Document LKOwLBE7mqXg9vZOO7GbJvmD3

FILE NAME: Insulation Contractors & Distributors (ICD) DATE: 1943 June 14 DOC#: ICD056 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to WA Dept of Labor from NW Magnesia Assoc. RE Proposed Safety Standards - Asbestosis I i " . '1 COPY . S e a ttle , Washington June i l , 1913 Ur. John. E . organ, Supervisor o f Safety Dsp.art.~ent' o f ib o r in d u stries State of Washington Olympia, V/ashington ' Dear h r. Iforgani EE: Propocod General Safety Standards Standard 19. A r tic le A.-5. AS5E3TCSI5 Cur A ssociation ha3 given due ccnoidarati.cn to the above sectioned su b ject and submit to you the follow in g racoxuccudatioaa. Inasmuch as any dust which night occur in any c f cur operations during the a p p licatio n o f m a te ria l in.wr.ich asbestos might be used is not o f any d i f feren t ch aracter from the ordinary dust th at i s d evaioped in tr,cu3anuo c f occupations, we f e e l th a t i t i s adequately ala ssifiecL u n d sr Standard 15 in general c la s s if ic a t io n o f "Hazards and P ro tective D evices." The r e la tiv e quantity o f asbestos in the m ate ria ls that use the name "asbestos" i3 q u ite s n a il. As a m atter o f f a c t , .magnesia i s 853 o f most o f the pipe covering which is g e n e ra lly referred to as asbestos anengest those uninformed. In our entire p ra ctice c f handling asbestos in the Dtato o f Washington, cuad our A ssociation members have been in th is business over 10 y e a r s , wo have r.o kr.ovd.edge o f anyone who is even acquainted with the coined word "Asbestosis" much le s s ever having: contracted tho disease, Vie fe e l, th at i f such a s o -c a lle d disease were advertised to the general p u b lic , end cur .workmen in p a r tic u la r , th a t i t would give them an excuse upon 'which to place claims fo r a l l sorts o f a ll i e d ailm ents and our p a r tic u la r in d u stry would be unduly burdened by such p a ra site s. Our Committee, co n sistin g c f ilr . W S. Jenkins and i r . ? . ? . 3ellam y, who were interviewed by John 2 . organ and Heraoa L u ft at thu Smith Tower o ff ic e s o f the Department o f Labor h In d u strie s, report th a t the recorded sin g u la r case o f Anbeotosis as noted in the m edical jou rn als occurred in England somo 10 or 50 years ago under must unsanitary and inhuman working c c n u itic n s . Since th is foreign disease has net come to our a tte n tio n , we f e e l i t sheuid be l e f t in Europe where i t belongs and not brought to cur lo c a l aonsnunities and cre a te h y ste ria and fe n r amongeot the fa m ilie s o f our contented v.'orknen who are now enjoying good h e alth and liv in g to a rip e c ld age, which i s s ig n ific a n t o f the Pipo Coverers Union as compared with the other tr a d e s. These s t a t i s t i c s o f your Department confirm the soundness o f th is argument . by the low rato which wo have, and wu wish to continue enjoying th is low rate by not allow ing our standards to bo ad u lterated . Therefore, we h e a r t ily recommend th at th is e n tire Paragraph A-5 be deleted from your code, -inci pledge our cooperation to ycur S a fe ty Standards, which as wo in te rp re t them, i s using good common sense on a l l o ccasio n s. Cn a l l our operations where the s lig h te s t amount o f dust adgilt a r is e from any sawing, your rep resen tative w ill concur th at we have proper v e n tila tio n .-and resp irato ry d e v ice s. However, whim i t comos to in s t a llin g our m a te ria l In cramped quarters o f war v e s s e ls , wo have proven th a t i f i s o f more value to consider s a fe ty in regard to g lr ln g ,? a man proper v isio n and not allow ing , him to be encumbered with r a s p ir a to r s, a ir hosors, hoods, e t c . ' ' JOB 00298 00522i ^u t Rooking to you fo r lavoratilo action in th is, c u tte r , wo remain -W '/or/ tr u ly yeora ORTK'iV'tST 1AGME5IA ASSOCIATICI! E llio tt Deforest Secretary