Document 8ORKx80aLERBwwXxZdwoK4avo
THE LABORATORY USE OF ASBESTOS
Union Carbide Corporation Metals Division
September 23, 1976
UCC 025559
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section INTRODUCTION ASBESTOS AND HEALTH EMPLOYEE BRIEFING CHECKLIST RECOMMENDED WORK PRACTICES REQUIREMENTS OF THE OSHA ASBESTOS REGULATIONS
Exposure Limits Monitoring
Initial Periodic Compliance Details - Allowable Levels Not Exceeded Medical Examinations ' Respirators Caution Labels Warning Signs Housekeeping Waste Disposal Compliance Details - Allowable Levels Exceeded
Page 1 1 2 2 3 3
4 4
4 5 5 6 6 6 6
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LABORATORY USE OF ASBESTOS
INTRODUCTION Any occupational use of asbestos is subject to compliance with
the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Standard CFR-29, 1910.1001, "Standard for Exposure to Asbestos Dust". No exceptions are made for the infrequent, low-level exposure conditions that normally exist in the labor atory situation so the applicable sections must be compiled with by labor atory employees.
This manual is intended to provide the supervisor and the employee working with asbestos in the laboratory with the information needed to work safely and to meet the pertinent OSHA requirements. The present state of knowledge regarding the asbestos-health question is covered. A checklist of points of information needed for an employee working with asbestos is provided together with good work practices. Finally, certain specific actions needed to comply with the OSHA regulations are discussed. A copy of the OSHA regula tions and the Union Carbide Material Safety Data Sheet for asbestos are also included.
ASBESTOS AND HEALTH The hazards of asbestos have received a great deal of publicity over
the past six years and continue to do so today. Much of this clamor is in the public press and tends to be both sensational and misleading. There is no question that asbestos, when handled without the proper precautions, can be a health hazard. Properly used it can be a safe and very valuable industrial material. This situation is true for a substantial portion of the materials used on the Niagara Falls property so that asbestos is not unique.
It is important that a person assigned to work with asbestos in the laboratory has a clear, balanced understanding of the extent.and nature of
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the hazard this material presents. Four relevant documents on this subject r are attached. The supervisor should be aware of the main points about asbestos
related diseases. He should discuss this subject with the worker assigned to
use asbestos and give him copies of these documents for his own use. Providing
the documents without explanation is not adequate.
EMPLOYEE BRIEFING CHECKLIST.
In addition to the asbestos and health discussion just mentioned,
an employee newly assigned to work with asbestos should be informed by his
supervisor about the items in the following list. This information program
should be repeated approximately annually to reinforce the emphasis on
safety.
1. The specific nature of the operations which could result in
exposure to asbestos fibers as well as any necessary protective
steps; c.
2. The engineering controls and work practices associated with
the employee's job assignment;
3. The purpose, proper use, and limiatations of any respiratory
protection equipment provided.
4. The purpose for,and a description of, the medical surveillance
program.
5. A review and explanation of the portions of the Asbestos Standard
that apply to the employee's job.
RECOMMENDED WORK PRACTICES
The principle hazards from asbestos arise from breathing of the
asbestos dust. The primary consideration in the laboratory is to keep dust
generation at the lowest practicable level and, in no event, creating exposure
c greater than that permitted in the current OSHA standard. The following guide
lines must be followed:
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1. Any incoming bags or containers of asbestos should be inspected and if damaged, should be repaired immediately.
2. Large spills should be cleaned up wet or with a suitable vacuum cleaner. Small spills can be wiped up, carefully scraped, or brushed up in a manner to avoid serious dusting. Never blow asbestos off clothing with an air hose.
3. Asbestos-containing waste should be disposed of in sealed, dust-tight bags. The appropriate warning label must be attached whenever it is required by OSHA regulations.
4. Wherever practical, weighing and transfer of asbestos should be done in the fume hoods provided. In any case, handle fiber slowly and with care to minimize dusting.
5. For clean up of large spills or in situations 'where substantial puff of dust are likely to be generated, wear the respirator provided.
6. Pilot plant or other operations where substantial quantities of asbestos are used must be provided with proper hoods and engineering controls to keep airborne asbestos dust levels within the limits prescribed by the OSHA regulations.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE OSHA ASBESTOS REGULATIONS (1910.1001) The following discussion will cover the main points in the regula
tions as they relate to typical laboratory operations. It is intended to highlight and supplement the regulations, not replace them. A copy of the regulations is attached. Any supervisor directly responsible for laboratories where asbestos is used must be familiar with them.
Exposure Limits
A maximum asbestos exposure of 2 fibers/cc >5p for an eight-hour
time-weighted average and 10 fibers/cc >5u ceiling are permitted. Fiber levels
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must be determined by a prescribed sampling and counting procedure. It has been our experience that normal laboratory operations do
not produce ceiling concentrations in excess of 1 fiber/cc >5p. Asbestos is also only handled dry for a moderate part of the day so time-weighted averages are generally well below 0.5 fiber/cc >5u.
Monitoring Initial: Every place of employment where asbestos fibers are
released must be monitored in such a way as to determine whether every employee's exposure is below the prescribed limits. Both personal and environmental (area) samples are required.
Periodic: If the initial samples give results below the allowable levels and there is no reasonably foreseeable situation where they will exceed it in the future no further monitoring is required by the regulations. It is good practice, however, to monitor regularly and an annual survey should be made. If the initial samples give results above the allowable levels repeated samples at intervals not to exceed six months are required by law.
The Niagara Falls Laboratory has the equipment and trained personnel to conduct monitoring. All monitoring records should be forwarded to Mr. C. C Masterman. They must be retained for at least 20 years.
Compliance Details - Allowable Levels Not Exceeded If the monitoring results show that the allowable levels are not
being exceeded the requirements discussed in this subsection must be satisfied Medical Examinations: Initial, annual, and termination medical
examinations are required to be offered, at the employer's expense, to any employee in an occupation exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers. Note particularly that no minimum level of exposure is specified.
