Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1921-11-05

Output Of Many FaetOries--t3Ia Per
Cent Of the Total Blind Population
Made So by Industrial Accidents
Proportion Of Eye Accidents Has
Been Reduced IS Per Cent In One
Big Industry.
Loss of sight is one of the chief
sources OF Industrial waste and can
be avoided almost entirely II proper
preventive measures are taken the
committee OIL eliminating waste In In
dustry Of the American Engineering
council stated In report just made
public.
There are 1900 blind as a result Of
Industrial accidents, the report states.
This Is 1914 per cent OF the total blind
population. When proper protective
measures have been adopted In big
plants the loss has been reduced to
small percentage OF what Ii was for
meriy. In the plants Of the American
Car and Foundry company there has
been ii reduction of 70 per cent, simply
through the use of goggles.
Safety in Goggles.
Not single case of injury TO the
eyes from broken glass has been re-
corded since goggles were introduced
into the shops OF the New York Cen
trail railroad. All employees OF the
Union Pacific Railroad company are
now required to wear goggles on eye
dangerous work.
Striking reduction In eye accidents
is shown by the American Locomotive
company The number of accidents re-
quiring medical attention In the COM
pany's plant was 81 in 1915. while
during 1908 1t was 44S. In 1918
only two eyes were lost. while during
the preceding period there was loss
OF 1915.
The number of injuries per 1000
full time men year was 1871 in 1918,
while In the 1908 period IL was 3S9.
In the American Steel Foundries the
proportion of eye accidents has been
reduced So per cent.
The report continues:
AS in the correcting of other factors
Of occupational hygiene standards
have been set. SO after further study,
visual acuity standards Will have To
be determined for each grade of work
ers and rendjustments made with al
terations In our methods OF testing
acuity to suit conditions, until these
standards give us the necessary mini
mum for each kind of work AS ex-
aminations are made at present any
set level would exclude workers shown
by practical test to be very efficient
producers.
improving Conditions.
MANY subnormal eyes will work
well even for fairly trying work II con-
dltions are good. Therefore. IL Is first
of all urgent to bring the working con-
ditions up TO the best on the basis now
understood.
Even the most superficial survey
OF lighting conditions reveals that In
the majority of plants there is much
improvement possible, In spite of the
actual Increase in production. guam
tity and quality when poor illumina-
ton is corrected To standards now con-
sidered satisfactory. There seems TO
be no question of loss due to faulty
conditions.
1T has been shown that improved
lighting systems increased output 2
per cent In steel plants and as much
as 10 per cent In shoe factories where
work is more exacting These are very
definite figures determined under an
accurate survey.
The cost for providing adequate
illumination for the entire industry OF
the country would amount TO one-half
of one per cent of wages The cost
per capita of correcting vision. insti-
tuting and carrying out measures Of
protection against hazards and bring
ing the lighting up 10 coed standards
is definitely greater in the small plant
than In the larger OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
employing 20O0 workers or more-and
the small plants are In the large ma
jority.