Postwar Industrial Health Industrial Hygiene
Foundation Holds Ninth Annual
Meeting
WM. R. BRADLEY THROUGH the stately monoliths of Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, came 500 executives, plant managers, physicians, hygiéniste, chemists, lawyers, and engineers representing wartime industry t o plan for postwar health at the Industrial Hygiene Foundation's ninth annual meeting November *5 and 16. Pausing in the midst of the greatest effort yet expended toward maintaining good health among industries' personnel, this closely cooperating group laid plans for its expanded contribution in placing the disabled veteran back at work, discussed medical and legal aspects of sickness indemnification, and explored opportunities for further medical, chemical, and engineering contributions in the postwar workers' health program. This meeting points with emphasis to the many ramifications of industry's health program, to the diversity of thought now concentrated in these efforts, and to the enormous interest of industrial management that has made possible present achievements. The Industrial Hygiene Foundation sprang from an organized, nonprofit approach by industry for the advancement of industrial health. The headquarters are appropriately located in the scientific atmosphere of Mellon Institute. The 20 original company members expressed their awareness of potential occupational disease exposures by this organization, now grown t o 270 member companies and associations. Their high purpose is ex pressed in the pledge "to conduct ana stimulate investigation and research in industrial hygiene, to gather and disseminate factual information thereto, and to cooperate with other agencies in this field in the coordination of investigations and research efforts". Highlight of the meeting was the keynote address of H. G. Batcheller, president, Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. and operations vice chairman, War Production Board. Mr. Batcheller expressed concern. that the previous high production in war supplies was now slipping and that we were in fact falling behind our requirement in certain critical materials and that there was possibility of delaying an early conclusion of the war by premature reconversion. Listing a critical shortage in cotton duck tie stated: We> had a production of more than 50,000,000 yards per month in our great textile industry in 1942. It'slipped in 1942^ and again in early 1944. Nearly 50,000,000 yards a month represent, the requirements of the Armed Forces, and what has
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been produced is not anywhere near enough. We hope, and our expectation is that by petition to the directive power of the War Production Board which represents the greatest concentration of power in any agency, to be able to build this back up to 60-odd millions of yards per month in the early part of 1945. There is, however, no human way by which we can make up what has been lost during this period, and we are informed on the best possible authority that 100,000,000 yards or more of that which we may have had, but never produced means only one thing, a number of United States soldiers will be without shelter in Europe this winter—no rumor—a fact. With respect to war requirements in heavy artillery ammunition Mr. Batcheller remarked that "Our Armed Forces today could profitably extend the saving of life by having all of the heavy ammunition that we could possibly produce in this country and transport to them for their use at the front". He stated that there was a necessity of increasing production of the so-called heavy-heavy trucks by more than 25 per cent. In summary he said: Within this great production program, however, there are certain critical matters delaying definitely the day of victory. It can only be answered by one means, by persuading American industry, both management and labor, that the need does exist—is there and is not some fanciful dream, and by persuading them to go all out for Avar. Opening the meeting, Andrew Fletcher, vice president, St. Joseph Lead Co., and chairman, Foundation's Board of Trustees, gave consideration to the future position of industry in our country. "With the united determination of capital, labor, Government, and the people in general", he said, "there need be no limit to the progress and prosperity that we can realize in this country after the war. However, there is little satisfaction in living in a beautiful home completely surrounded by graveyards, and therefore we must share our prosperity with the rest of the world. Europe aided us in our early days, and now we are given the opportunity to reeiprc*· date." In concluding, Mr. Fletcher-emphasized the importance of maintaining the health of workers in industry as an important factor in accomplishing the, present and future 12 objectives of industrial production. Dramatically he stated that: The maintenance of the human machine is equally if not more important than the machines in the plant, and no one will dispute the advisability of plant maintenance. In the past we neglected the
