Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

The number of unemployed persons in Baltimore City was 13,177 in February-March, 1929, according to a report of the Maryland Commissioner of Labor and Statistics, based on a house-to-house canvass by the Police Department of Baltimore City. This number represented approximately 1.6 per cent of the total population of the city and approximately 3.4 per cent of the total number of persons who usually are gainfully employed. Page 59.

Age limits for new employees are set by 30 per cent of the plants covered in a recent survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, the most frequent limits being 45 years for unskilled and semiskilled workers and 50 years for skilled workers. The other 70 per cent of the plants covered reported that they set no age limits. Page 110. In 1927 the loss of life per ton of coal mined in the United States was lower than in any other year except 1920, and the total number of men killed was smaller than in any other year since 1922, according to the annual report on coal-mine fatalities published by the United States Bureau of Mines. The estimated death rate per million tons of coal produced in 1927 was 3.70 as compared with a rate of 3.83 in 1926. The rate for bituminous mines, considered separately, decreased from 3.60 in 1926 to 3.34 (estimated) in 1927, but in anthracite mines it increased from 5.36 in 1926 to 6.06 (estimated) in 1927. Page 124.

The credit-union movement is increasing rapidly, 368 new unions having been established in 1928. Much of this growth is due to the activities of the Credit Union National Extension Bureau, the creditunion organization in the United States Post Office Department, and to the encouragement of some of the larger labor unions, such as the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. Page 161.

The latest developments in workers' education were reported to the sixth national convention of the Workers' Education Bureau, held at Washington, D. C., April 5-7, 1929. Since the last convention over 30 week-end labor conferences have been held, 7 of thein being called specifically for the discussion of unemployment. A brief summary of the proceedings of the convention, including an account of labor classes, institutes, forums, and summer schools, is given on page 162.

MONTHLY

LABOR REVIEW

OF U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

VOL. 28, NO. 5

IN

WASHINGTON

Spray-Painting Practices and Hazards

MAY, 1929

N 1915 the hazards to the health of persons engaged in the process of spray painting first attracted attention, and, with the adoption of the process in nearly every industry since that time, the hazards have become all the more evident.

In 1925 the State of Pennsylvania, recognizing the possible results of the use of improper equipment or of lack of understanding of the dangers among those using the spray-painting process, instituted an investigation to obtain more definite data than was then available on the health hazards, and particularly on the risk of benzol poisoning, from the spraying of lacquers. Following the Pennsylvania study the National Safety Council made a supplementary study, both these studies being executed by a staff of medical and technical authorities.

The results of the two studies demonstrated the following: (1) That relatively small amounts of benzol in lacquers may give rise to benzol concentrations in the air breathed by the spray operator well above the danger limit (set at 100 parts per million for continuous exposure by the benzol committee of the National Safety Council); (2) That so many variable and uncontrollable conditions obtain in the spraying of materials containing various lead compounds that exhaust ventilation can not always be depended upon properly to protect the operator or other workers in the vicinity of the operation; (3) That the hazard from spraying siliceous materials can be largely overcome by exhaust ventilation of from 150 to 200 feet per minute past the spray operator; and (4) That workers employed to spray-coat objects within buildings, booths, rooms, or any inclosed space with either paints or lacquers containing benzol or lead compounds or siliceous materials, as vitreous enamels or similar materials, regardless of the type of ventilation or the use or nonuse of respirators or masks, should be examined, both before beginning the work and periodically thereafter, for the early detection of any symptoms of poisoning or effects of breathing silica.

Purpose and Result of Present Report

THE PRESENT report is the result of an investigation made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 71 manufacturing and mercantile establishments and 8 Government posts to determine (1) what has been

done to overcome the hazards of the process during its further development, and (2) what can be done further to protect the worker or to eliminate the inherent dangers of the process

The results of the investigation indicate that: (1) The best practices largely overcome the hazards of the process; (2) Most large and some small plants have installed high-grade equipment, while some small plants have taken no steps whatever toward protection; (3) The development of nonpoisonous substitutes for lead and benzol has for most purposes reached a point where it is not necessary to spray materials containing harmful ingredients; (4) Where materials containing benzol or lead compounds are used, stringent regulation should be maintained; and (5) Several States have already adopted, or have inaugurated a definite movement to adopt, special regulations or have worked out a definite means of controlling the process and protecting the spray operators.

