Document 10YVDOd9qx6a5G3Evp3YKw46a

t i bn l oltc- ur n\ : , Ti r. IT.T & ;j*:t MEMO FOR RECORD Jon L. KoQ7.es, M,BC BEPdIN ASBESTOS EXPOSURE Cola December 11, 1970 cc: G.> E0 Devitt - Towar 11 Th s neao ia intended to summarize what is known to date concerning the seepc of asneetc3 exposure at the Berlin, New Jersey, plant, the possible health ef ecta on the workers, the stage of in-plant environmental control, other as.. essmants of the physical condition of exposed workers, disposition of wckere who demonstrate physicei findings compatible with excessivj arhestes ex; esure and interim measures- of exposure control until good envirot.-cer.--.aI cc; trol can be achieved throughout* the plant- Pe. iodic chest x-rays made over the years when read as individual films ec cot te d to demoactrate excessive asbestos exposure. Li'its cl environmental sampling studies performed by the iniurmco carri. r de- -one? rated at bent a borderline exroeurva to all dust. including, a .bcs-o:. c. we..l ar other ingredients in lCayio- In September 19G3, private industrial hygiene consultant carried on*; a sor-.-f of tha in-plant atmosphere> 'At th? seme time he did eir pollution studies, Th recult cf this sanpling study using impinger techniques did ncr ccnonetrat a ; efious dust exposure except at the batch mix araa. the' sawing stations cn th. integrated sat: line anc the band sac* operatic! -The iepinger teemioubs icallj- samples for all dust which was th* accepted method at the tim.-. t al bough people realized the weakness of this syatemc At that tinr-e it wa rs onaanded that employees in these araes should weal- ar. appropriate dust re.-pirator. In February 1S69, a meting was held at the Berlin plant with roprusentat.j of the Medical Service, Environmental Control, Plant Management, Plant ir.jine* ring- Toledo Engineering, the Industrial Hygiene Consultant and Ventila-ics.: En; ineers froc- Jchns-Mauvillc Tha ventilation raquirements were extensive... r-a iewrd on site and rscommendations ar to control, methods were discuns..:' at la. gth- In June 1969, tha same industrial hygiene consultant again surveyed the inplint atmosphere ana sampled both by the older inpinger technique as wall -; by a limited number of samples taken using tha "naw" membrane filter method. Th; membrane filter technique checks for actual fibers, and this i:- ho^ the he; 1th guideline is new set It tends to ba mora specific for asbistos tna\ tiv ole "inpinger" method. The- result? cf this sampling again suggested cr.:. f* ii i * j j ; PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT 05ti Zd-ot i 04 003 0615 PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT \ Eerl Ln Asbestos Exposure 2 December II, 1370 isolated excessive exposure locations end personal protective devices vers reccuaended for those areas- In /ugu3t 1369, three possible cases of asb3tosis wore investigated and veil docunented by a physician experienced in chest diseases. The result of t ieee work-ups demonstrated asbestoeis in cue individual. Previously, the only known case of asbestosis in the Berlin plant was.in a nan with a very atopical expoeure. -- The oeriodic x-raya taken during 1969 which demonstrated abnormalities', as read by the local Berlin radiologist, were forwarded for review by another x-r? consultant at the School of Public Health, University of Michigan. Frier* to this, for a number of years they hsve bean read by the Institute cf Indvitrinl Health, University of Michigan. The results of these x-rays wer-t reported in February 1970, and suggested an increased frequency of somewhat nooipecific findings which, in itself, could not mils out possible pulmcnrry chanrqs from asbestos exposure The film), approximately forty in number, deco >3trated approximately nine films which were cctrpatibi.6 with ashestet over -esiposurs... '*' - -*?. An a jidesiological study bac&d on the x-ray readings to date, suggest an incr lased incidence of radiological pulmonary changes in employees exposed to the *acufacturing sreas of the plant. Similar charges were not noted in unc?>o&d employee a. * - A cc iprehensiva industrial hygiene study by an independent industrial hygiene consrlting firm (not the original industrial hygiene consultant), in July 197C, demonstrated several additional areas of excessive asbestos exposure This study also evaluated tha partially completed dust ventilation system zl-d rose man dad improvements- An s rocult cf meetings held in 1S6S end 1965 with the Industrial Hygiene Consultant, members of the Johns-ManviUc Ventilation Group, our Corporate Er.gi leering r Plant Engineering and PImt Management, it was expected that sati ifactory in-plant environmental control baaed cn the old threshold lirdt valu: nt 12 fibers/c=, greeter than 5 microns in length would be attained by eari ' 1970. Completion of thia work was delayed and therefore tha extar.sivi induJtrial hygiene survey which was planned for April 1970, was also put off. It. J ms 1970 , after it was leeraad that the threshold limit value we? to be lowe -*ed to 5 fibers/cc, greater than 5 microns lnllength, coupled with the nxadi ial evidence of possible pulmonary changes from excessive asbestos exposuiu, e co jprehansive industrial hygiene survey evaluation of the ventilation inrt llled to that tin* was carried out. It was felt that this evaluation would assi ;t in determining if the proposed and partly inetalled ventilation system woul 1 be adequate to meet tha needs of the new threshold limit value. It would 01 003 0816 / Berlin Aabegtog Exposure 3 December 11, 1970 alac permit uz to jdeteraine if persocal protective manures would'be required until total environments! control was achieved within the plant. Thin was the industrial hygiene survey that demonstrated the additional exposure hazard from asbestos- A renting in July at the plant attended by Plant Management f Plant Engineering., Toledo Engineeringt Corporate Environmental Control and Corporate Medical determined that in-plant environmental control which would mast the new critsi.'