Document 0q0Vpk83kJzVODV8on19ZG6zb

lojMie, cn MM CNO)DtM>. IMSCW C WtTt WO nxao< 24 iW0haloauouuts Legal Section Industrial Commission of Ohio 246 North High Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 Attention: Judy Spencer RE: John Herald, OD 192112 Koppers Co. Inc. Koppers Building Pittsburg, PA 15219 John Herald, OD 192113 Wepco Construction Services 3400 Independence Road Cleveland, oh John Herald, OD 19211s Pollock Co. 913 North River Ave. Youngstown, OH 44503 Dear Ms. Spencer: As requested, an industrial hygiene evaluation was conducted of Mr. Herald's occupational disease claims. The evaluation consisted of a review of the facsimile file, pertinent industrial hygiene literature and visits or phone calls to the companies concerned. The claimant was also contacted by telephone on July 15,1988. The claimant has alleged that exposure to asbestos caused asbestosis. According to the facsimile file, Myron Friedlander, M.D. diagnosed simple pneumoconiosis, secondary to silica dust after examining the claimant. The claimant was employed by numerous contractors throughout the eastern United States from 1946 until 1985. He worked primarily as a bricklayer on the rebuild of steel mill blast furnaces, stoves, and coke ovens. This involved laying and cutting silica SC-BE-27050 John Herald OD192112 OD192113 OD192115 Page 2 and fire bricks and the use before the aid-1970's of asbestos wool and asbestos paper. According to the claimant, asbestos was used is coke oven repairs to insulate the workers from the intense heat of the coke ovens. work History with Koppers Company ' Koppers Company, based in Pittsburg, designed, engineered and built coke, basic oxygen, and blast furnaces in this country and worldwide. Mr. Herald was employed by the Koppers Engineering Construction Division. The former Controller of the Koppers Engineering Construction Division, George Tanahill, was contacted by telephone. He remembered the claimant working for Koppers for many years and in many locations in several states. According to the claimant, he worked for Koppers three months in 1943 and four months in 1949 in Ohio repairing coke ovens. He also worked for Koppers for nine and a half months in 1975, two months in 1976, and nine months in 1978 building new coke ovens in Ohio. Therefore, the claimant worked for Koppers in Ohio for a total of two years and four months. The claimant reported working for Koppers an additional twelve years in other states during his career, work records from the company were not available. Mr. Tanahill described the claimant as a bricklayer who came up through the ranks to become a foreman and general masonry superintendent on many projects. According to Mr. Tanahill, the claimant was exposed to everything the workers under his direction were exposed to. This included asbestos rope used as insu^ition around joints in ovens and asbestos blankets used for insulation while working in hot ovens. The claimant frequently sawed bricks using a hi-6peed circular saw with a water spray to reduce the dust. In Mr. Tanahill's opinion, the claimant was exposed to brick dust on a routine basis, while asbestos was used less frequently. Respirators were not worn by Koppers employees until mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1972. work History with Wepco Construction Services Inc. Wepco construction Services Inc. performed coke oven, blast furnace, and boiler repairs and new coke oven and blast lurnace construction for the steel industry. On May 11, 1988 the general foreman of wepco Construction services, Inc. was interviewed. Company records showed the claimant worked for Wepco from 6/21/84 until 11/23/84, 2/13/85 until 2/20/85, 3/11/85 until 3/22/85, and 9/30/85 until 10/11/85. This was a total of approximately six months working as a brick layer superintendent on a coke oven rebuilding project. Both the claimant and general foreman agreed no new asbestos was used in this project although it was possible some was removed during the repair. Respirators were available and required in the vicinity of the coke ovens. According to the general foreman, ceramic wool was used for insulation from the heat rather than 3 John Herald OD192112 OD192U3 OD192115 Page 3 asbestos. Silica bricks were used for repair of the coke oven walls. The general foreman remembered the claimant as a "hands-on" type of foreman. work History with Pollock Company . According to the December 7, 1983 issue of the Youngstown Vindicator newspaper, the Pollock company closed in December of 1983. The company performed construction services, machinery installation, installation of laddies, hot metal cars, and heavy weldments for the steel industry. No additional information about the company or the claimant's work history was available. According to Mr. Herald, he worked in Ohio for Pollock Co. two months in 1930 and six months in 1984 repairing blast furnaces. In addition his records indicate he worked two months in 1982 repairing coke ovens. The claimant Indicated all these Jobs involved supervision of bricklayers involved in masonry work. Asbestos!s Asbestos fibers enter the body by Inhalation and ingestion. The fibers are retained in the tissues of the host long after cessation of exposure. Fibers may migrate to other organs following ingestion or deposition in the lung. Asbestosis and some cancers are associated with exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestosis is a progressive restrictive pulmonary fibrosis. The disease process often continues even after exposure to asbestos has ended. