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    "localId": "75729502",
    "label": "Letters Received, September 27, 1937",
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    "title": "Letters Received, September 27, 1937",
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        "Safety Light Collection",
        "Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
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    "seq": 4,
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    "ocrText": "LUMINOUS PAINT POISONING\ncamels hair or fibre brush, or a glass stylus for coarser work.\nBy Minnie M. McMahon, Special Investigator,\nThe habit of pointing the brush between the lips was chiefly\nDivision of Industrial Hygiene\nresponsible for the 15 deaths, according to authorities on this\nWatch and clock dials, dials and gauges for airplanes, and\nsubject. Dr. H. S. Martland states that all of the girls\nscientific instruments are the principal articles for which\naffected by radium poisoning, and examined by him in an\nluminous paint is used. This paint is also used for glass\nextensive investigation made in New Jersey in 1925, had this\ndrops on lamp indicators, house and pullman berth numbers\nhabit. It has been shown that radioactive particles were\nand other small novelties.\ndeposited in the system in this way. Wiping the brush on\nLuminous paint is made from sulphide of zinc crystals\nthe hands or forearms or on the clothing, and pointing it\nbetween the fingers are also dangerous.\nwhich have been made radioactive by combination with salts\nOf late, there seems to be an increase in the number of\nof radium. Sometimes mesothorium is added, when a cheaper\ndial painting plants in New York State, and the Division of\npaint is desired, although this practice is not now usual.\nThe dry materials are mixed with oil and a thinner, some-\nIndustrial Hygiene has received requests for information\nas to rules for the safe conduct of this work.\ntimes with shellac or varnish, or with an adhesive such as\ngum arabic and water.\nThis State has not, up to the present time, promulgated\nThe dial painting industry in this country started in a\nan official code for this industry. However, the following\nsmall way in 1913. Before that time nearly all luminous\nrules have been formulated from the best practices observed\ndials were imported from Switzerland or France. The in-\nin plants visited.\ndustry grew enormously during the war, when the demand\nRules for the Use of Radioactive Paints in the Manu-\nfor luminous dials on airplane and submarine instrument\nboards and luminous dial watches for soldiers was very\nfacture of Dials, Gauges or Other Articles\ngreat. An output of 8,000 luminous dials in 1913 had in-\n1. Applicants for work in luminous paints should seek\ncreased in 1919 to 2,200,000. The U. S. Department of\na thorough medical and dental examination before\nLabor estimates that about 2,000 persons were engaged in\nemployment.\ndial painting at various times during the 16 years from 1913\n2. All employees should be examined by a physician\nto 1929. At the peak of production about 350 painters, mostly\nwomen, were employed. In 1929 the number had fallen to\nand a dentist at least three times a year.\nabout 200. These figures of course apply to the whole coun-\n3. Employees should be thoroughly instructed as to\ntry. The industry was never large in New York State.\nthe hazards of the work and the necessity of obeying\nrules for their own protection.\nState Survey\n4. Employees should be carefully and constantly super-\nvised to see that rules are strictly observed. An in-\nIn 1929 the Division of Industrial Hygiene made a survey\ntelligent and experienced forewoman is necessary where\nof plants in New York State in which radioactive materials\nmany girls are employed.\nwere used. Thirty-eight persons were found using luminous\npaint. Thirty-one of these, mostly women dial painters,\n5. The stock of radioactive materials should be kept\nwent to the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New\n(in the container as received) in a lead lined safe or\nYork City and were examined there for signs of radio-\nbox except when weighing and distributing.\nactivity. Seven were found to be radioactive in varying\n6. Radioactive materials should be weighed, blended\ndegrees. These people represented about the full number\nand measured for distribution under an enclosure which\nwho had been employed in New York State at any time.\nis connected with an exhaust system. It is entirely\nThere were some undoubtedly who had left the industry,\npracticable to have a leaded glass and metal enclosure\nbut most of the 31 examined had worked at dial painting\nbuilt on a table on which the container of material,\nfor some years, going from one plant to another as firms\ntrays or plaques to be filled, scoop and scales, can be\nclosed down or discontinued dial painting. About seven\nplaced, leaving enough space between the table and\ngirls found at work refused examination or were unable\nlower edge of the front face of the hood to admit hands\nto be examined for various reasons.\nand forearms.\nIn the early days of luminous dial painting, little or\n7. Rubber gloves (preferably leaded) should be worn\nnothing seems to have been known of the danger from\nwhile weighing, blending, etc.\nradium poisoning. No special precautions were taken and\napparently no warning given to those who applied for work.\n8. The person doing the weighing and distributing\nThe work was light and easy ; the pay comparatively good,\n(often the proprietor or manager) should be physically\nespecially at that time, and it seemed a suitable occupa-\nexamined several times a vear, as well as the painters\ntion for girls and women.\nand this work should be rotated every three months\nIn 1926 the country was startled to read of a series of\nor so.\ndeaths and disabilities among these women workers. The\nDangerous Practice\nfirst known death from radium poisoning due to using\n9. Brushes must never be nut between the lips for\nluminous paint was reported in 1922. From 1922 to 1929\npointing, and must not be wiped nor pointed on hands,\nat least 15 deaths occurred from this cause in several States.\narms, or clothing. The danger of these habits should\nComplete figures as to deaths or cases since 1929 are not at\nbe thoroughly explained and stressed.\npresent available but there was one death in New York State\nin 1933. It is known. that radium poisoning may develop\n10. A rubber sponge in a small bowl partly filled with\nyears after exposure to the hazard has ceased.\nwater should be placed on each girl's desk for pointing\nand cleaning the brushes.\nNecrosis of the Bones\n11. Pieces of clean cheese cloth should be provided\nfor drying the brushes after cleaning on sponge. These\nOne of the most horrible effects of radium poisoning is\nshould be renewed at least twice a day and should be\nnecrosis of the bones, especially the jaw bone. In many of\ndestroyed each evening.\nthe fatal cases on record, trouble with the teeth was the first\n12. Paint plaques, bowls, sponges and brushes should\nsymptom. Pyorrhea or painfully abscessed teeth caused the\nbe thoroughly washed each day after work. The person\nvictims to visit a dentist. When teeth were extracted sec-\ndoing this should wear rubber gloves and should avoid\ntions of the jaw-bone came with them and in some instances\ncontact with the paint. This can be done by using tongs\nthe whole jawbone and palate had been destroyed before the\nor forceps to handle the paint plaques and sponges while\nunfortunate died. Another symptom of this disease is\nanemia of a very severe type.\nwashing them with hot water. A long handled paint\nDial painting as ordinarily carried out is a simple opera-\nbrush should be used to clean the plaques. Washing\ntion. A small amount of the dry material is given to each\nunder running water is preferable.\ngirl in a small china plaque such as is used for water\n13. Each desk, table, or work space should be covered\ncolor paints. The painter moistens the material with the oil\neach morning with a clean sheet of paper. This should\nor adhesive by means of a medicine dropper and mixes the\nbe destroyed each night. In this way any spilled par-\npaint in her little dish with a tooth pick or other small tool.\nticles of paint, or accidental smears from the brush, will\nIn some plants the paint is moistened and mixed by one per-\nnot remain on the work table.\nson and given to the painters in moist form. The paint is\n14. Wooden tooth picks, or similar tools used for\napplied to the figures or hands on the dials, which have\nmixing paint in the plaques should be gathered up and\npreviously been coated with ordinary paint-with a small\ndestroyed-burned if possible-several times a day."
}