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FILE NAME Corning OC DATE 1943 DOC OC397 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Corning Brochure for Employees - Health Aspects of Fiberglass Materials _ HEALTH ASpects / OF FIBERGLAS MATERIALS This brochure is prepared for distribution to plant physi- cians industrial hygienists safety engineers and others | interested in a documented ( summation of facts relating to the health aspects of Fiberglas materials & ttn. OWENS-CORNING 1943LAS CORPORATION TOLEDO OHIO hedtor 1943 ones 2 ee + se of Mi ee . 7 et nel + ae Mite . we violent finer | matermialterial i phot Ge violent Destin at fo tees op the fields widespread expected and because questions questions new material from ways wall is many Fiberglas employedemployed in many different ways forms for many different purposes Because of its a is to be expected that questions should arise from time to time concerning the posibility of health hasards in connection with manufactuarned Still another reason for such questionsquestions lies in very It is glasisn - fact that Fiberglas is entirely new physical form Its physical properties it make unrecognizable as glass by persons with glass only as a hard unbendable transparent substance Nevertheless the complete transforma- tion that Fiberglas has undergone is not always understood and old connotations sometimes cling to the new material For sound business reasons Corning Fiber- Corporation manufacturer of Fiberglas-- Fiberglas-- always desired to find and present frank and complete answers to such questions To this end it has encouraged and aided investigations by impar- tial medical experts This publication which presents the answers to the questions which have arisen is largely based on their investigations Dr. In his 1941 Foundation as Truofdthe e Ta rudu eau Gardner mys "Mzpesure te the evumialy lungs to 4 EoiSiningvso,lveisnovolmvaetesrinaol far th. lunlgunsgs becau thts materi al is org cnt Bisbert Frost Insulators and As- Investigation At the request of the attorney for Meat InternationalInternational Association of Union No. 1 St. Louis Dr. Walter Workers conducted Walter J. inves an tinviesgtigaatitoniofopons- sible hasards in the manufacantduharned- Eng stories of the DePaul and Lutheran Dr. Hebert in Pathologist Hospicais Hospicais Hospicais St. St. Louis His investigation was made in the early sum- mer of 1941. A full report was published in the January 1942 issue of Industrial Medicine The investigation covered a broad field Study of and Stebert the formulas employed in the manufacture cessing of Fiberglas products convinced Dr. Stebert that the chemical and physical characteristoifcs' glass fibers are not of a kind from which serious industrial health problems would theoretically arise An exhaustive search of world medical literature for references to possible health hazards in the handling of Fiberglas failed to reveal references to hazards in the NO HAZARD TO LUNGS Gardner Tests conducted by Dr. Leroy U. Investigation Gardner Director of the Edward L. Trudeau Foundation for Research and that and Teaching in Tuberculosis have demonstrated Fiberglas has no injurious effect upon the lungs In the annual report of the Foundation's Saranac Laboratory for the year 1940 the following state- ment appears Theap arent HEALTH ASPECTS OF FIBERGLAS MATERIALS wsae fi- the ta. AMAT -- d to the fact that the glass fibera break cleanly rather than shatter when they are . sawed chopped or cut during production or fabri- ating operations Dr. Siebert examined several hundred stereoscopic ray plates of the chesta of employees in the Newark factories These were selected at random by Dr. Siebert from the file of some 1500 plates taken since the company in 1939 instituted the policy of nakling ray plates of the chests of all Newark employees Among the plates selected for special inspection were those of employees working in the batch house where the raw materials are handled Beginning in May 1939 aerial stereoscopic chest films had been made of the 15 men who were engaged in mixing the ingredients of the batch at the time of the investi- gation or who had worked in the batch house only place where exposure to free silica is encoun- tered A repeat June 1941 examination of all men was rande in In no case Dr. Siebert reports was there any radiographic evidence of pulmonary disease Three cases of silicosis contracted before employ ment by Corning had been discovered by the company None of these men had ever been employed indicate that these specialists