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human machine because it is such a welldesigned unit that it will stand an unbelievable amount of abuse. We should never consider what the man or woman does with the machine and overlook what the machine does to the worker. Many organizations can today show that every dollar invested in improved working and living conditions pays enormous dividends m doll ars as well as in human happiness. The Disabled Veteran C. D . Selby, medical consultant, General Motors Corp., member of foundation's Board of Trustees and Medical Committee, presiding at a five-man panel discussion on "Putting the Disabled Veteran Back to Work", praised the accomplishments of industry in its concern for the health of disabled veterans now being returned to employment. This panel, he said, presented current experience in successful job placement of the disabled personnel discharged from the Armed Forces and he pointed out that such an exchange of experience will sponsor a better understanding and solution of their health problems. Participants in this panel inaugurated at the foundation's meeting in 1943, were Colonel John N. Andrews, officer in charge of postwar activities, National Selective Service System; Harley L. Krieger, medical director, Ford Motor Co.; A. A. Hendrix, personnel director, Eastern Aircraft Division, General Motors Corp.; I. Dent Jenkins, personnel manager, Harrison Radiator Division*General Motors Corp.;. and B. F. Streets, Medical Department, Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. Opening the panel Colonel Andrews said: The task of readjusting the veteran at the end of this war will be at least three times as great as it was in 1918-19. Approximately 1,500,000 men and women have been separated from service since September 1940. Industry also has had opportunity to re-absorb large numbers of the ex-servicemen in their old jobs or in new ones. Public Law 346 provides, in addition to education, hospital facilities; loans for homes, farms, or businesses; and other benefits. Educational benefits are only a part, but a very important part of the law. Public Law 16, extends the rehabilitation activities of the Veterans Administration to provide for a program to last for six years after the termination of the present war, during which period a veteran, man or woman, with a pensionable disability* may receive training up to four years specifically aimed at the restoration of employability. In the cases of veterans returning with handicaps, such as to make it im-
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possible or unwise to reinstate them in their former positions, employers have been generous in shifting the men to positions which they are able to perform. The physicians making the examinations of handicapped veterans should outline in detail the conditions they discover which make the employee unsuited for certain types of work, and full information should be furnished as to what type of work should be avoided in assigning the handicapped person to employment. For instance, there will be persons who should not work near fast-moving machinery; there will be others who should not do any heavy lifting; there will be still others who should work on the ground level only and not be allowed on ladders, scaffolds, or elevated platforms; and there will be some who must avoid dust, fumes, or skin irri tants. Some will find it impossible to walk or stand for considerable periods of time in connection with their work. You of the Industrial Hygiene Foundation will have an extremely important role to play in the readjustment of the returning servicemen. Many of you have already had considerable experience with these men. Your medical programs will need to be very closely integrated with the work of the personnel department and you will want to maintain close contact with supervisors, foremen, and others who are in intimate touch with the returned veterans. It will not be sufficient merely to find a job and put a man to work. He will need frequent counseling and he should be encouraged to discuss his personal and other problems freely with personnel directors and plant physicians. Dr. Krieger described the work of the Medical Transfer Department of the Ford Motor Co. which staff supervised job placement and follow-up on 1,580 veterans up to October 1,1944, to satisfactory employment. "The Veteran Occupational Rehabilitation as adopted by the Henry Ford Trade School", said Dr. Krieger, "has 503 acres of excellent farming soil together with suitable buildings, consisting of a lodge, power house, chapêl (which through the week is converted into a classroom), a hobby shop, machine shop, and a laboratory." Analyzing Ford's experience to date, Dr. Krieger said: We believe that in the placement of handicapped veterans, personal handling of the veteran from the time he applies for a job until he is placed, is most satisfactory. This we have accomplished by having one man assigned from the Employment Division to interview and hire