Document 6wzjb66G9a351BaXN9pnjaa4E

FILE NAME Corning OC DATE 1978 Sept 8 DOC OC393 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Report Presented to Employees - The Health Aspects of Asbestos RECEIVED FIBERGLAS to Dr J. L. . Komuna SEP1 1 1978 CORNING FIBERGLAS CORP MEDICAL SERVICES company correspond subject CatUUNICATION TO FORMER OCT BLOOMINGTON EMPLOYEES date September 8 1978 Fis less CC Dr. D. J. Billmier F. O'N Brisley - E9 Toledo scary Attached are two copies of proposed letter to former Blomington Bloomington scary CCF employees who worked in the plant and office between the scary time CCF acquired the plant and the time the asbestos was moved out of the Bloomington Plant October 31 1974 Also attached ThirThir are two copies of the list of employees involved giving their Thir last inom address We have made a search of our local telephone directory as well as the directory covering the small towns like Thir around Bloomington A copy of this proposed letter has been sent to our plant physician Dr. James A. Bilyeu together with a brief explanation of the background DN attachments Dane Diane Neeley . PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT 01 127 0510 0510 The Health Aspects of Asbestos Presented by Dr. Donald J. Billmaier For Employees of Corning's Plant in Berlin New Jersey May 1978 Within the past two weeks there have been a number of newspaper magazine and television reports on the subject of asbestos They resulted from a warning issued by Health Education and Welfare Department Secretary Joseph A. Califano Jr. Since many of you were working here when asbestos was used in Kaylo this warning has naturally been a cause for concern Your Plant Manager Dick Hite and his boss Frank Brisley have asked me to come here and meet with you I'm representing Corning's partment The purpose of my visit is to try and answer whatever questions you might have about asbestos the Califano statem ote hern relt ated concern ; . In checking through medical record I nots ice a lot you have been with Corninmug ch longer have I joined the company in yr as title -". Before that I additional professional backgrounol One of the reasons I was attracted to Corning was the company's his- tory of research regarding the health aspects of the work environment and the company's products The earliest studies of the health aspects of glass ficer materials took place in the 1930s 01 127 0541 The question then was whether there might fibrous glass This is important to know be any adverse health affects from because it's the company's stated objective to provide a safe and healthful place in which employees employees can work From time to time we hear claims that there from fibrous glass but to date we have seen no claims We have perhaps the best opportunity to are adverse health affects . evidence to support those discover such evidence if it exists because Corning's insulation plant in Newark Ohio has been pro- ducing glass fiber materials longer than any other plant in the world Veteran employees there have been working with the material for some 40 years and we see no health pattern in that group that is different from the population as a whole \ - We've furnished material for studies that compared the health problems of our employees with a comparable sample of citizens from the general population in another city we've had noted lung experts examine employee rays and we've sponsored a number of laboratory experiments involving animals The re- sults have always been the same no evidence of any adverse health affect from fibrous glass But asbestos oe -- 77 _ <_ is not fibrous glass saw ve .: It's a different material altogether and there is evidence that heavy exposure to asbestos can increase the risk of contracting serious disease view You proba_ bly know more some background on the about asbestos than material Asbestos I do but let me briefly re- / is a fibrous mineral that will not burn It is mined from the earth most of it comes from either Canada or Africa Asbestos has outstanding insulating capabilities and its fire resistance makes it especially useful in very high temperature applications Those proc- erties also make it excellent for use aboaro snip where boilers generate ex- tremely high temperatures spice is it a premium and fire safety a prime co sideration 01 127 0542 -3- As you no doubt noticed in the articles about Califano's Califano's statement most of the exposed people who were to heavy concentrations of asbestos dust had their ex- posure in area were World War II shipyards example a exposed to asbestos in the shipyards at number of people from this Camden Gloucester City and Philadelphia According to Department of Education andWelfare between 8 and 11 millionAmericans may have been exposed to the widely mineral since the beginning of World War II part Asbestos was an important Kaylo high temperature insulation ever since the plant was built As many of you will recall the plant was acquired from Illinois by Corning in 1958. It wasn't until about 10 years later that the health aspects of asbestos began to receive widespread attention Why so many years of use before a health problem was noted Because it is the nature of asbestos diseases that they take to 35 years or- more to develop Corning's response to the health hazard of asbestos been two fold ment First we reduced the degree ofexposure through dust and pest collseecctoinndg improved plant ventilation respirators The equipstep was removing asbestos from the product As you all know there is no asbestos used in the plant today Our technical people found a way to use glass fibers and other materials eliminate the use of asbestos and still achieve the high thermal performance needed by the plant's customers Those of you who have worked here for many years sure recognize giant strides have been made improvitnhigs plant's work environment that Just and collecting equipment other components of the ventilation system have been steadily improved over the years Today this plant meets all of the Threshold Limit Value requirements specified by the Occupational Safety and Health Act commonly referred to as OSHA 01 127 0543 -4 You may be wondering why Secretary Califano is raising the health issue with asbestos this time In my judgement he's carrying out the govern- obligation ment's obligation to inform its citizens of matters which may bear directly on their lives this the Secretary says he recently received word of new studies which demonstrate that asbestos creates a high risk of serious disease for workers who have been heavily exposed to the material This concern is nothing new to Corning or the Berlin Plant It's . the same concern that prompted a meeting like in 1971. At that time you m_e _mt et with Konzen Owens met Jon L_ , Corning's Corning's Medical Director Dick Hite has recently sent you all a letter which reviewed highlights of that 1971 meeting I want to give you an opportunity to ask your questions but it might be answered anticipate helpful if I first some o*f the questions I many of you questioniis have Perhaps the key questioniis Will I get cancer 3 predict will develop cancer will It's like link way to that one found a At this point there is no way toanswer == not - +o stays . cows between smoking cancer d There eveloping if you smokers is no way to determine who will ar i willThere = worked here when asbestos was used in the product exposure depends on your job and t |\ y 7 material How much id that job or worked in the plant Based on my understanding of the plant environment in the past probably you as severe as significant exposure to asbestos I don't believe it was exposures others had in shipbuilding I don't believe this plant ever had the concentrations of dust that I've seen reported in ship- building and heavy construction But there is no question that employees at this plant prior to 1972 had a significant exposure to asbestos am Se ee 01 127 0544 .A Now I would remarks brief so like to open we can spend the meeting to your questions I've kept my as much time as we need in discussing your con- cerns Questions Question & answer session Dick I'm pleased that we've had an opportunity to get together called me when you raised some of these questions with him I'm glad because this matter is a concern to all of us and we want you to be well informed If you have other questions after I'm gone please be sure to direct them to someone Plant Nurse here at Dr. the plant or your own physician name 1 the Plant Physician or Dick Hite _, the the Plant Manager will all be glad to help If they can't answer your question they'll get in touch with me and I'll get back to you with an answer either through them or by calling you directly Thanks for your attention