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the onset of asbestosis is usually gradual, developing over a period of 10-30 years of exposure to significant concentrations of asbestos. (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, A Guide to the Work-Relatedness of Disease, 1979.) Malignancies associated with asbestos exposures include carcinomas of the lung; mesotheliomas of the pleura and peritonium; and neoplasms of other sites. Asbestos has a synergistic effect with cigarette smoking in producing carcinoma of the lung. Asbestos workers who are smokers have a much greater risk of developing lung cancer than non-smoking asbertos workers. A study of asbestos insulators by Hammond and Selikoff showed that nearly all cancers occurred in cigarette smokers. (Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values, Fifth Edition, American conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 1986.) : Silicosis Silicosis is a disease caused by the inhalation of dust containing crystalline free silica. This disease is a form of pneumoconiosis characterized by the formation of small, discrete, fibrous nodules in the lung. However, even at the stage of nodular silicosis, there usually are no accompanying symptoms and no detectable evidence of primary or overall physical impairment (simple silicosis), when the nodulatlons become larger, when conglomeration occurs, or when fibrosis progresses further, recognizable cardiopulmonary impairment tends to occur (complicated silicosis). silicosis is a disabling, progressive, and sometimes fatal pulmonary fibrosis. Chronic silicosis occurs after exposure to silica dusts over a period of 20 to 45 years ("Silicosis" in Occupational Respiratory Diseases, National Institute for occupa tional Safety and Health, pp. 219-237, 1986.) Symptoms Include cough, dyspnea, wheezing, repeated non-specific chest illnesses, and a decreased capacity to work. After dust exposure ceases, there usually i3 a continuing progression of symptoms and impair ment of pulmonary function. That is, the clinical signs and symptoms tend to be progressive with or without continued exposure to quantities of dust containing free silica. While there is a factor of individual susceptibility to a given silica dust exposure, the risk of onset and rate of progression of the pulmonary lesion Is related to the dust concentration and duration of exposure. (Proctor and Hughes, Chemical Hazards of the Workplace, 1978, p. 441.) . In summary, Mr. Herald worked approximately 37 years in many states and for many different employers. He was exposed to and probably inhaled asbestos fibers during the 40's, 50's and 60's when asbestos was used in coke ovens and blast furnaces. Since he has not been diagnosed with asbestosls but rather pneumoconiosis secondary to silica dust, it. seems more reasonable to focus on silica exposure. He wa6 exposed to unknown concentrations of silica dust over his entire career as a bricklayer. Mr. Herald worked for Koppers Company longer than any other single company according to his records. However, it is impossible to pick one specific employment period as an event that could induce asbestosis or silicosis. Because of the lengthy onset time of asbestosis and silicosis, it is difficult to establish the exposures that would have caused Mr. Herald's diagnosed silicosis. sincerely. Gary Swinehart Industrial Hygienist CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY I certify that the microphotographics on this roll of film or microfiche are true and accurate pro ductions of records generated by or received by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, an agency of the State of Ohio, as required by Ohio Revised Code Section 4123.52 and Section 9.01 which require optimum protection from hazards of accidental destruction of records. It is further certified that the photographic processes used for microfilming the above records were accomplished in a manner and on microfilm which meets the requirements of the National Bureau of Standards for permanent photographic copy. the undersigned, an employee of the Bureau of Workers' Com- nsation. do hereby certify that the microfilm images on this reel of microfilm or microfiche are complete and accurate reproductions of the original records of the SUPSTY as accumulated during the regular course of business, and that it is the established procedure of this department to microfilm its records for permanent file and to dispose of the original records after microfilm reproductions have been made. CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY I cenily that the micropriotoyr jphics on this roll ul him or rnicroliche uru truu and accurate pro ductions of records rjcneroled Dy or received try the Ohio bureau Ol Wurkeis' Compensation, oil ayency ul mo State ol Ohio. as required Oy Ofuo Revised Code Sec lion 4123.52 and Section 9.01 vvluch rebuilt) optimum protection Irotn heralds ol accidental destruction ol records. It is further certified that the plioioijraphic processes used tor nncrolilrniriy the jOOvo records were accomplished in j manner and on iincrohlrr. which meets the requnomeius Ol the National Bureau ol Standards lor permanent photnyrjphic copy. Oalu K ilmud