all veterans. The veteran is then referred to the Medical Transfer Department for satisfactory placement. We also believe that in many instances further vocational training of the veteran is needed. This training must be individually adapted to the disability of the veteran. Rug weaving, broom making, leather tooling, etc., are essential for the specific training and coordinating of nervemuscle function. We sincerely suggest to all agencies, federal, state, and local that a definite program of practical vocational rehabilitation be instituted. This will enable the veteran to adapt himself more quickly in industry and allow us more time to spend on other cases. ~~ Quoting statistics on a summary of 737 employed disabled veterans, Mr. Hendrix stated: We think accurate information would reveal well over 30 per cent of these men VOLUME
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Philip Drinker of the Harvard School of Public Health, and Col. A . J. Lanza, M.C., Director of the Occupational Health Division, Army Service Forces, presiding at the Medical and Engineering Sections during the Industrial Hygiene Foundation's annuel meeting
were released due to a functional nervous disorder or the man was just a misfit in service. In citing particular case histories he said there was an important time element involved in readjustment and that there was danger in pushing these cases too fast. We believe that most of these men can .·. readjust and perform as efficient an operation as is expected of any employee. In May 1944 two of our engineers made a statistical study of the job performance of a group of 39 hourly rate veterans picked at random throughout the plant, with the performance of a similarly picked group of 78 nonveterans. The conclusion from this study was, "There is no significant difference in foremen's ratings of performance on the job between veterans and nonveterans." Mr. Hendrix said: Int>ur work with veterans we have been impressed with the great importance of home and community influences in their readjustment. A good home can be a powerful positive influence, a bad one may undo anything we may try to accomplish in the plant. The human environment a man finds on the job is also a strong force for good or otherwise. It is necessary to consider this factor in placing these men. Also, it means that we must strive to build a spirit of understanding and teamwork throughout our organization—one in which a veteran will feel at ease and at the same time not be coddled. In such an atmosphere the men will find it possible to make use of the valuable qualities* they gained in service—courage, discipline, teamwork, and self-sacrifice. Mr. Jenkins reviewed the job placement plan used with considerable success at Harrison Radiator Division, General Motors Corp. His group was one of the earliest industrial plants to inaugurate a program of job analysis to determine what the job required of an individual. The primary objective of the plan was to facilitate the placement of handicapped people generally and with the return of disabled veterans such machinery would be in force to expedite their placement. Among other plans which now have been prepared, Mr.
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Jenkins cited those of Region XII of the War Manpower Commission, San Francisco, and the Permanente Foundation Hospitals in California, which cover shipyard operations on the West Coast. "They not only have a plan of job analyses but also a matched plan of recording the individual workers' attributes, with the purpose of matching the one with the other/' said Mr. Jenkins. "While our experience is still limited we are finding that information furnished by job analyses, together with individual worker information furnished by the Medical Department, definitely facilitates placement. It is not foolproof", he asserted, "as individual judgment is still required to fit properly the worker to the job." Dr. Streets, reporting experience with the plan for job placement of disabled veterans at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co., said: The returned soldier makes formal application at the employment office and is given at once a working rank equal to that held at the time of induction. A tentative designation of a specific job is indicated which not only conforms to the old job rank but which, at the same time, takes cognizance of the desires of the applicant. Following the completion of preliminary forms, the veteran is interviewed by a physician who not only performs a searching physical examination, but who deals in considerable detail with the psychological background which will affect the working future of the veteran. The life history of the applicant is tactfully reviewed with the obvious intent of assisting the applicant rather than of merely obtaining irrelevant data of purely personal interest. Very little difficulty has been encountered in obtaining all the desired information in the cases which have been interviewed. Should the particular case be of such character that psychiatric consultation is desirable, such consultation is obtained. Following the physical and psychological evaluation, an attempt is made to offer a type of work which will utilize the applicant's working endowment and which will, at the same time, minimize any traits which may constitute job-liabilities. In accomplishing this, the assistance of an official who is thoroughly familiar with 2189
