Document zjw4Y4ZBJxKJ38ybe1qKdmj3

60 -t v v;j Industrial Injuries and Diseases -H 5r ********************************************************************** Lead Poisoning in 1943 and Earlier Years B y F red erick L. H offman xH.t VI CASES of lead poisoning in industry and elsewhere, in the United pSd1rte9aea1lt6tiehmsst,ionfsrah0or.omy5w2releedpateudrarnpmssoteiilisalniidnodyngicddaineteeccll1iian9n4eef1dufrrfatorhnomedmr 20d1..65r3o432ppiinnienr119m19394i642ll3.ito.o1nT71hpTeoihnpinsu1ul9dam4tei2bco,reneraansiodnefmyp.uu'.i has occurred in spite of the fact that the use of lead in lead-processing industries has increased considerably in recent years.2 Unfortunately, it is not possible to state exactly the number of deaths from occupa tional lead poisoning in American industry since the official returns do not differentiate (as is customary in many foreign countries, particu larly in England and Wales) between these and the nonoccupational fatalities from such poisoning. In table 1 are shown, by years (1901-42), the number of deaths ! from lend poisoning and the rate per 1,000,000 population. It should be noted that only since 1936 have complete returns for the whole country been available. T able 1 -- N u m b e r a n d R a te o f D eaths fr o m I^ead P o iso n in g in R egistration States 1of Continental U nited States, 1910-42 Year Rate per Number million of estimated population Year Number Rate per | million of j estimated population 1 } ear Rate per Number 1 j million of estimated population 1901.......... 1902......... _ 1903.......... 1904.... 1905__ 1906... 1907.... 1908 .. 1909.......... 1910__ 1911......... 1912.......... 1913......... 1914........... 44 58 61 50 47 84 65 77 79 118 132 131 142 137 2.17 1915.......... 2.81 1916.... 2. 91 1917... 2. 34 1918........... 2.15 1919.... 2. 48 1920_____ 1.88 1921... 1.99 1922. . 1.78 1923.......... 2. 48 1924.......... 2. 44 1925.......... 2.38 1926.......... 2.44 1927_____ 2. 24 1928......... 143 177 139 122 144 119 138 136 138 140 141 143 135 125 2.31 ! 1929.......... 2.64 i 1930.......... 1.97 1931.......... 1. 54 1932_____ 1.73 1933........ 1.38 1934........ 1.57 1935.......... 1.46 1936.......... 1.42 1937_____ 1.40 1938.......... 1.38 1939_____ 1.37 1940 *........ 1.26 1941.......... 1.10 1942.......... 133 i 101 110 75 i.um .91 .0 117 118 130 .02 L? 132 `,*1iU 94 97 100 70 71 3 2 \I- 1Registration States are those requiring the reporting of births and deaths. *Based on enumerated population as of April 1,1940. Geographical Distribution of Lead Poisoning Deaths from lead poisoning occurred in 28 States in 1941 and 22 States in 1942, the States omitted being those in which no deM For data for earlier years, see Monthly Labor Review, February 1938 (p. 420). >The amount of refilled lead produced increased from 497,303 short tons in 1937 to 584,421 short tom s according to figures of the U. 8. Bureau of Mines. 976 > Industrial Injuries and Di, X K A 5 occurred in cither one of the 2 years (table 2). In 1941 the largest number of deaths from lead poisoning in any State was in Pennsyl vania, with 10 deaths; in 1942 the largest number (10) occurred in the .. State of New York, and there were 7 deaths each in Ohio and Pennbsylvania. These small numbers are a clear indication of the fact [ that lead poisoning in fatal form is now a comparatively rare occur[. rence, even in the States in which lead processing is done on a large f scale. r> r T able 2.-- Deaths From Lead P oisoning, by States, in 1941 and 1942, as Shown by Census R etu rn s i'-; ?*-*-* State 1941 1942 State 1941 1942 State 1941 1942 All States.............. Kansas__________ 70 2 1 4 1 2 0 4 2 1 1 72 0 0 4 0 2 0 3 2 1 1 01 5 10 1 36 10 24 1 10 1 2 1 Utah....................... 1 n2 2 50 0 02 1 33 0 5 10 0 7 0 7 0 4 0 2 4 0 2 1 Supplementary information for 1942 and 1943, furnished by State [Boards of Health, is shown in table 3 for 37 States. From these prefliminary returns it appears that the annual number of deaths from Head poisoning declined from 62 in 1942 to 47 in 1943.3 The most Iremarkable reduction in deaths took place in the State of New York-- Ifrom 11 to 4; of these. Now York City accounted for 8 in 1942 and Kin 1943, the latter being the death of an infant 2 months of age. Ta b l e 3.-- D eaths f r o m L e a d P o is o n in g , 1 9 4 2 a n d 1943, as Show n b y R e tu rn s fr o m State Boards o f H ealth 1 State 1942 1943 State 1942 1943 State Maine. ................... 0 62 47 Massachusetts____ 4 0 0 Mississippi.............. 2 7 5 M ontana............... 0 Nevada_________ 0 0 0 New Hampshire... 0 0 0 New Mexico........... 0 1 0 North Dakota____ 0 0 0 Nebraska........... . 3 3 0 New Jersey______ 3 0 0 New York ______ 11 2 0 North Carolina___ 0 1 2 Ohio........................ 8 1 Oregon........ . 6 Virginia........ 0 Vermont.......... 1 West Virginia.. 0 Utah....... ......... 0 South Carolina 2 South Dakota.. 1 Tennessee........ 0 Texas............ . 1 Washington__ 0 Wisconsin____ 4 Wyoming......... 1 Pennsylvania.. 9 to slight correction after the Census Office returns of 1943 are available (not before the g*heae> New York City accounted for 8 in 1942 and 1 in 1943. , ^^(aetory explanation for the discrepancies in the statistics of deaths from lead poisoning as fur{vy the Bureau of the Census and the State, divisions of vital statistics is apparent, except that the m^ ' 1probably duo to the final determination as to the primary causo of death. fa/. : / Vi ( t, (S J O V. 0 !i Monthly Labor Review--November 1944 -'Occupational Distribution o f Deaths From Lead Poisoning The available statistics do not make it possible to state with, absolute accuracy, the number of deaths properly chargeable to lead! industries and otherwise. Table 4, compiled from information sup-1 plied by the division of vital statistics of the various State boards of3 health, shows fatalities reported as having been caused by leads poisoning, 1939-42. T able 4.