The data in the study were secured from establishment records, hospital records, physicians, spray operators, and various employees and officials of the establishments visited. The bureau employed no medical adviser nor technical aid, as it was assumed that previous studies had covered the scientific aspects of the problem rather thoroughly and that there was no further need of proof that a definite and serious hazard exists wherever materials containing benzol, silica, or lead compounds are applied by the spray process.

In the course of the survey 39 cases of poisoning were found in which the disability appeared to have resulted from practices or conditions connected with the process. Each was thoroughly investigated to determine whether the occupation of spray painting was responsible, and whether there had been any previous exposure which might have contributed to the disability. (See Table 2 for general facts in each case.) The majority of these cases were found to have been caused by the absorption of lead, only two cases being diagnosed as benzol poisoning, while one case was called "turpentine poisoning" by the doctor in attendance.

Extent of Establishment Information

THE DATA Secured concerning spray equipment and materials in the establishments covered represent only such information as the manufacturer or employer could give, and indicate in many cases that the employer is poorly informed as to the possible hazards in his organization. Only 20 of the 71 establishments were aware of the velocity of exhaust air maintained at the work places by their equipment. The other plants relied on the manufacturer of the booths or equipment, or on the local engineers who had supplied and installed the equipment, to provide such equipment as, in their best judgment, would meet the particular problem. Usually, no steps were taken, to check up on the equipment after the installation to determine if it was of sufficient capacity or was efficiently removing the fumes and spray cloud from the workroom or booth.

Eighteen of the 71 plants furnished definite information as to harmful content in the materials that were being used in spray coating. Of the 18 plants, 3 had been definitely informed that the materials used contained no harmful ingredients, while 13 furnished

the exact percentage of the ingredients of the materials which were known to be harmful; in the other 2 plants, the exact percentage of harmful elements had been learned only by analysis as a result of the occurrence of one or more cases of poisoning in the plants.

Thirty-five plants could give no information whatever as to whether or not the materials used in spray coating contained any toxic ingredients, while in the remaining 18 plants the coating materials were known to contain either lead or benzol, but the per cent or amount was not available.

Experience of the 71 plants in the use of spray apparatus ranged from 2 months to 20 years. As far as could be determined from the records or the officials of the plants visited, in each of 36 plants visited one case of poisoning had occurred during the experience of the particular plants with the process. In 6 establishments there had been 2 cases; in 2 plants, 3 cases; in 2 plants, 5 cases; and in 1 plant, 6 cases; while in the other 24 plants no trouble had been experienced with the process during the entire period of use in each respective plant.

In Table 1 are shown not only the various materials used in each plant, but also the number of operators working with each of the materials reported and the amount or content of any harmful ingredient in such materials. For example, there were 11 operators employed by Plant No. 9. The material used included a stain which consisted of 40 per cent benzol. However, only 1 of the 11 operators was actually exposed to the possible effects of the benzol, since only about one gallon of stain per week was used on an average and that by the same operator.

The nozzle distance shown in the table is an approximation obtained from observing the operators when actually spraying. The velocity of the exhaust air at the working surface was obtained in two waysfirst, from the records of the plant engineers indicating what velocity the equipment maintained; and second, in a few plants the plant engineer measured the flow of air by the use of a vane anemometer. In most cases, however, the plants visited did not have instruments for measuring air velocity.

Twenty-four of the 71 plants did not furnish any sort of a respirator to the spray operators. Two plants reported that respirators were issued for any work that was considered hazardous, while four plants supplied respirators on certain kinds of work. All of the other 41 establishments supplied the operators with respirators. In 15 of these plants the operators always wore the devices during spray operations, while in 3 plants the operators on certain work always did so; in 17 plants, although respirators were supplied, the operators made a practice of not wearing them; in 1 plant, respirators were worn most of the time and in 3, part of the time; and in the other 2 plants they were regularly worn by some operators, while others made a practice of spraying without respirators.

TABLE 1.-SUMMARY OF DATA RELATING TO USE OF SPRAY GUN IN 71 ESTABLISHMENTS

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« ÎnapoiContinuă »