Document 4vb5d4aoMDO1gNwMZYbd3dE7p

FILE NAME: Eternit (ETN) DATE: 1976 Apr 9 DOC#: ETN001 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo from Executive Board of Amiantus Executive Board of Amiantus To the Company General Managers of Amiantus Group companies CH-S867 Niederurnen, 1976-04-09 STS/FA/HL Asbestos and Health / Occupational and Environmental __ Hygiene Gentlemen: The present situation , It is general knowledge that high fibre inhaled over a long period concentration of asbestos of time can cause lung diseases. Increasingly, the responsible authorities of various countries have lately issued regulations concerning the treatment of asbestos fibre. The International Labour Office in Geneva has also focused its attention on this problem and proposes an international convention to enforce such regulations worldwide. These endeavours have led to a hysterical scare in Sweden. Under pressure from the trade unions the National Swedish Labour Protection Authority has prohibited the use of asbestoscement products as from mid-1976 without offering any factual argumentation. Temporary exceptions are only granted for a few products and repairs. Under this compulsion EUROC decided to shut down its plants in Lomma and Kdping (sheet production, in all about 600 em ployees) . Eternitror in Varberg, one of our group companies, has raised objections to the ban and will fight with all available means for its being lifted or at least modified. However, in view of the political constellation in Sweden, Eternitrdr's chances of success are slight. - ' To the General Managers 1976- 04-09 Decisions of AGL (Executive Board of Amiantus) This development has led AGL, at its meeting of 16ch March 1976, to adopt the following measures: 1. High priority is to be accorded, by all enter prises within the group, to the problems of occupational and environmental hygiene both within , the factories and on building sites. Occupational and environmental hygiene is not con fined to asbestos dust extraction but also concerns noise abatement, refuse and waste water disposal as well as general safety measures. 2. In view of the far-reaching importance of "Asbestos and Health" for the life of our industry, the general managers will be personally held responsible - for the adoption of measures in all their plants designed to reduce the dust concentration at places of work to a degree which excludes a health risk according to the present internationally confirmed state of knowledge - for adequately refuting all non-substantiated attacks launched on our industry or on our products. 3. An Amiantus Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene has been set up in Neuss (Western Germany) under the direction of Dr. Klaus Robock with the aim or supporting all group companies. Mr. liorst Kutsch, delegated by the AGL, will keep an eye on the Centre. *1234 4. Amiantus Centre, Dept. PR, will accord highest priority to the problems of dust extraction in its plant advisory activity. A dust-fighting programme of action is under way which will embrace all group factories, in sequence of urgency. Relevant information will be sent out shortly. To the General Managers 1976-04-09 5. The occupational and environmental hygiene centre will dispatch a documentation folder to all group companies in the next few weeks. This can serve as data in the preparation of official statements and as information of the staff. We will keep you abreast of further developments in the field of "Asbestos and Health" and of any measures that may be taken. If you have specific questions or requests, please address them to Dr. Klaus Robock AMIANTUS Arbeits- und Umweltschutz Xlner Strasse 102 - 104 D-404 Neuss / Rhein Western Germany Telephone: (02101) 183-265/7 ' Telex: 8517814 Questions of dust control at the factories are discussed directly between the managers responsible for production and technology within the group companies with the Amiantus Centre, Dept. PR. Coordination of Amiantus Centre Niederurnen and the Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Centre (AAU) at Neuss is assured. Yours very truly, for the Executive Board of Amiantus Dr. St. Schmidheiny Enel.: Organisation chart C A N I S A T I O N AMI.' UT U S OCCUPATIONAL AMIANTUS OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE - Administration - Documentation - Information - Public Relations - Medicine and Research - Measuring Technique , Data Collection . Monitoring General occupational Safety AGL Amiantes Gruppenleitung (Executive Board of Amiantus) IK COM PAMY TOP MANA<SEMENT r MANAGER OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE - Medical Service - Measuring Engineering - Data Processing - safety - Technical Measures 1 - Preventive Technical Measures . Plants . Construction Sites V *