Document 2j7rk0MQobr5zVoORO3d3jYk7

FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 1979 July DOC#: NSC499 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: National Safety News - Asbestos-Some Answers National Safety Council Official Occupational Safety and Health Publication HU V 1Q7Q VOLUME 120, NUMBER 1 national safety cover "G etting Your Head Protection T o g e th e r," as pictured on the cover, shows a selection of the types'of protec tive headgear offered to industry. For details on implementing a selection program, see the feature article beginning on. page 41. Cover graph ics by Donald Shelton and Asso ciates. Featured this month: 41 Head Protection Is on Top of Worker Safety --By Edward D. Dionne If the correct hard hat Is selected, it can work -well with other personal protective equipment. 48 How a Hard Hat Is Manufactured and Tested --By John B. Arnaiz departments 51 Asbestos: Some Answers D. 41 4 Future Article Preview Inhaling asbestos can cause lungfeiated diseases. Here are some 6 Off the Wire reports on investigations. 8 Voice of the Reader 12 Coming Events 25 Congress Registration 29 Satetybriets 36 Talk About Fire 38 OSHA-rGram 64 ideas That Worked 66 Off the Job 69 Safetycltps . 86 Wire from Washington 101 Safety Library 56 Modern Substitutes for Ancient'Asbestos 59 Deciphering Carcinogen Regulations --By Ronald A. Lang The American Industrial Health Coun cil proposes an approach for regulat ing cancer-causing substances. 62 Oil-Free Compressed Air Tests Nuclear Power Station Containment Structures. 105 CRISP 107 Newscope 111 Safety Literature 113 Change of Address Card 115 Personnel Directory 117 New Safety Equipment 118 RQBO 128 Reprints 130 Advertisers' index 131 Reader Service Card 71 Metal Saws (Cold Working) -D a ta Sheet 1-584-79. 75 Spotlight on Energy Conservation, Safety, and Health Innovations at Trade Shows 80 / Grounds Maintenance Use of mowers, pesticides, and snow blowers can do the job when basic safety rules are followed. 2 ASBESTOS vs 3293 Some Answers Tiny asbestos fibers inhaled by workers years ago have given rise to lung-related diseases and certain cancers. Now that the problem has been recognized, here are some answers and information on investigations. I n January 1972 the Target Health Hazard Program was initiated by OSHAdministration "to promote the understanding of five haz ardous workplace substances, so that more effective control mea sures might be taken to prevent the occupational diseases or poi soning associated with them." As bestos was one of the substances singlgci out as a.target.health haz ard;'the" others were cotton dust, carbon monoxide, lead, and silica. In the ensuing seven years--con tinuing through several federal administrations--this educational program has continued. Enclosures, local exhaust ventilation, and dust respirators continue to be methods of affording protection in some operations. But since 1972, legisla tion has been enacted setting limits on the amount of air-borne asbes tos fibers permitted in the work place. The following questions and answers and the article, "Modem Substitutes for Ancient Asbestos" (see page 56) update this part of the original Target Health Hazard Program, Two techniques recently devel oped in Britain will facilitate the assessment of air-borne asbestos fibers, more quicklyand more accurately than by current manual counting methods. The rapid moni toring equipment can assess con- ventional samples of air-borne asbestos dust at rates up to 30 per hour, giving digital readout direct in fibers per milliliter of air sam pled. The technique involves ex posing the collected fibers to a magnetic field, while preparing the membrane filter for examina- Editor' s N ote: Material for this article has been adapted from Asbestos Expo sure--What It Means; What to Do, (DHEW Publication No, (NIH) 781594), and Asbestos Exposure--A Desk ' Reference for Communicators, (DHEW ;Publication No. (NIH) 78-1622). (See ; Bibliography), Workers at the Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp, remove asbestos from pipe in a ship undergoing repairs. They are protected from possible expo sure to asbestos fibers by wearing disposable coveralls and hoods made of Tyvek spun-bonded olefin material, as well as respirators, goggles, and rubber gloves. Arm and neck openings are taped dosed. (Photo: Courtesy of DuPont Company). ;7July 1979, NATIONAL SAFETY NEWS 51 tion. This aligns the fibers either from asbestos is less serious, as long parallel or normal to the field. The as ike substance is not disrupted in any sample is then examined under a way. However, the fibers are nearly specified modified microscope (see indestructible. A potential health Figure I), and the light-scatter risk arises whenever asbestos fibers peaks .produced are assessed with are set free, resulting in asbestos the aid of a microprocessor. The dust. second new technique automatical ly detects and counts individual How has asbestos been used asbestos fibers. It also measures in shipyards? the individual length and width of fibers, providing essential infor It has been used extensively to mation for monitoring. The meth cover pipes and surfaces in new od employs a computerized