notice 5: unusual incsdence of respiratory disturbances among their pri vate patients employed by the company as compared with their private patients who are not employees A letter to Dr. Siebart from the Claims Referee of the Industrial Commission of Ohio dated June 17 when the manufacture of Aberglas producta had been carried on over a period of nine years in compensa atates that no claim for workers compensa . tion has ever been filud in the State on the basis of & disease of the upper respiratory tract PauBed by the alleged inhalation of Fiberglas Fiberglas partides partides The letter reads in part as follow ' For your information we recogouse diseases of respiratory such respiratory BLOGS tract as compenseal occupations thdies as silicosis asbestowls unthracovia and the matter promisiun under recognize of a fact there is law to recognize any disence this type which is causebdy the disence re | this tet he #Wa andagmor to keep a ilmpjelo ilmpjelo biasinutar biasinutar seduta in the Department Safety and Hygiene of all cases of this type I have made a thorough check with this department and to date wo have never had o claim fled for a disease of the upper respiratory tract ccaluesaed by the a vt ee tigl ue parta- in the batch house but their employment does require the handling of Fiberglas products It is the policy of the company neither to refuse employment to nor discharge any man for whom safe employment can be found The following summarizes the case histories of these three workers ( Case No. 1 worked for another company as a molder from 1924 to 1929 and roentgenograms of the chest were made in 1929 because of the presence of tuberculosis in his family Chest plates were again made in 1936 because of suspicion of silicosis He was first employed by Corning on June 6 1940 Case No. 2 was employed as a bottle blower and machine operator from 1901 to 1930. He was first Summing up Dr. Sievers says in his report In submitting his best judgment bared on his Dr. professional interpretation of all fem cubigcuabiga anan The course of the investigation the author Siebert finds that there is no cost Abrosis or dust hazard conuerted with working with Fibergias Fibergias Respirators Not On May 5 1942 the Chief of the Mandatory Bureau of Industrial Hygiene of the National institute of Health wrote a letter to the medical officer in charge of the U. Marine Hospital Boston concerning the wear- ing of respirators by workers engaged in handling Fiberglas The letter reads in part as foliowa employed by Corning on March 26 1941. Silicosis was diagnosed following an ray of the chest made on May 12 1941 Case No. 3 worked for 12 years as a molder be- fore entering the employ of Corning Fiber- glas Corporation on October 25 1939. Silicosis was diagnosed following an ray of the chest on As Fiberglas has not to my knowledge been in- criminated as causing fibrotic or other disease of the lungs the mandatory use of respirators would not appear justified It is considered good hygienie practice however to provide respirators for workers exposed temporarily to excessive excessive quantities of any kind of dust or to workers who are sensitive to cer tain dusts and need personal respiratory protectin~ " November 1 1940 In each of these silisomis cases Dr. Siebert says in his report there is a sufficient causative factor in the man's employment history or other cir- cumstances and the evidence is entirely Inadequate to indicate that the condition of any one of these three men should be attributed to any silicosis hazard handling encountered in stach a hazard to exist Fiberglas even assuming Records of disability and absenteeism filed in the , office of the plant physicoifatnhe Newark factories were examined by Dr. Siebert and revealed no un- ge usual incidence of respiratory infections among ' employees Statements furnished to emote Corning Dr. Siebert by Newark physicians whose practices be are limited to eye ear nose and throat diseases and Navy Memorandum Although no specific cases of injury in connection with the installation of fibrous glass Fiberglas insulation in ships had ever been reported the Navy Depart- ment Bureau of Medicine ment Bureau of requested the Navy Depart- and Surgery to make an investigation and recommendatious the After reference of Industrial Hygiene of matter to the Division of the National Institute Health the Bureau of Ships and the Bureau Districts the Commandants of all Navy Yards Supervisors of Shipbuilding USN the Commanding who are in no way associated with Corning Sema bio bio of 1. C. Town