WATKINS 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THS 
STEEL INDUSTRY Technical Paper 156 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
FRANKLIN K. LANE, Secretary 
BUREAU OF MINES 
VAN, H. MANNING, Director 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE 
STEEL INDUSTRY 
BY 
J. A. WATKINS 
Passed Assistant Surgeon, U. S. Public Health Sendee. 
[ Cooperation with Bureau of the Public Health Service ] 
WASHINGTON 
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1917 The Bureau of Mines, in carrying out one of the provisions of its organic act- 
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First edition. January, 1917. CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 5 
Carbon monoxide as an industrial poison 5 
Effect of continued exposure to small quantities of carbon monoxide 6 
Symptoms of chronic carbon monoxide poisoning 7 
Places where carbon monoxide occurs in steel plants 8 
Blast furnaces 8 
Gas engines 9 
Gas producers 10 
Gas-fired boilers... 10 
Cupola furnaces 10 
Dolomite furnaces 11 
Dinky engines 11 
Shanties, or rest rooms 11 
Analyses of air samples from steel plants 12 
Method of obtaining sample 12 
Method of determining quantity of carbon monoxide in air samples 12 
Accuracy of quantitative determinations 13 
Amount of carbon monoxide in the various working places in a steel plant.. 13 
Hygienic significance of amounts of carbon monoxide found in steel plants. 15 
Method of reducing carbon monoxide hazard in steel plants 15 
Determination of presence of carbon monoxide 15 
Prevention of carbon monoxide pollution of the atmosphere 16 
Publications on metallurgy and metallurgical accidents 17 
ILLUSTRATION. 
Figure 1. Container for collecting air samples 12 CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
By J. A. Watkins. 
The voluminous literature on industrial poisoning by carbon mon- 
oxide gas contains many valuable papers referring to research work 
and various investigations. In a short paper it is undesirable to go 
into the subject in detail. Hence the object of this paper is to set forth 
briefly the liability to carbon monoxide poisoning of those employed 
in the various departments of a steel plant; the sources of the gas; 
the extent to which it is present; its effect on workers; and to make 
certain recommendations for the prevention and remedy of such 
conditions. 
This report, prepared through the cooperation of the Public Health 
Service and the Bureau of Mines, is published as a contribution to 
the literature dealing with the improvement of conditions affecting 
the health of persons employed in the metallurgical industries. 
Attention is given primarily to the liability to chronic poisoning- 
that is, the daily exposure of employees to small quantities of this 
gas over an extended period of time-rather than to that of acute 
poisoning, or "gassing," as prevention of this accident is a problem 
of safety engineering rather than of industrial hygiene. Rapid and 
serious poisoning rarely occurs except where the atmosphere is 
suddenly and grossly polluted with gas because of a breakdown or 
because of faulty operation of machinery. Such conditions are 
usually unforeseen, soon discovered, and quickly corrected. It is 
the purpose of this paper to call attention to the effects of the con- 
tinued presence of small quantities of this gas, which, although 
insufficient to cause acute symptoms of intoxication, will neverthe- 
less by insidious action finally bring about the same result-that is, 
total or partial incapacitation of the worker. 
INTRODUCTION. 
CARBON MONOXIDE AS AN INDUSTRIAL POISON 
From the viewpoint of the physician interested in occupational 
diseases, or of the industrial hygienist, carbon monoxide is the most 
important of the poisonous gases. This gas occurs so frequently as 
either a product or a by-product of many industrial processes that 
those employed in or around such processes may be, and often are, 
5 6 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
exposed to its action. The presence of this gas in a place where 
men are at work, even though it be confined to the interior of manu- 
facturing appliances and equipment, is a hazard, for experience has 
taught the difficulty of preventing leaks and the serious and rapid 
results that follow inhalation. 
