Lead poisoning and lead absorption : $b The symptoms, pathology and prevention, with special reference to their industrial origin, and an account of the principal processes involving riskLegge, Thomas Morison, Sir
Science
Lead poisoning and lead absorption : $b The symptoms, pathology and prevention, with special reference to their industrial origin, and an account of the principal processes involving risk
Legge, Thomas Morison, Sir
Lead poisoning
=Age of Employment.=--The same considerations as have been stated
above govern this point also. Wherever lead dust or fumes arise,
whether exhaust ventilation is applied or not, persons of either sex
under eighteen years of age are probably rather more susceptible to
attack by reason of natural failure to appreciate the risk run. When
periodical medical examination in addition to exhaust ventilation has
been adopted, the age limit can safely be reduced to sixteen. Where
handling only of metallic lead and ordinary soldering with an iron are
done, risk of contracting plumbism is so remote that an age limit may
be unnecessary.
=Wall Surface.=--Wherever walls are likely to be splashed, as in
dipping rooms and enamelling workshops, the inner surface of the walls
should be of glazed bricks or tiles or enamelled plates, any of which
help also in increasing the light necessary in such rooms. If, on
account of the cost, such perfectly smooth material is impracticable,
the walls should be painted with oil colour, which will enable them
periodically to be wet-cleansed. Dusting the walls is to be deprecated.
Hence accumulations of dust and débris on ledges, rafters, beams,
roofs, etc., should, in our opinion, only very occasionally be cleaned
down. We consider that the risk from one big cleaning down is less than
that from repeated small ones. (See p. 218).
=Floors.=--These should be smooth and impervious. Wood flooring can
hardly be regarded as coming within this category; it is unsuitable
where lead processes are carried on. Preference must be given to floors
of concrete and the like material, which can be washed down easily
rather than swept. Frequently the dust raised in sweeping the floor
has determined an attack of lead poisoning. No objection can be raised
to wooden grids and iron roll matting placed on the concrete floor for
the workers to stand on. Cold feet and transference of lead dust by the
boots are lessened by their use. Where traffic is heavy, as is often
the case in lead works, vibration is set up with wooden floors, and
dust disseminated. In smelting works cast-iron plates are serviceable
as flooring.
=Instruction of the Worker.=--Too much stress cannot be laid on this
point. To insist upon it, however, is useless unless the occupier has
installed the necessary exhaust ventilation, and equipped his factory
with the other essentials for enabling the workman to guard against
dust and free his hands of adhering lead, in whatever form. When this
has been done, then the worker himself can do something.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account