278
JOURNAL OF
CHEMICAL EDUCATION
An Antidermatitis Program for Aircraft Workers A. J. SAFSTROM Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Farmingdale, New York
T
HE old saying that "one man's meat is another eliminated even among workers who daily handle the man's poison" certainly makes sense when applied most toxic solvents if a comprehensive accident preto the oils and solvents used in warplanes and in the vention program is put into effect. This program lies plants where our air fleet is built. Round the world in the field of preventive medicine, with protective American air fighters depend for their very lives on the clothing the only absolute means of preventing dermasuper-fuels which power their warplanes. Without titis. The first rule should always be that no worker is stepped-up power, our planes and crews would be easy permitted to handle oils and solvents without protecprey for the enemy. In aircraft plants the situation is tive garments. There are three particularly hazardous zones where reversed, with petroleum products a "poison" endansuch a rule should apply: the paint shop, the magnagering the homefront fighters who make our planes. Prevention is the most important factor in the elimi- flux room, and the degreasing room. Nearly all emnation of industrial dermatitis. The basic principle is ployees in these areas are exposed in some measure to separation of the irritant from the employee. This may such primary irritants as zinc chromate, toluene, perbe done by mechanical means, such as suction appara- machlor, trichlorethylene, paste, and primers. It is tus and other devices, or by personal protection, such impossible to do dipping, spraying, degreasing, or as protective clothing. handling of parts day in and day out without exposing In many plants the need for a complete program in the skin to the devastating effects of these products. the control of industrial dermatoses has not been Workers who a t first seem immune develop a susceptistressed strongly enough. A definite indication that bility after continued exposure, which endangers their laxity in the proper protective measures exists is the health. record which shows that 70 per cent of all occupational For each worker, the accident prevention program diseases are the result of skin ailments. The unusual should start the first day he reports on the job. Before quantities of oils and solvents handled in aircraft being assigned work involving oils and solvents, he plants lift this percentage to a higher average than for should be warned of their danger and should be given all industries combined. allergy tests to determine his susceptibility to them. Perhaps this laxity is the result of ignorance. Some- His placement and the safety measures instituted for how we think of dermatitis as a disagreeable and incon- his protection should rest on the results of these tests. Next he should be told, and if possible provided venient disease, but not a serious or preventable one. There we are wrong. It is serious. It can kill and kill with, the protection the job requires. If his work entails frequent handling of irritants, with the attendant ' quickly. Even a mild case lowers the body's resistance, inviting infection. National and state health reports friction of ordinary working conditions, a protective for 1944 record a number of fatalities from infected der- cream will help but will not suffice. What he needs is matitis, many cases that permanently disable workers, protective clothing that covers all parts of the body and vast numbers that cause suffering and absenteeism. likely to come in contact with the irritants. In the past, workers have raised three objections to This is such needless suffering. Dermatitis can be
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THESEWORKERSAT CHANCEVOUGHTA I R C R A PLANT ~ ARE CONTACT OB CLOTHING WITH GREASYWORK BENCAESPREWEARING OIL-AND SOLVENT-PROOF COMPAR GLOVESTO PRO- SENTS A HAZARD I N WAR PLANT OPERATIONS. THEMODERN TECT THEIR HANDSFROM THE ZINC CHROMATE WITH WHICH SHOP PROTECTS THE WORKER'SHEALTH AND CLOTH~NG WITH O n - AND SOLVENT-PROOF APRONS PARTS ARE COATED PRIOR TO ASSEMBLY a program of wearing protective clothing: the expense pletely immune to all oils and solvents throughout a involved, if the plant does not furnish the clothing; the long service life. There is no danger, as with some weight of protective garments; and their cumber- safety clothing, that a change in the oil or solvent someness. Faced with the figures on the incidence of handled may leave the worker unprotected or may dermatitis among war workers, the first objection is damage the protective clothing. In addition to the instruction on protective clothing, quickly overcome. And the other difficulties are now overcome by the new compar clothing which weighs the worker should be impressed with the importance of only a few ounces and affords great freedom of move- body hygiene. Before leaving the plant, work clothing ment, as well as long service life which cuts down on the should he removed, taking care to step out of garments cost of protection. in such a way that any irritant on them does not come Compar clothing is fabricated from a rubber-like in contact with the skin. If by any chance clothes have transparent substance. I t is entirely impervious to oil become soaked, they should be laundered before reand all organic solvents and to many that are inorganic. wearing. If the skin has come in contact with an irriIt has been fashioned into gloves and attractive aprons, tant, thorough cleansing is necessary before leaving the sleeved aprons, smocks, sleeveguards, caps, and tie- plant. Last, and most important of all, the worker must be arounds for the head. If only the hands need protection, gloves with curved impressed with the importance of wearing his protecfingers provide complete protection and facility in tive clothing a t all times on the job and must be taught handling small objects. Aprons are useful for protect- to clean and care for it. He must realize that deviaing clothing where it may rub against work benches. tions from this practice are infractions of company s up for his protection. Rigid adherence to these If full protection is needed, the worker can be clothed ~ l e set from head to foot in this lightweight vinyl resin sub- protective measures is a small price to pay for the war stance which is tough, resistant to abrasion, and com- effort and for the health of workers.
Aspects of the Chemistry of DDT Errata THE author of this article in the May issue sends the following correction: Because of an unfortunate oversight, in this paper the term "p,p'-DDD" actually refers to "dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene," except in the references to the
work of Schechter and Haller where it refers only to "dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane." It is recommended that in the future the term "p,pl-DDD" be used exclusively for reference to "2,2-his-(p-chloropheny1)-1,ldichloroethane."
