Chapter XLVI: Section 28: of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1895, for the

processes in the mixing and casting of Brass, Gun Metal, Bell
Metal, White Metal, Delta Metal, Phosphor Bronze, and Manilla
Mixture.

DUTIES OF OCCUPIERS.

1. They shall provide adequate means for facilitating, as far as
possible, the emission or escape from the shop of any noxious
fumes or dust arising from the above-named processes. Such means
shall include the provision of traps or of louvre gratings in
the roof or ceiling of any shop in which such processes, or
either of them, is or are carried on; or in case of a mixing or
casting shop which is situated under any other shop, there shall
be provided an adequate flue or shaft (other than any flue or
shaft in connection with a furnace or fireplace) to carry any
fumes from the mixing or casting shop, by or through any such
shop that may be situated above it.

2. They shall cause all such mixing or casting shops, whether
defined as Factories or as Workshops under the Factory and
Workshop Act, 1878, to be cleaned down and limewashed once at
least within every twelve months, or once within every six
months if so required, by notice in writing from H.M. Inspector
of Factories and Workshops, dating from the time when these were
last thus cleaned down and limewashed; and they shall record the
dates of such cleaning down and lime-washing in a prescribed
form of register.

3. They shall provide a sufficient supply of metal basins,
water, and soap, for the use of all persons employed in such
mixing or casting shops.

4. They shall not employ, or allow within their Factory or
Workshop the employment of, any Woman or Female Young Person,
in any process whatever, in any such mixing or casting shop,
or in any portion thereof which is not entirely separated by a
partition extending from the floor to the ceiling.

DUTIES OF PERSONS EMPLOYED.

5. They shall not partake of, or cook any food in any such
mixing or casting shop, within a period of at least Ten Minutes
after the completion of the last pouring of metal in that shop.

B. A. WHITELEGGE,
_July 10, 1896._ _H.M. Chief Inspector of Factories_.

(_Note._)--WOMEN and PERSONS under 18 YEARS OF AGE are
by the 39th section of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1878,
expressly FORBIDDEN either to TAKE A MEAL or to REMAIN in
any casting shop during the time stated on the Notice
affixed in the factory or workshop as being allowed for
meals; and the obligation of enforcing this section rests
with the occupier.

* * * * *

These Rules are required to be posted up in conspicuous places
in the Factory or Workshop to which they apply, where they may
be conveniently read by the persons employed. Any person who
wilfully injures or defaces them is liable to a penalty not
exceeding five pounds (Factory and Workshop Act, 1891, section
11). Occupiers of factories and workshop, and persons employed
therein, who are bound to observe any special rules, are liable
to penalties for non-compliance with the same (Factory and
Workshop Act, 1891, sections 9 and 11).

These rules will be found to strike at the three principal causes of illness in the workers, viz.: (1) shops either structurally unfit for the processes of mixing or casting metal, or equally unfit on account of their dirty and zinc-coated condition; (2) the want of opportunity afforded to the casters of washing themselves before taking meals; and (3) the most pernicious habit, too common hitherto with the workers, of taking food in an atmosphere of deflagrated zinc. It will be noticed also that a prohibition is laid upon the employment of females in casting-shops. Their labour in connection with such work is limited to the making of cores, small blocks of sand which are used in the formation of hollow castings. The evidence of the witnesses examined before the Committee was in favour of this prohibition, also of core-making being carried on in a separate shop.

With regard to the other processes met with in brass-working, and which have been enumerated in an earlier part of this chapter, it cannot be said that they present any causes of illness differing from like processes in connection with other metals. Workers in the dipping-shop, and to a less extent in the bronzing process, are exposed to inhalation of acid fumes, and further, in the former occupation to exposure to the weather and to being obliged to stand on very wet floors. In a case brought to our notice, the powder used in bronzing contained lead to an extent of 7 per cent., a condition which might induce plumbism in the worker in the absence of due precaution. The dust which is given off during polishing is partly metallic in character, partly composed of a mixture of sand and lime, and partly textile fluff worn off the calico polishing discs by the process of work. Without doubt such dust should, as in all factories, be removed by fans or other ventilating methods from the shop. The shops used for lacquering should similarly be freed from the unpleasant fumes of the lacquer, which cannot, however, be considered in any particular degree injurious to health. A most interesting paper read before the Midland Medical Society by Dr William Murray (subsequently printed in the _British Medical Journal_, 2nd June 1900) on Chronic Brass Poisoning, draws attention to another rather common form of plumbism caused by the process of “putting together” gas fittings, it being customary to solder the joints of these fittings with white lead, and then having closed one end of the bracket, to suck at the other to ascertain that the work is perfectly sound. We have recently met with a case of advanced paralysis in a man of forty-five apparently induced by this branch of brass-work. Dr Murray deals in detail with his method of treatment of cases of chronic brass poisoning, of which as Resident Surgeon of the Birmingham General Dispensary he has had considerable experience.

