Document B54DM2pY2bBL10zpygBNBYYZ8

FILE NAME Quebec Asbestos Mining Association QAMA DATE 1981 June DOC QAMA164 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION QAMA Bulletin Vol 5 No. 2 WORLD SYMPOSIUM ONON ASBESTOS TO BE HELD IN MAY 1982 Sponsored by the Government of Canada the Government of Qu^'becand the Commission of the European Communities A World Symposium on Asbestos is to be held in Montr^'alon May 25 26 and 27 1982 Organized around the theme Asbestos Health and Society the Symposium will take place under the auspices of the Government of Canada the Government of Qu^'bec and the Commission of the European Communities who took this initiative jointly with a view to drawing up as objective and complete an analysis as possible of the asbestos situation with- in the context of the many controver- sies revolving around this mineral International experts in various dis- ciplines will be called on to discuss the major issues which form the core preoccupation of those who each in their own right have an interest in asbestos issue and an opportunity for dialogue and the exchange of information among the representatives of government labour scientific and medical circles and industry The Symposium organizers are hoping that this meeting will yield an exhaustive evaluation of the negative and positive aspects of asbestos so that the international community will be better equipped to determine with full knowledge of the facts the limits and possibilities of reconciling as regards asbestos economic and commercial interests with social preoccupations including the quality of life In short the Symposium is an attempt to provide as full and objective an answer as possible for those who are wondering whether society can live with asbestos and especially whether it needs do without it Objectives Whether the state of scientific and medical research technological progress the health and safety of the workers and the public product safety environmental protection or the socioeconomic impact no aspect of the asbestos issue will be ignored at this unprecedented international gath- ering Introducing the latest data the Sym- posium is intended as both a forum for the free expression of the differing views currently held on the asbestos Participation The participants in the Symposium will be representing each of the groups which in their own sphere of operation are directly concerned with the asbestos issue the heads of govern- ment regulatory agencies on the environment and on occupational health and safety the heads of consumer protection organizations senior public servants in the health labour and social affairs sectors international organizations in the fields of science health and labour scientists doctors and researchers renowned for their work and their knowledge on asbestos delegations of national and international labour federations and delegates of the mining and manufacturing industry Balanced representation To ensure adequate and balanced representation of all interest groups and all viewpoints as well as an appropriate distribution according to the geographical regions of the world participatioinn the Symposium will be by invitation The guest list will be drawn up by the Steering Committee which is itself made up of representatives of the principal sectors in question namely the governments the scientific community the labour movement and the industry The Steering Committee estimates that the number of invited guests will have to be limited to approximately 600 given the space available at the site of the Symposium The Symposium is in fact to be held in the General Assembly hall of the International Civil Aviation Organiza- tion ICAO a United Nations agency having its headquarters in Montr^'al and whose facilities are particularly suited to an international conference of this nature ESE| THE SYMPOSIUM Structure and Organization Managing coordinating and supervising the organization of the World Program Committee and the Budget Committee Symposium on Asbestos is the respon- Finally the Steering Committee has sibility of a Steering Committee made assigned the Program Committee up ol one representative of each of the whose members it appointed the task sponsoring bodies the Government of of planning the entire program for the Canada the Government of Qu^'bec and the Commission of European Com- munities a representatofitvhee labour movernment a delegate of the international asbestos industry and a delegate of the Canadian asbestos mining Symposium of defining the themes and topics for discussion and suggesting possible candidates for session chairmen speakers and panelists The Steering Committee industry The representatives of the three Georges Dahmen of the Minist^rede l'Energie et des Ressources du sponsoring bodies are chairing the Qu^'becChairman Steering Committee and alternately preside at each meeting where Committee members may be accompanied by observers Gary Nash of Industry Trade and Commerce Government of Canada Chairman Dr. Heinrich Ott of General Organization Directorate XII of the Commission of the European Communities Co- The planning material organization and communications for the conference have been entrusted to the Institut de Recherche et de D^'veloppement sur l'Amiante IRDA whose Director is acting as Secretary General for the Symposium in this capacity he sits on the Steering Committee the Chairman Jean G^'rinLajoie of the United Sleelworkers