Document 8brj3pm4p8OXeLkYvGQ3nrem

FILE NAME: Exxon (EXX) DATE: 1974 DOC#: EXX028 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo RE Asbestos Exposure MEMORANDUM Or. K. E. Jones IwSwCCT Asbestos Exposures as PL^flWF'S F. S. Venable A rc mo 1 BATON O U G C . LA On October 8-9, 1974, I co llected a ir samples for asbestos fib er analysis at the N19o1. 0.293PaCLA(f)tur3n) artoounmdo. nitAosr ytohue kenxopwo, suwreesareof reeqmupirloeydeebsy eOvSeHrAy rseigxul(a6t)ionmson(tPhas.ra. The removal of e x istin g asbestos - containing in su la tio n from lin e s and v essels dtaukreinng. the turnaround afforded an opportunity for representative samples to be Three samples were co llected by meas of a personal sampler during the removal by one of our in su lators of the m aterial covering an 8-inch hot o il lin es on over head pipebands. The resu lts of these samples are as follow s: NSAUMMPBLERE 21 3 SARMATPELE '. 11..3355 LPM 1.35 SATMIMPELE 164 Min. 3 NUMGRBEERATEORF TFHIBAENRS 5/ v /cc 1758 58 The TLV for asbestos is 5 fib ers greater than 5 microus in length per cubic centimeter of air. The insulator was wearing a Welsh disposable dust respirator approved for con centrations up to 10 times the lim its (100 fib e r s/c c for ceilin g concentrations) panodintwaos,ut,thherowefeovreer,, atdheaqt uaPtaerlaygrpaprohtec(Cte)d 2frioimi icnohvaelraintigonwoorfk apsbraecsttoicse.s dIusrhinoguld stoprryayipnrgo,tedcetimonolitoifon Tyopre re"mC"ovasul pcpalilelds afoirr prreosvpiidriantgortsheanedmpslpoeyceeia lwicthlotrheisnpgir. a Tmwaoteariiarl scaomnptlaeisniwneg caoslbleecsttoesd fwrohmile thae' ceoxntterraioctroro'fs ethmeploryeeaectorremvoveesdse linsau lat0i.ng2 PCLA. The resu lts of these samples are as follow s: SNAUMMPBLEER 4 5 SRAAMTEPLE 11..3355 LLPPMM STAIMMEPLE 32.5 MMiinn.. NUMBER OF FIBERS GRE5ATER/ c cTHAN 220535 There are a number of observations regarding these removal Jobs that warrant discussion. nriA b Page - 2 - The e xt r em el y c hes t y n a t ur e of these jobs appear to be the r e s u l t of prolonged heating and drying of the calclun s i l i c a t e - asbests insulation. it is d i f f i c u l t , if not impossible to suppress t h i s dust by p r i o r wetting oy water noses, since pipe insulation, in particular is covered with weatherproof paper and this must be removed b e f or e water can reach the i n s u l a t i o n m at e r i a l . The problem is further complicated because the insulator is working at relatively high evalua t i o n s wi t h, o f t e n , poor f o o t i n g . Any att empt to wet the i n s u l a t i o n during actual removal using water hoses might contribute to an accident from slipping or working on the wet a s b e s t o s . The a l t e r n a t i v e used in t h i s job was to drop the dry in sulatio n to the ground and immediately wet It with water. This prac tice at l e a s t minimizes the dust problem during subsequent clean-up and removal of the scrap asbestos. The c o n t r a c t o r 's job of removing insulatio n from the snell of the reactor is als o complicated by the large q u a n t i t i e s to be removed, the dustiness of the m a t e r i a l and the added problem of wire mesh support of tne asbest os cement. Lreamrgoeveda.mouTnthsis ofscdruapst maraet e rgieanleraaltseod wcannennotthebewibraeggmedeshbeifsorceut reomr ovsahlakesnincaes tiht e is wire readily cuts the plastic bags usually employed for scrap disposal. There are a number of items concerning these jobs that I f eel deserve comment. Of f i r s t concern is tne c l o t h i n g c onta mina tion by as bes tos dust which is almost un avoida ble In t h i s scope of removal o p e r a t i o n s . Not only are we v i o l a t i n g the e x i s t i n g regulat io ns concerning clothing by not providing such clothing and l au n de ri n g i t , but we are a ls o f a l l i n g to p r o t e c t our employees and the fami lies of our employees from a s be st o s exposure. The m a t te r of p r o t e c t i o n of con t r a c t o r ' s employees Is als o worthy of c o n s i d e r a t i o n by our management. While we Issued r e f i n e r y - w i d e g u i d e l i n e s on a s b e s t o s handling soon a f t e r , the effective date of the standard in 1972, there are s t i l l deficiencies in our compliance with these guidelines, specifically the failure to restrict unpro tected employees from these areas and the f a i l u r e to post warning signs in the asbestos work area. While we i n i t i a l l y embarked upon the a s b e s t o s c o n t r o l program with some r es e r va tions concerning ics real significance to the problem of asbestos caused disease and been some degree of considerable cchoamn gpel a c eI nn c yt h irnekgianrgd,i n ga t thleeahset a lotnh tohf e o,purarte mpl of o y t ee hi s, s there has writer, because of the appearance of two cases of mesothelioma in recent .months among Exxon Company employees. r ' If you agree that we should di scuss tnese ma t te r s with management, I am prepare! to do t h i s . FSV/ c>