Document 10ad8Eaejad1r0YB1vK9OXKKX

FILE NAME: Ford (FD) DATE: 1973 & 1977 DOC#: FD140 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memos - Health Hazards Relating to Brake Lining Repair & Vehicle Brake Rebuilding The sticky note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following this one along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an /.f Inter O ffice Cor Product Development Group To: cc: Subject: C. R. Barbour November 1 5 , 1977 G. 3. Amber P. E. Toth Health Hazards Relating to Brake Lining Repair In August I 973 the attached le tte r was directed to General Services Garage areas informing them of procedures in minimizing airborne asbestos in vehicle brake rebuilding and inspection operations. A study concerning asbestos ex posure of garage mechanics during brake lin in g maintenance, conducted by Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in 1975 concluded that airborne fiber concentration frequently exceeded the current regulated lim its . I t was found that asbestos fib ers blown into the atmosphere by air blasts used to clean brake parts was the major contributor, .and that areas remote from the actual cleaning contained unacceptable asbestos le v e ls. These findings convinced NIOSH (National In s ti tute for Occupational Safety and Health) to recently award a $l50,060 contract to Mt. Sinai to determine the health hazards associated with exposure to asbes tos in these operations. Concurrently a $64,522 contract was le t to Texas AiM Research Foundation to determine and document the collection efficien cy of in dustrial vacuum units and techniques fo r disposal of asbestos waste in brake and clutch servicing industries. In view of the previous results and the ongoing studies, and previous Ford action in this area (see Maintenance Bulletin 137 attached) garage areas within Car Engineering are reminded that the exposure of employees to airborne asbestos should be limited by re strictin g the use or location of air blast cleaning of brake parts or assemblies. In addition, a l l garage areas are to plan fo r com plete elimination of this practice and replacement by vacuum or other methods to eliminate airborne asbestos hazards. Future developments relating to the study w ill be transmitted upon receipt to a l l affected operations. Attachments: { ' CC i<T' W. A.'/W ering''/^ 004122 PRODUCED BY FORD i Intar Olilca Perionnel and Organization Stall August 3r 1973 To Messrs. L. II. Albrunt J . II. Barton C . E . Brace It . D . Byrum A. W. Carper:ter J . C. Childers C. E. Delbert D. B. Dishon N. G . Green W. L . I k iii J . A. Keller T . L. Kopkc F . G . Manning R . J . Manlhey W. J . P ic c o lo C . M. Waretiam Subject: Vehicle Brake Rebuilding Recent industrial hygiene studies have demonstrated overexiiosure to asbestos fib e r in a ir during certain vehicle brake rebuilding and inspection operations. Overexposure occurred when brakes and biakc drums were cleaned using compressed a ir b lo v o ff. In order to preclude overexposure to asbestos fib e r in a ir,, the following procedure is recuinmcndcd: . . Vehicle brakes and brake drums sh a ll be cleaned using an industrial type vacuum cleaner with a filt e r in g system e ffic ie n t to a three micron p a rticle s iz e . Under no cire-urnstances s h a ll copipressed air blovoff be used to clean brakes and brake drums. , . Disposal of asbestos laden dust from the vacuum sh all be done by vet methods of dust suppression or the employe performing the operation ' shall use a respirator specified by the U .5. Bureau of Mines ior pneumoconiosis producing dust under approvals 21C and Schedule 21. Apprcwal 21C s p e c ifie s single use respirators approved for pneumo coniosis producing dusts. . Disposal of asbestos laden waste from the vacuum cleaner shall be l.n sealed containers labeled per subparagraph g and h, Federal Register 1910.93(a), pages 221^3 and 22144 (OSIIA). cc: D. L . Block, M.D R. F. B irdcall F . J . Dory D. A. Crcschav R . L . Wabeke P a u l E . T'u th , S u p e rv is o r In d u s t r ia l Hygiene Sectio n 004123 FRODUCED BY FOPD