Document G5VJmYjXv9jxMEgLVnRzY3kar

FILE NAME: US Gypsum (USG) DATE: August 13, 1936 DOC#: USG013 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1936 report of dust conditions in Jersey City plant CHICAGO - August 1 3 , 193d ">**v\, ** U S' : w" h fr - * VVi'i': L'r. V . L . Heady, Vio* Presid en t, O ffice* $9 have a eoaprehenaive rep o rt o f duet co n d itio n s in our Je r s e y c i t y p lan t and a rep ort on the x -ra y s o f the eaployees examined o t th at plant by p r. cardnor'e organ isatio n . In b r ie f the findings arei 1, ' Diagnosis o f aabestosis fo r fiv e sen. 2 , .P o s s i b l y f i v e a d d itio n a l sen have a a b e s to s is but n ocessary; to confira by o lln io a l correlation, 3 , serious asbestos dust hazard under present operations. . .1 S. . t*'t. SHAT COnGTITUTSS DUST HAZARD | D r, c^rdner points out th a t various a u th o ritie s havt te n ta tiv e ly sug gested a concentration of fiv e B illio n p articles o f free a illo a per oublc fo o t o f a i r as H o l t s above which a s i l i c o s i s hazard sig h t e x is t* and t h ia value has n st w ith some re c o g n itio n . There i s no standard fo r s a fe co n cen tratio n o f asb e sto s duet ooaparable to the value Ju st given fo r fre e s i l i c a d u st, However, Dr, Gardner quotes the results o f a survey cade in four asbestos fa b rica tin g plants and reported in 1935 in B u lle t in #42', Department o f Labor and In d u stry o f P enn sylvan ia. The in cid en ce o f a s b e s to s is among worker* with core than fiv e years exposurei Average Dust Concentration For Kach Group studied Percentage o f aoh Group Raving ABbestosie 44 a l l l i o n p a r t ic le s per c u . ' f t i a i r 17 * * 5 '73* (8 out o f 11 person s)' 27* (4 15 ) 10* (8 20 ) The authors o f the rep o rt conclude th at I t i s not p o ssib le fro a t h e ir findings to estab lish ths aaxlaua safe condition o f asbestos in the a i r . DUST BKCOUBTERBP IN PLANT Among the are asbestos, in fu s o r ia l earth, s la t e , o lay , soapstone* aloa and lls e s to n e . Dr. Gardner advises s o u o f these alnerals are d e fin ite ly ;o a . .*a f..V v 4 ^ a a*- ms cf_ y z ? . EX. NO. 7 -y4~t I r . T* L . Keady - a August 13 1936 hazardousj others are probably not very dangerous although conclusive p roo f i s lu c k in g ) and a t l l l o th ers hove been shown to be p r a o t io a lly haruleas* DUST CCKC&KTIUTION IK I'LaHT h r. Gardner considers oonoe&tratlon o f an excess o f fiv e B illio n p arti o le s per ou* f t * o f a i r basar doue. The fo llo w in g co n d itio n s, were foundi '"4 1 jffX b ln In b u ild in g 71 where m n n w a ss hovel i n g asb estos -* 296 B illio n p articles per cu. ft* air* 2* In s id e 3 b ln whsrs bags o f asbestos d a y * o to . weru opened and co n ten ts pushed in to screw conveyor the count was 22 B i l l i o n p a rtic le s * 3* Over the opening o f the fo u rth flo o r through which tho b in s a rs ...... . supplied the co ncentration as 79 B illio n p a r tic le s * 4* C o n cen tratio n where asb e sto s boards a re sawed was 8 m illio n ' p a rti le s* 5* Loading bago w ith asb ostos oenent on f i r s t flo o r gave a concen tr a tio n o f 261 B illio n p a r tic le s * This is high ly hazardous. Other hazardous counts were a ls o given* The summary and oonolusion from Or G ardner's r e p o r t, loo kin g to preven tion l i s t a the con who should wear re s p ira to r s u n t il dust co n d itio n s a rs brought w ithin a a fe l i c i t a and g iv e s d e t a il recommendations on ex haust system s, prevention o f dust leakage and v e n t ila t io n * . OTHER COSil&hTH ' In a d d itio n to a s b e s to s is there are a number o f o th er p h y sica l d i s a b i l i t i e s among the sen such a s h e a rt d is e a s e , tu b e rcu lo sis s y p h ilis etc* There are cases with a c tiv e au & ifestatlo n s o f tuberculosis* Cass #270 (u* Tarby) has a u n ila t e r a l ch ronic tu b e rcu lo s is* l o s s l b i l i t y o f sanatorium treatm ent o f t h is man should be oonsidered* Case #344 ( v ltk o w s k l). In view o f the fa c t that th is individual i s only 19 years o f a g e , h is condition should be investigated further to determine whether treatment is required* There seeas to be no su g g estio n o f a s i l i o o s i s hazard a t Je rs e y C ity * I t kay b# a lle g e d , j.r 0a i a a r i s e , th a t those w ith tu b e ro u lo sls haw con- H r. JF, L . Keody 3 August 13 1936 traoted th is disease as a re su lt o f th eir occupation. RC0liMK??DATIQTr3 1* That Immediate step * he taken to provide r e s p ira to r s fo r those nen covered by dt. Gardner*# recommendation. X a s su ggesting to nr* heode and u r . Bemburt th a t t h is be done* 2* That prompt lio n be taken to I n s t a l l neooeeary dust preven* tio n and v e n tila tio n equipaont* 1 an a lso suggesting to Mr. Reads and U r. Rembert th a t t h is be done* COMPENSATION FCS OCCUFATICNAL 5I5SA2SS C e rta in named d ise a se s such as mercury poisoning* le a d poisoning* etc* come under the Compensation A ct o f ties Je r s e y . However, s i l i c o s i s and a s b e a to s is ore c o t named and any claim s a r is in g out o f these d ise a se s s ig h t be under common le v * INSPBAFSCS PROTECTION For d iseases l i s t e d under the Compensation Act* no have u n lim ited in su rance p ro te ctio n . Our insurance fo r occupational disoase claim s which B ig h t be made under common la v i s placed with the C o n tin en tal c a s u a lty Company fo r the primary coverage o f 5.000 fo r one porson or aggregate claim s o f 15,000 in one y e a r . Our excess coverage o f 45,000 fo r one person and 155,000 aggregate fo r one year i s insured with L lo y d s. I f claim s ore f i l e d both o f the companies may cancel the oacupaclonal d is ease coverage. FOB CONSIDERATION 1 . Chat a o tlo n s h a ll we take on n o t ify i.- g the non who have been examined o f the varioue d iseases which they havo? 2 . What u otlon s h a ll we take in connection w ith the co n tin u a tio n o f the employment o f our men who have o ccu pation al and o th er diseases? 3 . ih a t a c tio n e h a ll ve take on the tuberoular cases? TBP*E0C General Servios Manager