Document VKyeBJeGdggkEJnRVqmxQq0Lo

To provide a current evaluat'.o . or. tne asbestos rsyulatior, usage, ard f iture trends to supplement the Vehicle Matei'iaij Engineering Asbesi -s Plar established August 26, 1977* Background The Asbestos Plan as delivered to the Advanced Review Conn'Hep February 3, zT'*1 emphasized programs to prepare the Company for a staged tightening of tbo at.cnaoj-^. Progress of these programs and recommendations <u. detutled below _ Programs Status Rp*o emendations - VKDSiP and KAAC Purchasing monitoring of supplier compliance and engineering programs. No current evaluation As of Aug. 26, 1977- Suppliers reaching compliance to 2 fiber/cc level with active programs to meet lover levels. Engineering programs in initial etage of development of alte"netive materials VHJl> enu KAAO Purchasing to monitor suppliers progress of'acheiving efficient envircnoental controls. VMDStP end engineering to track R&3 efforts and mnufaoturing feasibility cf substitutes. - HAAO Purcbaolng monitoring costs of asbestos containing components and engineering conducting comparisons with alternative materials. Analysij oi raw asbestos fiber only undertaker, NAAO Purchasing to evaiusue the oost of tr.e final prcdac-* on a dirertoo-a. busm r a ^'inAoring determ'ned substitutes,. -Advanced Engineering Projects funded for 1978 in Chassis and Transmission and Axle to assess substitutes. Transmission $83,000 Chassis $114,000 As of 8/78 $28,000 spent on feasibility programs for non asbestos clutch facings. Project is continuing with s planned release date of Job 1, 1980 on two models. Current support from two suppliers. Funding cancelled for calendar year 1976. lack of supplier submissions . Transmission to oontlnue an active progra- cn non-asbestos replacements. Funding for 197 will Sf ir excess cf T1GG,000 and incorporated into total budget allocations, for production imp! emei.tation. Chassis to support transition to r.nr.-aabestou friction materials bv evaluating supplier P&D suhoi sFic.n, Budget for 1979 recommended at $580,000 for advanced projeots or non-asbestos. Bendlx senu-metallic disc with asbestos backing introduced ip 2.3 liter turbo-engine,'79 Mustang, as pilot program.) TJ a> o o - kesearch 3ipport of Engineer1ug in parallel projacts. yj CJ Research $312,000 Bo additional fun' tig for non-asbestos projects, i urKis represented are t .a yearly allowance for the Faerdnlfig and Wear bept. The non-asbestos project does not Incupor&te ton fill time effort of one employee. EXR Staff to re-assesa the ' n> 'T.jget planned for 1979 t' . tan future supplier f iiiru1 jaa, lawsvJt 'mfuAS, aru. IC&; requests from engineering 7/n SCF-FORD-1594 ENGINEERING ASBESTOS PLAN UPDATE Purpose 1 To provide a current evaluation on the asbestos regulation, usage and future trends to supplement the Vehicle Materials Engineering Asbestos Plan estabiicVcd August 26, 1977. * I Regulation I .5Although a fiber/cc standard was proposed by OSHA on October 9, 1975 > no measures liave been taken to lower the present 2 fiber/cc permissible exposure limit. The following pressures are contributing to further regulation in 1979s . Hearings have concluded after 44 days of testimony on OSHA's Generic Policy tc regulate all carcinogens. By law, OSHA must act within 60 days of the close of the record, but that deadline seldom has bee:: met with past standards. Final rules to set guidelines for all carcinogens, e.g., asbestos, could easily be issued before the end of the year. . Concurrently, extensive media coverage will expedite the asbestos standard below the current 2 fiber/cc level. Medical authorities have taken the position that a safe level cannot be identified. . The completion of the Cotton Dust Standard set a precedent for proteavion of employes exposed no airborne carcinogens. . 