-- Fatalities from Lead Poisoning, 1939--42, by' Occupational, etc., Classification* Class All classes.............................. . Painters.................................. Miscellaneous occupations... Persons under 16 years of age Women................................... Number of deaths in-- 1939 42 13 15 13 1 1940 72 31 17 22 2 1941 46 15 17 13 1 1942 jn 21, f! Of the 216 deaths from lead poisoning reported in the 4-year period^ 73 were those of painters. Although nearly all of these were com-gf plicated by other diseases (possibly of primary importance), it iaj| almost universally the practice to attribute the death to lead poisoning^ if there is even slight evidence of connection with lead or lead-usingal; industries. "?? Tabulations of deaths from lead poisoning in miscellaneous occupa-i f tions show a surprisingly small number of deaths among workers in^' the lead-processing industries. The relatively large number of em-* ployments in which exposure to lead is only incidental is suggestive o amateur painting and an unrecognized exposure to lead hazards. Confirmation of this is indicated by Census returns showing that in 1940, of 100 deaths from lead poisoning, only 48 were occupational and 52 were nonoccupational--illustrating the immense progress whic has been made in industrial hygiene as applied to lead-using industrie All the larger lead-processing plants are equipped with dust-preventioB devices and other means of reducing the lead hazard to a minimur* In addition, factory employees in the lead-using industries are subje to medical examination upon entry and at r e g u l a r intervals thereaftf Industrial Injuries, June 1944 IN THE first 6 months of 1944 there was an nverage of 19.31 aiding injuries for every million employee-hours worked in ufacturing, as compared with an average of 20.0 1for the correspond period of 1943. This 6.3-percent reduction in the injury-frcquel rate is reflected in the estimates of the total number of injuries^ perienced by manufacturing workers. In actual numbers it i*j timated that approximately 377,000 factory workers were diss by industrial injuries in the first half of this year. Nearly 1J"L these workers died as a result of their injuries, and over 15,000^ i Unweighted. Industrial Injuries and Diseases 979 have to contend with som>e form of physical impairment for the rest of their lives. In comparison, the estimated volume of disabling in juries in manufacturing during the first half of 1943 was 387,000. Disregarding the continuing economic losses arising from the deaths ind permanent impairments, it is estimated that the direct loss in manpower because of injuries in manufacturing amounted to 7,540,000 man-days of productive effort in the first 6 months of 1944, as com pared with 7,740,000 man-days in the first half of 1943. PAmong the 91 manufacturing industries for which data are available, [tf?re were 11 which had cumulative injury-frequency rates of less in 10 for the first half of 1944. It is highly significant that this Kip includes a number of the most important war industries. The brate industries and their 6-month frequency rates, arranged in the ler of their rates were women's clothing, 5.5; explosives, 5.6; rayon id allied products (chemical), 6.2; small-arms ammunition, 6.3; "lent, 8.7; radios and phonographs, 8.8; soap and glycerin, 9.0; iting and fire-control equipment, 9.1; aircraft, 9.6; iron and steel, JJ; anc petroleum refining, 9.9. [On the other hand there were eight manufacturing industries |uch had cumulative frequency rates of over 40 for the first half of " i . These were miscellaneous lumber products, 40.2; foundries, f and steel, 42.7; planing mills, 45.3; boatbuilding 45.3; sheet1 work, 49.4; plate fabrication and boiler-shop products, 52.1; len containers, 54.1; and sawmills, 55.1. terms of frequency rates, the June record for all manufacturing .ined unchanged from that of May. In both months the unehted injury-frequency rate was 19.8 disabling injuries for every Son employee-hours worked. Despite the lack of change in the ifrequency rate, however, there were considerably more reductions phe frequency rates of individual industries than there were injges. Seventeen of the industry frequency rates were at least 5 jte lower in June than they had been in May, and 25 others were &t at least a full frequency-rate point. On the other hand, inBes of 5 or more points were recorded for only 7 industries, and T20 had increases of 1 to 5 points. For 13 industries the June jency rates were the lowest monthly rates thus far recorded in [[and for 13 others the June rates were higher than those of any I u b months. le. reports were received from 12,294 manufacturing establishg. The reporting plants employed 6,844,000 workers, or nearly snt of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' estimate of total manuemployment during the month. On the basis of these re- (hich listed a total of 27,038 disabling injuries for the month, iimated that 64,000 employees of manufacturing plants were 1by work injuries during June. Using an average of 20 days time for each disabling injury, the direct loss to industry [of these injuries may be estimated as 1,280,000 man-days of Lion, which is equivalent to full-time employment for the [or over 49,000 workers. si M2-- 44-