Document dD5RB2XbZLa6rorraNp6n0DJb

FILE NAME: Chrysler (CHR) DATE: 0000 DOC#: CHR119 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Government Warning - Do You Work With Asbestos (labor Press - Column l \ ) 00 YOU WORK WITH ASBESTOS? by Eula Gingham, A ssista n t Secretary o f Labor fo r Occupational Safety and Health Do you work with asbestos? I t ' s worth fin d in g out because asbestos is one o f the most serious threats to the health of American workers. Asbestos can be found a t construction s it e s , shipyards, t e x t ile auto re p a ir shops, schools, paper m ills , and many other workplaces. one part o f a work area to another through v e n tila tio n systems. It swallowed w ith food. and chemical p lants, It can travel from can be inhaled or In a l l , three to f iv e m illio n workers may be exposed to asbestos. Studies have shown th a t more than 40 percent of asbestos workers w ill die of asbestos-related diseases. Even very b r ie f exposure may cause a deadly lung disease or cancer which may not show up fo r 20 years or more. Other studies have shown tn at 38 percent of asbestos workers' family memoers may s u ffe r lung disorders, apparently as a re s u lt o f exposure to fib e rs which are brought home on work clo th e s. There is no known safe lev el fo r exposure to asbestos, so i t is important that your emoloyer reduce your exposure as much as p o ss ib le . The standard issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Adm inistration (OSHA) reouires your employer to li m i t average exposure over an 8-hour s h if t to two asbestos fib e rs longer than fiv e micrometers in each cubic centim eter of a ir . To meet th is standard, employers must use e n g in e ere d co n tro ls. These may include is o la t io n and enclosure o f work processes, exhaust v e n tila tio n systems, and dust c o lle c t io n . A ll hand-operated and power-operated to o ls which might release asbestos must be equipped with lo ca l exhaust systems. As fa r as p o ss ib le , asbestos must be kept wet when being handled. Employers must provide approved re sp ira to rs w hile changes are being made to reduce exposure, or i f otherwise necessary. Workers who can' t function normally when wearing a re s p ira to r may not be assigned to tasks which require re sp ira to r use. Employers must also provide change rooms, two separate clothes lo ck ers, and laundry service so that asbestos fib e rs w i l l not be transferred to s tre e t clo th e s. At workplaces where asbestos is present, employers must conduct tests at le a s t every s ix months to determine asbestos exposure le v e ls . They a lso must provide regular medical examinations. Workers have the rig h t to see th e ir exposure recoros, and to have th e ir medical records made a v a ila b le to th e ir doctors. I f you have questions about asbestos and the OSHA asbestos standard, contact the nearest OSHA o f f ic e , look in your phone book under ''United States Government, Department o f la b o r, Occupational Safety and Health A d m in istra tio n ," or w rite to OSHA, 3rd and C o n s titu tio n Avenue N.W., Washington. O.C. 20210. CHRYSLER 092502