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"This taken literally has universal application since there are small quantities of airborne asbestos throughout the natural environment. OSHA gen erally has interpreted this to mean exposure above the background level, which is in itself a difficult standard to apply." It is our practice to provide annual physical examinations for all employees who work regularly in the asbestos laboratories pilot plant or encounter asbestos regularly in our customer's plants.
The medical examination must include, as a minimum, a chest roent genogram (posterior-anterior 14 x 17 inches), a history to elicit symptom atology of respiratory disease, and pulmonary function tests to include forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEVj 0). Medical examination records must be maintained for a period of at least 20 years by OSHA regulations. It is Union Carbide's policy to maintain such records indefinitely.
Respirators: Respirators are not required where concentrations are below the allowable limits. Respirators should be available, however, for use in emergencies. It is extremely unlikely that concentrations in excess of 100 fiber/cc >5y and/or 20 fibers/cc >5y T.W.A. will be encountered in the laboratory so reusable or single use air-purifying respirators are acceptable. Only respirators approved by NIOSH for asbestos may be used. The single use type has the advantage that it can be discarded and does not require maintenance. The reusable type must be stored in a dust-tight container, be cleaned after each use, and be inspected and if necessary repaired periodically. For either type, the employee must be instructed in when and how to use the respirator.
Caution Labels: These are required on all materials containing asbestos except where it has been modified in such a way that under any reason ably foreseeable circumstances no airborne concentrations of asbestos in excess of the allowable limits will be released. All bagged asbestos that moves in commerce should already have a warning label. It is our practice to place a
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warning label on all samples sent out. Containers of asbestos stored on the property outside of the laboratories where asbestos is regularly in use should be labelled. It is not considered necessary to label every individual sample in such laboratories.
Warning Signs: Such signs are required where airborne concentrations of asbestos may be in excess of the exposure limits. Size and specific wording are prescribed by the regulations. Under normal laboratory conditions signs are not required.
Housekeeping: The regulation requires that all external surfaces shall be maintained free of accumulations of asbestos fibers if, with their dispersion, there would be an excessive concentration. This rather general requirement should be met in the laboratory by prompt, careful cleanup of any loose asbestos.
Waste Disposal: Any asbestos containing waste that under reasonably foreseeable circumstances could produce concentrations in excess of the allowable limits must be collected and disposed of in dust-tight bags or other dust-tight containers. The contains should bear the prescribed warning label.
Compliance Details - Allowable Levels Exceeded If the monitoring results show that the allowable levels are being
exceeded a program of engineering controls and work practices must be insti tuted immediately to reduce the exposure levels. Respirators and shift rotation may be used during the implementation period. Protective clothing and change rooms are required. It is extremely unlikely that this situation will arise in the laboratory. If it should, use of asbestos must be discon tinued immediately until proper control procedures can be applied.
UCC 025566
A 2360 1
possible health hazard of drinking water conveyed
through these pipes.
It can be assumed that, if there is a relationship
between gastrointestinal cancer and use of
asbestos-cement pipe, there would be an
increase in the cancer rate as use of the pipe has
increased. U.S. Public Health Service records
show, however, that incidence of Gl cancer in the
United States has steadily declined though the
usage of asbestos-cement pipe has risen signifi
cantly?
In a study of drinking water in nine cities that
used asbestos-cement pipe for periods ranging
from 8 to 17 years, not one of the water samples,
either before or after passing through the asbes
tos-cement pipe, contained fibers that were visible
under a light microscope. The highest asbestos
content found in this study was 6 micrograms per
gallon, about one five-millionth of an ounce. This
means that if a man were to drink eight glasses of
water a day he might swallow a total of twenty-
seven ten-thousandths of an ounce (.0027) of
asbestos in a lifetime of 70 years."9
A special committee of asbestos-health experts
convened by The American Water Works Associ
ation Research Foundation reviewed all available
data and concluded that the ``risk to health from
the use of (asbestos-cement water pipe) systems
is small--approaching zero."1'
'
Reserve Mining Case Perhaps the most widely publicized alleged
health hazard from asbestos in water is the case of the Environmental Protection Agency vs. Reserve Mining Company. The case, involving the disposal of waste taconite tailings into Lake Superior, became a health issue when it was claimed that the tailings contained cummingtonite, said to be a form of asbestos.
Many experts were called for testimony during the proceedings. The court appointed witness, Arnold L. Brown, M.D., Chairman of the Depart ment of Pathology and Anatomy, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, stated that there is no evi dence of an excess of cancer in Duluth, Silver Bay, or other North Shore communities and further
testified: ``Scientifically and medically I see no evidence for an increased incidence of cancer in those communities that could be attributed to the presence of asbestos fibers in air or water."10
Early in the trial, the court ordered an extensive study of tissues from deceased persons in the Duluth area to determine the presence of asbes tos fibers. The study failed to disclose any asbes^ tiform fibers which could have come from Reserve
during the lifetimes of the subjects. The subjects i had been selected by Court witnesses as repre
sentatives. Only tissues from persons inhaling Duluth air and ingesting Duluth water in excess of 15 years were examined.10
In a summary of medical testimony, before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, it was stated: "There is no evidence that ingestion of asbestos in any amount has ever caused disease in anyone. Thus, there is no evidence that Reserve's dis charge into Lake Superior (whether or not such discharge contains any asbestos) constitutes a present or future likelihood of disease."11
In March 1975, the Court in its final ruling ordered the company to comply with all air and water discharge regulations, but noted, "the evi dence is insufficient to support the kind of demon strable danger to the public health that would jus tify the immediate closing" of the facility.