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lboall jtfcatàon) is probably quite unwarranted; Etscussing protection against? noise-inJury Dr. Davis said: The first principle is to reduce produetiotKof noise. A second principle is to»ab>~ «otto the noise after it has been generated^ (Ontfortunately, neither of these principleswil eliminate all of the high-level· noises» Ércwn industry, and we shall frequently belotoed to fall back upon the third· prin>cigiîe, the exclusion of noise from the ear. Newly designed ear plugs, made* of •decibels or more, which is enough to* bring the extreme noises of present indusâafi situations down to the probably hairm&ss. level of 100 db. Until very recently they have been made exclusively for Navy gienrners and Army artillerymen, but wubmn the past few weeks samples have been» released to some plants producing aircnait. They have been used in some of the noisiest situations, such as the riveting of the wings of B-29 bombers, and their reception by the workers in most cases has been favorable, and even enthusiastic. We have been told that the absenteeism among one group of workers provided with these plugs dropped so abruptly that it drew surprised and spontaneous favorable comment from those charged with the responsibilities of production. Fifty per cent of those disabled veterans discharged under the category of psychoneurosis will adjust themselves if given a chance, according to L. Έ. Himler, assist ant professor of mental health, University of Michigan, who spoke on "Practical Psychiatry in Industry". He termed it unfortunate that some disabled veterans were "labeled" psychoneurotic under an all-inclusive term while they may only have been unfit for further military duty because of other reasons. CHEMICAL
General problems of personality and ad justment 74% Relatively simple job adjust ment problems 24%, ,.** Difficulties associated with in terpersonal relationships 13% Mild personality disorders 21% Family, home, and marital prob lems 16% Problems with medical and neuropsy chiatrie aspects 26% Functional nervous conditions associated with physical dis orders 11% Psychoneuroses 2% Severe personality disorders 9% Epilepsy and hypnolepsy 3% Psychosis 1% He said: My own experience with the first grouj represented in the table leads me to be lieve that cases in this category could wel be handled by an employee counselor wh< has a mature, balanced personality anc some basic training in the techniques ο mental h y g i e n e . . . . . The fact that then . is a sizeable second group with rather com ; plicated medical and neuropsychiatrie • disturbances cannot be minimized, anc these individuals will require assistance ο a more specialized nature. In most in .stances, however, this'could be provide! by the plant physician if he is skilled in tfâ «use of psychotherapeutic methods. In summarizing, Dr. Himler said: It seems clear that the utilization of th< (psychiatric approach in interviewini should have a distinct place in the manage ment of human relations problems on al ilevels of industry. There is a need tc .-stimulate interest and provide training tfor plant physicians, personnel inter -viewers, and veteran's coordinators sc that they will be enabled to develop anc ^(psply effective interviewing skills. » «George R. Hill, director, Department of Agricultural Research, America! Smelting and Refining Co., discussec "The Effectiveness of Tall Stacks h Minimizing Objectionable Emanation» From Industrial Plants". His expérience in discharging a toxic gas into the atmosphere in such a manner that no injury resulted to humans, animals, or plant Jia was the basis of this report. The stud} showed widely different atmosphericjeon» ditions prevailing at various discharge points above the ground. A stack 600 fee; in height solved the problem of dischargini the gas in such a manner that dilutioi occurred to the point where no objection· AND
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able concentrations were recorded in ground level sampling. Lt. Colonel T. F. Hatch» reported on a study, "Upper Limits of Tolcramce t o Heat and Humidity", conducted at the Armored Medical Research Laboratory, Ft. Knox, Ky. He said: Man can tolerate dry heat well above 200° F., provided he is inactive amd tbe duration of exposure is brief. On tbe other hand, if he is to carry on vigorous work for a prolonged period without loss of efficiency and with no significant rise in body temperature, the limiting emvironmental conditions will be found mot far above the normal comfort zones. The acceptable limits will also be influenced b y the age and physical condition of tlaose exposed and their degree of acclimatization