.-: could be achieved by late 1970 or early 1971- Medical evaluation based on tn? exposure levels, length of tine it would take to install an effective compre hensive respirator progran and the personnel problems generated by such a program0 dictated the best course of action would be not to install the respirator program but to complete the ventilation work already vtart6d. The arson would.then be sampled upon completion of the installation to determine compliance with the standard of five fibers per milliliter^ 4 In those areas where the engineering was in proce , .the design was to bs reevaluated baaed on the requirements of the new threshold limit value. In work locations which had been newly identified as excessive asbestos exposure areast assessment by plant end corporate engineering was tc be--erPifi. out to determine the necessary ventilation, cost and timing to control the exposure In mid-October, a progress meeting was held and included representatives from Corporata Qjginearicg, Plant Management, Plant Engineering, and Medical Scrvic; At this meeting the revised sccpu fer the ventilation system and its cost v*.revitwed. It was determined that the plant would request $30,000 fc-r advanced engineering rr.cr.ey in order to get the project moving. The actual request w*? for $29,000 but this waa not approved at the group level A subsequent review by Messrs. Peck end Grant requested a review with con siderations for possible cost reduction Paul Scheucrle wan requested to develop a priority for possible changes in operstion which would eliminate soma of the dust producing conditions and also to establish a priority in whir.: changcg could be made, as wall as a step-wise procedure for installing the necessary control equipment- Hr. Scheuerle attempted to carry out this raqu'-t : It has been suggested that one pouring line be phased out- Ir. the event thz~ additional production capacity would be needed, they would activate the 3 pouring line which is equipped with some control equipment, Humber 3 pourin' line has never been sampled sine* it was never in operation during any of th sampling periods. In early November, Hr, Devitt reviewed the step-vise procedure proposed and does not feel that this step *vide method of control will satisfactorily prev^ ; n r. 04 003 0617 Bar -_Lr. Asbestos Ejcdqsuts 4 Da camber- 11, 1970 e undue exposure to ouruwor4(flri1 It is his professional judgement that the er.t Lrs package of proposed changes must be installed if control is tc be achieved in S' reasonable tine period- It aas now been determined that if the fund* were immediately allocated, it still would require nine to twelve months to complete the installation of the entire package. At this time"all of the ventilation control equipment proposed and funded J.n 1969e has been installed with the exception of those areas which ware put on nold when it was determined that they.could not possibly meat the require-.'; con :rol parameters;, __ Shortly after .-the first of the year, Mr, Devitt and I will-go to Berlin and review location by location the asbestos exposure and will U3 as guideline:: the July 1970 sampling study for operations which have not changed appreciably In-^rear where it is believed that better cactrol has been achieved^ Hr, Devitt will carry out new sampling studies. Areas which heve been cha::g.. i because of plant alterations and new processes will be sampled again. Os tl. basis of this sampling we will recommend to plant and higher management that a personal respirator program be installed in areas which demonstrate excessive exposure, It is understood such a program will require mandatory wearing of respiratory protection which will be vigorously enforced by plant management. Also, this respirator program will hava to be supported by an effective respirator maintenance program- Such a program may require the part-time services of one individual who will care for end service the respirators, Thi i respirator program-is to be only an interim measure to protect the health of individuals working in asbestos exposure end should in no way influence the vigorous activity necessary to install good industrial hygiene ventiletfr con:roi. In- ilant monitoring of personnel by the plant physician on n yearly basis mus : be continued and expanded. In these cases where the yearly evaluaxicie outside the scope of the plant physician such individuals should be care fully worked up by a chest physician and his recommendations foHomed. The annual chest x-rays, in addition to be read by the local radiologist, cru to me sent to Dr, George Wright in Cleveland, who will read the- films using an in to re at ion al pnemoconiosi* classification.. It must be remembered that sue i a surveillance program is "after the fact" for- the individual concerned but serves as a warning sign if positive cases art- noted. It also will per ait a prompt recognition and appropriate handling of any cases which art dis covered. * JLK onzen :mgTa 12-11-70 04 003 0618 William R. Bradley and Associates 18 GREEN STREET NEWARK, N. J. 07102 01 003 0619