Asbestos Filters Minute amounts of fiber in some beverages and
parenteral (injectable) drugs filtered through asbestos-containing filters have also been detected. It is difficult to determine whether the minute asbestos fibers in some liquids come from t the filter or are already in the water. There is evidence that asbestos filters remove asbestos material along with other particulates. " Asbestos-containing filters have been in world wide use for many years. It is reasonable to inquire if beverages or food containing electron microscope-size mineral fibers, including asbes tos, might expose large populations to a potential health hazard. Numerous studies have shown that, despite their long-term use, there is no evidence that anyone has ever contracted gastrointestinal cancer or mesothelioma from beverages or injec-
UCC 025567
table drugs filtered through asbestos filters. A measurement of the normal "background"
level of asbestos fibers provides a means of com paring the levels in beverages, and drugs filtered through asbestos containing filter pads. Studies in the United States and abroad have consistently shown that the asbestos content of various soft drinks, beers, wines, and parenteral drugs is no more than and, in many cases, less than the natural background level of asbestos detected in water.1213
Preliminary results of a 1973 survey made for the Food and Drug Administration showed that the use of asbestos-containing filters bears no rela tionship to the presence of asbestos fibers in the finished product.14 Thus, it is unlikely that the elimi nation of asbestos filters in the production of par enteral drugs will result in any reduction in asbestos content of the finished product.
Governmental Action The Environmental Protection Agency has
promulgated national waste water effluent stan dards for asbestos manufacturing operations to control the potential discharge of asbestos bearing waste into our nation's waterways and publicly owned treatment works. The asbestos manufacturing industry in the United States par ticipated in the development of these regulations.
In March 1975, the Food and Drug Administra tion published a regulation restricting the utiliza tion of asbestos filters in the manufacture, processing or packaging of components of drug products for parenteral injection in humans. At the same time, however, FDA reaffirmed a previous decision made in September 1973 that "promul gation of regulations on the limitations or prohibi tion of the use of asbestos filters for the prepara tion of foods and non-parenteral drugs ... is unwarranted until more reliable data can be ob tained concerning these matters."15
SUMMARY 1. Asbestos exists naturally in small though
detectable amounts in certain rock formations
materials to packing and gaskets are in daily use throughout the world. In the vast majority of these products, the asbestos is "locked-in" with cement, resins, or other binders which restrict fiber release during normal handling or use. In 1974, nearly 850,000 tons of asbestos, primarily chrysotile from Canada, was used in the United States. Worldwide production is about 5 million tons.
Gl Cancer and Asbestos Exposure Both human evidence and animal experimenta
tion regarding a possible relationship between excessive asbestos exposure and an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancer is scanty and con tradictory.2 Some researchers have reported higher-than-normal rates of Gl cancer among in dustry groups heavily exposed to airborne as bestos.3 Several major animal feeding experi ments, however, produced no tumors in the Gl tracts of the animals, even though the amounts of fiber fed to the animals were massive when com pared with human occupational exposures known to result in respiratory disease.4
While some injection experiments have pro duced site and mesothelial tumors in test animals, the amount of fiber used in each case was so large as to render any attempted translation to human experience inappropriate. The studies strongly suggest that development of cancers in test animals is directly related to dose and, even more importantly, to the size of the fiber used in the experiment. Electron microscope-sized fibers (less than 5 microns in length) did not produce tumors in test animals,5 Medical opinion on the subject of gastrointestinal cancer and heavy occupational exposure is divided. Some experts consider the evidence in conclusive while others believe that only a "small risk" may exist. 6
Asbestos-Cement Pipe Asbestos-cement pipe has been used to
convey potable water for more than half a century in North America, Europe and other parts of the world. The question has been raised as to the
A23602
5. "The Locus of Pathogenicity of Asbestos Dust" by P. Gross, Archives of Environmental Health, Vol. 27, p. 240, 1973.
6. "Asbestos: The Need for and Feasibility of Air Pollution Controls," National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Biologic Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants, ISBN 0-309 01927-3, 1971.
7. "Asbestos-Cement Water Pipe and Health" A/C Pipe Producers Association, Washing ton, D.C., p. 4,1973.
8. "A Study of the Problem of Asbestos in Water," The American Water Works Re search Foundation, American Water Works Association Journal, Sept. 1974, p. 5.
9. "Asbestos-Cement Water Pipe and Health," A/C Pipe Producers Association, Washing
ton, D.C., p. 3, 1973. 10. From testimony by Dr. Arnold Brown in
Federal District Court as quoted in Con gressional Record, Jan. 29,1975, p. S1179. 11. From testimony in Federal District Court as quoted in Congressional Record, Jan. 29, 1975, P. S1180. 12. "Asbestos Fibers in Beverages and Drinking Water," by A.M. Cunningham and R. Ponte fract, Nature, Vol. 232, p. 332-333,1971. 13. Report to Food and Drug Administration by Mr. Philip McGrath, July 10,1973. 14. Report to the Acting Director, Bureau of Drugs by Dr. J. Richard Crout, 1973. 15. Federal Register, March 14,1975, p. 11867.
Asbestos in Water
A hazard to health?
\A o <o
NORTH AMERICA
Additional copies of this pamphlet . . are available. , ...................
Asbestos Information Association/North America 1660 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
UCC 025569
Introduction Water supplies in various sections of the world
contain infinitesimal amounts of asbestos fiber, along with other particulate matter. The fibers come primarily from natural sources, and secondly from man's activities, including the mining and mil ling of asbestos-bearing rock and the manufac ture, use, and disposal of some asbestoscontaining materials.
Inhalation of excessive quantities of airborne asbestos fiber in occupational settings is known to increase the risk of respiratory disease and cer tain types of cancer among industrial workers. There is also an indication of an increased inci dence of gastrointestinal (Gl) cancer among these workers. This has led to speculation as to whether the general public is subject to a health risk from the small amounts of asbestos fiber that may be found occasionally in water, In its report issued in 1973, the Advisory Committee on Asbestos Can cers to the Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a division of the World Health Organization, stated that no evidence exists which would support the existence of an increased risk of cancer resulting from asbestos fibers present in water, beverages, food or in the fluids used in the administration of drugs.1
Since the discovery of the risk to health from uncontrolled fiber, the asbestos industry has com mitted itself to the safe handling of the remarkable mineral in the workplace and to control its opera tions to eliminate the release of free fibers into the environment. A separate AIA/NA pamphlet dis cusses asbestos in air. This pamphlet is ad dressed to the issue of asbestos in water.
