THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER THE GREAT UNKNOWN — ARE WE GUINEA PIGS? By VERNA LEDGER Regional Safety Director Why are statistics for oc- cupational injury and disease so unfamiliar to the general public, and why do occupa- tional diseases often go un- recognized. One reason may be the nature of the dangers of the workplace. Only serious acci- dents or extreme exposure to toxic substances captures the interest of the press and public and since most workers are ex- posed to low levels of these in- sults, which may be just as deadly in the long run, this fact is seldom reported. Low level insults cause chronic illnesses. The onset of these illnesses is often not no- ticed. The illnesses themselves such as lung cancer and heart disease, are attributed to non occupational causes by indus- try and the medical profession. They therefore go unrec- ognized, uncounted and un- compensated. Oddly enough, in our advanced technological society practically no one is trained to study, recognize or treat occupational disease. Seldom does a physician question a worker about their occupation when he is exam- ining them for a specific com- plaint. The relationship be- tween work and disease is sel- dom brought out. New technology has resulted NEW TECHNOLOGY in more and more harmful sub- stances entering the workplace with limited research being conducted, specifically in the area of long term effects. One such contaminant that has been in use fairly exten- sively in the forest industry for a number of years, is wood preservatives. | Pentachloro- phenol and products derived from it are the most commonly used in the preservation of wood products. Wood preservatives have been used in various forms or another since Biblical days when pitch was used to protect ships. In the 19th Century, the use of chemicals or mixtures of chemicals underwent a rapid expansion, creosote tar oil emerged as a successful treat- ment for wood to prevent its subsequent decay in service. Pressure treatment methods were developed _ thereby achieving deeper penetration of chemicals into wood and providing a more effective barrier against attack by organisms. This method was commonly used until the early 1950’s when two types of chemical preservatives emerged. One of these included the chlorinated phenols — pentachlorophenol and tetra- chlorophenol. These chemicals are soluble in oil based sol- vents and are fairly effective against decay by fungi, or their sodium salts are dissolved in water and-used as a surfacte treatment of lumber against fungi causing sap-stain. The treatment is very toxic to fungi, bacteria and other organisms and is often used as a herbicide. MAIN CHEMICAL The other main chemical used for preservation of wood products is the copper chromium arsenate formul- ation. The problems with both these of chemical for- mulas is that very limited test- ing has been conducted on the health effects of prolonged ex- to humans. However a air amount of evidence exists on the obvious immediate toxic effect on some workers who have been exposed to varying amounts of chemicals. From 1953-1956 five deaths of workers exposed to penta- chlorophenol occurred in where the mixture was used as a weed killer. About the same time nine more deaths occurred as well as cases of extreme illness oe to overexposure to pentachloro- The onset of the illness is characterized by signs of _ raised basal metabolic rate eausing fever, profuse sweat- ing, increased heart and res- piratory rate, collapse and death due to heat exhaustion, dehydration and heart failure. On examining the body of one of two victims who had died of pentachloropheno ex- posure in the U.S.A. in 1964, the coroner found that the rectal temperature of the corpse was still 106.5 degrees F. two hours after death. In spite of these frightening statistics the product is still in wide use and the manufacturer and industry claim the deaths and illnesses have occurred only because the proper pre- cautionary measures were not followed when handling the substance and material. Less is known about the long term effects of exposure to pentachlorophenols, however medical problems such as perepheral neurites and aplas- tic anaemia have been attrib- uted to prolonged exposure. Chiorodioxins in small quantities are one of the im- purities or contaminants of P.C.P. Dioxins are also present in 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T which were used as defoliants in Vietnam and have received recognition and are presently being re- searched as being the cause of birth defects in children born to veterans of the war. In the B.C.. woodworking industry pentachlorophenols are used under many brand names; Wood Brite, Diachem, Permatox, Penta Plus 40, Dia- tox, Pentol, etc. The W.C.B. has taken the position that the chemicals are safe to use if proper precau- tions are taken when handling them. e.g.: 1. Preventing skin contact by wearing protective clothing — rubber aprons, gloves, boots. 2. Preventing inhalation — by proper ventilation, wearing masks and respirators. 3. Preventing ingestion — which is mainly a matter of education, requires labelling, no eating or smoking in work areas, and thorough washing before eating. However, the Board’s cam- paign to educate the workers and employers as well as in- specting the areas where the preservatives are applied, has been very limited, if not non- existent. Most I.W.A. members are not aware of the dangers of the chemical, nor of the proper precautions to be taken, and many supervisory staff people have also been kept in the dark. Many workers have com- plained of feeling nauseated, dizzy, suffering eye, nose and throat irritations, nose bleeds, headaches, etc. when exposed to these work areas, yet their complaints have for the most part fallen on deaf ears. (These symptoms have been specified as warning of overexposure to pentachlorophenol in medical journals.) ; ’ It seems until some extreme case such as death of a worker -or serious illness from over- exposure occurs, and there is a public outery the government agencies will ignore the pro- tests. One small light in the tunnel, which has emerged, is a pro- posal by the University of Washington to conduct a study of woodworkers and the possi- ble long term health effects of prolonged exposure to wood preservatives. The study, if approved in all aspects, will be conducted in a lower mainland sawmill and will receive the cooperation of the I.W.A. While this may appear to be a band- aid approach, studying the re- sults of exposure to health haz- ards on a piecemeal basis, instead of methods of pre- venting them, the burden of VERNA proof is for the present time, on the backs of workers, they are the guinea pigs. Hopefully, if the I.W.A.’s de-_ mand in 1979 negotiations for-a Research Fund for Health and Safety is realized, we may at last begin to direct research ~ into all areas of I.W.A. worker exposure to health hazards and oa a A A a LEDGER then progress into the develop- ment of positive preventative measures. . Still that will be only one in a series of many steps to the ultimate goal of a worker’s right to know and participate in the decision making on all matters related to Health and Safety. SAFETY CONFERENCE The Spring Regional Safety and Health Conference will be held April 6-7, at the Stockmen’s Hotel, Kamloops. Registration will commence at 7:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. April 5, the Conference proceedings commence at 9:00 a.m. April 6-7, concluding at 5:00 p.m. on April 7. INJURIES HIGH FOR FRENCH WORKERS In the course of a single working day in France one accident at work takes place every six seconds, a serious accident every minute and one mortal accident every hour. Manual workers are more af- fected than other categories and they represent 57.6% of wage-earners and account for 84.4% of accidents. These striking figures ap- pear in the report ‘‘On the Res- ponsibility of the Firm’s Head’ presented to the ‘‘Nanterre Discussions” by M. Sebag, honorary Dean of the Faculty of Law. In 1974, says the report, there were 302,483 infringements of health and safety regulations. But there were only 2,250 con- victions, nine-tenths of which did not exceed the minimum fine provided. NOTLEY DEMANDS BETTER SAFETY LAWS Alberta NDP leader Grant Notley said safe working con- ditions should be considered a right for all employees. Notley told a union meeting in a west-central Alberta community that good condi- tions of work should not have to be bargained for in contract negotiations. Notley proposed that the Occupational Health and Safe- ty Act be amended to imple- ment a number of recom- mendations of the Gale Com- mission on Industrial Health and Safety which have been ig- nored by the provincial government. NOTICE Asa result of a fire which severely damaged the Workers’ Compensation Board office in Prince George last month, new offices have now been opened at 299 Victoria Street in Prince George. Beginning March 5, 1979, all corres- pondence to the Workers’ Compensation Board should be - mailed to this address. The telephone number is 563-9264 which is unchanged. WCB office hours are 8:30 to 4:30, Monday to Friday.