The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-02-05
d D.A LIZ q u LEG M
The HAsKIsN LETTER
Lighting Indus rial Plants
81 Frederls ]. HaslLin.

Z ~ ~ IN. 3 y :
According TO careful estimates.
based upon reports Of inspectors Of
insurance and liability Companies for
the year 1914, fully one-fourth Of the
accidents occurring in Industrial
plants. mines and railroad yards were
due to defective lighting. Since the
annual cost ofindustrial accidents an
Iproximates 100000. 900 financial
loss. aside from the lives and Grip
pied bodies of the men and women
suffering BY them, the need Of greater
care In this direction becomes appar-
ont Wcrkmen are asking for better
light for their own physical safety.
Employers are anxious to give It be-
cause even those who are callous to
the interest Of their workers wish to
avoid unnecessary financial loss to
themselves. Those interested in wei
fare work are urging definite lighting
regulations as essential to the safety
Of humanity,
insurance companies are making
careful studies Of the lighting CON
ditions of a plant before issuing In
surance to its owners or to the work
men employed there. Even safety de-
vices placed around dangerous 1ma-
lchinery fail to give. full protection
| IL the machines themselves are To-
Gated in a dim light. or are under q
glare which affects the eyes Of the
worker and hinders him from noting
the safety, warnings.
The factory laws In several states
REQUIRE that each factory be prop
erly and suitabl ylighted,p but the
full requirements OF these terms are
4 not yet understood by the state. the
employers or the workers. The
1study OF industrial lighting in, this
country is yet in its infancy. It has
lreceived more attention IN Europe,
which is one reason why most Eu-
ropean factories are more efficient
than those Of this country. both in
production and the cost of operation,
since the latter is seriously affected
by the number Of accidents occurring
leach year.
The lately organized conservation
OF vision movement has brought
about an increase in the lighting IA
Icilities OF many industrial plants, not
al Of which have given good results.
Improper lighting Is expensive to the
Iemployer as well as to the worker
land binders the highest efficiency Of
the factory. Workers in poorly light
led factories have usually some sort
lof visual defects caused by eye strain.
lThey may also have anaemic tenden-
cy, or lowered physical condition.
Workers in intense light suffer from
dazzling and glare. The physical ef-
fects of these are fatigue, tears, In
Inflammation, opthalmia, seeing red,
and at times stone blindness and
cataract. The highest efisiency can
mot be secured under either condi-
ltion. y.
An artificial flower manufactures
/ in New York was:induced by factory
inspector to supply a well-selected
Fighting system in place Of the scant
daylight and few glaring lights I'M
Ider which his force Of girls had been
working for years. He was surprised
to note an increase OF twenty pei
cent in, his output for the first month
+ from the same force. The worker
doing piece work were not only able
to produce a larger quantity Of flow.
ers, thus earning higher wages, but
the improvement In their qualit,
brought higher wholesale price Il
the manufacturer.
Most factory work is performed II
daytime, by natural light. This 1.
best for the yes, and the disinfectine
] properties Of natural light have !
beneficial effect upon the human sys
TEN. In recognition OF this, large
manufacturers are moving thell
4 plants whenever possible to rural OF
suburban localities, where they car
! be surrounded with sufficient space
to admit daylight ii their windows
Daylight is let in by windows either
at the sides or on top of the build,
ing. A greater amount of light
CONES in from an opening on top
than from one on the side.s of tn.
same size. Where space Is not cost
~, cotton and other weaving factor
les are built one story high and have
either skylights or the Saw tooth
roofs. which provide the most desir
able lighting.
Most establishments depend upor
the side windows for their daylight
The amount of light admitted in thi.
\ way depends upon the heights OF ad
Z Joining buildings; the color Of tn,
walls; the area Of window space Ii
comparison with floor space; the form
I of the room to be lighted. and the
construction Of the windows, includ.
ing the kind OF glass used. The ef.
feet OF building in close proximity II
SO well recognized that laws in most
cities require that any walls which
intercept the daylight Of another
building shall be painted in some
light shade.
The proportion of window space to
N the size of a room in has,innins. Z. he