Light in our darkness (1954)

most workers are used to working in some discomfort or other and they regard this as more or less normal they who make a living in a steel foundry must work amidst heat fumes smoke and dust at the most modern and highly mechanized steel foundry in the British Empire everything possible is done to keep all workers in the best of health in the midst of the foundry other workshops and railway sidings stems a medical department which provides first-aid and other services much welcomed and appreciated by all employees they come into the surgery with their injuries with burns and skulls for the removal of foreign bodies in the skin and eyes the treatment of damage to joints and fractured bones and they also come for advice about their work and many other problems all these services are cheerfully given with the result that there is an atmosphere of mutual confidence happiness and respect between the workers and the department every applicant for a job in the foundry receives a thorough comprehensive examination by the works medical officer thus the worker can be certain that he will be placed in a job for which he is suitable and that he will not be put to work that is hazardous for him or which might cause serious damage to his health when a disease is found in its early stages the worker is put in the path of seeking professional advice from his own doctor a chest clinic or hospital thus the illness is caught in its early stages and prevented from becoming serious the medical examinations include taking the height weight and chest measurements examination of the eyes and ears and testing the urine a full plate x-ray of the chest is taken and a frank discussion follows with the worker in front of the plate at the time the clinical examination is conducted particular care is taken of the adolescent employee right from the day of engagement a normal full examination is undertaken by the works doctor every boy is weighed and the progress chart kept which shows the games in weight and height advice is given on hygiene and care of the teeth anemia and other deficiencies are treated by supplying iron vitamins etc where necessary milk is provided and other supplementary foods arranged boys in their apprenticeship come regularly for their drink of milk which they greatly appreciate in the first-aid department there are large separate rooms for male and female employees where hundreds of dressings are applied daily workers are encouraged to come at once for prompt and skilled attention to even the most trivial injury whether it be a cutter scratch burn or more serious damage to the skin i or limbs apart from the first-aid attention and subsequent follow-up dressings treatment is available in the way of medicated arm and foot baths x-ray photographs are taken in all orthopedic problems including injuries to joints and bones where necessary of plaster cases are applied physiotherapy which includes radiant heat infrared rays massage and exercises is applied for the treatment of sprains joint injuries fibrous itis and other rheumatic and industrial conditions there are batteries of artificial sunray lamps in the department to help to increase resistance to winter colds after treatment patients can rest and recover in favorable circumstances with warmth and quiet in the restroom bending their return to the works or to their own home while waiting blankets electric pads and hot water bottles are applied and sugared hot tea given to drink to combat shock in the relief of injury and the fight to keep the injured employee at work treatment is given with the full resources of modern science sepsis has almost been abolished by the methods employed hours of work killer - lost are being saved and untold misery and disablement which formerly afflicted the workers is being prevented the period of suffering and incapacity is greatly reduced by means of MB drugs penicillin and the new anti burn treatments applied early attached to the medical department of modern washing facilities and baths which enable workers engaging the dirtiest of jobs to go home to their families in a clean and pleasant State the burly workers enjoy wallowing in the hot water and soapsuds sprays and showers are there for those who want them the hygienic service that is provided is greatly appreciated in every engineering works there is some risk of injury to eyes from dust burns and foreign bodies the special eye Department of this steel foundry is therefore open to and widely used by other works in the neighborhood the sister is trained specially in industrial medicine and also in I work in spite of the provision of protective goggles and there are many interests of the workers eyes every year all of which are preventable skilled first aid applied at the earliest moment to an eye injury prevents incapacity and the risk of blindness the hazards of grinding machines and other foundry processes are considerably lessened by early attendance of the medical department every week a car offered is visits the work to give welcome treatment to the tired feet of those who by necessity have to stand on hard concrete in hot sand or in other discomforts the service given by the chiropodist helps in maintaining the tone and general physical well-being of all the employees for the female workers there is a special restroom if they feel faint or are otherwise distressed and the same general service is provided for them as for the men crane drivers have frequent eye examinations to ensure accurate function and vision for the safe delivery of heavy castings crucibles of molten metal and other large objects the job requires absolute fitness great skill and accuracy with the minimum of risk to those working on the floor for the workers with special hazards there are blood examinations through the hospital service in particular for those who work in the x-ray department or who handle radium for gamma radiography great attention is paid to teeth especially of young workers advice is given whenever necessary there is a foolish liaison with the local dentists and hospitals whenever anything important is discovered on an x-ray plate contact is made with the patient's own doctor and the information passed on to him the local doctor is given the site of the film and he always expresses his appreciation of this exceptional service all doctors welcome the help of the works medical department in the direction of providing daily dressings and physiotherapy for their patients the service is also appreciated by the local hospital outpatient departments since it helps to avoid overcrowded waiting rooms and long hours of waiting every phase of the doctor's work where the preventive or curative creates confidence and respect in the employee records show that the absence rate from sickness and injury is small and is still falling all the time steady progress is being made in the prevention of injury disability as well as disease and no effort is spared in this direction in the foundry many parts of the workers Anatomy require protection for the feet strong boots are provided with steel toe-caps to prevent toes being crushed by the fall of heavy castings for grinders welders and bobbers ishieldz or goggles are provided blaring into the furnaces or the strong light of welding causes risk of cataract and other serious eye conditions and therefore smoke lenses and specially colored glasses are provided to prevent these disabilities in foundries there is always dust and risk of lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of dust and therefore at James bridge Steel Works these problems are attacked from every angle by both the management and the medical services an improved system of ventilation and dust extraction is a great insurance against pneumoconiosis in place of old-fashioned and dangerous dry processes such as sandblasting there are now wet processes as with the hydro blast the enclosing of dangerous processes in chambers with efficient dust extraction has brought about cleaner work and cleaner air in the foundry individual protection from dust inhalation can be guaranteed if the worker will use the respirators provided a very large number of the foundry workers are now using efficient respirators as a result of the work of the medical services all respirators are cleaned and have their filters change in a department setup for this special purpose each worker has two masks allotted to him while one is receiving attention the other clean and efficient in the workers own named and numbered box is delivered to his workshop for some jobs out of the ordinary protective clothing is provided a man in the shop blast chamber is fully protected by covering to his legs arms and body by gauntlet gloves for his hands by a large helmet with eye protection and a remote supply of pure air into his helmet we have done much work to provide the best type of respirator and filter for use in the founder industry and models that give the maximum degree of protection with the minimum of discomfort are provided the shaking out of the filter after an ordinary ship period shows the amount of dust that has been prevented from entering the workers lungs routine x-ray examinations of the chest are given to all employees at least once a year but in the case of those exposed to special risks in the foundry and those who have a lung disability present the examinations take place more frequently the x-rays enable the medical service to assess and control the condition of the worklet lungs when things are under control there is no need for the doctor to worry but when otherwise precautions are taken at once there is excellent liaison between the medical and welfare departments which ensures a force of healthy work people and happiness and contentment right through the whole organization the medical services and amenities provided for all the employees of the James bridge Steel Works is a common-sense recognition of the fact that the foundry industry has workers health problems at thoughts the forward policy in solving the problems has much to recommend it for realism and boldness