Document jm4ZvewY9Gqn9L9w5Jmer605y

FILE NAME DuPont DUP DATE 1966 Oct 25 DOC DUP136 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Memo from G.J. Stopps to J.A. Zapp & J.W. Clayton RE The Medical Aspects of the Use of Asbestos and Asbestos Products Within the DuPont Company Better Copy we ee re e ete ie De cae eee neh eee emetdne SO rant tS MEMORANDUM Zapp TO 3 A. Zapp 3 A. Jr. Jr. B FROM G. J. Stopps | 00227 THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF THE USE OF ASBESTOS AND ASBESTOS PRODUCTS WITHIN THE DU PONT COMPANY Meeting held at Haskell Laboratory for Toxicology and Industrial Medicine October 25 1966 Present C. A. D'Alonzo M.D. - Medical Director J. R. Zahn M.D. - Assistant Medical Director A. Zapp Jr. - Director Haskell Laboratory J. W. Clayton Jr. - Assistant Director Haskell Laboratory E. Neeld Jr. M.D. - Medical Director Chambers Works L. Linch - Manager Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Pell - Biostatistician Medical Division S. H. Zane - Design Division Engineering Department G. J. Stopps M.D. - Chief Physiology Section Haskell Laboratory Laboratory G. F. Reinhardt M.D. - Physiologist Haskell Laboratory Laboratory Statement of Problem Asbestos chest disease has been recognized called asbestosis for many years to cause a This is a fibrosis of the and is associated with several years exposure to asbestos lung fibers at concentrations above the Threshold Limit Value of years 5 million past 10 particles per cubic ) an association foot More recently within the between asbestos exposure and cancer has become apparent This association shows itself in three ways One persons with established asbestosis have an incidence of cancer of per cent compared with the lung or pleura a rate of 1.32 per of approximately 13 cent persons suffer- ing but from silicosis Two who have a history of persons not exposure to suffering from asbestosis asbestos show a tenfold increase in the incidence of cancer of the respiratory system Three among the persons developing cancer who have been exposed to asbestos a small number show a type of tumor which is very rare in the general population In cases showing this tumor the occupational history of the person has almost always revealed a period of exposure to asbestos : ) The association of cancer with asbestos is of special concern at this time because of the lack of data upon which to base a safe dust concentration and the very long incubation period between the initial exposure and the development of cancer This time interval varies from 15 to 45 years oy ete be 11-4-66 11-4-66 Fe tee ee anew cw emer ee on a : C2 : i $e i eed Objectives of Present Study 1 Assess the risk to the health of employees from asbestos within the Du Pont Company 2 Examine the handling procedures for asbestos from an industrial hygiene viewpoint and prescribe safer procedures where indicated Plan of Attack A. Exposure 1. Define asbestos dust levels for as many asbestos handling operations as possible 2 Define materials containing asbestos and where possible type of asbestos 3. Define operations where exposure may occur 4 Define adequate respiratory protective procedures 5. Consider need for substitutes for asbestos B. Medical 1 Study records of respiratory cancer cases in search for an association with asbestos 2 Develop registry of all known asbestos workers throughout the Company 3 Examine records of asbestos workers and compare them with records of a asbestos exposed control group to assess possible hazard of working with asbestos 4 Develop a smoking and respiratory function questionnaire for use as a routine in all plants as part of the periodic health examination for all personnel 5. Develop pulmonary function tests for routine application during annual physical examination Items 4 and 5 will be of general value in the medical programs of the Company with special relevance to the asbestos study 6333 Implementation -3- Implementation of the program to be on health and asbestos Suggested through a working party make of working party Medical Department G. J. Stopps Physician S. Pell Biostatistician Engineering Department Engineering Service Division J. L. Parsons Design Division Safety or his representative - W. H. Zane - K. E. Keuper Chambers Works Industrial Hygiene Lab A. L. Linch Funding a It is anticipated that the the collection of data working party will be engaged in locations and in on asbestos dust at a number of Company the exposure correlating health records with the duration of This will require funding which can not be precisely forecast at this time but would almost / below the cost of losing one party man claiming pulmonary disability due to suit certainly brought by a be work- tions The more important justification unsafe working condi- for a program such as that outlined above is the Company's traditional safety of its employees concern for the It has been shown that with asbestos have an increased risk of some workers of the utmost importance to discover dying of cancer It is tions existing within Du Pont plants whether this is under the conditrue for our employees who handle asbestos This project is in the general interest of the affects many operating departments borne thus Company funding should by a single operating department not and be Duration of Study To be of asbestos must value medical information on be kept current by an annual those working with review The initial statistician and the physician once the and collected in records were identified spread one place These 30 days would probably be over a period of about four months Dust impossible to forecast at this time since the sampling is program must be defined by the is working a few days of work working party scope When of the the program information updated per year should keep the medical 334 334 EG : 3 4 : : Noe Starting Date It is anticipated that the one month and field work should January working party should meet within start during the first week of Progress Reports A target date for a first medical report would be the first of June 1967 and yearly thereafter Preliminary data on the dust levels types and sizes of asbestos fiber would be expected to be available by the first of March but due to the need to consider outside work and different climatic conditions a more definitive report would not be available until July 30 dyb 11-4-66 Over Over ;