Document 93YVw8dB40vj3zJvOXnG4zEK7

FILE NAME: Texaco (TEX) DATE: 1965 Nov 22 DOC#: TEX033 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Unpublished Confidential Report - Health Hazards from Asbestos M4 -32 ( to . t-J7| SHELL OIL C O M P A N i WHENCE crelate - M al .-- r ^ j o . '___ .-MUR__ a--Z_T|__AGS------ 4 L-tjv------ gg1TM ^ t COKFIDEOTIAL REFINERY MANAGERS --------------------------- ANACORTES HOUSTON MARTINEZ NORCO WILMINGTON WOOD RIVER ODESSA/CINIZA DATE NOVEMBER 22, I965 FROM MANAGER - MANUFACTURING ..ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HEAD OFFICE suwkt HEALTH HAZARDS FROM ASBESTOS There has been considrable discussion in medical circles in recent years concerning the possibility of harmful effects to insulators from long-term Exposure to asbestos. This matter has been a recent subject of an investigation oy the API Central Committee on Medicine and Health. Attached is a report vhicb summarizes the current status of the study vhich vas presented at the mid-year API meeting of the Central Committee. It includes a summary of the findings from a recent survey of workers in the petroleum industry to determine if there were any potential problems from exposure to asbestos. We thought you should be informed concerning this matter since work in progress by the U.S. Public Health Service and the medical profession is apt to focus increased attention on the health of workmen engaged in insulation activities. You will note from the conclusions in <he attached report that the data obtained to date is considered inadequate to resolve the question as to the degre of hazard posed to refinery insulators. For this reason, we see no cause for alarm at this time. However, you may wish to review the potential exposure to insulators from asbestos dust to determine if there are any situations where some additional precautions appear desirable. Subsequent to review of this report by the Canmittee on Industrial Hygiene of the Central Committee cm Medicine and Health it was decided that, although the data so far accumulated was insufficient to draw any conclusions, a task force should be established to continue the review and make reconmendations for future action. We will keep you advised if anything significant develops. J Q A TP A P o r v n t~ l :c c o c f- D. D B B B B B sj B / e -6 Attachment III THE HEALTH OF HEFZKERZKBI APPLHNG ASBESTOS 2NSULATTGH . (A Preliminary Audit) % a ^ ' Eocent reports describing a high incidence of pulmonary neoplasms . ong aabostoa uorkors has focused attention on the health of refinery craftsman engaged in'insulation activities. To obtain information relative to the exper ience or. petroleum eompanlos with the health of their lnsulatoro, nembora of the ' Medical and Health Committee vere polled, inviting them to contribute personal information on this subject to a common pool. Assurances were offered that the identity of the donor and source of information would not be revealed to preserve their confidentiality.' Before presenting an analysis of the available information on petroleum company experience, a brief history of asbestos as an Industrial health hazard is appropriate. ' Historical -- For 50 years or longer asbestosis has been recognized in the United States as a form of pneumonoconiools resulting from exposure to asbestoi dust. However, it -was not until Joint medical and environmental studies wore con ducted by official health agencies in the mills of Pennsylvania end Horth Carolina _about 30 years ago that the relationship between dust concentration, particle size . years of exposure and definitive chest x-ray markings was established. The lung field markings vere also shown to correlate well with certain subjective reactions related to pulmonary function. x Important faots concerning the physical character of the dusts associate with asbestosis were revealed in these studies. Although asbestos fibers, ranging in median length from 7-16 minrons, were found in the air, these long fibers were relatively few in number. The bulk of suspended dust ranged from about 0.5-3 microns in length and varied in concentration f r o m little as 1 or 2 million particles per cubic foot of air (mppcf) to 20 or more mppcf, depending on the " mechanical operation Involved. The correlations also showed that after 15 or more yoars of exposure the disease reached about the same degree of advancement, as