Document JvRmKXGZBZDmpZRpa0q7xg91X

FILE NAME DuPont DUP DATE 1970 Feb 2 DOC DUP144 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Memo from James F. Morgan RE Asbestos Dust Inhalation Clean Copy without Notes - ws Tu mee m YY February 2 1970 C. L. DICKINSON JR S. M. HIRSTY P. R. JOHNSON D. B. FORMAN A. F. CHADWICK M. F. ACKEN A. B. MASELOW I. F. PEAKE R. W. LUCKENBAUGH D. SANTMYERS J. L. L. QUINN P. D. GRAHAM JR J. MITCHELL JR C. T. HANDY ~ CENTRAL RESEARCH - ELASTOMERS ~ ELASTOMERS - ELASTOMERS ELECTROCHEMICELECATROCLHEMISCALS EXPLOSIVES FABRICS & FINISHES FILM INDUSTRIAL & BIOCHEMICALS INDUSTRIAL & BIOCHEMICALS INDUSTRIAL & BIOCHEMICALS ORGANIC CHEMICALS PHOTO PRODUCTS PIGMENTS PIGMENTS PLASTICS TEXTILE FIBERS W ASBESTOS DUST INHALATION . Attached to this letter is a proposal for a Company Conference to discuss the health effects of inhalation ofwide asbestos and the means of measuring and controlling the hazards This lettie s arn invitation to you to attend the conference and to arrange for attendance by all persons in your department who have a need to know about these matters There are several reasons for arranging this conference at this time The following quotation illustrates the concern that exists | in industrial medical circle1s With the increasing use and indispensability of asbestos minerals there has come realization of some very real hazards that must be better defined and controlled Present standards for dust control do not appear adequate to prevent asbestosis over a working lifetime and many segments of industry aggressively attacking the problem have already been using more rigorous standards The associations between asbestos minerals and malignancies 1 Asbestos as Hazard W. C. Cooper Arch Sept. 1967 . to Health Fact and Environmental Health Speculation 15 285-290 fy ASBESTOS February Page 2 DUST INHALATION 2 1970 of the lungs pleura and peritoneum have became increasingly convincing Current efforts must be directed toward better definition of the importance of type size of fiber and the importance of factors As you well appreciate asbestos and asbestos products are widely used within the Du Pont Company There has been a lack of a unified program for the appraisal of dustiness and for controlling the inhalation of asbestos Now there is an increased interest on the part of governmental agencies in all aspects of occupational health and safety Last year new regulations were published under the Healey Public Contracts Act and a part of these regulations includes the adoption of the limits for concentration of asbestos dust in the air In addition to this action there was proposed in Congress during the last session that a federal act should regulate the amounts of contaminants that occur in the air in work places This Legislation failed of passage but undoubtedly will come again before Congress and it is anticipated by persons in the health protection field that there will be federal legislation Concerning the widespread use of asbestos in the Du Pont Company it is a fact that in chemical processing asbestos is almost ubiquitous It occurs in insulation for vessels and pipelines In the past and continuing to the present asbestos has been a commonly used insulating material Insulating material that is purchased is fabricated within shops on Du Pont plants isinstalled andeventually is removed Removal of old insulation as in demolition may present a risk of encountering types of asbestos that are not commonly used today including crocidolite which is acknowledged to be particularly dangerous with respect to the causation of mesothelioma a type of cancer Besides its use in insulating material asbestos is also purchased and used as an additive material to perform special functions in some products Attendance at the Conference will not be limited in numbers provided you will inform us in advance of the numbers from your departmewnhto will attend so that arrangements may be made It is anticipated that there will be some expenses involved in arranging the Conference and in obtaining the best possible scientists for the program Haskell Laboratory will have to ask that the costs be borne by the departments sending participants in a manner similar to the registration fees for any professional conferencs eet ASBESTOS February 2 Page 3 DUST INHALATION 1970 In deciding upon participation by representatives of your would urge that anyone who needs to have a good department we and how to handle it in order to understanding of this problem and plants should fulfill the obligations of the departments have an opportunity to attend It is requested that prompt attention be given to this that in thirty days we may have the names of prospec- matter so tive attendees A date has not been chosen yet but we expect more than sixty days from to hold the Conference no to arrange as soon as it can be fixed will be given you now The date ORIGINAL SIGNED BY ' JAMES F. MORGAN JAMES F. MORGAN CONSULTANT INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE JEM Attachment