Asbestos Serves the World Asbestos, used since antiquity, has widespread
and important applications in our modern tech nological society. Because of its remarkable re sistance to fire, heat, friction, and corrosion, approximately 3,000 different products containing asbestos, ranging from pot holders to brake linings, from asbestos-cement pipe and building
throughout the world and for millions of years has been released into the environment through erosion by wind and water.
2. The Advisory Committee on Asbestos Cancers of the International Agency for Research on Cancer has stated that evidence does not indi cate a risk of cancer resulting from asbestos fibers present in water, beverages, food or fluids used in the administration of drugs. Levels of asbestos found in beverages, drugs, etc., have not been demonstrated to be hazardous to human health.
3. The evidence for a relationship between heavy occupational asbestos inhalation and increased risk of gastrointestinal cancer is incon clusive.
4. There is no existing evidence of a relation ship between gastrointestinal cancer and drinking water carried through asbestos-cement pipe.
5. The asbestos content of various soft drinks, beer, wines and parenteral drugs filtered through asbestos containing filter pads is no more than and in many cases less than the natural back ground level of asbestos that may be found in the world's water sources.
REFERENCES 1. "Report of the Advisory Committee on As
bestos Cancers to the Director of the Interna tional Agency for Research on Cancer," British Journal of Ind. Medicine, Vol. 30, pp. 180-186, 1973. 2. "Report on Research at St. James' Hospital, Leeds, England" by L.M. Swinburne, Appen dix 4, including report from Asbestos Re search Council, October 1970-October 1971. 3. "Cancer Risk of Insulation Workers in the United States," a paper by I.J. Selikoff and E.C. Hammond presented at IARC Confer ence on the Biological Effects of Asbestos, Lyon, France, 1972. 4. "Feeding of Blue Asbestos to Rats" by F.M. Bonser and D.B. Clayton, 1967, Annual Re port, British Empire Cancer Campaign for Research, p. 242.
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Material Safety Data
September!, 1976 UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION 4625 ROYAL AVENUE NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK* 14302
TELEPHONE: (7161278-3378
PRODUCT: Chrysettle Asbestos TRADE NAMES: "Cal idria" Asbestos
CHEMICAL FORMULA: Mg6(OH)sSi4010
BOILING POINT AND MELTING POINT: Not Pertinent SPECIFIC GRAVITY (H20 = 1): 2.45 VOLATILE CONTENT: Absorbed Water 1 - 4% By Weight. Structural Water Approximately 13% by Weight. APPEARANCE: Pellets or Fine White Powder. No odor. Very Slight Solubility in Water.
Asbestos contains no hazardous ingredients. However, the material itself can be hazardous under certain conditions. (See V below.)
NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL: No Fire or Explosion Hazard.
PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE TO AIRBORNE CONCENTRATION: The current Occupational Safety and Health Standard (CFR 29, 1910.1001) contains the following exposure limits: "The 8-hour time-weighted average airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers to which any employee may be exposed shall not exceed 2 fibers, longer than 5 micrometers, per cubic centimeter of air, as determined by the membrane filter method at 400-450 X magnification (4 millimeter objective) phase contrast illumination. No employee shall be exposed at any time to airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers in excess of 10 fibers, longer than 5 micrometers, per cubic centimeter of air, as determined by the method just noted."
EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE: CAUTION: Breathing asbestos may cause serious bodily harm.
EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES: No acute toxicity. Use respirator if airborne asbestos fiber concentration exceeds OSHA limits.
STEPS TO BE TAKEN IF MATERIAL IS RELEASED OR SPILLED; Avoid inhalation of dust. Remove spilled material by vacuum cleaner or by water wash.
WASTE DISPOSAL:
Bags and waste and scrap materials should be disposed of in a manner which will avoid airborne concentrations
of asbestos, such as the use of dust-tight trash bags or containers. Ensure that disposal complies with all
applicable federal, state or local regulations.
, AA ^
A2JO i j
Union Carbide Corporation assumes no responsibility and makes no warranty, expressed or implied, repre sentation, promise, or statement as to completeness, accuracy, or currency of any data provided.
UCC 025579
VENTILATION:
Local exhaust for each operation is preferable. (See American National Standards Institute booklet, 29.2 1971.) General area exhaust is acceptable. No special considerations.
PROTECTIVE GLOVES: None
EYE PROTECTION: None
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION *'>
The current Occupational Safety and Health Standard CFR 29, 1910.1001 contains the following require ments for respiratory protection.
AIRBORNE CONCENTRATION*2'
8-HOUR EXPOSURE <3>
CEILING CONCENTRATION
2 maximum
10 maximum
20 maximum
100 maximum
200 maximum
1000 maximum
MINIMUM REQUIRED MASK TYPE*4'
Not required when allowable limits are not exceeded. Reusable or single use air purifying respirator.
Powered filter positive pressure.
Over 200
-- Type C positive pressure, air supplied.
(1) Allowed only during the time required for installation of engineering controls, when engineering controls are not technically feasible or adequate, and in emergencies. Current OSHA standards require that no em ployee shall be assigned to tasks requiring the use of respirators if, based upon his most recent examina tion an examining physician determines that the employee will be unable to function normally wearing a respirator, or that the safety or health of the employee or other employees will be impaired by the use of a respirator.
(2) Fibers per milliliter greater than 5 microns in length, as determined by the membrane filter method at 400-450X magnification (4 millimeter objective) phase contrast illumination.
(3) 8-Hour time-weighted average.
(4) Only masks certified by NIOSH as acceptable for the exposures encountered may be used.
OTHER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT: If the ceiling concentration limit is exceeded, clothing providing whole body covering shall be supplied and its use required.
Every place of employment where asbestos fibers are released must be monitored to determine exposure levels. If the permissible time-weighted average and ceiling concentration limits are not exceeded, no special pre cautions are required except:
a) Bag damage and dusting should be minimized and dust inhalation avoided. b) A comprehensive medical examination is required for any employee exposed to airborne fibers within
30 days of first such employment, annually thereafter and on termination of employment. c) Personal work clothing can become contaminated with asbestos and may constitute an exposure hazard.
