Document MJ61VVEDRB4BDeOmEQGzxvKLM

Cape Industries Limited 114 Park Street London W1Y 4AB Tiphont 0149? 6022 Tt#i 24811 Tpl^qrjms IncCNupt London nf> *. o`**vj oN^e m bow X Mr. M. Harris, Johns Manville Corporation. P.0. Box 5108, Denver. Colorado 8021/. 2lst March, 1977 Dear M, |<r, i have in acVnow Udr.o your cable concerning Dr. Kotin and your letter of 2nd March. 1 do agree that it is of primary importance to bring all your forces to bear in countering the effect of the NIOSH submission and I am indeed grateful for your offer to make George Wright aro Dr. Pelnar'a Information available. X am also appreciative of your suggestion that we should get Walter Smithcr to Head the Medical Committee of the International Asbestos Information Conference but I am somewhat reluctant to do this since both Alex Cross and 1 are already taking prominent parts in the organisation and one more Cape man would I think, be a bit too much.1 I am therefore proposing that we ask Dr. Robert Murray to lead this team and to set It up in the first place with the specific task of collecting information on asbestos-related disease from all countries throughout the world. If this works well, wc would consider a more formal appointment of a medical advisory committee headed by Dr. Murray. I am not sure whether you know Dr. Murray. He was with the International Labour Organisation and subsequent 1y was Medical Advisor fur the Tradeti Union Cnngresrt In this country, from which he retired in I'l/'t. Allhoiic.li of course, lie is not connected with the Industry, he is, I he Iieve, an entirely suitable person for this ta6k and I am putting the suggest ion to the Executive Committee members. Our main concern here recently has been with the recommendation of the sub-conn.i11re of the British Occupational Hygiene Society which has been reviewing the fibre standard. You will remember that it was their original recormrndation tbit resulted in the British 2-fibre standard, the .ideere bp- . bicud .,n (be health re. ord -< number of employees at Turner's textile fact, rv in R chdale whose record could be set against kn iwti itn r t I I . Mr. M. Harris 2UC March, 1977 This committee has produced a draft report with a recommendation for 0.9-fibre standard. The Industry based members of the ccaaslttce however, refused to accept this conclusion and so the conmlttee has fallen apart without agreeing on a recommendation. I he reason for this disagreement is that the C.9 figure hinges upon the incidence of crepitations in 6oae eighty of the men who were exposed and this is to some degree supported by parallel data involving X-ray changes and what is described as "suspect" asbestosia. It is the crepitation data however which is the most important and which is hotly contested by Turner's who point out that there is not sufficient agreement ut. the numberh >n which ciepiLuUuua nave Wen diagnosed and that re-examination indicates that many of these people are now free from crepitations. Some members of the committee argue that crepitations come and go whereas Walter Smither argues that such crepitations associated with aabestoaie are quite distinctive and that they are permanent. A good deal depends upon how this disagreement is resolved. It had been my intention to send you a confidential copy of the draft report with this letter since 1 would have much valued your comments, George Wrightte, and Paul Kotin'a, on the document. I had a letter from George this morning however, and he tells me that he will be in the OK next week and so I propose to hand it to him personally. The facts (as distinct from che recossnendation) are to be written up and then sent as evidence to the Advisory Committee on Asbestos that has been set up by the Government and it will be this committee's task to advise a new standard. The Industry ia therefora very concerned to make a further submission to the Advisory Committee setting out its criticism of the statistical interpretation and possibly putting in a recalculation. Aside from this, we are much pre-occupied with the European Economic Coasnunity who are taking an Increasing interest, producing regulations and guide lines involving asbestos, and also with international trade union organisations. In view of all these uncertainties, I do understand that you would: not be in a position to Chink about any collaboration in South Africa. It would be nice to think that the situation may reach a point within the next twelve months when you might view things differently - but in any event, my invitation to you to visit our mining operations still stands. Aside from all these problems, I do hope that all is well with you and yours! Yours ever, Kf./WKG Dr. R. Coze