Knowledge derived from both practical and scientific work has been 
utilized with success in many instances in devising ways and means 
of reducing the hazard from carbon monoxide. In this connection 
may be noted the excellent results that have been obtained by the 
safety-first propaganda which is now well organized and in force in 
nearly all industrial institutions. However, the use of gases with a 
relatively large carbon monoxide content and the occurrence of this 
gas as a by-product of many industrial processes, coincident with a 
general industrial development, have markedly increased in late years. 
As a result, while the carbon monoxide hazard is minimized in one 
process, new and constantly changing conditions arise which present 
additional hazards of poisoning. 
In no industry have such changeable conditions been more marked 
than in the steel industry. For example, the gas from blast furnaces 
was formerly allowed to escape as a waste product; it is now collected 
and utilized in the production of steam and motive power. The 
increasing use of gas as a fuel at steel plants, as in open-hearth fur- 
naces, has led to its extensive manufacture in gas producers. Thus 
another source of carbon monoxide has been added. In addition, 
new processes of manufacture offer the hazard of carbon monoxide 
poisoning. For example, industrial advancement has created a 
demand for many grades and qualities of steel and this has led to the 
use of special furnaces. Also, there arose a large demand for refrac- 
tory materials for use throughout steel plants and, among other 
hazardous processes, the preparation of dolomite for such use 
appeared. Another industrial change of equal hygienic importance 
was the gradual substitution, especially in the steel industry, of the 
gas engine for the steam engine. In a modern steel plant one sees 
large buildings housing many engines which utilize gas having a large 
content of carbon monoxide. This use involves certain hazards to 
those concerned in transmission of the gas from the blast furnaces and 
its utilization at the engines. Not in steel making alone but in nearly 
all industries the hazard of carbon monoxide poisoning is increasing 
with the general technical advancement of industry. 
EFFECT OF CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO SMALL QUANTITIES OF CARBON 
MONOXIDE. 
In discussing the cumulative effects on men of carbon monoxide 
inhaled in small quantities (that is, quantities insufficient in amount 
to cause rapid and complete collapse by "gassing") daily and over CARBON MONOXIDE AS AN INDUSTRIAL POISON. 
7 
extended periods of time, there should be borne in mind the following 
factors: (1) That the factor of individual resistance enters largely 
into the results, some individuals withstanding much larger amounts 
than others; (2) that man has some power of resistance to small 
quantities of carbon monoxide, as his bodily mechanism adjusts 
itself for a short time to such abnormal conditions by means of that 
reserve power with which all vital tissues are endowed. This does not 
mean that man is not affected or immune to carbon, monoxide, but 
merely that because of physiological adjustment he does not become 
sufficiently ill or have symptoms serious enough to bring about his 
incapacitation. Such a state of affairs may be likened to alcoholic 
intoxication. The body, because of continued use of alcohol, may 
after a time be able so to adjust itself that the symptoms of poisoning 
are not of sufficient intensity to incapacitate the individual. Such a 
physiological adjustment is shown in one accustomed to drinking 
daily a quantity of alcoholic beverages, or a toper. To say, however, 
that alcohol had no longer an injurious effect upon such an individual 
would be incorrect. On the contrary, continued intoxication by 
small amounts over an extended period of time is more injurious than 
a single overwhelming dose, provided, of course, death or mortal 
injury does not ensue. The end results of both forms of carbon 
monoxide intoxication are the same, that is, total or partial incapaci- 
tation of the worker. The only difference between the two is in the 
time required. 
SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. 
One of the earliest symptoms complained of by those daily ex- 
posed to small quantities of carbon monoxide is persistent and 
distressing headache, accompanied at times, when the headache is 
severe, by nausea and vomiting. A peculiar feature of this symp- 
tom is that headache often does not begin until some time after ex- 
posure, that is, after the employee has left work, but in most in- 
stances it affects the individual the whole time he is at work, be- 
coming more severe as the day wears on. Attacks of giddiness are 
common and employees so affected lose control of their limbs, and 
frequently stagger, muscular weakness and lack of coordination 
ensue, and the individual becomes rapidly fatigued. Derange- 
ments of digestion are common, nausea and vomiting being an early 
symptom, and occasionally diarrhea is complained of. 