of America Sir Neville Stack of the Asbestos International Association AIA J.R.M. Hutcheson Chairman of the Board of Manville Canada representing the Institut de M^'decine du Travail et de l'Environnement and The AMAQ Dr. Jacques Dunnigaonf the Institut de et Recherche de D^'veloppement sur l'Amiante and Secretary General of the Committee The Program Committee Dr. Gabriel Plaa Professor Facult^' des ^ tudesSup^'rieuresof L'Universit^' de Montr^'alChairman Dr. Heinrich Ott of General Directorate XII of the Commission of European Communities Mr. Cl^'mentGodbout of the United Steelworkers of America Dr. David C.F. Muir of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Centre Mr. Dennis Browne of Industry Trade and Commerce Government of Canada Dr. Richard Gaze of the Asbestos International Association Mr. Charles of M^'ranger National Health and Welfare Government of Canada SPONSORING BODIES Government of Canada Government of Qu^'bec Dr. George Wright of l'Institut de du et M^'decineTravail de l'Environnement Mr. Lionel Piuze of l'Association des mines d'amiante du Qu^'bec Commission of European Communities The Secretariat General Dr. Jacques Dunnigaonf l'Institut Recherche et de D^'veloppementsur l'Amiante Secretary General COMMITTEE | | STEERING COMMITTEE | SECRETARIAT GENERAL GENERAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE COMMITTEE | Mr. Aleksander Ignatow of Industry Trade and Commerce Government of Canada Dr. Gilles Lagac^'of the Centre Hospitalier Marie of TroisRivi^resrepresenting the Government of Qu^'bec Mr. Marcel Valtat of l'Association : Fran^aise l'Amianie Mr. Yvon Turcot of Intercommunica Communications Comunications Consultant 2 THE SYMPOSIUM Preliminary Program Although certain details still have to be reviewed and the formulation of cer tain themes topics or issues is still subject to change the program for the World Symposium on Asbestos has on the whole been drawn up for the entire three days state their viewpoints on the rights and attendant on the use ol asbestos in the workplace A panel made up of the speakers of the second and third sessions will debate the question Are the workers exposed to excessive risk asbestos exposure introduces the notion of disease which is the b~ te noire of humanity The Future Day the Symposium will attempt to look into the future of asbestos from The Symposium has been organized into seven sessions all of them plenary with approximately 29 presenta- tions each scheduled to last 20 10 30 minutes The Program Committee decided to restrict the length of the presentations in order to allow as much time as possible for the seven panel discussions which will be open to all participants Asbestos in the Workplace Day | of the Symposium will principally be devoted to the issue of exposure to asbestos in the workplace and to an evaluation of the risk of this exposure to the workers health The first session entitled Asbestos The Medical Data will notably include a review of the diseases habitually related to asbestos a The Major Controversies The fourth session on the morning of Day II will consider the full socioeconomic impact of the use of asbestos products and asbestos substitutes Following the presentations a panel will be invited to debate a particularly thorny question deliberately phrased in a provocative manner Should we replace asbestos In the afternoon the fifth session will broach another equally crucial aspect probably the one which has aroused the most emotion in recent years This session is devoted to the risks associated with occupational exposure in other words the effects of exposure to asbestos on the health of the general population the scientific and legislative stand- points In the course of session six the commuwn ill i take t the fy loor The speakers will be invited to discuss the current state of research into asbestos as well as the direction of future research in light of exisling data The seventh and final session will deal with regulations and legislation It will notably include a review of regulations presently in force in various parts of the world and an analysis of the different philosophies underlying the regulatory approaches This session will also attempl to define the rationale for regulations on the use of asbestos Finally Iwo questiownisll be put to a panel of experts from different coun- comparison of past and present epidemiological evidence taking into account changes in workplace exposure levels and a definition of the term threshold as applied to carcinogens in general and to asbestos in The panel discussion which will follow promises therefore to be particularly lively all the more so since the question posed Is the general population at risk from cancer due to ires To what extent are regulations and legislation in accord with present scientific knowledge and What should be the pattern for future legislation and regulations particular Based on the presentations presentations in this session a panel will discuss the question Is there a practicable no- The Symposium and the Press effect level for asbestos In the afternoon a session of a tech- nical order will examine profection in methods the workplace The presen- lations will attempt to define the progress made in primary and secondary Industry and the problems yet to be solved in this fleid In the course of the third session of All of the World Symposium on will be open to the press However given the limited space