Such clothing should be handled and laundered in a manner to avoid airborne concentrations of asbestos. d) Substantia! medical evidence indicates that smoking will increase the risk from asbestos exposure. Those
working with asbestos should not smoke. Where exposure limits may be exceeded, reference should be made to the regulation CFR 29, 1910.1001 for details on caution signs, monitoring, change rooms, protective clothing laundering and record keeping.
UCC 025580
ASBESTOS AND HEALTH
Asbestos, used since antiquity, has widespread and important applications in our modern technological society. Approximately 3,000 different products containing asbestos are in daily use throughout the world. Its increased use in the 20th century has lent urgency to the need to cope with occupational health problems related to the excessive inhalation of
asbestos dust. Such problems are not unique to the asbestos industry. Many substances and materials in
common use today can be detrimental to the health and safety of industrial workers under uncontrolled conditions. A vital and widely used raw material, asbestos is but one of a number of potentially harmful substances used by industry.
Basically, the known facts about asbestos-related disease can be summed up as follows:
First, asbestos-related health risks today are almost exclusively confined to the occupational
setting.
.;
Second, the effects of excessive inhalation of asbestos are both time and dose related. This means that asbestos-related diseases may develop, generally, only after the inhalation of substantial amounts of asbestos dust over a substantial period of time. Thus, there are levels of exposure that will not result in any increased risk of disease.
Third, there is presently no evidence of risk to the general public from exposure to the minute amounts of asbestos that have been found in community air.
Fourth, because of the long latent period of asbestos-related disease, the disease being found today among some long-term industry employees is not an indication of present day condi tions, but is a result of conditions existing decades ago, at a time when neither the industry, government, or the medical profession knew very much about the health effects of asbestos and even less about the proper means for their control.
These facts are well recognized by the asbestos manufacturing industry, which has made substantial progress over the years in protecting those who work with asbestos and in eliminating emissions of free asbestos fiber into the community air.
Known and Suspected Occupational Risks There are three primary diseases known to be caused or exacerbated by prolonged and
heavy inhalation of asbestos fibers. They are asbestosis, bronchogenic (lung) cancer, and mesothelioma. Prolonged heavy exposure does not necessarily result in disease and death-- but there is little question that risks are significantly increased.
Asbestosis This is an occupational disease characterized by lung scarring, and is one of the lung
diseases called pneumoconioses. It is the most common of the three asbestos related illnesses
and is found only among those who have worked regularly and continuously with asbestos
under inadequately controlled conditions. The average time span from first exposure to the
first clinical signs of asbestosis is 17 years, although some cases have been reported in as few
as ten years.
.
Asbestosis is neither malignant nor necessarily fatal. Many asbestos workers with minor
cases can and do continue to work and lead normal lives without difficulties. The asbestos
1
UCC 025581
there are other causes of mesothelioma besides asbestos. Unfortunately, what those other causes might be is still unknown. Until these and other equally important factors are thoroughly investigated, the mesothelioma question will remain unresolved.
Other Tumors Some researchers have reported higher-than-normal rates of gastrointestinal cancer among
some heavily exposed industry groups. Other researchers have reported no increase of this type of cancer. The consensus of medical opinion is that the evidence is too scanty for a definitive conclusion.
Asbestos and the General Public Medical reports of excess asbestos-related disease among occupationally exposed popula
tions have been frequently cited by some writers, environmentalists, politicians and others
as "proof" that the health of the general public is endangered by the minute amounts of
asbestos dust being found in community air. "Neighborhood" and "household" cases of
mesothelioma are cited extensively in this regard, as are the frequent reports of the findings
of free asbestos fibers and so-called ferruginous bodies (which sometimes contain asbestos)
in the lungs of some city dwellers at autopsy.
.
The truth is, however, that there is no evidence--either from experience or from scientific
research--that anyone in the general public has ever contracted any asbestos-related disease
from exposure to these minute amounts of airborne asbestos, which are many times lower
than levels which have been demonstrated to result in no excess of disease in occupationally
exposed populations.
This conclusion is supported by both the Asbestos Panel of the National Academy of
Sciences' Committee on Biologic Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants, and the 33 member
Advisory Committee on Asbestos Cancers of the international Agency for Research on
Cancer, a division of the World Health Organization. in its 1971 booklet, entitled "Asbestos: The Need For And Feasibility of Air Pollution
Controls," the NAS Asbestos Panel, which consisted of seven of the nation's top experts on
asbestos and health, stated that "there is no evidence that persons in the general popula
tion--without occupational, household or neighborhood exposures--have any increased risk
of neoplasm, even though there may be ferruginous bodies or fibers in their lungs."
Warning against conclusions of the type frequently reached by the uninformed with regard
to asbestos, the report further stated: "One cannot extrapolate from the mortality experi
ence of, on the one hand, those who are directly and indirectly exposed to asbestos in their
employment to, on the other hand, the general public, who have had moderate or slight
exposures from ambient air."
The report concluded with the statement that "there is no evidence that the small
numbers of fibers found in most members of the genera! population affect health or longev
ity."
The report of the IARC Advisory Committee represents the consensus of present world
medical opinion on all aspects of the asbestos-health problem. Meeting immediately after
the October 1972 Lyon Conference on the Biological Effects of Asbestos, the Committee,
with representation from ten different countries, drafted the following opinions on asbes
tos-related disease and the general public:
Asbestosis:
"There is at present no evidence of lung damage by asbestos to the general pubfic. The amount of asbestos in the lungs of members of the general public is very small, compared to those occupationally exposed."
Lung Cancer: "The evidence ... suggests that an excess lung carcinoma risk is not de tectable when the occupational exposure has been low. These low occupa-
3 &23616
UCC 025582
( .
sponsoring a study at the Harvard School of Public Health on chest ausculation (breathing sounds) as an early detection device in the diagnosis of asbestos-related disease. While this needed additional information and data is being developed, the industry will take all steps necessary to assure a safe working environment for its employees and for applicators and fabricators of asbestos-containing products.
