gives BENZOL 
the run around “I 
don’t 
care, said Clara Carelittle. 
“I’ve got a date with Jim tonight. I won’t 
have time for my hair-do if I go to the doctor 
for that examination. I’ll skip it. Once won’t 
make any difference.” 
Clara was on her first job, cementing crepe 
rubber soles in a shoe factory. Every 2 weeks, 
the factory doctor and Miss Fairly, the nurse, 
examined the girls in Clara’s room. 
This seemed foolish to Clara. With her good 
health and high spirits, she couldn’t imagine what 
it was like to be sick. About a week later, Clara 
had a nosebleed at work. Not a 
bad one—but the foreman sent 
her right up to Miss Fairly. 
“He sure is fussy about a 
nosebleed,” Clara said. 
“He’s right, Clara. A nose- 
bleed may mean you’ve been 
breathing too much benzol 
which is used to make the rubber cement. Benzol 
vapor can make you sick. That’s why we insist 
on regular examinations for workers who use 
materials containing benzol. You missed your 
last one. Now let’s get busy on that check-up.” 
Clara is one of about 30,000 American 
workers whose jobs call for the use of benzol 
in some form. Thousands more are em- 
ployed to manufacture this valuable solvent. 
A lot of people would be out of work if there 
were no benzol. 
Benzol or benzene is a "good mixer” 
for many materials that are not soluble in 
water or other solvents. It is a colorless 
liquid with a pleasant but penetrating odor. Benzol is used in the manufacture of rub- 
ber rubber goods, linoleum, celluloid, artifi- 
cial leather, paint, varnish, shellac, lacquer, 
dyes, and plastics. It is also used to blend 
motor fuels, extract oils and fats, remove 
paints, and clean printing forms. 
Rubber cement containing benzol is used 
in many other jobs where a good waterproof 
adhesive is needed. 
After benzol has done its work as a sol- 
vent, it evaporates quickly, leaving the 
material it was mixed with to dry or harden. 
The vapor is poisonous and heavier than 
air. So it must be carried out of range of 
the worker in order to prevent exposing him. 
Acute Benzol Poisoning comes from 
breathing, in a few minutes, very large 
amounts of the vapor. This seldom hap- 
pens. But it can happen when accidents 
occur on jobs where huge quantities of ben- 
zol are handled, as in manufacturing benzol 
or blending motor fuels. Carelessness in tend- 
ing or repairing the equipment is usually 
the cause of such accidents. When machines which contained benzol 
are cleaned/ the vapor must be removed 
before the worker enters the place. The 
worker must wear an air-line respirator and 
a safety belt. A crew trained to watch for 
signs of acute benzol poisoning should stand 
by while the cleaning is going on. 
Acute benzol poisoning makes a worker 
drowsy and dizzy; he staggers, vomits, and 
passes out. All in a very few minutes. The 
safety crew must watch for these signs, get 
him into the fresh air, and give first aid, or 
he will die. 
Chronic Benzol Poisoning comes from 
breathing small amounts of vapor every day. 
Not all workers so exposed become ill. If it 
goes on long enough without being noticed, 
it may at last have the same effect as an 
acute attack. It also makes people more 
susceptible to infections like pneumonia, 
blood poisoning, and other germ diseases. 
Little by little, benzol attacks the blood, 
the blood vessels, and the blood-forming organs of the body. The bone marrow 
where the body begins to manufacture its 
blood supply is affected. This makes it hard 
for the worker to produce new white blood 
cells—the body's defense army. Soon there 
may not be enough white cells to keep him 
in good health. 
Unusual Bleeding is the first warning 
sign of chronic benzol poisoning that a worker 
is likely to notice. He may see purplish spots 
under his skin. This is where small blood 
vessels have broken down and are bleeding 
under the surface. He may have a sudden 
nosebleed. Or his gums may get sore and 
bleed. He may cough up blood. He may 
notice bleeding when his bowels move. 
Women may notice blood at an unusual time 
and mistake it for menstruation. 
Even Before these signs appear, the doctor 
can tell when a worker exposed to benzol 
is beginning to feel the effects of the poison. 
He does this by careful medical examination, 
including count of the blood cells. Breathing a little benzol 
every day may cause other 
discomforts before you no- 
tice unusual bleeding. It 
may make you feel tired, 
sleepy, and dizzy. It may 
give you a headache, 
bother your eyes, or upset 
your stomach and bowels. 
A great many other sicknesses begin with 
the same troubles. They may not mean 
benzol poisoning. But they are Nature's 
way of telling you that something is wrong. 
They don't tell what is wrong. It takes a 
doctor to find that out. 
It will pay you to pay attention to these 
little troubles. Go to the doctor if you 
notice them. You may save yourself a long, 
costly illness by doing so. 
Your skin contains protective oils; it can 
be "degreased" by benzol just as are the 
hides used in leather goods. Benzol makes 
your hands dry, scaly, and sore; then they 
are easy marks for infection. WAYS TO PREVENT BENZOL POISONING 
Closed Machines should be used wher- 
ever possible to handle benzol or materials 
containing it. These should be inspected 
regularly for leaks or breaks. 
Workrooms should have good general 
ventilation at all times. Samples of the air 
should be tested regularly. 
Exhaust Fans should be put in near 
jobs where benzol-containing materials can- 
not be handled in closed machines. 
Air-line Respirators and Safety Belts 
should be provided for workers who have 
to enter closed machines or rooms. 
Workers Should Be Examined by a 
Doctor before they are employed on jobs 
where benzol is used. People with heart 
trouble, tuberculosis, anemia, or a tend- 
ency to bleed easily should not be employed on such jobs. Young workers under 18 years 
of age and pregnant women should also 
be kept off jobs exposed to benzol. 
Regular Medical Examinations on 
the Job, including careful blood tests, 
should be given every worker exposed to 
benzol. 
WARNINGS FOR WORKERS 
Do Not Spill Benzol or Benzol-Con- 
taining Materials. Keep all containers 
tightly closed when not in use. 
Wear Your Respirator and Belt when- 
ever you have to enter a closed machine or 
place where benzol has been used. 
Keep Your Hands Out of Benzol As 
Much As Possible . 
Report to the Nurse or Doctor at your 
plant (or see your own doctor) for any signs 
of benzol poisoning. Watch out for unu- 
sual bleeding.  Workers' Health Series 
No. 1 But Flu Is Tougher 
No. 2 Leonard's Appendix—And How It Burst 
No. 3 KO by CO Gas 
No. 4 Clara Gives Benzol the Run Around 
No. 5 Trouble in the Midriff 
FEDERAL SECURITY AGENCY 
U. S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 
Workers' Health Series—No. 4 
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents. Price 5 cents 
United States Government Printing Office 
Washington : 1941 16—23666