & North Western Railway Co., Chicago, 111. 'iee-Cimirman--D. G. P hillips, Wabash Railway Co., St. Louis, Mo. Secretary inid Xeies Letter Editor--P. F. Buckle, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Co., Chicago, III. f'roaram Committee--J. R. T f.nney (Choinmm), Western Maryland Railway Co., Hagers- town, Md, P. F. Bucki.f., Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Co., Chicago, 111. O. F. Gnadixger, Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co., Joliet, 111. Memr-ership Committee--Rohf.rt Scott (Chairman). Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co., Wilmington, N. C. A. O. Beck, Canadian National Railways, Montreal, Quo., Canada. ' F. A. Rogue, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Co., Chicago, III. Statistics Committee--T. H. ("arrow (Chairman) . The Pennsylvania Railroad. Philadelphia. F. R. Bradford, Boston & Maine Railroad, Boslon. Mass. ^ D. G. P hillips, Wabash Railway Co., St. Louis, Mo. ctions in varying seasons Contest Committee--C. L. LaFouxtaine (Chairman). Great Northern Railway Co.. St. -Ve often sec a little epi- Paul, Minn. n the spring where the L. R. P almer (Secretary), Equitable Life Assurance Society of U. S., New York City. 'rked for months on the T. H. Cakrow, The Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia, Pa. A. Y. Roihveder. Duluth, Afissahe N Iron Range Railway Co., Duluth. Minn. Rupert Scott, Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co,, Wilmington, N. C. : roster Committee--L. J. Benson- (Chairman), Chicago. Milwaukee, St. Paul Cv Pacific : Railroad Co., Chicago, 111. C. H. Blakemore, Norfolk & Western Railway Co., Roanoke. Va. \V. F. LoriiKKN, Chicago, St. Paul. Minneapolis dC Omaha Railway Co., St. Paid, Minn. : Safe 'radices Pamphlet Committee--T. K. Gage (Chairman), Chicago, Burlmgion dv Quincy Railroad Co., Chicago, 111. W. J. F i.annkian, Northern Pacific. Raiwav Co., St. 1'aid.Minn. F. A. Bogue. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Co., Chicago, 111. 1 Xnmir. itiniis and Elections Committee--W. C. Siiei.ver (Chairman), Union Pacific Rail road Co.. Omaha, Nehr. 1 M. T. F ulton, Kansas City Southern Railway Co., Kansas City, Mo. H. A. D aakk, Eric Railroad Co.. Cleveland, Ohio. j Health Committee--Dr. I. S. (."utter (Chairman), Chicago it North Uv -i.tii Railway j r,,,, Chicago, iii. j Du. Harvey Barter, The Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. A. W. W \i kf.r. Southern Pacific Railway Co., San Francisco, Calif. Officers 1940-1941 Genera! C-'iairman--J. R. T enney, Western Maryland Railway Co., Hagerstown, Md. h'iee-Chairman--O. F. Gnadingek, Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Co., Joliet.'TII. Secretary and News Letter Editor--J. E. Long, The Delaware Si Hudson Railroad Corp., Albany, N. Y. i 'roaram Committee--P. F. Buckle (Chairman), Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. Co.. Chicago, 111. F. A. Bogue, Chicago, Rock Island dv Pacific Co., Chicago, 111. 697 69R 29th S atinimi Safety Com/ress J. M. Guu.n, Union Pacific Railroad, Omaha, Mehr. Membership Committer--Ropf.rt Scott (Chairman), Atlantic Coast Line K. k. Co., Wil mington. N. C. A. V. Roilweder, Duluth, Missabe & Iron Ranfte Railway Co.. Duluth, Minn Statistics Committee--T. H. Carrow (Chairman), The Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia. F. K. Brapkord. Boston & Maine Railroad, Boston, Mass. P. (I. Pnii.ups, Wabash Railway Co.. St. Louis, Mo. Contest Committee--C. L. L.vForNTAiSK (Chairman), Great Northern Railway Co., St. Paul, Minn. !.. G. R enti.ky, The Chesapeake SC Ohio Railway Co., Richmond, Va. G. . F este, J r., Baltimore & Ohio R. R. Co., Baltimore, Md. L. R. P ai.mer (Secretary). Equitable Life Assurance Society of UJ. S.. New York City. I. I. Sn'.wt.ey. New York, New Haven & Hartford Railway Co., New Haven, Conn. Poster Committee--L. J. Benson (Chairman), Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific R. R. Co., Chicago. 111. C. H. Bi.aki'.more, Norfolk (v Western Railway Co., Roanoke, Va. W. R. Loit.kkx, Chicago. St. Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Co., St. Paul. Minn. Sate Practices Pamphlet Committee--T. K. Gaue (Chairman), Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R. Co., Chicago, 111. W. I. Fi.anniuan, Northern Pacific Railway Co., St. Paul, Minn. G. C. J kkfkkis, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fc Railway System, Chicago. 111. dominations and Elections Committee--H. A. D aakk (Chairman), Eric R. R. Co., Cleve land, ( lliio. M. T. F tu.ton, Kansas City Southern Railway Co., Kansas City, Mo. E. L. H enry, Ciiicago & North Western Railway Co., Chicago, 111. Health Committee--P k. I. S. CuTkk (Chairman), Chicago & North Western Railway Co., Ciiicago, 111. Dr. Harvey Hakti.k. The Pennsylvania Railroad. Philadelphia. Pa. TUESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION ' >cioher S, 19-10 The opening session of the Steam Rail road Section was called to order hy the Chairman, E. L. Henry, Superintendent of. Safety, Ciiicago & North, Western Railway Company, Chicago, who presided. He iiiiiiined briefly some or- the activities of the Section during the past year, and took the opportunity to mention the work of many Standing Committees. He then intro duced J. R. Tenney, Supervisor of Safety, Western Maryland Railway Company, Ha gerstown. Md., Chairman of the Program Committee, who assumed the ( hair. Mr. Tenney introduced the speakers. The Effectiveness of Grade Crossing Protective Devices from the Viewpoint of State Authorities By WARREN HENRY Assistant Chief Engineer, Illinois Commerce Commission, Springfield, 111. The art of grade crossing protection has made rapid advance in the past few years and I believe it is fair to say that the state of public opinion on this point has advanced fully a much. It was not long ago for in stance that a major obstacle to progress n this field seemed, to some of us at least, the prevalence of what was often called the claim agent point of view, that is an undue emphasis upon legal liability rather than on public safety. Another very persistent mental attitude, sing Safety i Chiefs of Police, programs, the railroads time, money anrl effort ement standpoint in this ng grade crossing acciniist he the theme--just .heme in the general plan cement. ment in the eounlry is to have men patrolling very hour of the clay, uestion of assigning men of the city where the accidents are occurring-- day that experience inire the most prevalent-- > the men to he on the :olations that have been ``dents. the country have learned cement pays--hi lives prevented. Police have orts ran he much more 'ey concentrate on the ad of scattering their he grade crossing accitive enforcement may : of motorcycle officers rnde crossings with had ours of the day; it may educational program river faults that have - may mean the instaiia:ve devices or a system me distance hark fiont functions of the traffic ement of the traffic rules hit police must sec that i. But- the work of the lv is much broader than t of the law. sterling citizens will they think they can get fore, one of the major nforcement officers is ublic a sense of obedidesome respect for the traffic laws, is well as the other laws we have that make this a civilized country. In this sense, the work of the police is edu cational. The police would like, in every case, to get obedience to the traffle laws and to good driving practices without ap plying penalties. Unfortunately, this cannot he done always. t We all know that in cases of disobedience to signs and signals at grade crossings, the results in non-conforming drivers are often tragic. Enforcement is a definite factor in grade crossing safety for this reason. Ob servance of stopping lights, crossing gates and signs at grade crossings requires the .same sort of driver obedience that other lraffic regulations do. We .arc ocularly concerned about the grade crossing accident problem in rural areas, as most state police organizations, which are responsible for rural traffic safety, are so pitifully undermanned that they are unable to cope with these and other enforcement problems in the manner they should. 1 think f can speak for all traffic law cnlorcement bodies in saying that (lie police arc anxious to cooperate with the railroads and other agencies in every way possihlc to solve this joint problem of grade cross ing accidents--and it is indeed gratifying to know that we have such outstanding leaders in the field of safety as the railroad men to work with in this project. WEDNESDAY AETERXOf >K SESSION October 9, 1940 tr Trespasser Accidents--Panel Discussion a Presiding: P. F. BUCKLE Superintendent of Safety, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Co., Chicago In this program we will deal principally ties and 12.2 per cent of the injuries sus with one phase of the railroad safety prob tained by all classes of persons in railway lem which, over the years, lias perplexed accidents involving train operation in that railroad managements, railroad officers and (ear, indicating that this particular field is employees generally. We will attempt to still an important one for accident preven point out some of the difficulties in dealing tion work." with this problem and hope to oiler you some ideas as to how it may, in some part at h-a-I, he solved. i shall not take time here to present de tailed statistics on the subject, hut 1 should like to rend to you the opening paragraph 1 would recommend that all railroad of ficers interested in abating the trespass evil obtain a copy of this statement for it can he used to excellent advantage in presenting the subject to employees and outside groups. of that splendid Statement on, Trespasser Casualties in Steam Railway Accidents, pre pared hv the Bureau of Statistics, Interstate Commerce Commission, last April. This is known ns Statement 4018 and is available to all railroads. Dr. M. O. Lorenz. Director of the Bureau of Statistics, I. C. C., svhen at St. Paul last lime said: "It may lie said of the trespasser accident problem, as of the grade crossing problem, that you (the railroads) are not primarily responsible. It is the victim's own "The average annual number of trespasser fault if he is injured while making un casualties (number killed plus number in- authorized use of your property, hut cer i iiired) in railway accidents in the period tainly the trespassers arc not organized and { 1920-1059 was 5,248 compared yith 9.069 the public will concern itself with the prob i for a like number of years 1000-1019. lem oulv if stimulated to do so. T1IE This represents noteworthy reduction : liow- DRIVING FORCE MUST COME FROM ever, the number reported by tlie railways THE RAILROADS WHOSE PROPERTY { in 10.10 constituted 54.0 per cent of the fataii- IS INVADED BY TRESPASSERS." I > i x