Asbestos information Association North America
1660 L Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20036
&
^236 \1
k:
5
UCC 025583
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Title 29--LABOR
Chapter XVII--Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, Depart
ment of Labor
PART 1910--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
AND HEALTH STANDARDS
Standard for Exposure to Asbestos
Dust
On December 7, 1971, an emergency temporary standard concerning exposure to asbestos fibers was published in the Federal Register (36 F.R. 23207). In ac cordance with section 6(c) (3) of the Williams-Steiger Occuptaional Safety and Health Act of 1970, a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding a permanent standard for exposure to asbestos fibers was published in the Federal Register on January 12, 1972 (37 F.R. 466), The no tice invited interested persons to submit both orally and in writing, data, views, and arguments concerning the proposal.
On or about January 24, 1972, the Ad visory Committee on Asbestos Dust was established and requested to make writ ten recommendations with regard to the proposed standard on asbestos. On or about February 1. 1972, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare trans mitted to the Secretary of Labor a cri teria document containing Recommenda
tions for an Occupational Exposure
Standard for Asbestos by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH). Public notice was given of the receipt of the recommendations and their availability for inspection and copying. On or about February 25, 1972, the Advisory Committee on Asbestos Dust submitted its written recommendations to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
Pursuant to the notice of rule making, a hearing was held on March 14 through 17,1972, for the purpose of receiving oral data, views, and arguments concerning the proposed standard. On or about March 31,1972, the presiding hearing ex
aminer certified to the Assistant Secre tary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health the record of the proceeding. The record includes prehearing written comments, a transcript of the oral pres
entations made at the hearing, and nu merous exhibits received during the course of the hearing or within the pe riod allowed after the close of the hearing.
The proposed standard dealt with (1) permissible concentrations of asbestos fibers; (2) methods of compliance; (3) warning signs; (4) monitoring; (5) med ical examinations; and (6) recordkeep ing. Each of these major proposals elic
ited comments, arguments, objections, and counterproposals. They all have been
examined and considered. 1. Acceptable concentrations of asbes
tos dust. The proposed standard would limit occupational exposure to 8-hour
time-weighted average (TWA) airborne concentrations of asbestos dust not ex ceeding five fibers longer than five
micrometers per milliliter. Concentra tions above five fibers but not to exceed 10 fibers (ceiling concentration) would be permitted up to 15 minutes in an hour,
but for not more than 5 hours in any one 8-hour day.
NIOSH in effect has recommended that the five-fiber TWA and 10-fiber
peak concentrations be permitted only for 2 years; thereafter, TWA concentra tions should be not more than 2 fibers per cubic centimeter (cm.3) of air, and
peak concentrations should not exceed 10 fibers/cm.3, with no time restriction.
Numerous objections and counterpro posals have been made, with regard to both the limits of asbestos fiber concen trations and the time periods to comply with them. Some, for example, have rec ommended return to a 12-fiber standard of an earlier day; i.e., a level adopted under the Walsh-HeaJey Public Con tracts Act in 1969. Others have recom mended a two-fiber standard to become effective in 6 months, then a one-fiber standard for 2 years, and finally a zerofiber standard after 3 years. These rec ommendations give a fair indication of the wide spread of the counterproposals.
No one has disputed that exposure to asbestos of high enough intensity and long enough duration is causally related
to asbestosis and cancers. The dispute is as to the determination of a specific level below which exposure is safe. Various studies attempting to establish quantita tive relations between specific levels of
exposure to asbestos fibers and the ap
pearance of adverse biological manifes
tations, such as asbestosis, lung cancers,
and mesothelioma, have given' rise to
controversy as to the validity of the
measuring techniques used and the relia
bility of the relations attempted to be
established. Because of the long lapse
of time between onset of exposure and
biological manifestations, we have now
evidence of the consequences of exposure,
but we do not have, in general, accurate
measures of the levels of exposure oc
curring 20 or 30 years ago, which have
given rise to these consequences. There
are also controversies concerning the
relative toxicity of the various kinds of
asbestos, and varying hazards in dif
ferent workplaces.
It is fair to say that the controversy
has centered in the area between a two-
fiber TWA concentration and five-fiber
TWA concentration, with variations on
the time needed for compliance. Many
employers support a five-fiber TWA.
Most medical opinion is divided between
a two-fiber standard and a five-fiber
standard.
'
In view of the undisputed grave con
sequences from exposure to asbestos
fibers, it is essential that the exposure be
regulated now, on the basis of the best
evidence available now, even though It
may not be as good as scientifically de
sirable. An asbestos standard can be re
evaluated in the light of the results of
ongoing studies, and future studies, but
cannot wait for them. Lives of employees
are at stake.
It is concluded that there should be
one minimum standard of exposure to
asbestos applicable to all workplaces ex
posed to any kind, or mixture of kinds,
of asbestos. Reasons of practical ad-`
ministration preclude a variety of stand
ards for different kinds of asbestos and
of workplaces. Also, while the evidence
tends to show that crocidolite, for in
stance, is more harmful than chrysotile,
the evidence is not sufficient to establish
separate standards for varieties of
asbestos.
