U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR JAMES J. DAVIS, S^ cretary BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS ETHELBERT STEWART, Commissioner BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES ) BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS J No. 392 INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND HYGIENE SERIES SURVEY OF HYGIENIC CONDITIONS IN THE PRINTING TRADES By S. KJAER Of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics SEPTEMBER, 1925 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1925 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT rn CENTS PER COPY Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis PREFACE In 1922 the International Joint Conference Council of the Print­ ing Industry planned an investigation of the hygiene of the printing trades. The general supervision and control of the investigation was placed by the Joint Council in the hands of Dr. Frederick L. Hoffman. The Bureau of Labor Statistics was, from the start, called into these conferences and subsequently agreed to do a definitely outlined part of the work involved in the general survey. Under the agree­ ment the Bureau of Labor Statistics was to conduct a branch of the work involving the employment of at least one field investigator. Mr. Swen Kj aer was assigned to this field work. The schedules and questionnaires had of course been jointly agreed upon by Doctor Hoffman and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Special Agent Kjaer began his field work in October, 1922, completing it early in 1924. The present bulletin is the beginning of the publication, of the re­ sults of the joint survey of the hygiene of the printing trades made by the International Joint Conference Council of the Printing In­ dustry and the Bureau of Labor Statistics in cooperation. It rep­ resents that specific part of the work which the Bureau of Labor Statistics agreed to do and will be followed by bulletins covering other phases of the investigation. E thelbert S tew art, Commissioner of Labor Statistics . h i Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTENTS Pag© Introduction________________________________________________________ 1,2 Summary___________________________________________________________ 2-14 Description of operations_____________________________________________14-82 Composition_____________________________________________________ 15-18 Typesetting_________________________________________________ 16 Machine composition_________________________________________16,17 Hand composition____________________________________________17,18 Type founding___________________________________________________18-20 Plate making____________________________________________________20-33 Photo-engraving_________________________ 20-24 Relief photo-engraving____________________________________20-22 Lithographic and offset engraving-----------------------------------22,23 Rotogravure engraving--------------------------------------------------- 24 Stereotyping-,________________________________________________24-28 Electrotyping________________________________________________ 28-30 Wood engraving_____________________________________ 30-31 Copperplate and steel-die engraving---------------------------------------31,32 Other plate-making methods---------------------------------------------------32,33 Presswork_______________________________________________________33-57 Platen presswork------------------------------------------------------------------33-36 Cylinder presswork__________________________________________36-41 Rotary magazine presswork---------------------------------------------------41,42 Rotary newspaper presswork_________________________________42-48 Rotary specialty presswork---------------------------------------------------- 48-50 Lithographic and offset presswork----------------------- 50-52 Plate printing---------------------------------------------------------------------- 52 Die stamping_______________________________________________ 53, 54 Rotogravure printing________________________________________ 54, 55 Bronzing____________________________________________________55,56 Specialty printing methods_______________________ 56,57 Binding_________ :---------------------------------------------------------------------57-80 Paper ruling_________________________________________________58,59 Pamphlet binding____________________________________________59-69 Paper cutting____________________________________________59,60 Folding________________________________________________ 60 Bundling________________________________________________ 60,61 Gathering______________________________________________ 61 Tipping------------------------------------------------------------------------ 61 Stripping_______________________________________________ 62 Stitching_______________________________________________ 62, 63 Covering________________________________________________ 63, 64 Trimming_______________________________________________64-66 Perforating---------------------------------------------------------------------66,67 Punching------------------------------------------------------------------------67,68 Numbering------------------------------------------------------------------- 68 Other operations------ :___________________________________ 68, 69 Bookbinding_________________________________________________69-76 Sewing------------------------------------------------------------------------- 70 Smashing_______________________________________________ 70 Rounding and backing--------------------------------------------------- 71 Lining------------------------------------------------------------------------- 71 Case making____________________________________________71-73 Casing in_______________________________________________73,74 Finishing________________________________________________74-76 Handling stock and waste---------------------------------------------------- 76 Specialty binding methods------------------------------------------------------76-78 Paper seasoning and preparing---------------------------------------------78,79 Mailing______________________________________________________79,80 Ink grinding____________________________________________________80,81 Roller making---------------------------------------------------------------------------81,82 Auxiliary work------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82 v Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis VI CONTENTS Page Housing of printing trade plants_________________________________________82-98 Lighting—natural and artificial_______________________________________ 98-107 Ventilation of buildings and equipment_______________________________ 107-176 Sanitation________________________________ 176-189 Welfare________________________________________________________________189-495 Personnel______________________________________________________________ 195-199 Hazards_______________________________________________________________199-218 Accidents______________________________________________________________ 218-228 Summary of tabulation______________________________________________ 228,229 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS „Facing . page Hand composition-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Machine composition—Line-casting machines__________________________ 18 Machine composition—Monotype keyboards----------------------------------------- 18 Machine composition—Monotype casting machines_____________________ 18 Type founding—Metal mixing department____________________________ 18 Type founding—Type-casting machines----------------------------------------------- 18 Type founding—Type-dressing department_____________ •______________ 18 Type founding—Dividing room______________________________________ 18 Relief photo-engraving— Gallery-------------------------------------------------------- 24 Relief photo-engraving—Etching-------------------------------------------------------- 24 Offset photo-engraving—Transferring_________________________________ 24 Rotogravure photo-engraving—Staging----------------------------------------------- 24 Stereotyping—Molding department----------------------------------------------------- 24 Stereotyping—Foundry--------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Electrotyping—Finishing------------------------------------------------------------------ 24 Copperplate and steel-die engraving--------------------------------------------------- 24 Platen presswork-y-Cylinder presses in background----------------------------- 40 Cylinder presswork—Rotary press in foreground--------------------------------- 40 Rotary magazine presswork--------------------------------------------------------------- 40 Rotary newspaper presswork------------------------------------------------------------- 40 Offset presswork____________________________________________________ 40 Plate printing--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40 Rotogravure presswork______________________________________________ 40 Rotogravure work—Replating of cylinders------------------------------------------ 40 Binding—Paper cutting------------------------------------------------------------------- 68 Pamphlet binding—Stitching^----------------------------------------------------------