A most serious effect of carbon monoxide is that which it has on 
the heart. Palpitation and distress about that organ are common 
complaints. Although dilation of the heart may be found at times, 
the principal effect is upon the nervous mechanism controlling heart 
action. The pulse is irregular, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, and 
the slightest exertion markedly increases its irregularity. 8 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
Because of its marked affinity for the hemoglobin of the blood, 
carbon monoxide quickly displaces the oxygen content of the red 
cells. The blood is then deprived of much of its oxygen-carrying 
power and the tissues in turn are deprived of this vital factor in their 
nourishment. After continued exposure anemia generally ensues, 
which, in some instances, is marked and resists treatment. 
More rarely the effects of carbon monoxide are manifested by 
nervous disorders. These are sometimes peripheral and at other 
times central in character. Neuritis with ensuing paralysis, or 
mental derangements such as melancholia or hallucinations, may 
occur. The presence of albumen or sugar in the urine is said to be 
not infrequent in the course of chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. 
In short, carbon monoxide is a gas of such marked toxic effect 
that, depending on variable factors such as the resistance of the 
individual and the quantity of gas inhaled, it is only a question of 
time until the exposed individual is not only incapacitated for duty 
but may have his health impaired beyond recovery. Another fact, 
of consequence to employers, is that carbon monoxide poisoning 
renders the worker, though still on duty and not incapacitated, 
below par physically and also in efficiency. His mental alertness 
and judgment, as well as his muscular strength and coordina- 
tion, are impaired. While in this condition he is unable to perform 
his duties in the manner that will be to the best advantage of his 
employer. 
PLACES WHERE CARBON MONOXIDE OCCURS IN STEEL PLANTS. 
As previously mentioned, the use of gases with a large carbon 
monoxide content has greatly increased in the steel industry. Also, the 
institution of new manufacturing processes in which carbon monox- 
ide is a by-product has brought about additional hazards of carbon 
monoxide poisoning. In a steel plant carbon monoxide may be 
found about blast furnaces, gas washers, and scrubbers, gas en- 
gines, gas producers, gas boilers, cupola furnaces, dolomite furnaces, 
"dinkey engines" or small locomotives, and "shanties" or rest 
rooms for employees. 
BLAST FURNACES. 
The smelting of iron ore, coke, and limestone gives rise to enormous 
quantities of gases °-about 150,000 cubic feet per ton of fuel con- 
sumed. Blast-furnace gas contains 22 to 27 per cent carbon mon- 
oxide. The gas passes from the top of the furnace into a large 
"downcomer" pipe, thence through conduits or mains to the scrub- 
bers or washers, where much of the suspended matter is removed. 
a The hazards from blast-furnace gas is discussed in detail by F. H. Willcox in Asphyxiation from blast* 
furnace gas, Tech. Paper 106, Bureau of Mines, 1916,65 pp. PLACES WHERE CARBON MONOXIDE OCCURS IN STEEL PLANTS. 
9 
This gas is used to heat the blast and is burned under boilers or in 
gas engines for the production of motive power. 
Those workmen who are employed about equipment for the trans- 
mission or utilization of blast-furnace gas are liable to carbon 
monoxide poisoning. Owing to improved methods of construction 
and operation and the rare exposure of men at the furnace top, the 
hazard of gas poisoning at the furnace top, which was formerly great, 
has been reduced. Nevertheless, gas is practically always present 
about the top of the furnace in sufficient volume to cause asphyxi- 
ation if breathed for some time. If a man should become "gassed" 
while working on top, the gassing would be acute in character. 
Proportions sufficient to cause asphyxiation may occur also all 
along the route of the gas. Some leakage may occur at times 
through the "downcomer" pipe or conduit leading to the scrubbers. 
