When the danger is due to fumes or dust in the air the measures prescribed on pages 242-55 apply, particularly those which aim at keeping the workrooms and the air in the factories free of them by locally applied exhaust ventilation.
In order to replace or reduce the use of lead we strongly advocate the use of non-poisonous, or at any rate less poisonous, substances, where this can be done without technical difficulties, as, for instance, carborundum discs instead of lead in polishing of precious stones, leadless glaze in pottery for lead glaze (so far as this is possible, as to which see page 319), beds free of lead (in different industries) for lead beds. In a number of cases, however, such substitution is impracticable on technical grounds or can only partially be carried out, as, for example, in letterpress printing and in the paint and colour industry, in which the prohibition of lead has often been repeatedly urged. So far, unfortunately, it must be admitted that repeated attempts to find a non-poisonous substitute for lead colours, especially for white lead, of equal value technically, have not succeeded. Endeavours have been made to substitute for lead, zinc preparations (zinc white, lithopone, &c.), but hitherto (in regard to durability, opacity, &c.) with incomplete success.
Mention must be made of the measures based upon the relatively non-poisonous nature of lead sulphide. Lead sulphide is, in spite of various assertions to the contrary, practically non-poisonous; a fact attributable to its insolubility in water and weak acids. As lead sulphide is the only non-poisonous lead compound it is a duty to take advantage of this fact for purposes of lead prophylaxis.
Attempts with this end in view were made by the introduction of sulphur soaps in lead factories. Soaps containing in large quantity soluble alkaline sulphides convert lead compounds adhering to the skin into black lead sulphide. The lead compounds are in this way made harmless, and besides this the worker is impelled to remove the staining by washing. Such a sulphur soap has been brought into the market under the name of akremnin soap, but does not enjoy special popularity with the workmen on account of its unpleasant smell.
The struggle against the risks of lead employment has been going on ever since efforts for the protection of workers were commenced.
The International Association for Labour Legislation has made valuable inquiries in this direction. The question of lead poisoning had been repeatedly discussed by this Association and its branches in various countries. The International Labour Bureau also took up the issue and in 1906—supported by the Institute for General Welfare in Frankfurt a-M.—offered a prize for the best treatise on the prevention of industrial lead poisoning. The outcome of this competition was the volume compiled by Leymann, ‘Die Bekämpfung der Bleigefahr in der Industrie’ (published by Fischer, Jena, 1908).
In connection with the resolution adopted at the third Congress of the International Association for Labour Legislation the Union of Social Reform (as the German branch is called) addressed the Federal Council on the white lead question, the chief points insisted upon being the need for: (1) regulations for the house painting industry in pursuance of Section 120 of the Factory Code; (2) report by the Imperial Health Office on the practicability of substitutes for lead; (3) exclusion of lead colours from use in the painting of public buildings; and (4) treatment of lead poisoning by the State Insurance Office as an accident entitling to compensation.
These demands were supported by the central office of the Society for Promoting the Welfare of Workers, which had as far back as its seventh conference in 1898 occupied itself with the question of dangerous trades and especially, at its conference in 1905, taken up the subject of the protection of workers against industrial poisoning.
In Germany these efforts resulted in the passage of a number of Imperial Regulations for separate lead industries.
In other countries similar action was set on foot. In Austria, where the subject is of special importance in view of the part played by lead in the home industries, the Government undertook to improve the conditions in industries attended with risk of lead poisoning. For this purpose the Statistical Office of the Ministry of Commerce and Labour has, since 1904, carried out extensive inquiries into lead and zinc smelting works, paint and colour factories, the painting and varnishing trades, letterpress printing, and the ceramic industry. The results are contained in the volume ‘Lead Poisoning in Smelting Works and Industries Generally’ (published by Hölder, Vienna).