image- construction, repair, and refitting. analysis system (see Figure 2). The Major sources of exposure to as two techniques were developed bestos in shipyards Have been in for Vickers, Ltd., with financial fabrication of asbestos materials support provided by Britain's As- (such as pipe coverings), their in bestosis Research Council. stallation, and their removal during Some Answers repair. Asbestos also has been included * W hat Is asbestos? in insulation materials such as Asbestos is the common name boards, mattresses, and doth for for a 'group of natural minerals engines, hulls, and decks, covering that occur as masses of compact of ventilation and water pipes, or relatively long, silky fibers. Six coatings for cables and electric fibrous minerals, members of a wires, wall boards and tiles, and family called silicates, are'feqog- f'- - ..in putties, caulks, paints, joint fill nized as asbestos: 'chrysotile. (white ers, and cement .products, as "well.. .' asbestos),- actinolite, amosite (brown as in' gaskets, rings, tape, tubing,' asbestos), anthophyllile, croddolile , twine, webbing, washers, and (blue asbestos), tremolite. coated electric wires. Commercially, chrysolite is the most important form of asbestos, How much is used? with most of it used in the U.S, Modern industrial use in the being imported from Canada. All U.S. dates from about 2880, when forms have a tendency to break mining of the Quebec chrysotile into a dust of tiny fibers that can deposits began. Gradual increases float in the air and be inhaled or in the production and use oc swallowed. curred, during the next 50 years,- followed by accelerated use more How is it used? recently. From 1970 to 1975, the Asbestos has been used for thousands of years. It has about 3,000 different uses, with about two-thirds used in the construction industry as various building prod ucts, insulation, friction materials, textiles. Manufactured products amount of asbestos fiber used in the U.S. averaged some 800,000 tons annually, according to the U.S, Bureau of Mines. Amosite from South Africa has been used iri the U.S. in smaller quantities in industries such as shipbuilding, have included reinforced asbestos cement sheets and pipes, patching and taping compounds, floor and Who may be at risk of devel oping asbestos-related diseases? ceiling tiles, paints, coatings, and Workers in many occupations, sealants containing asbestos as particularly in asbestos mining and reinforcing fillers, pipe linings, processing, shipyards, construction, and fillers for various liquids. Fric and in automotive brake lining tion products include clutch facings repair commonly are exposed to and brake linings for automobiles, asbestos, and may inhale or swal-' railroad, cars, airplanes, industrial low dusts contaminated with con machinery, Other uses include centrations of this substance. Risks theater curtains, fire-proof blan of disease due to asbestos exposure kets, filtration materials. have not been defined clearly for Once incorporated into manu all occupational groups known to factured items, the hazard resulting have significant exposure, Firm scientific data are available only for heavily exposed workers em ployed in asbestos mixing, manu facture, and insulation. Over the past several years, evidence has accumulated that asbestos insula tion workers previously employed in shipyards and elsewhere are experiencing asbestosis and ] markedly increased rates of cancer. i Workers who manufactured the ; asbestos insulation materials used i in shipyards also have increased 1 > asbestos-related disease. What diseases may be caused by asbestos? Asbestos can cause asbestosis and certain forms of cancer. Among some groups of workers who were heavily exposed to as bestos, as much as 20 to 25 per cent of all deaths are due to' lung cancer. In the general adult popu lation, about four to*five per cent of all deaths are due to lung can cer. In 'addition,, asbestos-.workers ,are at increased, risk of mesothe- lioma, an otherwise uncommon type of cancer not associated with smoking, and rarely observed in the general population. Aboveaverage rates of cancer of the di gestive system (esophagus, stom ach, colon, rectum) have been found in groups of asbestos workers, W hat is the role of cigaret sm .okjp.gJ_ Asbestos and smoking together produce more lung cancer than either factor acting alone, Some investigators have found that as bestos workers who smoke have a risk of lung cancer eight times that of smokers in the general pop ulation, Cigarette smoking also increases the risk of other types of cancer and disabling lung dis eases (emphysema, bronchitis). Some information suggests that quitting smoking can reduce this extremely high risk in asbestos workers. Although non-smoking asbestos workers have more lung cancer than non-smokers in general, they do not experience the extremely high risk of lung cancer of asbestos workers who smoke. However, they still are at increased risk of other asbestos-induced diseases, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, 52 July 1979, NATIONAL SAFETY NEWS and' gastrointestinal cancers, How does asbestos cause dis ease? . The answer is not known. As bestos fibers too fine