Chapter X: Dust-Producing Occupations

That the constant inhalation of dust as a necessary condition of daily labour results sooner or later in the appearance of grave and characteristic lesions which lead to premature breakdown and death among the workers, is matter of common medical experience. Through the instrumentality of the Factory Department the conditions of labour in these industries have recently been greatly improved: this has been achieved by the general introduction of ventilating fans and of other expedients for preventing the inhalation of irritating particles by the operatives. Nevertheless the returns of mortality still show that several of these occupations produce a terrible amount of suffering and disablement, whilst they unquestionably shorten the lives of those who follow them.

In the subjoined table will be found a list of those industries in which the labourers suffer exceptionally from the presence of dusty particles or other irritating matters in the air of the apartments in which their work is carried on. In this table the mortality of the several dust-producing occupations is contrasted with that of agriculturists, who have been shown to suffer from the effects of dust to a less degree than any other workers. It is not asserted or believed that the whole of the difference between the respiratory mortality of certain unhealthy trades and that of this more favoured class is to be accounted for by dust irritation alone. There are almost certainly present other contributory factors also, the effects of which it would be difficult to show separately: nevertheless, there is no doubt that an atmosphere constantly charged with mechanical impurities of this kind is the main cause of the excessive mortality indicated in the table.

The aggregate death-rate from tubercular phthisis and diseases of the respiratory system is shown in this table, as also are the figures relating to each affection separately. Columns 3 and 4 give the combined mortality from these diseases among the several classes of workers in comparison with that of agriculturists. In the fourth column the mortality of the latter is taken as 100 and that of the other workers is shown proportionally to that figure.

Comparative Mortality from Specified Causes in certain Dusty Occupations.

-------------------+-------------+----------------------+
| |Phthisis and Diseases |
| |of Respiratory System.|
-------------------+-------------+----------+-----------+
Occupation. | Comparative | | |
| Mortality |Mortality | Ratio. |
| Figure |Figure. | |
|(all Causes).| | |
-------------------+-------------+----------+-----------+
Agriculturist | 602 | 221 | 100 |
Potter, | | | |
Earthenware | | | |
manufacturer | 1702 | 1001 | 453 |
Cutler | 1516 | 900 | 407 |
File-maker | 1810 | 825 | 373 |
Glass-maker | 1487 | 740 | 335 |
Copper-worker | 1381 | 700 | 317 |
Gunsmith | 1228 | 649 | 294 |
Iron and Steel | | | |
manufacturer | 1301 | 645 | 292 |
Zinc-worker | 1198 | 587 | 266 |
Stone-quarrier | 1176 | 576 | 261 |
Brass-worker | 1088 | 552 | 250 |
Chimney sweep | 1311 | 551 | 249 |
Lead-worker | 1783 | 545 | 247 |
Cotton manufacturer| 1141 | 540 | 244 |
Cooper and wood | | | |
turner | 1088 | 526 | 238 |
Rope-maker | 928 | 486 | 220 |
Bricklayer, mason | 1001 | 476 | 215 |
Carpet manufacturer| 873 | 471 | 213 |
Tin-worker | 994 | 451 | 204 |
Wool manufacturer | 991 | 447 | 202 |
Locksmith | 925 | 428 | 194 |
Blacksmith | 914 | 392 | 177 |
Baker, confectioner| 920 | 392 | 177 |
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