Document 4RYOaGELbbLX68xRMNkkKEGQ

FILE NAME DuPont DUP DATE 1970 Feb 2 DOC DUP105 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Memo from James F. Morgan Consultant Industrial Hygiene RE Asbestos Dust Inhalation & Mesothelioma 0049 February 2 1970 C. L. DICKINSON JR 5. M. HIRSTY P. R. JOHNSON D. B. FORMAB A. F. CHADDICK 11. F. P.CKEN A. D. NASELOW 1. F. PEAKE R. W. LUCKENBAUGH D. SANTMYERS J. L. QUINN C. W. MAYNARD A. B. JENNINGS E. GONICK P. D. GRAIIAN JR J. MITCHELL JR C. T. HANDY CENTRAL RESEARCH ELASTOMERS ELASTOMERS BLASTOMERS ELECTROCHEMICALS EXPLOSIVES . FABRICS & FINISHES FILM INDUSTRIAL & BIOCHEMICALS INDUSTRIAL& DIOCHEMICALS INDUSTRIAL & BIOCHEMICALS ORGANIC CHEMICALS PHOTO PRODUCTS - PIGMENTS PIGMENT'S PLASTICS TEXTILE FIBERS ASBESTOS DUST INHALATION INHALATION Attached to this letter is a proposal for a Company Conference to discuss the health effects of inhalation of asbestos and the means of measuring and controlling the hazards This letter is an invitation to you to attend the conference and to arrange for attendance by all persons in your department who have a noud to know about these matters There are several reasons for arranging this conference at this time The following quotation illustrates the concern that exists in industrial medical circles 1 With the increasing use and indispensability of asbestos minerals there has come realization of some very real hazards that must be better defined and controlled Prosont standards for dust control do not appear adequate to prevent asbestosis over a working lifetime and many segments of industry aggressively attacking the problem hava aliundlaliuyndly Buan using moru riyonop plandanda Thie amoocial fona bolidon asbouton minerals and malignanelou Ashustos to 1 as Hazard Health Pact and Speculation W. C. Cooper Arch Environmental Health 15 205-390 Supt 1907 \ ASBESTOS DUST INHALATION February 2 1970 i Page 2 0050 of the lungs pleura and peritoneum have become increasingly convincing Current offorts must be directed toward better definition of the importance of type size of fiber and the importance of factors As you well appreciate asbestos and asbestos products aro widely used within the Du Pont Company There has been a lack of a unified program for the appraisal of dustiness and for controlling the inhalation of asbestos Now there is an increased interest on the part of governmental agencies in all aspects of occupational health and safety Last year now regulations wore published under the Healey Public Contracts het and a part of these regulations includes the adoption of the limics for concentration of asbestos dust in the air In addition to this action there was proposed in Congress during the last session that a federal not should regulate the amounts of contaminants that occur in the air in work places This Logislation failed of passage but undoubtedly will come again before Congress and it is anticipated by persons in the health protection field that there will be federal legislation Concerning the widespread use of asbestos in the Du Pont Company it is a fact that in chemical processing asbestos is almost ubiquitous It occurs in insulation for vessels and pipelines In the past and continuing to the present asbestos has been a commonly used insulating material Insu- lating material that is purchased is fabricated within shops on Du Pont plants is installed and eventually is removed Removal of old insulation as in demolition may present a risk of encountering types of asbestos that are not commonly used today including crocidolice which is acknowledged to be particularly dangerous with respect to the causation of mesothelioma a type of cancer Besides its use in insulating material asbestos is also purchased and used as an additive X material to perform special functions in some products Attendance at the Conference will not be limited in numbers provided you will inform us in advance of the numbers from your department who will attend so that arrangements may ; be made It is anticipated that in arranging the Conference scientists for the program there will be some expenses involved and in obtaining the best possible Haskell Laboratory will have to ask that the costs be borne by the departments sending participants in a manner similar to the registration foes for any professional conference ASBESTOS DUSTIN IH NA HL ALAATTI IO ON N - February 2 Page 3 0051 In deciding upon participation bywhorenpereedssenttaothiavevse oafgoyooudr dopartment we would urge that unyone and how to handle it in order to understanding of this problem and plants should fulfill the obligations of the departments have an opportunity to attend attention be given to this It is requested that prompt have the names of prospec- matter so that in thirty days we may chosen yet but we expect A date has not been than sixty days from tive attendeeshold the Conference no more to arrange to it can be fixed as soon as now The date will be given you ORIGINAL SIGNED BY JAMES F. MORGAN JAMES F. MORGAN CONSULTANT INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE JFM Attachument