to be seen by the human eye become air borne during various industrial processes and are inhaled and sub sequently may be swallowed. Scientists believe that the most harmful fibers are so fine that an electron microscope is needed to see them. Because of their size and 'shape, asbestos fibers can penetrate body tissues. Because of their du rability, they remain in the body for many years after entry, -- o -How much asbestos exposure is hazardous? ~ it th rk- 5re S pop-* ;s S" The answer is not known. In the case of asbestosis and lung cancer, the risk increases with in i creasing amount of exposure. As bestos-induced disease is not likely to appear until; IS to 35,or more years after first exposure'.. The time between first exposure and the appearance of disease appears re lated both to the amount and dura tion of exposure; more intense t . -exposure sometimes results in as i bestos-related disease within IS -, years. However, one study of i, workers in an asbestos plant . showed that some workers who were exposed only a month or two r * have developed asbestos-related diseases many years later. Typical ly, the first 10 to 15 years after . initial exposure are free of signs or symptoms. Early X-ray changes may appear in lung tissue after 10 to 15 years, but may not be accom panied by other significant symp toms. Some investigators have re ported- evidence of impaired lung r function in workers with less than 10 years of exposure to asbestos. it nis s istos >r they ily oestos C/ of es, lioma, W hat specific diseases may i! . ! increase in risk through exposure , to asbestos on the job? S/: Asbestosis--This is a chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath and lung damage. The y disease results from inhalation of J- r asbestos dust; i . cancer--There is a close as.sociation between asbestos expo sure and increased occurrence of U : ;hmg cancer; Figure 1 shows the special micro scope1developed to examine asbes tos fibers, which have been ex posed to a magnetic field in order to align the samples. Figure 2 shows the computerized image analysis system that auto matically detects and counts indi vidual asbestos libers within each sample. 'Mesothelioma--A cancer that in volves the thin membrane lining the chest and abdomen. Most mesotheliomas can be traced to prior asbestos exposure; Other cancers--Several'studies have indicated a link between as bestos exposure and increased occurrence of cancers of the esoph agus (food tube leading to the stomach), colon, stomach, and rec tum. What are the signs and svmp-___ toms of asbestosis? Asbestosis is a chronic lung dis ease whose signs and symptoms result from permanent changes in Jung tissue due to asbestos expo sure. The earliest and most prom inent sign is shortness of breath on exertion. It rarely becomes ap parent until at least a decade after first exposure. The disease process usually has to be rather advanced to produce shortness of breath. A dry, crackling sound (rales], coming from the lungs during inhalation, is the most characteristic physical sign of asbestosis. Clubbing of the fingers is sometimes found, usually later in the disease. A bluish dis coloration of the skin and the lin ing of the mouth and of the tongue also may occur in the later stages of the disease, A physical exam with X-rays will show diffuse scar ring of the lungs as asbestosis de velops, and lung function tests will show impairment of the maximum volume of air a worker can inhale. Does asbestosis lead to lung cancer? Scientists do not believe asbes tosis necessarily leads to lung can cer, but the presence of this dis ease does indicate that a worker received considerable asbestos exposure and has a greater risk of developing asbestos-associ-ated cancers than an unexposed person. Both types of disease can be caused by the same environmental agent, and the development of each may be independent of the other. What are the symptoms of lung cancer? A cough, or a change in cough habit, is found in most lung cancer patients. Chest pain is the second most common symptom. It usually is felt as a persistent ache unre lated to cough and is commonly experienced on the side on which the tumor is located. Bloodstreaked sputum, coughed up from the lungs, is the initial sympton of a small per cent of lung cancers. How is lung cancer diag nosed? NEWS Ifiu iy 1978, NATIONAL SAFETY NEWS 53 Initial diagnosis is by chest X-ray examination, Confirmation is by means of medical procedures such as sputum cytology, or biopsy by means of fiberoptic bronchoscopy, midiastinoscopy, or by thoracoto my. W hat is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is an extremely rare cancer in the general popula tion, but is more common among asbestos workers. It affects the pleura, a membrane lining the chest cavity, or the peritoneum, a similar membrane lining the ab dominal cavity. A large proportion of mesothelioma cases can be traced to prior asbestos exposure. How is mesothelioma detected and diagnosed? The most common first symp toms may be shortness of breath or pain in the wall of the chest, aggravated by deep breathing; or ' abdominal pain, which may. .vary from: vague discomfort to severe spasms. These spasms are some times