The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-04-23

- Just published in its bulletin
No. 165 the results of an in
vestigation of storage battery plants
in the United States, made by DR.
Alice Hamilton, with special reference
to the causes and prevalence of lead
poisoning in the industry
In the United States there are five
large factories making storage batter
ies-one in Ohio, two in New York and
two in Pennsylvania. A great many
smaller plants. employing from five to
fifteen men each, are scattered about
the country. This investigation dealt
principally with the five large plants.
An ordinary storage battery consists
Of plates OF lead, or of lead grids, COW
cred with a lead oxide paste. In max
ing the plates or grids the worker is
exposed to the dusts of the metallic
lead and to its fuses when melted. By
using hoods and exhausts over kettles
and by keeping the work places strict
ly clean these dangers can be much re-
duced. Making and applying the paste
involve handling lead oxides. which is
much more dangerous than handling
metallic lead The oxides must first be
mixed, which is very dusty job, and
then made into paste. Both these op-
erations can be done by machinery un-
der cover, thereby greatly reducing
the danger to the worker. In most Of
the plants visited, however, either such
protection was not furnished or it was
used so carelessly that it was Of COM
paratively little effect.
In the processes which follow the
pasting, such as assembling the plates,
lead burning, etc, the worker is ex-
posed to danger from lead fumes and
from dust from the dried oxide pastes.
The dangers Of the industry can be
reduced to a minimum by installing
hoods and exhausts to carry off fumes
and dusts, by substituting machine for
hand work, by providing ample wash
ing facilities foE5the workmen and In
sisting on strict cleanliness everywhere
and by providing a separate lunch room
as the only place where food may be
kept and eaten
The larger plants paid more atten-
ton than the smaller ones to such pre-
cautions but even in the large plants
there was a failure to appreciate the
need for continuous care. Safeguards
were often omitted or carelessly used,
dust was allowed to accumulate, and
only one of the five large plants made
satisfactory provision for the personal
care Of the men.
In Ohio the law requires that storage
battery workers shall be examined
monthly by a doctor employed by the
company. In New York and Pennsyl-
vania there is no such requirement, but
three of the four large companies in
these states had doctors.
The workers are said to be shifting
class Many speak no English and
are either ignorant of the dangers of
the work or do not know how TO pro-
tect themselves.
New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania all
require that cases Of industrial poison
ing shall be reported, but in Pennsyl-
yania at the time of this investigation
the law had only just become effective,
while in New York it was poorly en-
forced. Consequently the information
secured as to cases of lead poisoning
in storage battery plants is incomplete
In the five large plants in these states
915 men worked in processes which ex-
posed them to lead fumes or duSts.
Among these 164 cases of lead poison
ing were found to have occurred in
1913, which is a rate of 179 per 100
employees. OF the different occupa-
tons mixing and pasting showed by
far the highest rates. In two facto-
ries the pastors showed a rate of 1914
and the mixers Of 400 cases per 100
employees, while in u third plant the
two groups showed rates respectively
of Is and 1873 per 100 cases.
The cases of lead poisoning found in
storage battery work are usually acute,
with collie and, in severe cases, en-
cephalopathy, but not paralysis. The
seyerer forms of plumbism are not
common. Among sixty-four cases stud
led 1919 per cent were classed as Sc
we're, 80 per cent as moderate and 4S.4
per cent as mild The period of ex-
posure was not usually long. OF sixty
cases studied six had been exposed less
than one month. thirty-one less than
three months and fifty less than six
months. Among twelve for whom these
facts were secured one who had been
exposed for two and one-half months
was incapacitated for three months,
another who had been exposed for six
weeks was incapacitated for three
months, and third who had been ex-
posed for eight months was incapaci-
tated for only three weeks.
In comparison with Germany and
Great Britain the storage battery in
dustry in this country makes a bad
showing.
The difference is due to neglect in
the United States of factory sanitation
and of personal care of the men.