which will necessarily restrict attendance at the plenary sessions of the Symposium the inedia or journallsis wishing to cover this international event will due time be asked to apply in advance for a pass To this end the Secretary will be sending out application forms simultaneously to all news media in the fall the day three speakers representing industry labour and government will LSudiotiiy. Asbestos Chemically Modified During Processing Data on the biological effects of asbestos may be inapplicable to finished products When pure virgin asbestos libres are incorporated in a mixture with other compounds cement organic substances etc ) and processed into a new final product the resulting pro- duct may very well be one in which the individual ingredients have been modified chemically ' Such are the findings currently subscribed to by several scientists which Dr Jacques Dunnigan Director General of l'institut de Recherche el de RDA D^'veloppementsur l'Amiante discussed at the Third Biennial Conference of the AIA held in London at the end of May With the support of laboratory test results of several research teams Including that of Dr Deruyttere of Belgium of Dr Spurny of the Federal Republic of Germany of a group of scienlists at l'Universit^'de Sherbrooke and of IRDA itself Dr Dunnigan demons- trated that all the results lead to belie- Results of a French Study on | ve that the chemical properties of asbestos in its raw state undergo substantial allerations when the fibre is incorporated in other material or Detection and Prevention completed A team of French doctors and scientists recently a detailed study of the ray files of more than 600 6000 asbestos workers and employees which represents spread over more than three years the interpretation of upwards of 35 000 lung and pleural ray films of patients exposed to asbestos in an industrial environment The results of this mammoth undertaking which is part of an ongoing epidemiological study have been compiled into a document which con- stitutes a veritable treatise on the interpretation of rays of workers in the asbestos industry This publication is available to specialists in Industrial medicine radiologists lung specialists and other experts The publication as well as the study itself were commissioned by l'Association Fran^aisede l'Amiante and supervised by Dr. Pierre Zivy a pneumophthisiologist Although exclusively a study in radiological semiology - semiology being that field of medicine which cancerns itself with the study of symptoms it nonetheless invaluable in that il covers all the asbestos workers in all the asbestos and asbestos textile plants in France As the President of l'Association Fran^aisede l'Amiante Cyril Latty stated in the preface to the new publication Thanks to this mammoth study undertaken by Drs Zivy and Gerber evidence of the appearance of early pleural symptoms is a clear testament to the timeliness and the value of this paper as regards delection and prevention which are the focus of industrial medicine " symptoms The conditions for pathological went on Mr Latty which are in many ways still obscure and which have been difficult to identify in view of their latency 20 to 40 years have Ihus been more clearly estab- lished through a rational statement rather than frail conjectures Specialists in industrial medicine are better armed to detect early asbestosi symptoms of and to take measures which will prevent the workers under their supervision from increasing the risk to their health subslances as is generally the case with containing products Incorrect Extrapolation Due to this chemical modification the biological effects associated with pure virgin chrysotile asbestos cannot be automatically associated with the modified fibres contained in finished products There are now some fresh scientific data which show that mechanical or chemical manipulations of asbestos result in modifications of brological effects and more specifically in the passivation of these " effects In light of the available data and of the work in progress in this field Dr Dunnigan is of the opinion that regula- tions concerning the use of finished containing products are not scientifically supported il arrived at by extrapolation of the epidemiological data obtained after exposure to pure virgin asbestos Owing to both the scientific and strategic importance of the new findings in this field IRDA is planning to establish a laboratory service having among its principal tasks the evaluation of the chemical and biological properties of the fibrous particles that may be emitted or released from asbestos- containing finished products Michael J. Messel Retires The man who many knew as Mr As- bestos Michael J Messel who devoled more than 43 years of his career to the industry and who from the start shaped the development of Lac du d'amiante Qu^'becwhere he served as General Manager for over 25 years and as President since 1964 officially retired early this summer He will however carry on until the end of 1981 as Chairman of the Board of RDA and will continue to sit on the Board of Directors of AMAQ experience and his intimale knowledge of its evolution After recalling the extraordinary growth of mining activity after the second World War and more specifically in the late sixbies and early seventies a growth characterized by a demand which far exceeded supply Mr. Messel reviewed the various prob lems confronting the industry today