located in the upper right region of the abdomen. Occasion ally, this pain is accompanied by a need to urinate or defecate. Al though chest X-ray is of some help in diagnosing mesothelioma when it occurs in the lining of the lung, precise diagnosis of this unusual cancer is difficult and requixes an exploratory operation of the chest or abdomen, depending on the patient's symptoms, to provide tissue for microscopic examination. What can be done to treat asbestos-related diseases? Treatment of all diseases and cancer is individually tailored and may include surgery, drugs, radi ation, or combinations of these therapies. Typical treatment in cludes: Asbestosis--Most deaths from asbestosis are due to super-im posed respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis, rath er than to direct effects of the dis ease itself. These infections usually can be treated, but it is important to get medical attention early. Lung and esophageal cancer--Treat ment of these cancers depends on the type and amount of tissue af 54 fected. Lung cancer may be treated by surgery, drugs, radiation, or combinations of these treatments. Esophageal cancer is treated most often with radiation. As with most cancers, the treatment must be tailored to the individual patient. Cancer of the colon and rectum--Sur gery is curative in many cases; early diagnosis increases the like lihood of cure. Methods are avail able to improve the frequency of early diagnosis. Mesothelioma of the pleura or peri toneum--Effective treatment is not yet available. Research is under way in the U.S., Great Britain, and Fiance. Cancer o f the stomach--Detection has been improved by the devel opment of the flexible gastroscope and gastric camera. Treatment usually is by surgery. New treat ment regimens using drugs are improving the outlook for patients with this cancer:- ' Cancers of the kidney, larynx, and oropharynx--Physician awareness of the possibility of occurrence improves chances for early diag nosis. These cancers often can be treated effectively by surgery or radiation therapy. How can current workers pro tect themselves? Employers are required to follow regulations issued by OSHA .deal ing with asbestos exposure on the job, including engineering for the removal and collection of asbestos in the air, and issuance of personal protective equipment. Limits have been set for the amount of asbes tos permitted in the atmosphere. Use all protective equipment, fol low all proscribed work practices and safety procedures your em ployer provides. If you have any questions or are concerned about asbestos exposure in your workplace, discuss the situation with an industrial hygien ist. If necessary, OSHA can give you more information or make an inspection. W hat federal agencies are concerned with the effects of asbestos exposure? The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are conducting or spon soring research on the health haz ards of asbestos, NIOSH, also, is responsible for research on the documentation of hazards, and operates an informa tion service to answer workers' questions about occupational safe ty OSHA regulates worker expo sure, The Environmental Protection Agency .(EPA) is charged with monitoring levels of asbestos in air and water. The Food and Drug Administra tion (FDA), a part of the U.S. De partment of Health, Education and Welfare (DHEW), is concerned with asbestos contamination of foods, drugs, and cosmetics, such as might occur during their manu facturing process. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently has ..banned the use-of asbestos as arti ficial' ash -for ceramic logs in gas burning fireplaces, consumer cloth ing made of untreated asbestos, and the manufacture of dry-wall patching compounds containing asbestos. An Asbestos Subcommittee of the Armed Forces Epidemiology Board has been established and is reviewing programs that might be recommended to the Secretary of Defense concerning asbestos-re lated disease among civilian em ployees of the Armed Forces, as well as veterans and men and women currently in service. Addi tional information is being gath ered to assess the health risks of shipyard workers in various U.S. locations. i Investigators of the Environmen tal Sciences Laboratory, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, and the American Cancer Society are collaborating in a number of stud ies of shipyard workers, funded partly by NIEHS. NIEHS also is sponsoring a study, with partial support from EPA, in rodents on ingestion of asbestos minerals, An educational program for phy sicians and the public is being developed by DHEW in coopera tion with the voluntary health agencies, concerned unions, and the asbestos industry. i July 1979, NATIONAL SAFETY NEWS 1  Will the government provide examinations or treatment, or will the government pay for these? What about insurance .coverage?. . en- nd ;e udi 5 1 Dn phy- ra id Medical services related to as bestos exposure are available through the government only for certain groups of eligible individ uals. In general, medical services are available through non-govern mental doctors and facilities and paid for by the individuals af fected, unless they are covered by ..private, or