'The British have adopted an approach aimed at reducing asbestos exposure to hne lowest attainable level with a 2 fiber/cc najm.rn.um ceiling, fcr excurs:one runner acticr. is pending or. the- standard until rer,,or+r are put!Isn.d cy z Advisory Committee. Compliance is enforced under ir.c Health, and Saxony am Work Act. Program Development1 The Aseesuos Plan, as delivered to the Advanced Review Committee, February 9* 1975. emphasized programs to prepare the Company for a staged ilgr.tening cf nr.- s.ar.aara. Progress cf these programs and recommendations are dm: lei selcv: .Tovrsr . VMDSP ar.d NAAC Purchasir. nc: _ coring supplier cor- ~ /- ' P GT*f_n *" 'Status As of August 26, 1977 . Suppliers reaching c-,` ance to 2 fibcr/cc le with. active prorramr meet lover levels. n > Ir -- -> kc v - * IK: * K ' Recommendations WDSi? s.nd. ?TAAC Pu-cb'a c;*. ing no irer':tor su mol: ers pregr;. r C ' . ecii'..ring sfficl'- r.t. :.:vironr.t.-ntal cor.trol '!Zl? hr ; tc;-g;C' a!5^ msrr.'f: L."i-.f'-V,- i517 HFM -004180 2- - ________Prorrrams Status _____Recommondatj ons . 1IAA0 Purchasing monitor ing costs of asbestos containing components and engineering conduc ting comparisons with alternative materials. Analysis limited to ra asbestos fiber. I'.AAO Purchasing to evalu ate the cost, of the final product on a directional basis on engineering determined substitutes. . Advanced Engineering Programs funded for 1978 in Chassis and Transmission and Axle to assess substitutes. Transmission $83,000 As of 8/78, $47,700 scent on feasibility programs for non asbestos clutch facings. Project is continuing .*ith a planned release date cf Job 1. 1980, on two models. Current support from two suppliers. Transmission to continue an active program on non asbestos replacements. Funding for 1979 will be in excess of $100,000 and incorporated into total budget allocations, for Droduction implementation. Chassis $114,000 Funding cancelled for calen dar year 1978. Lack cf supplier submissions. Budget for 1979 recommended at $40,000 for advanced projects on non-asbestos. Chassis to support tran sition to non-asbestos friction materials by evaluating supplier R&D submissions. t . Research support of Engineering in parallel projects. Yearly allowance for tr.~ Machining and Wear Depart ment, $312,000. The asbestos project, non separately funded, dees not incorporate the full nine effort of one employe. E&R Staff to reassess the flat budget planned for 1979 to sustain future supplier submissions, lawsuit inquiries and ICBA requests from Engineering. i Usage t The transition to non-asbestos substitutes has beer, associated with the increased cost of asbestos and the pressure to limit employe exposure by utilization of environ mental controls with an approaching stricter standard. Iloweyer, the unique properties of asbestos fiber have slowed efforts towards substitution, particularly in applica tions receiving heavy duty service, e.g., friction brake components^ f tpp'Ucr sub missions in those areas have been limited to evaluation by ScientiflpdtJ&sarch, with- no level of success reported. "* ' dOOk 15JB " HFM -004181 -3- Future Trends . Selective removal of asbestos as a product constitutor^ aposars to b? the future trend where asbestos is not critical to product acceptance and performance.. This assessment is supported by the reduced demand fer asbestos fiber imports, since 1973. " . Products such as friction materials, where there is difficulty in duplicating the attributes of asbestos and where there are no economically feasible alternatives, will continue to be produced. ' . High costs of worker protection and environmental control in regulated, indus trialized nations like the United States will encourage hazardous and polluting industries to export their factories to non-regulating Third World Nations, e.g., Mexico, Taiwan, Brazil and South Korea. The U. S. Government will initiate moni toring of exporting hazards to other countries and will pressure world financial institutions to restrict funding to such concerns. HFM - 004182 < s 4 i i Vehicle Materials Engineering September - 9oye