We hope we have shown that, firstly, the conditions of brass-working in all its branches require that the shops in which it is carried on should be well ventilated in order to secure the escape of the “smother” from the casting-shops, and of the conglomerated dusts from the polishing rooms; and secondly, these conditions require or rather demand habits of personal cleanliness and of self-respect on the part of the workers, habits which prescribe temperance, avoidance of taking food in the shop, and frequency and regularity of ablution. Such are now possible of attainment by the persons whose health is concerned, and it rests with themselves alone to make full use of the improvements placed within their reach.

Passing from the consideration of brass to that of copper, we find that there is little to be said regarding the working of that metal descriptive of any injury to health among its workers. Indeed it may be doubted whether any traces of such injury can be found. Having been mined in many quarters of the globe, the ore is subjected to the process of smelting, which, so far as Great Britain is concerned, takes place chiefly at Swansea, and also at St Helens and at Newcastle-on-Tyne. The qualities of the ores from different mining districts vary greatly, and the reducing processes of the ores vary correspondingly. Speaking generally, it may be said that the process consists of six operations conducted in reverbatory furnaces, termed calcining and melting furnaces. At the conclusion of these processes the metal, freed from the arsenic, sulphur, and other accessories of the ore, is melted and cast into ingots, to be sent in that shape to various centres for manufacturing purposes.

During the smelting processes the sulphurous fumes either are collected in leaden chambers for purposes of condensation into sulphuric acid, or escape through the flues into the outside air. In neither case does the worker at the furnace suffer from these fumes, except, perhaps, when drawing the furnace he may experience some back draft of sulphur, an evil which may readily be met by the wearing of a handkerchief over the mouth while engaged in the operation. During recent years it may be mentioned that the first of the reducing processes is more commonly carried on in the vicinity of the mines, and as a consequence the ore on reaching S. Wales is now usually in the form of regulus. The denuded state of the country in the neighbourhood of the smelting furnaces bears witness to the unhealthy character of sulphur fumes. Dr Arlidge, however, notes an analysis of sickness in the Swansea district which tends to prove that though the fumes were very productive of acute pulmonary disease, yet the death-rate in parts of the country subject to their influence was lower than that in adjacent districts. We are told by Mr Lewis, who for many years has been the Factory Inspector in charge of the Swansea district, that although there is a prevalent impression that the furnacemen suffer exceptionally from chest mischief owing to the great heat and the fumes, he does not consider that they suffer in any degree more than the furnacemen in other metal processes. He forms the same opinion as that held by us in respect of the brass-workers, namely, that the workers are not sufficiently careful of themselves between shifts. He reports that the flue and chamber cleaners, as at other smelting works, rarely wear respirators; they will not ventilate the flues nor water the dust before commencing cleaning operations, and consequently the respiratory organs are more or less affected; he cannot find direct evidence of specific illness traceable to copper smelting. Mr Lewis attaches considerable importance to the provision of high and well-constructed stacks and flues, and to the due preparation of the chambers by ventilation and watering before the process of their cleaning takes place. No special inquiry having been ordered concerning this subject, particular importance attaches to Mr Lewis’ opinion.

On the whole we do not consider that copper-working is in any way as dangerous an occupation as brass-working, for the pouring of metal is not accompanied by the same abundant vapours as in brass pouring, besides such vapour as does arise is mainly due to the presence of a small quantity of spelter in the mixture. The same precautions as advised for brass pourers should be taken, but the need is less; we have seen a pouring shop with a perfectly clear atmosphere five minutes after the pouring has taken place. A muffler or respirator should be worn during the operation, and, as far as we have seen, this is generally done. Apart from the pouring we have been struck by the excellent health of copper-workers, and as the dust is heavy, and does not float in the air, there are none of those respiratory troubles which, as we have seen, are the bane of brass-workers. There is one danger to which apparently they might be subjected, but we found no evidence of its having arisen, and that is from the accumulation of the heavy copper dust on the tables or boards at which the men are working. It seemed not unreasonable to expect that want of cleanliness on the part of the workers would entail digestive troubles from the mixing of copper dust with the food. As we have stated, no evidence of this is forthcoming. It will be seen that we are unable to confirm Dr Arlidge’s view of the dangers to copper-workers from the inhalation of copper dust, nor are we able, though contrary to our expectations, to assert that men employed in the trade are particularly liable to suffer from colic. According to Blaudet, this colic is attended by complete prostration, by vomiting and purging, and it is very probable that such results would follow, if the men were dirty in their work and habits, the introduction of copper dust by food taken into the stomach. Opinions are much divided on this subject, and it is possible that working in old copper and brass, which are covered with a carbonate of copper, may be responsible for the ill effects noticed. According to M. Perron of Besançon, clockmakers, who have to handle copper freely, suffer from a slow intoxication from it, exhibited by gastric derangements, diarrhœa, oppression, and some feverishness, but our own experience among copper-workers and other persons does not confirm these observations.

The conditions of improvement suggested both for brass and copper working are those that should be applied to all manufacturing processes. Shops of good construction, well ventilated, and amply furnished with lavatory and other sanitary arrangements; these are desiderata for the workmen.

ROBERT M. SIMON.
SEYMOUR H. KNYVETT.