M. Charl Ddvarrial Ddvarrial Ddvarrial Drgeens, ... bio Meith BorsOG rs eo | P- 4 - HEALTH ASPECTS OF FIBERGLAS MATERIALS pe re | dispensary Officers of all tenders and repair ships and all In- the Managers USN dustrial This memorandumcontained the following state- physician in charge of the The medical dispensary company's plants and lab oratories in Newark Ohio company's as follows | , NeW quiylozens mechaamnecihcanaiclal ict gt aha Se at the start the human lung ( ments Becauofstehe physical characteristics of glaon 0 aoe, to wool the hasard producing damage to the , - Caine rredec in practically nil disabling in No cases of siliconia or other disabling changes the lung bave been brought tootfhteheatNtaetnitoinoanloIfnstthie- . _ Division of Industrial assocaissaoctiaitioonn with the handling of wool or gla^afibers . ginas of Health gla^a fibers ginas in concluded from observatione investigations on : lotion coe ai oant 'without without mey share without 2 n's prescrip- few prescrip- any then... werkers trritation disappenni ithin a become few day immunized against against werkers apparently against the action " Abern and they suffer no glashomish hasard assocaissaotcieadted asociated with blanket blanket or handling hourd fibreus Aetna Casualty The Aetna Casualty and Surety Statement Company underwrites insurance the covering any ill effects upon health of Corning employees caused by the | Soup and water has proved most effective in re- moving particles of Abers whether of glass or any other material from the skin The company has found that there is seldom it ever need of gloves armlets or other protective clothing In their ab Bill there is has leithed that fibri pastidica ol: be rubbed into the skin handling of Fiberglas products A letter dated June 21 1941 written by the manager of the insurance company's Engineering | and Inspection Department to the company's gen- follows eral agent in Toledo reads in part as * Relative to the use of Fiberglas rock wool . . alag . wool I have discussed this matter very thor- or with our Medical Department insofar as it oughly to the installation of glass word and its rela- applies no answer to ( s^t>hlaincosisand direct know statement better possible composed tion give you their statement We may definitely state that this is not based upon the established fact that silicates of which glass wool is will not produce siliconis or which Kimilar when inhaled in sufficient quan- Fre condition produce ingredients tity will silicosis is one of the manufac- of many varieties of glass However in the the free silica chemically unites with turing process substances leading to the production of sili- other is a solution of these various cates and glass solid silicates produced by the fusion of free sillca with metallic oxides Glass consists of glass in the wool form of very fine strands . EFFECTS ON THE SKIN have From time to time newly employed workers un- accustomed to handling Fiberglas materials experienced a mechanical irritation of the skin The period of discomfort has seldom exceeded a few days Manufacturing experience indicates that such irri- tation tation is minimized and the period of discomfort lessened when it occurs if workers wear clothing bose at the neck and wrists and use plenty of warm water and soap when the day's work is done The United States Public Health Service has suggested use of a soap containing a wetting agent Such a soap in Lan impregnated impregnated with cornmeal impregnated manufactured Hin a hand cleaner by the West Dis infecting Company that is widely used in industry to remove particles that cling to the skin Siebert Investigation Study effect phase taken taken byby Dr.Dr. Siebert No. 1 of the Heat and of this occasional Irritating a upon the skin comprised under- of the investigation ou behalf of St.St. Iwula Local Frost Frost Insulators Iwula and Asbestos Workers See page 2 employed production fabricating An examination of the wrists arms, ankles, necks, eyes shoulders and waists of aproximately Newark approximately two Fiberglas fac hundred employees in the tories was made by Dr. Siebert These workers were on lines and on operations cutting sawing shaping transporting and packaging glass thermal insulating wool both bonded unbonded ; dis- No case of eye irritation or conjunctivitis conjunctivitis was covered during this inspection Evidence of signifi- cant skin irritation was shown by only one worker a man who had begun work in the plant four days before Two biopsy specimens of skin were removed of from the arm this employed