Workers operating a linotype machine, Hygiene of the Printing Trades, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1917
Courtesy U.S. National Library of Medicine
Industrial health pioneer Alice Hamilton published investigative reports about the dangers of lead poisoning faced by workers in several industries. Among the dangerous trades highlighted was printing.
Printers used lead-based metal type. With bare hands, workers manipulated individual “slugs” or pieces of metal used for spacing. Workers were exposed to lead dust and fumes created by the printing machines.