to heat. Finally, the limits will b e determined, in part, by the criterion employed to define tolerance. Thus, it is seen that there is no unique point on any tihemiometric scale which can be said to represent the upper limits of man's tolerance t o hea.t. Specific limits can be established o»nly for clearly defined sets of conditions. M t must be remembered, too, that there are four separate factors which, together, define the thermal environment; air température and moisture content, intensity or! radiation and air movement. Since -various combinations of these four will yield equivalent environments, the limits of tolerance must recognize the influence of each. A dry atmosphere with a temperature of 120® F., for example, may "be well tolerated, whereas a moist environment of 95° will be intolerable. Similarly^ if tbe intensity of radiant heat is high., there must be compensating decrease in. température or moisture content or a sufficiently high air movement to offset it. The concluding paper in the snedical and engineering section, "Findings from Foundation Surveys of War Plantas", was given jointly by F. R. Holden audi ¥. C. L·. Hemeon of the Industrial Hygiene Foundation staff. Dr. Holden stated that the conversion forms of quartz, aiamely tridymite and cristobalite, produced when quarts is heated to approximately £850° F. and 2800° F., are reported t o be more destructive to animal tissue than qoartz, a widely recognized producer of tEie lung disease silicosis, when inhaled as ^ finely divided dust. Dr. Holden said: In the glass industry, where tine older clay pot process is used, the quarte present in the clays is also converted to ^the two other varieties of crystalline silica. Analysis of air-borne dust produced! where discarded pots are reclaimed has vevealed that the quartz is converted im almost equal portions to cristobalite and tridymite. I t is of interest that the principal silicosis hazard in glass man*ifact\ire arises in departments where the clays and furnace and tuille stones are manufactured and handled. I n batch houses studied, where the ingredients of glass are assembled, numerous analysis of sûr-borne dust from mixed batches disclosed only from 1 to 5% free silica. The need for careful investigation, of dermatitis problems was illustrated during the past summer. Workers in· one section of a foundry were aroused when a number of cases of skin disease occurred. Investigation demonstrated that tahe hands and face were seldom affected sand that cases occurred throughout the shop where V Ο LU Μ Ε 2 2
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H . A . Campbell of Owens-Coming Fiberglo Co., John F. McMahon, managing director of the Industrial Hygiene Foundation, end Francis R. Holden, a member of the staff
l e f t to right Panel chairman C D . Selby, General Motors Corp. medical consultant; r \ n drew Fletcher, chairman of the board of the Foundation and vice president of St. Joteph Load Co./ and keynote speaker H . G . Batcheller, president of Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp.
men were exposed to heat. The picture was typical of "heat rash" and it seemed probable to our medical consultant that crystallization of body salt on the clothing caused the irritation. Mr. Hemeon continued discussion of this paper emphasizing elements in the control of exposures to workers' health. Proper design of industrial, ventilation is almost completely dépendent upon industrial hygiene, as has been repeatedly illustrated in our work during;l944. For proper, design implies knowledge as to the exact sources of tbe' contaminant, its toxicity and, frequently, existing concentrations. In many cases it is virtually impossible to proceed intelligently in the design of control equipment without the aid of industrial hygiene and its techniques. Investigations conducted in a sând washing plant, in and around the sanddrying equipment indicated that there was no silica dust hazard in the plant. Dust counts were uniformly low. The fine silica dust had-been largely removed in the elutriation process and it was'therefore practically impossible in this equipment to create important dust concentrations.
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N In one plant where workers complained of cold drafts our investigation disclosed a high rate of exhaust ventilation, but no controlled means for supplying heated air to the room. Some supply air did, of course, enter, because the whole building was under suction, but it came in through doors when opened and cracks in windows, and exposed all workers at benches near the periphery of the building to cold air currents. Workers in central parts of the room, engaged at work producing excess heat and some smoke, wanted the cool air for comfort, but in the circumstances it would be at the expense of the comfort of the other groups. A system of heated air supply at a rate to match the volume being exhausted, plus an exhaust system to remove smoke from its sources in the central portion of the space was needed to provide adequate control.
