Document dpEb0G5KBObDdvvdMJ0O8qgR

[28] DRAFT TURNER A HEVAIlL LIMITED Board Meeting. 29th October 1970 Asbestos and health progress report for quarter ended 30th September 1970 Government The Department of Employment and Productivity Has now Issued its Guidance Booklet "Health and Safety at Work, No 44". While the Booklet carries a strong recommendation for the v|,se of asbestos substitutes, most of the amendments suggested by #he A.R.C. following study of the draft were adopted. Readers with p4t rticular problems are recommended to contact the A.R.C. Contact has been made with the International Labour Office. both through the Employers' delegate in the United Kingdom, and other I.D.O. delegates at a recent Conference in Sardl4iiia. Every effort is being made to ensure that the A.R.C. is represent' ed when the study of asbestos-associated diseases is undertaken by a committee of experts in 1972 73. The Ministry of Defence has issued a booklet fc:r naval personnel entitled "Working with Asbestos". The booklet stiates that the amount of asbestos in naval specifications is now less than 10^ of what it was in 1966. Substitutes are recommended for most asbestos products, except dust-suppressed asbestos clicrth for local protection against fire, resin-bonded asbestos fibre, high temperature jointing and packing materials, bearing materialls and brakellnlngs. Medical iiiniiiHin 49-0676 [29] -2- Customers During the quarter, 128 enquiries were received by the A.I.C. and passed to the A.R.C./E.C.C. for attention. Joseph Iiucas limited. In the previous report!, reference was made to the serious difficulties encountered by Lucas! with the local Factory Inspector about the New Asbestos Regulations. Following approaches by the A.R.C., the Head of H.M. Factpry Inspectorate's Industrial Hygiene laboratory undertook to| approach the local Factory Inspector. The result of this action i|i not yet known. I.C.I. A recent visit by representatives of the A.R.C. and A.I.C. to Billingham indicated a more sensible attitude towards asbestos than hitherto; apart from asbestos-containing thermal insulation, the I.C.I. approach to other asbestos product^ appeared reasonable. British Levland (Austln-Morrls) ltd. An A.I.fc. visit to this company revealed that they have been studying their usage of asbestos in the light of the Hew Asbestos Regulations.| They have concluded that there are no serious problems over asbestos in vehicle components, and their only real difficulty concerns the stripping of asbestos insulation, with which, in future, ^hey will probably dispense. Docks There were again no developments of any importance. Ill [30] Overseas liaison -3- a) U.S.A. Dr. Holmes and Nr. Howe visited U.S.A. In August, p(|: rimarlly for discussions with Johns-Manville Corporation, mie main purpose was to acquaint them with the history, obj ek: tives and achievements of the A.R.C. and the A.I.C., and to encourage the formation of an Information Committee i n the U.S.A. It is understood that progress has been made towards the creation of a North American A.I.C. and several preliminary meetings have been held. Johns-Manville have, however, just advised us that a prospectus is being sent out to a LI asbestos product manufacturers in North America which will spek con tributions to the Committee's first annual budget bf $150,000. It is not yet clear whether all contributors will be participating members of the Committee. Our firm recommend ation was that the Committee should not have more tjian about four members, and this appeared to be accepted. During their stay. Dr. Holmes and Mr. Howe became involved in the asbestos spray question. A discussion was arranged with the Commissioner for the New York Department of Air Resources, and they argued against the banning of asbestos sprpy for fire insulation in high-rise buildings. The outcome is iot known as the City of New York has deferred its final decision. CUM9-0678 [31] -4- b) Western Germany Wirtschaftsverband Asbest e.V. has just formed a co| -ordinatlng committee to deal with all aspects of the asbestos lust situation, Including the topics of publicity and co-o;ppration with the A.I.C. and the A.R.C. The first meeting of the committee took place on 9th September. An article appeared in the economic supplement of toe "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" of 18th July which contained the statement that in England, asbestos dust in industry causes more deaths per annum through lung diseases (than cigarette smoking. A suitable letter was sent to the Editor from the A.I.C.; the letter has not yet been published, but the Editor has stated that he has passed it to the writer of the article for his comments. c) Benelux Countries The Benelux Asbestos Information Committee has creabed a Medical Advisory Board to provide guidance on health matters. 