The early days of industrial hygiene--their contribution to current problems

This Herbert E. Stokinger Lecture, directed to the post-1970 industrial hygienists, describes the concepts and contributions of the early industrial hygienists in 1) the determination of standards-TLVs; and 2) the methods of obtaining better working conditions in industry. The scientists who developed the data and proposed the TLVs clearly understood their limitations and the many variable factors in applying these in industry, hence TLVs were suggested only as guides which allowed initiative, experimentation and value judgment by industrial hygienists. Industrial hygiene administration in the 1930's and '40's was the responsibility of state and local health departments (except in two states). In contrast to OSHA's penalty system, the philosophy was to educate and assist industry to understand their health problems and to advise them how to develop safe and healthy working conditions. Special emphasis was placed on small plants. These programs were very successful in most states. Because of OSHA's inability to inspect the small plants, it is recommended that those plants with less than 100 employees be removed from OSHA's jurisdiction and placed under the supervision of special divisions of state and local health departments, financed by USPHS funds, and that the type of service to these small industries be similar to that in the 1930's.