government health insur ance programs. Check your poli cies. Medicare Will reimburse peo ple with symptoms of asbestosrelated diseases for the costs of appropriate diagnosis and treat ment. Victims of asbestos-related dis ease also may qualify for financial aid, including medical payments, under state worker compensation laws. Eligibility requirements vary from state to state, so contact the .state worker compensation pro,gram in the state where last expo sure occurred. If exposure resulted from em ployment in a federal agency (mil itary or civilian), those affected may be covered for medical ex penses and other compensation by the. Federal Employees' Com pensation Act (FECA), Shipyard private employer em ployees may be covered under the Longshoremen and Harbor Workers Compensation Act. For information about eligibility for these two com pensation programs, contact the U.S. Department of labor, Office of Workers Compensation Pro gram, Employment Standards Ad r ministration, 200 Constitution Ave,, N.W., Washington,-DC 20210. Military and eligible dependents may receive health care at any h'h. Department of Defense medical facility. If no such facility is availC' able within 40 miles of home, care may be obtained at a Veterans h Administration or Public Health : Service hospital, Where no federal facility is available, seek 'care at a `;vj.. civilian facility under the Civilfan Health and Medical Program f t (for the Uniformed Services fV-"'.- (CHAMPUS), Those more than 65 firyears of age must 'obtain medical '"A 9are through Medicare, sf-Jr"former military who believe 'fcthey may have a service-related medical problem, can inquire about care at a Veterans Administration facility or telephone the local Vet erans Administration office. Workers also may wish to con tact their international unions or the Industrial Union or Metal Trades Departments of the AFLCIO, 815 16th St., N.W., Washing ton, DC 20006 for information on other sources of medical help and insurance matters, For information about non-occupational exposure from foods, drugs, .and cosmetic products pos-. sibly contaminated with asbestos particles, write to Consumer In quiries, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, HFJ-10, Rockville, MD 20857. For questions about the potential hazards of commercial products, contact CPSC at (800) 638-2666 or (800) 492-2937. Inquiries about air and water contamination should be made to the Public Information Center, PM215, 401 M St,, S.W., Washington, DC 20460.., -. Cancer Information Services (CIS) offices around the nation provide toll-free telephone answers to questions about cancer and oth er asbestos-related diseases, their causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Check with local tele phone operators for the nearest CIS office. For further information from labor or Industry sources, contact: Labor--international union, or the Industrial Union or Metal Trades Departments of the AFLCIO,. 815-16th Si, N.W., Washing ton, DC 20006; Industry--Asbestos Information Association, North America, 1745 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arling ton, VA 22202. Other sources of information on lung disease, cancer, and how to quit smoking are provided by local offices of the American Lung Association and the American Lung Society. These organizations have offices throughout the United States. S2 BIBLIOGRAPHY Asbestos Exposure--W hat It Means; What to Do, DHEW Publication No. (NIH) 78-1594. National Cancer Insti tute, Bethesda, MD 20014. NEWS ; y.1979, NATIONAL SAFETY NEWS This imprinted polyethylene bag is a workable solution to the problem of labeling asbestos waste, In con formance with OSHAct regulation 1910.1001 (formerly ,93a), and aids in complying with EPA Emission Standard 61.22. (Photo; Courtesy of Nancol Enterprises, Inc.). Asbestos Exposure--A Desk.Reference for Communicators, DHEW Publication No. (NIH) 78-1622. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20014, Standard on Worker Exposure to Asbes tos, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Office of Information, Washington, DC 20210. Cancer and the Warier, New York Academy of Sciences, 2 E. 63rd St., New York 10021. (52). Good Practices Manual, Clearinghouse for Occupational Safety and Health Information, NIOSH, 4667 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati 45226. Sprayed Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buidings, Standards Development Branch, EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 "Asbestos," N ational Safktv N ews, National Safety Council, 444 N. Michi gan Ave., Chicago 60611. Vol, 108, No. 2, August 1973, pp, 54-60. Also available as a reprint; see page 128 of this issue. RECOMMENDED READING USPHS/NIOSH Membrane Filter Method for Evaluating Airborne Asbestos Fibers (NIOSH Report No. 79-127). NIOSH Publications Dissemination, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati 45226. The report describes the recom mended method for sampling and evaluating airborne asbestos fibers. The report details the equipment and procedures for collecting, mounting, sizing, and counting asbestos fibers on cellulose ester membrane filters for the evaluation of personal samples. 55