Leaks may also occur at times through the furnace wall, although 
rarely or except when "blowing in" a furnace. There is always some 
leakage, although in varying amounts, from the tapping hole and 
slag notch while they are open during casting. The gas as it comes 
from the furnace can be easily detected by the eye, owing to the 
dusts suspended in it, and by its distinctive odor. After passing 
through the washers, where it is freed from its suspended matter, it 
is usually invisible and practically odorless. Therefore, although 
those working around the blast furnace receive some warning of its 
presence when it escapes, this advantage is lacking in working places 
where the gas is used after it has been washed. 
GAS ENGINES. 
A common use of blast-furnace gas is to drive gas engines. The gas, 
after being washed and deprived of most of its suspended matter, is 
conducted to the engine house through a main beneath the floor 
and is distributed to the various engines. Precautions are generally- 
taken to insure that mains and distributing lines under the floor 
of the engine room are all gas-tight, yet leakage often occurs, some- 
times in sufficient quantity to cause collapse of exposed workers 
from acute poisoning. The usual location of such leaks is at joints, 
unions, valves, and sometimes at faulty water valves. On the 
engine-room floor and around the engines small leaks are frequent, 
as it is practically impossible to keep all joints, unions, cylinders, 
stuffing boxes and the like gas-tight under such conditions as vibra- 
tion, engine strain, and the expansion and contraction of metal parts 
from changes in temperature. This is especially true when the: 
engine is started under a heavy load or when ignition is unsatisfac- 
tory. At one plant cases of carbon monoxide poisoning occurred 
regularly over an extended period of time in spite of all precautions 10 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
to avoid leakage. Gas may also escape from the exhaust system. 
The exhaust gas has a carbon monoxide content varying from 22 
to 27 per cent if unexploded and from 0.35 to 1 per cent if exploded, 
depending directly upon the proportion of air mixed with the gas 
in the carburetor, the amount of gas supplied the engine, the speed 
of the engine, the load it carries, and the extent to which combustion 
takes place. 
GAS PRODUCERS. 
The use of producer gas in the industries has increased markedly 
in late years. In steel plants it is burned for many purposes, prin- 
cipally for heating metal. The gas is manufactured at the plant in 
largo quantities and a considerable number of mon are employed solely 
in its manufacture. In addition to leaks which sometimes occur in 
the producer walls or other parts, such as conduits, unions, and valves, 
a conspicuous source of the gas is at the hoppers. In order to facili- 
tate his work, the fireman allows the hopper lid to remain partly open. 
The producer gas, which has a carbon monoxide content of about 20 
to 25 per cent, escapes rapidly in large quantities, grossly polluting 
the atmosphere near by. In addition to carbon monoxide, producer 
gas contains a large amount of suspended matter consisting of carbon 
products, such as soot. Symptoms of insidious carbon monoxide 
poisoning arc common among those employed in this department of 
a plant. 
GAS-FIRED BOILERS. 
Blast-furnace gas is also burned under steam boilers. A number 
of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in boiler rooms have been re- 
ported, most of them acute in character and due to large leaks. Also 
lesser leaks occur, which pollute the atmosphere and expose the fire- 
men and boiler tenders to small quantities of the gas. Such leaks are 
usually due to faulty conduits, leaky unions or valves, or to im- 
proper mixing with air and resulting incomplete combustion of the gas. 
Gas in such small amounts can not often be detected. At one plant 
a man went to sleep near a gas-fired boiler and was fatally asphyxiated 
while asleep, although men worked around the boiler previous to and 
after this accident without noticing any ill effects. 
CUPOLA FURNACES. 
At the foundry, open-hearth furnaces, and other places, cupola 
furnaces have been constructed and operated in many instances 
in such a manner as to allow considerable opportunity for escape 
of gas containing carbon monoxide. Cupola furnaces are usually 
open at the top, so that the amount of gas which escapes and the 
resultant pollution of the air are dependent upon the condition 
of the furnace, its load, and the efficiency of operation. In some in- PLACES WHERE CARBON MONOXIDE OCCURS IN STEEL PLANTS. 