particularly in terms of regulation legislation and adverse publicity the negative effects of which are complicatco by an unfavourable economic climate adopling amore balanced approach to asbestos Mr Messel is also convinced thal as time goes by and with the appearance of new scientific and medical data substances may well replace asbestos as a locus for those who have fostered the present climate of hysteria This does not mean that the asbes- tos industry will ever relive the golden era of the last two decades Those limes are over for good The profile of the asbestos industry is changing but sos society and it's not the end of the world Surmountable Problems All this in the view of the former President of LAQ in no way means that asbestos is doomed There is no such Foreseeable Changes We have to face the fact observed Mr Messel that asbestos mining and manufacturing will nol provide in the foreseeable future the kind of returns it used to The industry will have to live with that reality and take the necessa- Ty steps to cope with it redirecting production rationalizing costs and perhaps even reducing production capacity to adjust to the demand level and to lower the breakeven point in the not bo distant future economic imperatives might lead to certain " mergers or regrouping of mines Marketing of asbestos has also un- Jean Dup^'r^f'at left and Michael J Messel His successor as President and Chief Executive Officer of LAQ is Jean Dup^'r^w'ho at the time of his appointment held the position of Executive Vice President Mr Messel's retirement was honou- red with several social events during which the world of asbestos as well as the communities of Thedford Mines and Black Lake and the employees of LAQ paid him tribute Guest Speaker at the AIA Mr Messel himself took the opportu- nity at the AIA Third Biennial Conference in London just before retiring to discuss the state of the asbestos in- dustry as he sees it in light of his tong thing as an endless downturn or an endless upturn The swing of the pendulum is universal and if we manage to hold the fort through the difficult period are we confronted with am convinced that in the long run asbestos will out- " live its attackers At the moment went Mr Mes sel we have the environmental problems and the misinformation to cope with but the industry shall overcome this for it possesses the brains the energy and the advanced technology do so Nating that there has already been a change in the attitude of the scientific community and that recent studies such as the one conducted by Dr McDonald's team have greatly contri- buted to scientists the world over dergone some profound changes according to Mr Messel Today you have to slep up your marketing prachcally beat the sidewalks and is not sufficient go to the purchasing agent or department you need to call on the chief executive officer or chief operating officer to find out about the company's policy on asbestos products You even have to try and influence the " policy makers within the companies Future Prospects While acknowledging that producing and marketing asbestos does present a challenge today Mr Messei nevertheless concluded that all things considered in view of the irreplaceable properties of asbestos in certain applications and the high cost of energy which will make this mineral increasingly more competitive the asbestos marketing picture over the long haul may be brighter than the current situation leads to believe C Baebites Pilot Project powers I ot 4 mm a Success at Carey Canada The rationalizing of production costs is a concern shared by all industries seeking to remain competitive while maintaining an acceptable level of profitability The asbestos mining companies are no exception Each is working to develop systems and programs aimed at improving productivity and performance and reducing production costs without affecting the quality of products or services Al Carey Canada among the measures introduced lo optimize production and minimize costs one slands out for its originality and for the results achieved A Special Committee The management of Carey Canada has set up a committee of five foremen and a coordinator who based on their experience and daily observation of the various activities at the mine and mill have been entrusted with the mission of recommending improvements or changes likely to reduce costs increase production and generally speaking Improve performance Thus owing to the initiative and cooperation of this commiatsoerteof production improvement committee the of management the East Broughton company was induced to have the design for the graling supports of certain types of screens altered The new supports are simpler to build and have fewer compartments hence increasing the sifting surface it follows that time and money are saved in the manufacturing of the screens Similarly the metal bearings on certain types of machines have been replaced with rubber bearings the result is a substantial on saving maintenance costs as the rubber bearings last three times longer and require no lubrication They are furthermore cheaper to purchase and install A Conclusive Experience Among the projects carried out as a result of the creation of this commiltee for the promotion of a more rational use of the company's human resources othe : ~ With the modification of the grating supports this scroon now has a larger sifting surface from the standpoint of innovation and initiative