Legal Section Opening the second day of the postwar industrial health program was a panel discussion of the legal section which was concerned with disability and compensation. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 2 2 0
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SCIENTIFIC BOOKS for
WAR and POST-WAR RESEARCH The ALIEN PROPERTY CUSTODIAN, in selecting titles to be reproduced, has chosen those scientific works which are of prime importance to war research. However, they are also extremely valuable for post-war research and are available at prices ranging up to eighty percent less than the original German prices. A few of these boo)» are listed below. ALUMINUM
Herrmann, Ehrhard, and E. ZurbrQgg. Die Bearbeitung des Aluminiums. 3. erweiterte und verb. Aufl., Becker & Brier, 1943. 210 p. Orisprice unknown. Our price $7.85.
ELECTRIC CURRENTS, ALTERNATING/ GEOLOGY/ PROSPECTING. Fritsch, Volker. Messverfahren der Funlcroutung. Mûnchen, Oldenbourg, 1943. 220 p. Orig. price $6.40. Our price $3.75.
FOUNDRY PRACTICE
Callenberg, Waldemar. Die Trocknung von Formea und Kernen in der Giesserei. GiessereiVerlag, 1942. 146 p. Orig. price $5.60. Our price $5.60.
HYDRODYNAMICS
Breitenuder, Max. Ebene Grundwasserstrômungen mit freier Oherflftche. Springer, 1942. 127 p. Orig. price unknown. Our price $4.85.
HYDROGEN-ION CONCENTRATION/ ELECTRIC MEASUREMENTS Fuhrmann, Franz. Elektrometrische pH-Messung mit kleinen Lôsungsmengen. $pringer, 1941. 133 p. Orig. price $4.00. Our price $3.00.
MACHINERY, KINEMATICS OF
Franke, Rudolf. Vom Auîbau der Getriebe; eine neue, die Getriebe aller technîschen Gebiete einheitlich zusammenfassende Lehre fur Konstrukteure und Studenten. VDl-Verlag, 1943. Only v . 1; Die Entwicklungslehre der Getriebe. 202 p. Orig. price $6.65. Our price $6.50.
MAGNETIC MEASUREMENT
Bock» R. Praxis der magnetiscben Messungen. Borntraeger, 1942. 138 p. Orig. price unknown. Our price $3.25.
MAGNETISM, TERRESTRIAL/ PETROLOGY Haalck, H a n s . Der Gesteinsmagnetismus, seine Beziehungen zu den Erscheinungen des Ferromagnetismus und zum erdmagnetischen Feld. Becker 8t Erler, 1942. 90 p. Orig. price $4.40. Our price $3.25.
MECHANICS, APPLIED/ KINEMATICS/ GRAPHIC STATICS
Fedexhofer, Karl. Graphische Kincmatik und Kinetostatik. Springer, 1932. 112 p. (Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete 1. Bd„ 2 ) . Orig. price $5.25. Our price $3.00.
SPECTRUM ANALYSIS—TABLES
Gerlach, Walther, and E. Riedl. Die chemische Emissions-Spektral-Analyse. III. Teil. Tabellen zur qualitativen Analyse. 2., verb. Aufl. Leipzig, Barth, 1942. 154 p. Orig. price unknown. Our price $3.25.
STRUCTURES, THEORY OF
Guldan, Richard. Rahmentragwerke und Durchlauftr&ger. Springer, 1940. 271 p. Orig. price $13.15. Our price $7.75.
TAUTOMERISM/ MESOMERISM
Eistert, Bernd. Tautomeric und Mesomerie, Gieichgewicht und "Resonanz." Enke, 193fc. 204 p . (Sammlung chemischer und chemischtechnischer Vortrâge. Ν. F., Hft. 40). Orig. price $0.40. Our price $5.75.