11 
stances the place of duty of the worker is above the furnace, although 
slightly to one side, as in the case of the cranemen and chargers. 
Acute poisoning among cranemen and chargers became so severe and 
occurred with such regularity at one plant that difficulty was exper- 
ienced in obtaining men to fill these hazardous positions. It is prob- 
able that small leaks of gas also occur through the cupola wall and 
from the tapping hole during casting. 
DOLOMITE FURNACES. 
At certain steel works dolomite (CaMgCO3) is burned with coke in 
furnaces as part of its preparation for use as a refractory material in 
the plant. One of the products of this combustion is carbon monoxide. 
The furnace being open at the top, this gas freely escapes into the air 
breathed by men employed in this department, provided that the 
temperature at the point of escape is not equal to nor above that at 
which carbon monoxide is ignited. Chargors and cranemen are par- 
ticularly apt to be exposed, as they work at times around the top of 
the furnace. Other employees are at times also required to work 
about the furnace top. 
The small locomotives known as "dinkeys" are much used at steel 
works because of the area covered by a modern plant and the dimen- 
sions, weight, and amount of the material handled. These engines 
give off surprisingly large amounts of smoke. Frequently they re- 
main for considerable periods of time in a building housing the pro- 
ducing department of a steel plant. Though much progress has been 
made in reducing smoke from furnaces, factories, and power plants, 
little advance has been made in the case of locomotives. Fatal 
carbon monoxide poisoning from locomotive smoke is not uncommon, 
especially in tunnels, and although of relatively small importance as 
a hazard in the steel industry, attention is called to this source and 
the attendant danger, especially when these locomotives remain in 
buildings for a long time, for then conditions are such as approach 
those in railway tunnels. 
DINKY ENGINES. 
SHANTIES, OR REST ROOMS. 
It is the custom in many steel plants to construct small inclosures, 
3 to 4 feet square, in which employees may rest when off duty. These 
are usually in use only during cold weather, and when so occupied 
they are heated with an open coke fire in a salamander. A few fatal 
cases of carbon monoxide intoxication have been reported, and slight 
gassing occurs with some frequency, among workmen in these shanties, 
especially if they are closed in. 12 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
ANALYSES OF AIR SAMPLES FROM STEEL PLANTS. 
While making a sanitary survey of the steel industry m the Pitts- 
burgh district, the writer's attention was repeatedly called to the 
subject of carbon monoxide poisoning by statements of employees, 
the appearance of a number of workmen, personal experience, and 
other observations. A number of air samples for chemical analysis 
and determination of carbon monoxide were therefore taken. These 
air samples were all taken where the men either were at work or 
were required to work, and in most instances where and when men 
were actually at work. They were taken at different times over a 
period of several weeks and under varying condi- 
tions of weather and plant operation. 
METHOD OE OBTAINING SAMPLE. 
Evacuated and hermetically sealed containers 
were prepared and used for obtaining the sam- 
ples. These consisted of glass cylinders of the de- 
sired capacity, sealed at one end. The other end, 
which was supplied with a capillary tube 5 cm. in 
length, having a bore of about 1 mm., was at- 
tached to a pump provided with a manometer, the 
cylinder exhausted, and the capillary tube sealed 
in a flame. A scratch mark made with a file 
near the end of the capillary tube facilitated the 
breaking of the seal. At the place of sampling, 
the capillary tube was broken off at the file 
mark, permitting the air to rush into the cylin- 
der. The tube was then hermetically sealed with 
universal wax (beeswax and turpentine) and for- 
warded to the laboratory for analysis. One of 
these containers is shown ir figure 1. 
Figure 1.-Container for 
collecting air samples. 
METHOD OF DETERMINING QUANTITY OF CARBON MONOXIDE IN AIR 
SAMPLES. 