worth noting is the replacement of the lubrication pumps on the liberizers with manually lubricated bearings thus solving the problem of of contaminated fibre and moreover eliminating an entire system of pumps and pipes that are costly both to purchase and maintain Other projects are under study nolably one which concerns the shaft pump system The management of Carey Canada considers that its experience with this committee has been particularly positive and intends to carry on with it by ensuring the con- tinual renewal of the committee members The foremen who are directly Involved in the operations and are open to the observations and comments of the employees under them are therefore in an ideal position to carry out such an assignment As a result of the creation of this committee which dales back to May 1980 a dozen detailed proposals have been submitted to the management of Carey Canada five of which have already been succesfully carried out while three others are nearing comple- tion Substantial Savings The savings achieved thanks to the application of the committee's recom- mendations already total several thou- sand dollars Manually lubricated bearings have been installed on this benzer to replace the lubrication pumps following a suggestion from the committee B Streamlined New Lounge Facilities for LAQ Mine Employees ated asbestos which serve as supporting walls while the interior is covered in sheets of enamelled metal also prefabricated The floor tiles are of asbestos and match the struc ture's grey and blue colour scheme Two Different Sections At once a lounge dining area locker and administrative centre for those in charge of mining activities the new building which Lac d'amiante du Qu^'becerected near its mine is the most modern of its type in the Canadian asbestos industry The building which was officially Inaugurated at a ceremony to which all the employees and their families were invited exhibits certain special features in terms of concept and design The external fa^ade is made out of prefabricated panels of corrug- The building which measures 44 x 24 meters is divided into two main sections one of which is reserved for management personnel and the other for mine employees The latter section contains three bright spacious dining areas equipped with warming ovens plates refrigerators and vending machines The facilities also include lounges showers and locker rooms The dryers are equipped with mobile bins that automatically carry the work clothes to the drying room in the basement A thermal pump which uses ground heal as source of energy for most of the ventilation conditioning and heating in the building substantially cuts down on energy consumption Spacious and comfortable this new multipurpose building more than meets the regulatory requirements in terms of health and salety at work A New Air Purification System at Bell A new air purification system with a liftering capacity allowing optimal ventilation of underground work areas has been installed at the Bell mine at cost of 750,000 200 000 Cubic Feet With a total illering capacity of 200 000 cu ft per minule the system which operates by means ol bag filtration conforms in every way with the air purification government standards stipulated in the federal legislation and enforced by the Qu^'becauthorities As is well known the national standards with regard to dust levels in asbestos mines and processing plants have been set at O mg of asbestos per cubic meter of mhalable dust wa Ba BP a q The new air purification purification system connected in the the Beli mine shall Made in Qu^'bec Designed entirely in Qu^'becand manufactured by AAF Limit^'e the system selected by Les Mines d'Amiante Bell is made up of five modules each of which is fitted with 352 bags measuring 14 ft in length and 6 in in diameter and includes two ventilators each with a capacity of 100 000 It per minute Completely autonomous and operating continuously the system makes use of a mechanical shaking device to clean the bags Connected to the shaft where the system has been installed is an diameter pass which allows ar to escape in the event of an emergency or a mechanical breakdown A Code of Good Practice for the International Asbestos Industry The Governing Council of the Asbestos International Association AIA has approved a draft code of good practice prepared by the Fibre Producers Advisory Panel headed by J.R.M. Hutcheson Chairman of the Board of Manville Canada The new code which establishes rules of good practice for both producers and users was the subject of a formal presentation by Mr. Hutcheson at the Asbestos International Association Third Biennial Conference in London at the end of May All the asbestos producers belonging to the AIA have undertaken to observe this code which is reprinted in full below asbestos handling or use maintained asbestos fi- country generally accepted beapplied acepted fibre producer of ee BULLETIN This BULLETIN is published by l'Association des mines d'amiante du Qu^'bec 1130 Sherbrooke Street West 410 Montr^'alH3A 2M8 Suite The Post Office Department in Ottawa has authorized postage paid in cash and forwarding of the publication by third class mail | Sf Canada = Postes Post Canada Postage paid Port pave Bulk third class En nombre troisi^me classe 264 Montr^'alP.Q. V'S RUZEZ ONVASIVN APTIAPTITTAXONYAAPXTIOTANXOYNY GVON ANTIVA VOLZ XOH o'd INVITASNOD TVINAWNON LANG NVWILLSV NVWILLSV [ AMNVY AN