evidenced hy chest x-ray markings, regardless of dust intensity. In these studies there seemed to be so evidence of pulmonary or other thoracic neoplasms and no suggestion of such findings. Subsequently, reports of the occurrence of lung cancer and other malignancies associated with asbestos employment began to appear in the literature. Although the number of such cases appeared large, soma investigators felt that the observations did not establish an increased incidence of cancer and that the association was unproved. Kany "1, [ c 0 c *1 1 0 B B B I I B , \ - . ' ' E-T Attachment III valid weaknesses wore shown to exist la tho roports claiming lung cancer as a opccific industrial hazard of asbestos workers. L'ovqver, In 1963 a report pub lished by Solikoff, Churg and-Ba=ohd.-(tho latter or tho cigarette famo) dcscrib a significant incidence .of lung cancer and other pLoural tumors as veil as cance of tho stomach, colon and rectum among asbestos insulators In tho construction industry* These Insulators woro exposed to a varioty of materials including fibrous Lass, cork sad hair felts which contain no asbestos; other Insulating materials, such as magnesia, calcium silicate Insulating block and insulation - - cements containing 10-15 percent asbestos; No free silica was present and asbos appears to bo tho only biologically active material in tho exposure. This repor soccod to bo free of tho statistical weaknesses and other valid criticisms of tb earlier reports. Sinco tho date of that report at loast 3 additional publicatio; by other investigators confirm in part, if not all, tho findings of Solikoff and his associates. An important finding in theso reports is that these cancers are found coma 20-40 yoars after Initial exposure to asbestos, frequently after roil meat from active csploymsnt. Susaarv of FtndtoKS - Tho response to tho poll of the Nodical and Heal Committee members regarding this potential problem wns nominal for this typo of inquiry* Twelve replies representing nino companies were received* Of this mad about 3 companies had made vhat appears to bo a careful examination of their heal records and at least two other companies are engaged or are about to begin both environmental as well as medical surveys of asbestos insulators. A point of special interest Is that not all insulating materials used in a refinery consist of or contain asbostos* Considerable quantities of glass wool or rode wool, as well as magnesia, are also used as insulation. Those materials are similar in composition to those reported by Solikoff and associates* One company reports that among a group~of about 40 insulators there was one case of bronchogenic carcinoma after soma 16 years of exposure and one case of adenocarcinoma of tho rectum after some 20 yoars of exposure. Two other employees have had lung biopsies`perfonoed; one with 25 yoars of exposure show lag a single asbestos body In the specimen and the other with 20 years of service with fibrous thickening of the aveolar septa but no asbestos bodies in the specim There was no significant pathology in these specimens. In another cospany one plant reports a suspected case of asbestosis which occurred same 10 years ago, but the outcome of the case is lost to antiquit; At another plant of tho samo company one insulator had a lover lobectomy and it was suspected that the fibrosis was caused by asbestos* A biopsy disproved this A B S -0 0 3 9 9 1 The sticky- note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an X. 5m / E-8 Attachment III allegation. X-ray examinations of 7 additional insulators at this plant, each of whom has had 18 or core yoars of exposure,_ *ovealed no significant findings* At still another plant roentgenography of all the insulators ravatlod broncho ' vascular markings which was rot apparent among other refinery people. No signifi cance was attached to these markings by the contributing physician. A third company reported examination of insulators at 11 their plant ^ The majority have less than 15 years service and their chest x-ray files and 6th tosts appear normal. Two employees with roro tha# *15 years service are reported to have & bronchitis. . All other reporting companies state that their insulators appear healt and that there have been ro unusual illnossos among the group. No results of any dust surveys ware reportod although ono or two companies state that the inhalatio exposure