For a complete description of the method and apparatus used in 
the analyses of these air samples the reader is referred to Bulletin 42," 
of the Bureau of Mines. Briefly, the method is as follows: The carbon 
dioxide is absorbed in caustic potash; the O2 is absorbed in alkaline 
pyrogallate solution; the H2 and CO are burned in a slow combustion 
chamber by means of a hot platinum wire. The N2 is determined 
by difference. Two check analyses were made of all samples and in 
some instances additional qualitative tests were made by leading the 
a Burrell, G. A., and Seibert, F. M., The sampling and examination of mine gases and natural gas: 
Bull. 42, Bureau of Mines, 1913, pp. 37-42. 13 
ANALYSES OF AIR SAMPLES FROM STEEL PLANTS. 
gas through palladium chloride. The analyses of samples were made 
by G. A. Burrell, chemist of the Bureau of Mines, at the Pittsburgh 
laboratory of the bureau. 
ACCURACY OF QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATIONS. 
The burette on the gas analysis apparatus with which the samples 
were examined was graduated in 0.01 c. c. and could be accurately 
read to within 0.002 to 0.004 c. c. All figures are within a range that 
makes the maximum error not more than 0.02 per cent. 
AMOUNT OF CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE VARIOUS WORKING PLACES IN 
A STEEL PLANT. 
The content, expressed in percentages, of carbon monoxide in the 
air to which certain employees are exposed is given below in the 
tabular form. A discussion of the hygienic significance of these 
findings follows the table of results. 
Table 1.-Results of tests for carbon monoxide in air samples taken from various places 
in a steel plant. 
BLAST FURNACE. 
Laboratory 
No. 
Bottle 
No. 
Where sample was taken. 
Occupation of men exposed. 
Carbon 
monoxide 
content, 
per cent. 
6921 
51 
Close to runway while cast- 
Blast-furnace front gang.. 
0.10 
6922 
52 
..."do 
do 
.03 
6923 
53 
do 
do 
. 05 
6924 
54 
do 
do 
.06 
6925 
55 
do 
do 
.07 
6926 
56 
do 
do 
.05 
6927 
57 
do 
do 
.14 
6928 
58 
do 
do 
.07 
6929 
59 
do 
do 
.04 
6930 
60 
do 
do 
.03 
6931 
61 
do 
do 
.02 
6932 
62 
do 
do 
. 05 
6933 
63 
do 
do 
. 05 
6934 
64 
.. .do 
do 
.07 
6935 
65 
do 
do 
.08 
6936 
66 
do 
do 
.24 
6889 
17 
do 
do 
.05 
6902 
30 
At scrubbers 
Repair men 
.94 
6938 
68 
At dust catcher 
Laborers 
.03 
GAS ENGINES. 
6939 
69 
In blower room 
Blower-room force 
0.01 
6940 
70 
do 
do 
.01 
6941 
71 
do 
do 
.10 
6942 
72 
do 
do 
.03 
6996 
83 
Engine-room cellar 
None continuously 
.04 
6997 
84 
do 
do 
.02 
6998 
85 
do 
do 
.03 
6999 
86 
Near piston of gas engine.. 
Engine-room force 
.03 
7001 
88 
Near gas engine 
Tdo 
.05 
7002 
89 
do ~ 
do 
.05 
7003 
90 
do 
do 
1.44 
7004 
91 
do 
do 
.03 
7005 
92 
do. 
do 
3.40 
7006 
93 
do 
do /. 
1.61 14 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
Table 1.-Results of tests for carbon monoxide in air samples taken from various places 
in a steel plant-Continued. 
CUPOLAS AT OPEN-HEARTH FURNACES, FOUNDRIES, AND MOLD SHOPS. 
Laboratory 
No. 
Bottle 
No. 
Where sample was taken. 
Occupation of men exposed. 
Carbon 
monoxide 
content, 
per cent. 
7007 
94 
Above cupola 
Cranemen and chargers 
0.02 
7008 
95 
do 
do 
.05 
7009 
96 
do 
do 
.04 
7010 
97 
do 
do 
.10 
7011 
98 
do 
do 
.05 
GAS PRODUCERS. 
