Document da8bJ1bkg92Ed15YQ2x55KNwe

FILE NAME: Johnson & Johnson (JAJ) DATE: 1984 Oct 23 DOC#: JAJ 118 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo RE Airborne Dust Activities, ASTM & ISO Meetings, Montreal, Oct 1984 '^ofvwi'on BABY PRO D U CTS COMPANY October 23, 1984 S K IL L M A N . N. J. O B 5 5 8 SUBJECT: Airborne Dus Activities ASTM & ISO Mfcetings Montreal 10/ 4-10/18/84 TO: B. Semple, M|D. D. Jones R. Kohler J, Olcott At the above meetings ast week interest in dust control appears to be gaining momentum again. There are also plans to form a new major ASTM committee which will be aimed at generating measurement and safety standards for hazardous materials encountered in the.office and home. This is a new departure from ^Industrial Workplace activities up to now. Several U.S. federal agencies are expected to be involved. The plan is to form this group in the next six months, but it is not plear on how it will be structured in ASTM and its affiliated societies. Committee activities in which we are involved stand as follows. ASTM - American Society for Testing Materials 1. Workplace Environment - Respirable Dusts We had coordinated a draft of a method for the measurement of respirable dusts which was in ballot by this 80 member committee. The methodology was approved but major editorial changes and refinements are required, The next draft is expected to be the final version and should be completed by the Spring meet ing in Milwaukee. (This is the responsibility of the Task Group which head-up.) We hope to progress into galley proof stage and have the method adopted as an official standard in a later meeting a year from now. 2. ASTM - OSHA Commit tee This group issued an Asbestos Standard two years back and is in the process of updati ng the Health Standard. The new version contains a rationale for 2 fi aers per cubic meter based on epidemiology published since 1977. The r ational is in conflict with current thinking by our Dept, of Labor (OStA) who are trying to get a regulation of a fractional fiber level into e regulations here. I monitor this group occasionally to keep talc out their asbestos activities. Protected Document-Subject to Protective Order J N J N L 6 1 OOOOOi 1126 t - 3- Another idea was tci consider a direct approach to the EEC on the need for an International Talc Safety Exposure Standard. (This would be an amplified version of the monograph we prepared for the AIHA a couple years ago.) I imagine our Italian and U.K. affiliates would have some ideas on the advisability of approaching the EEC either directly or otherwise. The advantage of such an approach would be to have gained control of a potential Talc Standard for the member countries. The disadvantage is that all European talc producers wou'd have to be enlisted and agree on the technical development which could take a couple years or more. Protected Document-Subject to Protective Order JNJNL61_00000012S