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POSTWAR INDUSTRIAL HEALTH (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 1 9 1 )
Theodore C. Waters, of Mullikin, Stockbridge, and Waters, presided and also spoke on *'Legal Aspects of Compensation for Partial Disability from Silicosis". Others who spoke in the Legal Section were George Wright, The Saranac Laboratory; Marchai Dawson, Division of Labor Stand ards, U. S. Department of Labor; and Vandiver Brown, secretary, Johns-Manvilie Corp. . Dr. Wright commented that: Administration of the now existent total disability law reveals certain diffi culties which would likely be magnified in an attempt to assess partial disability and its causal relationship to silicosis, §rove ilicosis produces disability chiefly by re ducing one's capacity to breathe, hence limiting one's range of physical exertion. Partial disability may be said to exist when this reduction is not totally disabling but is more pronounced than is to be expected in view of the claimant's age. The assessment of slight to moderate disability would be difficult because the range of variation in the capacities of normal men is large and no methods exist for accu rately predicting what should be normal for a given man. Discussing "Existing Second Injury Funds and Recommended Legislative Provisions", Mr. Dawson declared: The purpose of such a provision is to facilitate the employment of handicapped persons, and at the same time assure them adequate benefits in event of further in jury. The situation wherein employers in certain instances refused to give employ ment to men who had lost either a limb or an eye, for the reason that they felt that under the law they would be required to pay for life in the case of a subsequent in jury where an eye or limb would be lost, has presented a continuing difficulty for several million workers who have serious physical impairments, a group which will be greatly increased by the returning soldiers. • When a person who has lost an eye asks an employer for a job. his condition is apparent, and anyone knows that if the applicant loses another eye or member he may be awarded compensation for perma nent total disability. The main purpose of second-injury fund legislation has been, therefore,, to allay an employer's fear that if he hires a man who has lost an eye, hand, foot, arm, or leg he may, in event of an other injury, be charged with the rela tively high cost of an award for permanent total disability. Mr. Brown, in discussing "Legal De velopments in 1944 Respecting Industrial Health", said: New occupational disease laws have been enacted by the States of Kentucky and Virginia, and certain amendments to occupational disease compensation stat utes have been enacted during this year. There are now 15 states and the District of Columbia that provide full or general coverage for occupational disease injuries, and 13 states wherein schedule coverage is provided. In the postwar period the problem of in dustrial health will continue to be a matter CHEMICAL
of major importance in industrial rela tions. The legislative and judicial trend will continue to be to grant more liberal benefits to employees and to require em ployers to assume greater responsibilities for the protection of the health of employ ees. Activities of the state industrial hygiene departments will increase and in dustry is faced with the probability of in creased regulation to control industrial health hazards. The legal responsibilities attendant to the control of such hazards will be intensified. Health .Insurance The management section of the two-day conference sponsored a frank panel dis-*, cussion on sickness indemnification, popu larly called "health insurance", which is of increasing concern. R. A. Hohaus, asso ciate actuary, Metropolitan Life Insur ance Co., presided. Members of the panel were Andrew Court, Labor Economics Section, General Motors Corp.; W. M. Gafafer, principal statistician, U. S. Public Health Service; and N. Sinai, professor of public «health, University of Michigan. Speaking on "The Economic Basis of Health", Mr. Court defined the problem and outlined the requisites of sound health in terms of medical care in connection with sickness. Mr. Gafafer graphically presented the advantages and disadvantages of sickness indemnification plans based on studies of sickness absenteeism and sick benefit plans in operation among certain founda tion member companies. "Medical Expense Indemnification" was the subject of Dr. Sinai's paper. He listed the advantages and disadvantages of such plans as determined in case studies in both the United States and Canada. The final speaker was V. P. Ahearn, an industry member, National War Labor Board and executive secretary of the National Industrial. Sand Association. "In War Labor Board proceedings", Mr. Ahearn stated, "there is hardly a major case coming before the board which does not involve at one stage or another a de mand that something shall be done to im prove industrial health." In discussing working conditions, Mr. Ahearn said: "Ventilation seems a rather small thing to a great many people, but I am confident that at the working level, the lack of ade quate ventilation has done as much to contribute to poor labor relations as any thing." Tire O u t p u t E x p a n d e d Construction of enough new plants to provide 4,000,000 more tires a year and. expansion of present facilities to increase, production 6,400,000 more have been ordered by WPB to satisfy sudden military demands. Current production is 16,400,000 a year. AND
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