Document 6w95VJjKEMwG1g2L7mJ7X6end

ivu-uii yi mmi uf'i 52nd ALL-OHIO SAFETY CONGRESS & EXHIBIT ^ APRIL 20-22, 1982 James A. Rhodes 6ovetoof The Indusrriol Commission el Ohio Villlom W. Johnson Chairman W. Crolg Zimpher Vice Oioirmon Leonard T. loncoser Member ^VQUR SAFpTV UP to RS^ Division of Saleryond Hygiene PhRip ATv/orismon Soperiniendenr Oab Alley Assitfanr Soperfnrendenr Lawrence I. 'Vhalen Congress Manager Legal Section Industrial Commission of Ohio 246 North High Street Attn: Judy Spencer Grizzly Manufacturing Paulding, Ohio Dear Ms Spencer: At the request of Mr. ArthurShantz of the LegaJ^Section, a review of the claim was made for an industrial hygiene opinion. The womTrWas not visited., as the plant reportedly ceased operation. The Division of Safety and Hygiene has no records of prior investigations there. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration had performed air sampling for asbestos at this site several times, and their reports have been added to the claim file. This report is based solely on a review of the file and generally available occupational health literature. The decedent worked ZS to 30 years as a machine operator in a plant which manufactured brake and clutch linings containing asbestos. Mr. Bond was also a smoker. He recently .died of ' large coll undifferentiated lung cancer. Businesses at this site were issued citations for serious vio lations due to asbestos overexposure on at least 3 occasions by OSHA. Although the actual sample results were not released, we can infer that they were extremely high. On two different occasions citations were issued when the coiling value was ex ceeded by more than 10 times. (Ceiling values are higher than limits for a whole workday. Such exposures arc allowed for only a brief period a few times a day.) Another was for not wearing special protective clothing. Yet another.was for improper stor age of asbestos. EXHIBIT _6r PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT MAR-41 *00 lOili 69t 'msM OLU 69* XVd so: II T002/fl/lf kv8q:qh'h 'tmmu a? O.D.I 179457 Charles Bond Grizzly Manufacturing Paulding, Ohio Page 2 Perhaps the roost insightful comments on the conditions in this plant were those of the OSHA inspector in 1975. They are brutally frank: "The operation that was sampled during the inspection was generating large clouds of asbestos in the air. The foreman or management representa tive in the department is either an idiot or he has no regard at all for the employee in the department. The operation should have been stopped or corrected or the employee should have been provided with protective covering and a powered air purifying respirator. . . > It appears that this company lacks the initiative to take any cor- r'cctive action on their own other than what they feel is meeting the minimum requirements." These comments reflect conditions which prevailed after the dece dent's tenure of employment. Given the general lack of knowledge of the effects of asbestos during the 1950's and 1960's, it :s like ly that conditions would have been worse, not better, than those described above. In the United States, exposure to asbestos has been known to be associated with the development of bronchogenic cancer since at least 1961. Shortly thereafter, researchers discovered the jink between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma, a naturally rare lung cancer of the peritoneum or pleura. Currently, asbestos exposure is also known to bo associated with an excess risk of suicide, heart disease, non-malignant respiratory disease (including asbestosis), digestive cancer, and lymphoma. Although no safe exposure level exists, it is generally believed that the risk of contracting lung disease from asbestos exposure increases with the duration of exposure (i.c., number of years on che job.) 3 . ncn C-. u 3 o eoo@ Oi TSHSM 0ill S9fr XYd 90-11 T00Z/H/1I wsu-uiivi AOMHii aj'^oa? O.D.I 179457 Charles Bond Grizzly Manufacturing Paulding, Ohio Page 3 The Asbestos Work Group, scientific advisors to OSHA and NIOSH, recently reviewed the literature on smoking and asbestos exposure (Cf. Workplace Exposure to Asbestos: Review and Recommendations, April 1980, DHHS (NIOSHJ Publication Wo. 81-105.) They summarized the major relevant study, published in 1979, as follows: . Asbestos workers who did not smoke showed about a S times greater risk of dying of lung cancer when com ' pared to the non-smoking population. Asbestos workers who did smoko also had a 5 times greater risk of dying of lung cancer as compared to the ' controls who smoked. This means the relative risk associated with ashes- cos is about S-fold for smokers anti non-smokers alike. Therefore the prob- ability that their cancer was due to asbestos exposure is about 80% in emphasis added.] In short, the decedent was employed at a plant where excessive exposure to asbestos appears to have been common. His total dura tion of exposure was very long and he smoked. The combination of all these factors makes it very probable that his cancer was work related. , Respectfully -.submitted, RJC/nh Ro&Srt J. Crackel Industrial Hygienist ' 900 li 69f ITOSM OLXL S9fr IVJ iO:TT 100Z/Pl/fl