6778 
6779 
6780 
6781 
6782 
6783 
6784 
6785 
6786 
6787 
6788 
6789 
6790 
6791 
6792 
6793 
6890 
6891 
6892 
6893 
6894 
6895 
6896 
6897 
6898 
6899 
6900 
6901 
6903 
6904 
6905 
6906 
6907 
6908 
6910 
6911 
6912 
6913 
6914 
6915 
6916 
6917 
6918 
6919 
6920 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
Platform at gas producer.. 
do 
Firemen 
do 
0.05 
.25 
.19 
.26 
.14 
.12 
.13 
.07 
.07 
.06 
.07 
.10 
.03 
.26 
.14 
.33 
.07 
.22 
.13 
.11 
.09 
.07 
.12 
.14 
.11 
.10 
.10 
.03 
■ .18 
.06 
.16 
.09 
.04 
.07 
.12 
.12 
.58 
.20 
.10 
.17 
.12 
.03 
.39 
.61 
.18 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
CoaWjins above producer.. 
Chargers 
Platform at gas producer.. 
do 
Firemen 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do .. . 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
7016 
1 
Over furnace 
Laborers and cranemen 
0.03 
7017 
2 
do 
do 
.05 
7018 
3 
Between furnaces 
do 
.04 
7019 
4 
Over furnace 
do 
.05 
7020 
5 
Between furnaces 
Craneman and force 
.03 
7021 
6 
do 
do 
.05 
7022 
7 
Over furnace 
Laborers and cranemen 
.07 
7023 
8 
Between furnaces 
do 
.03 
7024 
9 
Over furnace 
do 
.00 
7025 
10 
Between furnaces 
do 
.02 
7026 
11 
do 
do 
.05 
7027 
12 
do 
do 
.05 
7014 
13. 
Over furnace 
do 
.06 
7015 
14 
Between furnaces 
do 
.42 
7012 
15 
In crane house 
Craneman 
.07 
7013 
16 
do 
do 
.03 
DOLOMITE SHED. ANALYSES OF AIR SAMPLES FROM STEEL PLANTS. 
15 
Table 1.-Results of tests for carbon monoxide in air samples taken from various places 
in a steel plant-Continued. 
Laboratory 
No. 
Bottle 
No. 
Where sample was taken. 
Occupation of men exposed. 
Carbon 
monoxide 
content, 
per cent. 
6943 
73 
Rest shanty (during cold 
Men, of various employ- 
ments, resting about 
0.05 
weather). 
open coke fire in sala- 
6944 
mander. 
74 
do 
do . 
.05 
6945 
15 
do- 
do 
.04 
6946 
76 
do 
do 
.23 
6947 
77 
do 
do 
.04 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
HYGIENIC SIGNIFICANCE OF AMOUNTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE FOUND 
IN STEEL PLANTS. 
In discussing the effects the amounts of carbon monoxide given in 
Table 1 may have upon the employees exposed to them, attention 
should be called to the discussion on page 8 of the symptoms of 
chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. As no physical examinations 
were made of employees working in the places from which air sam- 
ples were taken, the effects can only be surmised by use of compara- 
tive data. Many data available from experimental work on carbon 
monoxide poisoning and from observations made in serious or fatal 
cases of asphyxiation with this gas, justify the statement that 
exposure to 0.2 per cent of carbon monoxide for a period of 30 min- 
utes will be sufficient temporarily to incapacitate the person so 
exposed. An increase in the amount of carbon monoxide or the 
length of exposure would be rather dangerous. Serious symptoms 
may result from continued exposure to so small a quantity of carbon 
monoxide as 0.01 per cent, especially if the exposed person does much 
physical work. From an industrial hygienist's standpoint the air of 
any place where men work which contains 0.01 per cent of carbon 
monoxide is dangerous and such a condition should be immediately 
remedied. 
METHOD OF REDUCING CARBON MONOXIDE HAZARD IN STEEL 
PLANTS. 