Because there must be one standard
governing exposure to all varieties of
asbestos, and in workplaces apparently
more hazardous than others; because
some present employees with regular ex
posure to asbestos have probably al
ready accumulated great doses of asbes
tos fibers, due to higher levels of ex
posure in the past; because it appears
that levels of exposure which may be
safe with regard to asbestosis are not
safe with regard to mesothelioma; be
cause the statute requires the protection
of every employee, even of one who may
have regular exposure to asbestos during
a working life which may reach, or even
exceed, 40 years; and because of several
other considerations which have been
urged and are reflected in the record of
the proceeding, the. conflict in the medi
cal evidence is resolved in favor of the
health of employees. As of July 1, 1976,
TWA concentrations of asbestos fibers
longer than 5 micrometers will not be
allowed to exceed two flbers/cc., wiih a
ceiling value of 10 fibers/cc. The current
TWA concentrations of five fibers, and
FEOERAl REGISTER, VOL 37, NO. 110--WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1972
U,CC. 025584
ft236 A 3
11320
RULES AND REGULATIONS
1910*93 Air contaminants*
to which any employee may be exposed <d) Personal protective equipment--
* * * + shall not exceed two fibers, longer than (1) Compliance with the exposure limits
Table
Dran
5 micrometers, per cubic centimeter of prescribed by paragraph (b) of this sec air, as determined by the method pre tion may not be achieved by the use of
Substance
Mppcf Jfg/M1 scribed in paragraph (e) of this section. respirators or shift rotation of em (3) Ceiling concentration. No em ployees, except:
Silica:
*
ployee shall be exposed at any time to (i) During the time period necessary
Crystalline: Qiruu, (respirable).............
2S0*
lOmg/M1*
airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers in excess of 10 fibers, longer than
to install the engineering controls and to institute the work practices required
%fiiOa-H5 Quartz (totatdost).................................. ..
Cristobalits: Use H tbs value calculated from tbs coun t or moss formulae lor quarts. d
Tiidymltc: Use >g the value
calculated from the for mulae for quarts. Amorphous, Including natural diatomaceous earth..................
' 20
%BIO*+2 5 micrometers, per cubic centimeter of SOrug/M1 . air, as determined by the method pre
^jfilOj-j-2 scribed in paragraph (e) of this section.
(c) Methods of compliance--(1) En
gineering methods. (11 Engineering con
trols. Engineering controls, such as, but
not limited to, isolation, enclosure, ex
haust ventilation, and dust collection,
SOmg/M1
shall be used to meet the exposure limits prescribed In paragraph (b) of this
by paragraph (c) of this section;
(ii) In work situations in which the
methods prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section are either technically not
feasible or feasible to an extent insuffi
cient to reduce the airborne concentra
tions of asbestos fibers below-the limits
prescribed by paragraph (b) of this
section: or
^
%SiO section.
(iii) In emergencies.
Silicates (less than 1% crystalhuc silica):
....... ................................. Soapstone.......--.........*..........
Title.............................................. Portland cement__________ Graphite (natural)................... Coat dust (respirable fraction
20 20
20 60 15 .
<ii) Local exhaust ventilation. <a> Local exhaust ventilation and dust col lection systems shall be designed, con structed, installed, and maintained in accordance with the American National Standard Fundamentals Governing the
(iv) Where both respirators and per sonnel rotation are allowed by subdivi sions (i), (it), or (ill) of this subpara graph, and both are practicable, person nel rotation shall be preferred and used.
<21 Where a respirator is permitted by
Ifcsa than 8% SiOi),,............ 2,.4nig/M* For more than 5% SIO*._............... .
or IQmg/M*
Design and Operation of Local Exhaust subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, it Systems, ANSI Z9.2-1971, which is In- ' shall be selected from among those ap
^
vrt or Nuisance Dust:
}lft5|iin*blc fraction..18
Total dust...____ __________
60
%SlOrf2
6TTig7M* 16mg/M*
Note: Conversion factors--
mppcfX33.3=million particles per cubic meter
^ particles* per c*c.
I Millfons of particles per cubic foot of air, based on
hupingcr samples counted by light-field technics* * The percentage of crystalline silica in the formula
is the amount determined from air-borne samples, except in those Instances in which other methods have
been shown to be applicable. i As determined by the membrane filter method at
430 x phase contrast magnification. *> Hoth concentration and percent quartz for the
appltcalion of this limit are to be determined from
the fraction passing a size*seJector with the following
characteristics:
Aerodynamic diameter (unit density sphere)
Percent passing selector
2 2.5 3-5
5.0 10
90
75 0
25 0
The measurements under this note refer to the use of an A EC instrument. If the respirable fraction of coal dust is determined with a MRE the figure corresponding to that of 2.4 Mg/M1 in tbe table for coal dust is 4.6 Mg/M1.
2. A new 5 1910.93a is added to Part 1910, reading as follows:
1910.93a Asbestos.
(a) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, (1) "Asbestos" includes chrysotile. amosite, crocidolite, tretnolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite.
(2) "Asbestos fibers" means asbestos fibers longer than 5 micrometers,
<b> Permissible exposure to airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers--il)
corporated by reference herein.
proved by the Bureau of Mines, Depart
<b> See 5 1910.0 concerning the avail ability of ANSI Z9.2-1971, and the maintenance of a historic file in connec tion therewith. The address of the Amer
ican National Standards Institute Is given In 1910.100.
(iii) Particular tools. All hand-op
erated and power-operated tools which may produce or release asbestos fibers in excess of the exposure limits pre scribed in paragraph (b) of this section, such as, but not limited to. saws, scorers, abrasive wheels, and drills, shall be pro vided with local exhaust ventilation sys tems in accordance with subdivision <li) of this subparagraph.
(2) Work practices--(i) Wei methods. Insofar as practicable, asbestos shall be
handled, mixed, applied, removed, cut, scored, or otherwise worked in a wet state sufficient to prevent the emission of airborne fibers in excess of the ex posure limits prescribed in paragraph (b) of this section, unless the usefulness of the product would be diminished thereby.
(ii) Particular products and opera tions. No asbestos cement, mortar, coat ing, grout, plaster, or similar material containing asbestos shall be removed from bags, cartons, or other containers in which they are shipped, without being either wetted, or enclosed, or ventilated so as to prevent effectively the release of airborne asbestos fibers in excess of the limits prescribed in paragraph (b) of this section.
(iil) Spraying, demolition, or removal.
ment of the Interior, or the National In stitute for Occupational Safety and
Health, Department of Health, Educa tion, and Welfare, under the provisions of 30 CFR Part 11 (37 F.R. 6244, Mar. 25. 1972), and shall be used in accordance
with subdivisions (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) of this subparagraph.
