Document OJKxDreoerazEnNqoeBGXgRpp

FILE NAME: Drywall Spackling Compounds (DWSC) DATE: 1977 Aug 16 DOC#: DWSC068 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Press Release from CA Dept of Health RE Asbestos /^ ) Lai \=- L- n OF CAUfG RN IA ,U H A MG- WELFARE A G E N C Y V, L : d d K.J L 94 HEALTH department of 714 P STREET, SACRAMENTO, CA. 95814 NUMBER: 318_77 TORRELEASE: immediate DATE: 8/16/77 CONTACT: Pete W eisser (916) 322 2060 S ta r tin g t h is week, warning l e t t e r s a re "being m ailed to 70,000 C a lifo rn ia em ployers b e lie v e d t o be u sin g a s b e s to s , a proven cau se o f human can cer, a l e r t i n g them to the September 1 d e a d lin e f o r re p o rtin g a s b e s to s w orkplace u se to th e S t a t e . Reporting i s req u ired by a S ta te law which took e f f e c t t h is y e a r in an e f f o r t to prevent job-related cancer. "A sb e sto s i s th e most w id ely used o f th e 16 ca n c e r-c a u sin g su b sta n c e s now re g u late d by the S ta te in p la c e s o f employment, " sa id S ta te Health D ire cto r Jerome A. Lackn er, M.D. "Em ployers who f a i l t o re p o rt a s b e s to s u se by Septem ber 1 r i s k a $500 f i n e . While th e fin e i s s ig n if ic a n t , so i s th e h e alth h azard t o w orkers o f t h is can cer-cau sin g substan ce which employers must ensure i s s a fe ly u s e d ." Dr. Lackner and Donald V ia l, d ir e c to r o f th e S ta te Department o f In d u stria l R elatio n s, both signed th ese employer a le r t l e t t e r s because th e ir departm ents jo in tly adm inister the program to p ro tect C alifo rn ia workers ag a in st jo b -re late d cancer. C a lifo r n ia i s th e f i r s t and only S ta te to so thoroughly r e g u la te th e u se o f a sb e sto s," said V ia l, adding: "Our Cal/OSHA in s p e c to r s w i l l be c lo s e ly w atching f o r un reported and u n safe a sb e sto s use during t h e ir ro u tin e , unannounced in sp e c tio n s o f p la c e s o f employment. "S e rio u s sa fe ty v io la tio n s involvin g a sb e sto s, and any o f th e o th er 15 cancer- causing su b stan ces under S ta te re g u la tio n , can hiring p riv a te se c to r employers $1,000 fin e s and re p e a t v io la tio n f in e s o f $5/000, While p u b lic employers are exempt from the f in e s , they a re ob liged to re p o rt a sb e sto s use and to follow s a fe working p r a c tic e s with a sb e sto s and the oth er regu lated su b sta n c e s." (more) - 1- 310-77 8A6/77 In d u stry so u rc e s e stim a te 135>000 C a lif o r n ia w orkers y e a r ly may be exposed to a s b e s t o s f i b e r s on t h e ir jo b s . A m ineral prized fo r i t s stren gth , v e r s a t ilit y and f ir e - r e s is t a n t q u a litie s , a s b e s to s h as some 3*000 commercial u s e s , in c lu d in g in autom otive brak e lin in g s and clu tch es, pipe m anufacturing, sh ip b u ild in g, fire p ro o fin g and con stru ction . In a d d itio n t o lung can cer, a s b e s to s f i b e r s a r e known t o cau se a r a r e r form o f cancer c a lle d mesothelioma, and a s b e s t o s is , a lu n g -sc a rrin g d ise a se which im pairs lung function. T ypically, these d ise a se s are detected only y ears a fte r prolonged, excessive exposure to asbestos fib e rs. Occupations with sig n ific a n t p o te n tia l exposure to a sb e sto s include shipyard w orkers, asb e sto s and in su la tio n w orkers, p ip e f it t e r s , con stru ction and dem olition w orkers, and m echanics who work w ith a u to , bu s o r tru c k b ra k e s and c lu tc h e s . A m ailin g o f about lj-0,000 l e t t e r s i s goin g to em ployers in a v a r ie t y o f in d u s t r ie s , and a ls o t o u t i l i t i e s and p u b lic a g e n c ie s which a re b e lie v e d on th e b a s i s o f S ta te in d u strial c la ssific a tio n records to be asbestos u sers. These employers must re p o rt a sb e sto s u se to th e S ta te D iv isio n o f In d u stria l S a fe t y , ^55 Golden Gate Avenue, San F r a n c is c o , CA. 9^102, g iv in g ty p e o f u se and th e number o f employees exposed. A sep arate a sb e sto s a le r t l e t t e r i s bein g sent approxim ately 30,000 employers who o p e rate brake r e p a ir sh op s, g a ra g e s and au to d e a le r s h ip s , g iv in g them in form ation on th e r e p o rtin g requirem ent and the h e a lth h azard s o f working w ith a s b e s to s - lin e d b rak e s and c lu tc h e s. The brak e shop l e t t e r e x p la in s th a t i f th e o p e ra to rs a re y e a r ly r e g is tr a n ts w ith the Rtate Bureau o f Automotive Repair they are au tom atically re g iste re d with the S ta te D ivision o f In d u stria l S afe ty , f u l f i l l i n g th e ir reportin g o b lig a t io n under th e new law . Commented D ir e c to r V ia l: "The rep o rtin g p ro ce ss i s uncom plicated. I t w ill provide C a lifo rn ia with the n a tio n ' s f i r s t m ajor statew id e co m p ilatio n o f th e many p la c e s o f employment using, a s b e s t o s and how many w orkers nay be exposed to i t . The r e g i s t r a t i o n l i s t w ill g iv e us a c o st-e ffe c tiv e data base to help us ta rg e t in sp ection s in areas o f high exposure p o ten tial and, thus, b etter protect C alifo rn ia workers again st job -related c a re e r." oOo