4 of the 5 members are independent Professors (2 B<ejlgian and 2 Dutch), and the fifth is the Medical Officer of Htiernit Kapelle factories. The first meeting of the Board took place on 10th August. d) France The Chambre Syndicale de l'Amiante has formed the Comite Francais d'Etudes et de Recherches sur les Effets Biologiques de l'Amiante. Although the body does not yet exist as a legal 049j( [32] -5 entity, it is already functioning, and sent delegat s to the recent Conference in Sardinia. Most of the activities of the Committee will resemble those of the A.R.C., bu|t it is intended to form an Information Sub-Committee if anp when it is considered that the situation warrants it. Press Relations At the beginning of July national and provinc Lai papers reported eight mesothelioma deaths in Nottingham as the r<'i!Suit Of exposure to asbestos dust during the wartime manufacture >f gas masks in a Boots factory. Dr. W. H. Parry, City M.O.H., 'ras subsequently reported in newspapers and on radio to have Appealed to other wartime workers in the factory to come forward ffcir medical examination. The appeal appears not to have brought forw^rd any patients. The exposure was to Crocidolite. The caseB were reported by Dr. J.S.P. Jones, Consultant Pathologist at Nottingham City Hospital, in a paper presented to an International Forensic Science Congress in Toronto. H< is now preparing a more detailed paper for publication in ttu British Journal of Industrial Medicine, when further publicity may be anticipated. He has promised an advance copy of the artlqle to Dr. S. Holmes. A.I.C. comments on an article by John Riley (Ceneral and Municipal Workers Union) in the Morning Star on asbesi os health hazards to insulation workers were published on 21st Auguii t and on the predamping techniques for sprayed insulation and the afety of Ioccupants of spray-insulated buildings in "Building" on 31]st July. 0049- [33] 6- - A critique prepared by the A.I.C. on "The Doofasday Book" by Gordon Rattray Taylor, which exaggerates the asbestos/lealth risk and accuses the asbestos industry of delaying tacticp in securing adequate control, has been sent to the publisher and the Author A short report from Pretoria that "asbestos ifc not the killer dust it is often made out to be" has received widespread national and provincial notice. It was based on work of She South African Medical Research Council which shows that it is dbubtful whether Inhalation of asbestos dust alone would cause tumpurs to develop in the lungs The "Sunday Times" in a long article on cancel prevention by its Science Correspondent on 20th September, c4>ncluded that "nobody knows" whether the very small exposure most & us may have to asbestos matters. The A.I.C. has been in touch w:ith the Correspondent who has agreed that the evidence is in fact reassuring. Literature The A.I.C. has published three more leaflets:|"Asbestos and Health in Perspective", for architects and builders; fwhy Asbestos?" for the general reader; and a short pamphlet introducing the new A.LC film. Advertising The campaign described in our last report ("Wl^ere would we be without asbestos?") will run until the end of|November. 00494681 [34] -7 A special coupon advertisement drawing attention to the availability of A.R.C. Control and Safety Guides and (listing them, under the heading "Asbestos Regulations 1969" has bfeen cleared with H.M. Factory Inspectorate for insertion In O:tober, November and December in Annals of Occupational Hygiene, bhe British Journal of Occupational Safety, Protection, Safety and Rescue, Industrial Safety and Industrial Management. Film The A.I.C. film "Why Asbestos?" was completed in September and received its Premiere in London on 1st Octoper. initial reception of the film has been favourable. The So far, 65 copies have been ordered, of whlcb| 27 are intended for film libraries that will be largely respons ilble for its showing. Up to now, orders for 14 copies have been r|<leceived from overseas; these and other copies will be sold at a price yielding a profit to offset some of the cost of the film Speakers Panel Because of holidays, only one group of Safetj Officers was addressed by the Panel during the quarter. Arrangeme nts have been made for 11 groups and societies to be addressed dui ing the period October/December 1970, and other engagements early in 1971 have already been booked. 049-0682 [35] * -8- A.I.C. Expenses The expenses of the A.I.C. for June, July and August 1970 were:- Hill * Khowlton Staff-Time Charges Hill ft Knowlton Out-of-Pocket Expenses 3,638 1,164 4,802 The T.ft N.Ltd. share of these expenses amounted to 2,794 10049-0683 [26] / Rochdale. DWH/PW Mr. M. F. Howe, Turners Asbestos Fibres Ltd. Manchester. 13th October 1970. Thank you for your letter of the 7th October. Dr. Holmes, Dr. Lewinsohn and I have been carefully through your draft and we have no comments or additions to suggest. Dr. Lewinsohn has prepared the medical section and I enclose it with this letter. D.W. Hills mipiiui 0P49-O67T From Turners Asbestos Fibres Ltd. Manchester i -> n Mr. M. F. Howe TO Mr. D. W. Hills Turner Brothers Asb( stos Co. Ltd. COPY TO 7th Octob^j^ 8 OCT 1970 I am attaching hereto my Draft of the Asbestos and Health Progress Report for the quarter ended 30th September. I should be grateful if you would consider the medical lection and let me have your Draft of this. The Report should be in the hands of Mr. .'ones by 15th October, so I should be grateful if you could le-; me have your section by 14th October at the latest. M. F.i HOWE V.\. \A \ MFH/MMW Att. iiniiimni 0049-0675