Bad Conditions 



Division of Industrial JlTg.enc, New York State Department of Labor 

 Good Conditions 



RELATION OF WORKING CONDITIONS TO HEALTH 



Wherever lead dusts or fumes are produced, effective exhausts and perfect cleanli- 

 ness are necessary to prevent lead poisoning. As industrial managers spend more 

 effort and more money trying to prevent injuries and accidents among workers, as 

 they improve conditions for the health of workers and their families, they save more 

 and more in the cost of production. It is actually cheaper to keep workers well than 

 to pretend that health is a purely private matter 



private business. Some states prohibit absolutely the sale of dangerous drugs 

 except on the prescription of a licensed physician. In general, we are becoming 

 suspicious of any business that thrives on "secrets" or on the ignorance of other 

 people. 



Working Conditions The men and women whose work makes living 

 conditions better for all of us are themselves often exposed to bad working 

 conditions. Some occupations are strikingly dangerous, involving serious acci- 

 dents. Among these are marine service, quarrying and mining, iron and steel 

 manufacture, and work under high air pressure. Other occupations are dan- 

 gerous to health, although they are not classified as hazardous or as involving 

 great risk of accident. The dangers in such occupations arise from the special 

 materials used or from the conditions under which the work is carried on. In 

 the making of chinaware and pottery, for example, there may be danger of 

 lead poisoning. 



In some manufacturing establishments, dangers may lie in badly ventilated 

 workrooms. As soon as we recognize that the objectionable conditioris are not 

 necessary, we must take steps to find remedies. And as science has helped to 

 improve conditions of living and to increase production, it can be made to 

 improve conditions of working. Air-conditioning, for example, is being more 



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