DETERMINATION OF PRESENCE OF CARBON MONOXIDE 
As stated above, there are several places in a steel plant where 
gases containing carbon monoxide are handled and places where car- 
bon monoxide results as a by-product of some industrial process. 
These localities are known to those in executive positions in these 
plants. A survey should be made with the view of determining 
whether carbon monoxide is escaping into the atmosphere breathed by 16 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
workmen, and some system of regular periodical inspection instituted 
whereby places where gas may escape could be watched and carbon 
monoxide pollution guarded against. It is a comparatively simple 
matter to obtain samples of the air at these places, and they could 
therefore be taken by unskilled persons. The method used by the 
writer in obtaining the samples reported in Table 1 is very simple and 
could be utilized for such work. Most steel plants employ chemists of 
ability and maintain well-equipped laboratories. The qualitative or, 
if need be, the quantitative determination of the carbon monoxide con- 
tent of these samples could be made with little additional expense or 
labor in the chemical laboratory. It is believed that this would be a 
desirable step on the part of the operators. 
PREVENTION OF CARBON MONOXIDE POLLUTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 
Should such a system of regular air sampling be instituted and the 
laboratory reports indicate carbon monoxide in dangerous quantities, 
steps should be taken to trace the exact source of the gas. Should 
this be a leak in a conduit, gas main, or engine, immediate steps 
should be taken to make these gas-tight. It is probable that slight 
difficulty may be experienced in some instances, as, for example, at 
the gas engines, but it is believed that the leakage of gas from other 
places could be so prevented as to reduce carbon monoxide hazard to 
a minimum. If the origin of the carbon monoxide should be the 
result of an industrial process, as, for example, that of burning 
dolomite or at the cupolas, the methods of operation or of construc- 
tion should be altered in order to do away with this hazard. In all 
places where there is likelihood of the air being polluted by carbon 
monoxide, provisions should be made for ample ventilation, both by 
natural and artificial means. Buildings housing equipment hazard- 
ous from gas should be large, with a high roof, and constructed with 
ample means for a free exchange of outside air, such as doors, windows, 
and ventilating shafts in the roof. If possible they should be open 
on two or more sides as are the casting sheds at the blast furnaces. 
Where such provision can not be made, as, for example, in the gas- 
engine house, artificial means of ventilation should be installed. 
An exhaust and supply system is most important in engine rooms. 
In the case of gas engines, the pistons, crossheads, and connecting 
rods, as well as the space between cylinders of tandem engines, should 
be inclosed with light sheet-metal housings, made easily removable 
and connected with air-exhaust systems. Such hoods should be pro- 
vided with gas-tight doors for ready inspection. 
Finally, where none of these methods is applicable, or if instituted 
fails to prevent the pollution of the air by carbon monoxide, operating 
conditions should be so altered as not to require men to remain in 
such hazardous places for more than short periods of time. PUBLICATIONS ON METALLURGY AND METALLURGICAL 
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Bulletin 16. The uses of peat for fuel and other purposes, by C. A. Davis. 1911. 
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Technical Paper 11. The use of mice and birds for detecting carbon monoxide 
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PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION. 
17 18 
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. 
Technical Paper 95. Mining and milling of lead and zinc ores in the Wisconsin 
district, Wisconsin, by C. A. Wright. 1915. 39 pp., 2 pls., 5 figs. 
Technical Paper 102. Health conservation at steel mills, by J. A. Watkins. 
1916. 36 pp. 
Technical Paper 118. Coke-oven accidents in the United States during the calen- 
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Technical Paper 122. Effects of oxygen deficiency on small animals and on men, 
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Technical Paper 136. Safe practice at blast furnaces; a manual for foremen and 
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Technical Paper 157. A method for measuring the viscosity of blast-furnace slag 
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Bulletin 73. Brass-furnace practice in the United States, by H. W. Gillett. 1914. 
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Bulletin 97. Sampling and analysis of flue gases, by Henry Kreisinger and F. K. 
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