Document MJMXJb1O3M7Gx21pMpBJkve5y

KG-0111 EVALUATION OF EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS DURING MIXING AND SANDING OF JOINT COMPOUNDS GYPSUM ASSOCIATION Denver, Colorado November 19, 1973 evaluation of exposure to asbestos during MIXING AND SANDING OF JOINT COMPOUNDS GYPSUM ASSOCIATION . Denver, Colorado INTRODUCTION The Gypsum Assoclati on ret ained George D. Clayton and Associates to conduct an Industrie 1 hygi ene survey at a test site located in Den ver, Colorado. The purpos e of the survey was to determine the concentrations of airbo rne as bestos to which workers were exposed during mixing and sandi ng of joint cement compounds and to interpret the results In terms of potent ial health hazards with particular reference to regulations promul gated under authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Ac t of 1 970. This study was conducted on November 19, 1973 by Mr. Robe rt D. Soule of Clayton and Associates. Results of that study are re ported herein. BACKGROUND The Gypsum Association, located at 1603 Orrington Avenue in Evanston, Illinois is a trade association which represents ten to fifteen in dustrial companies which are engaged in the manufacture of products incorporating gypsum or gypsum-like materials. As with most indus trial concerns, the activities of the Gypsum Association have become more broad with the passage and implementation of federal regulations such as the Metal and Non-Metallic Mine Safety Act and the Occupa tional Safety and Health Act. Technical committees composed of per sonnel from companies comprising the Gypsum Association have been es tablished with particular interest in the occupational safety and health field. Of particular concern in this respect was the poten tial hazard associated with exposure of workers to airborne asbestos during mixing and sanding of compounds used to seal cracks and joints formed during installation of wallboard material. Although the spe cific formulations used by the various companies manufacturing and supplying the joint compound vary,it is understood that essentially all of them incorporate asbestos in the product whether as a dry com pound or a ready-mix product. In orde r to evalua t e the exp osure of workers to asbestos dur ing handling a nd us e of t he joint c ompound products, the Gypsum Ass ociation dec id ed to u nd ertake a test program during which several pro ducts would b e mix ed and sanded. George D. Clayton and Associates was retained t o co 11 ect and analyz e samples which would represent the exposure 0 f wo rk er s engaged in the study. The tests were perf orraed on Novembe r 19, 1 973 in a devel opment of townhouses known as Ki ng's Mill Townhou s es, wh i ch wer e under construction in a suburban area north of Denver, Colo r a do . POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS Asbestos is a generic term referring to various mineral silicates. The types used most widely in industrial applications include chrysotile, or "white asbestos" (a hydrated magnesium silicate), amosite,