to asbestos is insignificant. It is pertinent to point out that the so-called KAC for asbestos dust is 5 eppef and that some investigators consider this value to be too high. It is equally important to point out that dust con centrations below about 5 sppcf of air are generally Invisible to the naked eye oven to that of the experienced observer. Conclusion - She data obtained to date from the Medical and Health Committee is inadequate to resolve the question as to the degree of hazard which - asbestos poses to refinery insulators. This is so because the total number of refinery insulators (about 150) covered by the contributing companies* reports . is insufficient for reliable statistical treatment and it is uncertain in every case that the morbidity end mortality records of retired refinery insulators or former refinery insulators have been included in the reports. Since the usual "diagnostic examinations ere frequently inadequate to detect certain cancers in their early stages, the disease may rot be revealed until it has progressed to advanced stages late in Ufa. TO obtain an adequate population sample of refinery insulators for statistical reliability and comparison with published data# at least 500 employee* should be covered in the survey. Sines there are only a relatively few insulator* of long tenure in any one plant# the survey would require the full cooperation of at least 10 companies to obtain meaningful results. As a matter of interest# Salikoff reports that the expected mortality from lung and plneral cancers over a 20 year period in a population of 500-600 persona is about 6 and for the sans length of tiro# the expected mortality from neoplasms of the stomach# colon and rectum is about 9 for the same size population. ` 3 ABS-00399' The sticky- note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an X. yvMtO fb , / _ * E-9 Attachment III casea on some personal observations of Insulating activities., it is - sy opinion that the inhalation exposure to asbestos among refinery insulators . ' *' .. * "1 is neither w'<rv<r"i*1 nor gnj t*t'nn*- ad I "urge the Kedical and Health Coamittoi . to continue studying this potential health problem. - ' . * . ^ V ` < ABS-003.QO 4 I E-10 Attachment III 1. "A Study of Asbestosis In tho Asbestos Textile Industry" - Public Health Bulletin #241, August 1938, U S. Government Printing Office. 2. Braun, B.C. and Truan, T. D. - "An Epidemiological Study of Lung Cancer in Asbestos Miners" - ABA Archives of Industrial Health, Vol. 17 (June) 1953. 3 SalUcoff, Cburg and Hamaond - "Asbestos Exposure and Neoplasia" - JAHA' Vol. 188, No. 1, 1934* A* Elwood, P.C. and Cochrane, A.L. * "A Follow-up Study of Workers from an Asbestos Factory" - British Journal of Industrial K edicine, Vol. 21, No. A, 196A. 5 Butra, T.R. and Camay, J.B. - "Asbeatosls and Pulmonary Carcinoma" - Archiv . of Eovironmental Health - Vol. 10, No. 3, 1965. 6. Williams, W.F. -- *Asbestosiaand Lung Cancer" -- Archives of thvironmental Health - Vol. 10, No. 1, 1965. . 7. Asbeatosls Syspoeium - New fork Acadssy of Solenoes - Su m e r of 1964. i-. r ^S-004000 The sticky- note shown below was written by Barry Castleman and attached to the page immediately following along the right margin at the spot marked on the next page with an X. i .y N r' t ji. . - . TABIZ 2 - Page 2. , ? ... Precanceroua .Lesions .. . . -, . ... . . . . . Ztfdlogic Age H - BONES AND BONE MARROW: Benzol and derivativ Blood dyscrasias: Hyperplastic, hypoplastic, aplastic, radioactive aubetan I1 - ' * . or hemolytic anemia. .Thrombocytopenic radiation. . purpura with spleen not markedly en larged. Transitory leukopenia, mono i: cytosis. LUNGS: ` : Pneumoconioses: Bituninoaia, aabestoaia, "lipoid" Asbestos, arsenic, ti r. Chronic Pneumonia : pneumonia, chronic chemical pneu monia, arsenical dermatosis, chromate ulcer of hands, perforated nasal septum (chromate, arsenic). oil, mist, chrome st -- chrome pigments, nit carbonyl. ? .... - r..i *> Many of these pre-cancerous manifestations regress spontaneouslyJTrom expose to the causative agent ceases, however, some of then are followed by or transformed is malignant growths. It is advised, therefore, to examine certain workers periodically such reactions when they are known to be exposed to these carcinogenic agents, and vhe warning signals appear the worker should be removed from bis environment. x Q 0 11 Q 003348 CARTER