(i) Air purifying respirators. A reusa ble or single use air purifying respirator, or a respirator described In subdivision (ii) or (iii) of this subparagraph, shall be used to reduce the concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers in the respirator below the exposure limits prescribed in paragraph (b) of this section, when the
ceiling or the 8-hour time-weighted aver age airborne concentrations of asbestos
fibers are reasonably expected to exceed no more than 10 times thosfe limits.
(ii) Powered air purifying respirators. A full facepiece powered air purifying respirator, or a powered air purifying respirator, or a respirator described in subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph, shall be used to reduce the concentra tions of airborne asbestos fibers in the respirator below the exposure limits pre scribed in' paragraph (b) of this section, when the celling or the 8-hour timeweighted average concentrations of asbestos fibers are reasonably expected to exceed 10 times, but not 100 times, those limits.
(iii) Type "C" supplied-air respirators, continuous flow or pressure-demand
class. A type "C" continuous flow or pres sure-demand, supplied-air respirator shall be used to reduce the concentra
Standard effective July 7, 1972. The Employees engaged in the spraying of tions of airborne asbestos fibers in the
9-hour time-weighted average airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers to
which any employee may be exposed shall not exceed five fibers, longer than 5 micrometers, per cubic centimeter of air, as determined by the method pre scribed in paragraph (e) of this section.
(2) Standard effective July 1, 1976.
asbestos, the removal, or demolition of pipes, structures, or equipment covered
or insulated with asbestos, and in the removal or demolition of asbestos in
sulation or coverings shall be provided with respiratory equipment in accord ance with paragraph (d) (2) (iii) of this
section and with special clothing in ac
respirator below the exposure limits pre scribed in paragraph (b> of this section, when the ceiling or the 8-hour timeweighted average airborne concentra tions of asbestos fibers are reasonably
expected to exceed 100 times those limits.
(iv) Establishment of a respirator pro
The 8-hour time-weighted average air cordance with paragraph (d) (3) of this gram. (a) The employer shall establish
borne concentrations of asbestos fibers section.
a respirator program in accordance with
7-'mFEDERAL REGISTER, VOL. 37, NO. 110--WEDNESDAY, JUNE
UCC 025585
(i236'i9
11322
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, and to authorized representa tives of either.
(2) Employee access. Every employee and former employee shall have reason
able access to any record required to be maintained by subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, which indicates the em
ployee's own exposure to asbestos fibers. (3) Employee notification. Any em
' ployee found to have been exposed at any time to airborne concentrations of asbes tos fibers in excess of the limits pre scribed in paragraph (b) of this section shall be notified in writing of the expo sure as soon as practicable but not later than 5 days of the finding. The employee shall also be timely notified of the cor rective action being taken. (j) Medical examinations--(1) Gen
eral. The employer shall provide or make
available at his cost, medical examina tions relative to exposure to asbestos re quired by this paragraph,
(2) Preplacement. The employer shall
provide or make available to each of his employees, within 30 calendar days fol lowing his first employment in an occupation exposed to r-irborne con centrations of asbestos fibers, a compre hensive medical examination, which shall include, as a minimum, a chest roent genogram (posterior-anterior 14 x 17 Inches), a history to elicit symptom
atology of respiratory disease, and pulmonary function tests to include forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced
expiratory volume at 1 second (FEW.).
(3) Annual examinations. On or be
fore January 31, 1973, and at least an nually thereafter, every employer shall provide, or make available, comprehen sive medical examinations to each of his employees engaged in occupations ex posed to airborne concentrations of as bestos fibers. Such annual examination shall include, as a minimum, a chest roentgenogram (posterior-anterior 14 x 17 Inches), a history to elicit symptom atology of respiratory disease, and pulmonary function tests to include forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced
expiratory volume at 1 second (FEW.).
(4) Termination of employment. The
employer shall provide, or make avail
able, within 30 calendar days before or after the termination of employment of any employee engaged in an occupation exposed-to airborne concentrations of
asbestos fibers, a comprehensive medical examination which shall include, as a minimum, a chest roentgenogram (pos terior-anterior 14 x 17 inches), a history to elicit symptomatology of respiratory disease, and pulmonary function tests to include forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEW.) -
(5) Recent examinations. No medioal examination .is required of any em
ployee, if adequate records show that the employee has been examined in ac
cordance with this paragraph within the past 1-year period,
(6) Medical records--(i) Mainte nance. Employers of employees examined pursuant to this paragraph shall cause to be maintained complete and accurate records of all such medical examina
tions. Records shall be retained by employers for at least 20 years.
(ii) Access. Hie contents of the rec ords of the medical examinations required by this paragraph shall be made available, for inspection and copying, to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, the Director of NIOSH, to authorized physi cians and medical consultants of either of them, and, upon the request of an em ployee or former employee, to his physi cian. Any physician who conducts a medical examination required by this paragraph shall furnish to the employer of the examined employee all the infor mation specifically required by this paragraph, and any other medical in formation related to occupational ex posure to asbestos fibers.
3. A new f 1910.19 is added to Subpart B of Part 1910, reading as follows:
1910.19 Asbestos dust.
Section 1910.93a shall apply to the ex posure of every employee to asbestos dust in every employment and place of employment covered by 5 1910.12, I 1910.13, I 1910,14, 5 1910.15, or 5 1910.16, in lieu of any different standard on ex posure to asbestos dust which would otherwise be applicable by virtue of any of those sections.
Effective date. Paragraph (b) (2) of 1910.93a shall become effective July 1, 1976. All other provisions of II 1919.93a, 1910.93, and 1910.19 shall become effec tive July 7, 1972. The current emergency temporary standard remains in effect until July 7, 1972.
(Secs. 6, B, 84 stat. 1593, 1598; 29 U.S.C. 655,
657; 29 CFR 1910.4; Secretary oS Labor's
Order No. 12-71, 36 F.R. 8754)
Signed at Washington, D.C., this 2d day of June 1972.
G. C. Guenther, Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc.72-8574 Filed 6-6-72;8:48 atnj
UCC 025586