Document 2NR10mrGdyp5jZaBLGZdRqYLb

FILE NAME: Kaiser Gypsum (KG) DATE: 1974 Mar 1 DOC#: KG028 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo RE Dust from Joint Compound Job Operations with Summary of Gypsum Association Reports KAISER GYPSUM COMPANY, INC. To G. 3. K irk A t Oakland INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM LSK*h C O F(CS TO 3U B JC C T J . W. Blewett (via G3K) T. Y. Smith H. L. Weight,nan A. F. Railaeli.1________ DUST .FROM JOINT CCMPCUND JOB OPERATIONS FL 4 .1 .0 00022 We have received a group of three reports from the Gypsum Association `covering amounts of asbestos and siliceo u s dusts generated during miring and sanding of joint compounds on ty p ical jobs. The ov erall summary by the testin g agency sta te s, "There was evidence of exposure of workers to airborne concentrations of asbestos and both total and respirab le siliceou s dust in excess of acceptable lim its as estab lished by CSHA. Because cf the high concentrations of to tal dust gener ated curing the mixing and sanding a c t iv it ie s , it i s clear that control of the t o t a l dust problem would provide an inherent control cf the asso ciated asbestos and silic a problems as w ell." The f i r s t report deals with dry and premix products from the other five major gypsum companies, with ~GC m aterials not included. The dust sam p les collected were so heavy that re lia b le test3 fo r asbestos could not be made, and only siliceou s dust values are reported. The second report covers a recheck using dry and premix products from two 'cf the above companies on silic e o u s dust values. The third report covers asbestos dust from the products used for the second repo rt. \ summary of the te st data is attached. Also attached is a summary of our own t e s t s on our own products. m ACTION SZCUIRZD: 1) Review and recommendation a% to whether asbestos warning labels may legitim ately be removed from our premix products. The law states that "no lab el is required where asbestos fib ers have been modified by a bending agent, coating, binder or other material so that during any reasonably foreseeable u se, no airborne concentrations of asbes tos fib e rs in excess of the prescribed exposure lim its w ill be r e le a se d .1' Our company is the only major company carrying the asbes tos warning on it s premix and i t is costing us business. 2) Reccmmer.dation as to company's position on what is next step to be taler, by the Gypsum Association Study Committee on this project. That committee is already cn record in favor of placing the asbestos warning and a dust warning on a l l bags and p a ils cf joint ccmocund . JSS/sc Attachment PLAINTIFF'S I EXHIBIT ip I I '4-21 M PLTF 0495 SUMMARY OF GYPSUM ASSOCIATION REPORTS m s . RTPCr" September 1973 t e s t s - Siliceo u s Dusts (asbestos dust data not re lia b le ) Mixing o f 5 dry powder join t compounds (not including K aiser) Worker exposure (breathing zone): 8 hr TWA OSHA lim it *-* T otal dust - S.9 to 21.6 mg/cu m Respirable dust - 1.3 to 5.1 zg/cu a * General araa exposure: T otal dust - 10.8 to 34.0 mg/cu m Respirable dust - 0.8 to 2.6 mg/cu m 3.1 to 9.7 * Sanding o f jo in ts from 5 dry powders and 5 premixes Worker exposure (breathing zone): T otal dust - 72.5 to 244.4 mg/cu m Respirable dust - 1.5 to 5.6 mg/cu m 2.L to 15.0 * General area exposure: T otal dust - 27.7 to 136.7 mg/cu a 4.0 to 15.0 Respirable dust - 4,4 to 23.0 mg/cu m 0.7 to 5.0 * net c a lc u la b le because samples too small to analyze fo r free s i l i c a content needed fo r the c a lc u la tio n . Respirable du sts are sp e c ific siz e fraction s of the to ta l dust. *-* The OoHA lim it amounts vary because they are dependent on the amount cf s il ic a present. * ffOTnS: 1) There yas no sig n ific a n t differen ce among dust le v e ls generated by sendin Jo in ts which used dry powder compounds versus those which used premix com pounds. 2) No one manufacturer*s product was sig n ific a n tly c lo se r to complying with OSHA Limits than were the oth ers. 3) I t is said that the individual worker i s unlikely to have more than 2 hrs. d ire c t exposure to mixing or sanding each workday. PLTF 0496 SuMlJLRY Or GYPSUM AScOClATION REPORTS SSSSL2- PORT November 1973 t e s t s - Siliceous Dusts Mixing of two dry powder joint compounds Worker exposure (breathing zone): 8 hr TWA OSEA Limit Total dust - 11.7 and 33*8 mg/cu m Respirable dust - <8.5 and 6.9 mg/cu m General area exposure: Total dust - 121.6 and 92.3 mg/cu m 6.7 and 5.4 Respirable dust - 13.8 and 12.2 mg/cu m Sanding of jo in ts from 2 dry powders 1.3 and * m Worker exposure (breathing zone): Total dust - 1G'9.5 and 196.3 mg/cu m rm-3 8.8 and 5.C Respirable dust - 3.3 and 2.0 mg/cu m General area exposure: Total dust - 96.4 and 76.5 mg/cu m 8.3 and 4.0 Respirable dust - 14.6 and 7.6 mg/cu m 3.3 and 1.9 Sanding of jo in ts from 2 premixes Worker exposure (breathing zone) : Total dust - 69.2 and 87.3 mg/cu m 9.4 and 10.0 1 Respirable dust 3 . 9 and 6.4 mg/cu m f| General area exposure: W Total dust - 54.9 and 91.3 mg/cu m Resoirable dust 4 . 9 and 7.9 i 5.6 and 1.5 * and 3.1 * Not calcu lab le because samples too sm all to analyze for free s ilic a content needed for the calcu lation . * * The OSEA lim it amounts vary because they are dependent on the amount of silic a present. i N-CIZ: 1) I t i s said that the individual worker is unlikely to have more than 2 hrs. direct exposure to mixing or sanding each workday. li PLTF 0497 SlMAF.Y OF CYrgJM ASSOCIATION HZPCbTS THT?D FgPOPT November 1973 te st3 - Asbestos Dust (fib e rs longer than 5 micrometers) OSHA. Standard - continuous exposure 5 fibers/cc OSHA Standard - peak exposure 10 fibers/cc Worker exposure (breathing zone): Mixing: 1 st dry compound 2nd dry compound Sanding: 1 st dry compound 2nd dry compound 1 st premix 2nd premix 10 min. sanrole3 avg ---- 4 .A fibers/cc 4.2 10.8 31.4 fibers/cc 7.6 fibers/cc 30 min, samples aliquoted 4 redeposited 39.4 fibers/cc 14.8 11.1 9.7 6 o f 13 sanding te s ts (10 min. samples) indicated concentrations in excess of 5 fibers. 2 o f 13 sanding te sts (10 min. samples) Indicated concentrations in excess o f 10 fib e rs. NOTH; l) I t i s said th at the individual worker i s u n likely to have more than 2 hrs. d ir e c t exposure to mixing or sanding each workday. PLTF0498 RESULTE OF TZST WITH KCC COMPOUNDS 3Y UNION C.JLEIDE Asbestos Eust (fib e rs longer than 5 micrometers) Worker exposure (breathing zone): Mixing Joint compound with d r ill m ix Mixing finishing compound with potato masher Sending joint donewith Premix Topping Sanding joint donewith Premix IXial Purpose Sanding join t donewith Finishing Compound fibers/cc 54.6 66,5 .3 1.1 2.8 NOTE: Since in no case the sampling time was longer than 2 minutes, these dataashould be used only as general guides to indicate gross relativ e differences. PLTF 0499