hazards associated with the men's apparel industry were surveyed on may 9, 1974, at lady manhattan shirt company (sic-2331) in salisbury, maryland. the company employed 30 cutters, 240 stitchers and 35 finishers. a physician was available for emergencies, and all supervisors received first aid training. no industrial hygiene program existed. materials used were cotton, cotton blends, and various synthetic fibers. ventilation was provided by an air conditioning system. hot wires were used to melt synthetic knit material, and a solvent of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and ethylene-dichloride was used for spot removal. gloves were not used during spot cleaning procedures, and ventilation appeared to be inadequate. noise levels ranged from 74 to 92 decibels, and lighting levels were 60 to 500 foot candles. the author recommends evaluation of worker exposures to thermal decomposition products of synthetic knit materials, use of gloves and provision of adequate ventilation during spot cleaning operations, noise dosimetry studies and audiometric testing of workers exposed to noise levels greater than 85 decibels, measurement of airborne solvent concentrations, characterization of thermal decomposition products from synthetic fibers, and analysis of airborne dust and lint