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! SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY ROCHESTER, XEW YORK ORGANIZATION OF TiTE SPECIAL PRODUCTS SECTION 0 F THE 14EDICP-L SECTIOTI. Engineer Office, lvknhattan District, A . A large ownbor of companies are associated w3th the District in the production of special materizls. divided up into two general catagories: (I.)rediation hezards frcm actual contact ' with the metal, and ( 2 ) The hazards occurring during these operations may be hazard from inhalation or iwestion cf dusts 1. Radiation hazards when actual contact occur6 with the metal or certain active salts during certain parts of the production procedure: In the case of the metal, the hazard is limited elmost entirely to beta rere which have a low penetrating power. six months, heavy leather gloves with removable cotton glove inserts should be sufficient protection provided the job analysis indicates thet For the ensuing the exposure to thi: hands ie less then one-half roentgen mJt per 6 ~ y . Finger impressions will be made at regular intervals. concentrations of actively radioactive rmterials may occur. instrmente J. for measuring at regular intervals the hazards, an$ tieterninin& the m f e be sufficient time i n which to forestall eny radiation hezard to workiq personnel in the various pLants. practice in the production process are bein6 made and .will bs e vail at le to Captain Ferry o r his representaiive within the month. This should Directions related to these hazaraE have been d.iscussed with some of the plent, operat.ors concerned. Tentative arrangenents for the proper supervision slready have been Imbe in each case where the hazard is ltnown to be present,. Arrangener-tfl either have already been rm8e personnel who are found. to be workin& under a radiation hazard. o r will be Fade for white blood cow-t,s cn a l l . 2 . The other great hazard is that of the inhalation and/or ingestion of various dusts or gases. active reseearch program I s underway to determine their toxicity. meantime, the amount of exposure to possibly toxic materials should be reduced as nuch and as Boon as poseible. This has been done in most of the plants a s , a result of D r . Friedell's suggestions which have been made on previous visits. Some of these are water soluble. Some are presumably fat The hazards froni these are not completely worked out although an
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ROCHESTER, NEW YORK B. 1. Dust count measurements. The actual countiw will be done under Dr. Friedell’s supervision either in the laboratory at present set up at Chicago, or later at some suitable and more convenient place. will be forwarded to Captain Ferry who will act accordingly. The results from these observations 2 . Captain Ferry will also undertake the supervision of regulations specifying the wearing of gloves, the wearing of suitable masks, the change of linen, the facilities and frequencies of showers, and sufficient washing before fo.06 is eaten, the elimination of candy, gum, and chewing tobacco during working hours and other auitable precaut,ions. 3 . Urine samples should be examined at least every six weeks, and certain suspected samples should be forwarded at Dr. Ferry’s request to Rochester for special search for toxic materials. 4. Wax impressions of the fingerprints should be made of all workers handling proIliinence cjf the ridges i6 oce of the first signs of dangerous exposure of the skin of the hands. a8 personnel is employed, and at intervals of four to six weeks as indicated. The carrying out of this procedure lies under the supervision of Capt. Ferry, A preliminary study indicated that a loss of the These Pinger impressions should be made as soon .\a d the impressions will be sent t o Dr. Harvey at Rochester for analysis. --- 5 . Recomendatione for other procedures and safe guards made by the Advisory Council to the Medical Section should be carried out by Ca-pt. Ferry. Capt. Ferry will be responsible for all plant medical records o r reports of special nature issued by plant physicians, and he shall keep an up-to-date summary of the data of importance to the Medical Section in brief records in a central file at the Manhattan District Office. be set up for analyzing the workers subject to definite hazards so that a careful check can be made of the status of all of the workers involved in the Special Products group. A record system should 7 , Certain special arrangements will be made in regard to the supervision of certain companies participating in the activities of the Chicago branch of the Project (uhiefly duPont). The hazards in these companies previously have been the concern of Dr. Stone. Dr. Stone may wish to continue to act in their behalf yet for consistency, the responsibilities for routine inspection and records, etc. is Captain Ferry’s whether he accepts reports forwarded by Dr. Stone’s group or carries out his own procedures, as the case may be. A procedure acceptable to Dr. Stone, the company, and the District is obviously desirable, and every effort will be made to make such an arrangement.