worker Serial ' reSipeoberrtttehde corlumofmild degree tisue ccaappiillllaarryy dilatattiohne dilated was fection by Dr. in the skin In there were a few scattered lymphocytes around sev aral of The epidermis en- tirely normal No particles were found Dr. Siebert no evidence of fibrosis bacterial in- or hyperkeratosis Beveral of the serial sections revealed a small amount of a brownish pigment in the corium which reaction showed no inflammatory reaction around it It ment is Dr. Dr. used as no 4 ange Dr. Hiebert that this pig- on, eee substances foreign material 1g : leported The 13638 ENSB regensted and Pabonery L 90 the in The Philadelphin Wavy Ford Honeet Val 11 No. 16 Pabonery 6 1 20003 BUSHIPS weaneda A3-11 BUNED saguis ace of alt gemega Daving it or in the ad " . oe iritatioin rritation disedJuor ^'vve^yak~- we dja e 38 SK Grace A Campbell N ie hie. Water 3. Sabers Heol! N ^'vve^yak~- The Imas Cabibu 25 wm Be. ' Fide wi ne Soe cope z removed Asistant Clinical Syphilology Syphilology New York Post Grad Dermatology Dermatology DeDrermmatoalogtistologist published Rudolf .. Baer Junior , and Dr. Assistant and Byphlogist NewNew York Post Graduate Hospital carried out an experi- mental investigation of the effects of Fiberglas on the skin of laboratory animals and human volunteers report of their investigation was in the 1942 issue of Industrial Medicine The laboratory animals used were rabbits and guinea pigs Depilated sites on the animals were ranging materials Saturdays over a materials in both their wool and textile forms Ten human subjects were rubbed daily except days with the same materials for periods ranging from seven to nineteen days any evidence generaly permanent dam- Histological examination of the reaction altes in animals and human subjects showed evidence of a superficial inflammatory process The histologic sec- tlons did not show age and the epidermis was generally generaly found to be intact and undisturbed undisturbed in its continuity in investigation of uo sed Fiberrineef ects insulation connection eiffnescutlsatinsuolationn FiFbergilasberglas upon tthseppageasgkein )installation 3 The section of the summarizing re- sults of the investigation ddaatteedd December 80 1942 which refe to r sks in effects reads as follows The irritation of the skin from contact with ggllass Onlyrruubbbedbed rubwedwiitthh immediate atrkansiitonry aarreeaass inin wool thickening slightly ciornrittaactetd accomm iirrriittaatteedd lasting oorr panied and ap earing daytso Mtihinckuentinga ordinary pwiaeschesinsgtiecmkbiendgdeembdeded tahre e readily removed by Botvinick In an investigatioonf Report manuinfthae c mat nufuacrtue re - glass fiber insulatmiinnteg- Service orkmen fiber textiles Dr. Louis Schwartz rmieadliscaalnddigrleacstsorfibaenrd Dr. Isadore Botvinick P.A. Surgeon of the Divisioonf Industrial Health National United States Public National Institute reported Health folowing Facpemarger, 9. Mectan MDla.dnssaendelBobree,desRientde,llVable. Saget a4 Homan vee. + Paso 4 HEALTH ABFECTS OF FIRERGLAS MATERIALS among quickly no that the grant majority of experiencu werkers prefer to work without gloves er clothing Exceptions hot squipment are found sparne diter employs~- ^...bere employs~- ( hlaantdhlianngd other collateral materials of like nature In the principal wool and departments work- ers according to management experience report greater discomfort from gloves and protective cloth then from the material with which they work " ng GENERAL HEALTH EFFECTS from other materiala Ne claim for workers compensation based on a pulmonary industrial disease or disability resulting an occupational skin disorder atributable attributable to Fiberglas as differentiated kas ever been validated in the State of Ohio where manufacture has been centered since 1982. The num- ber of employees in the Ohio Fiberglas factories has risen from about 20 in 1932 to several thousand whose total exposure aggregates millions of man hours In addition exposure in Ohlo includes several thousand employees in the factories of refrigerator and range manufacturers where Fiberglas insulating materials have been handled on assembly lipes Compensation Ohio's workers compensation Assessment Low rates assessed against the em- ployer per 100 of payroll for men and women engaged in the manufacture and handling of Fiberglas are lower than for workers in comparable industries as is shown by the following which are recorded as Exhibit 11 in Dr. gures ebert's report Asbestos manufacturing Fiberglas Fiberglas textile employees insulating wool . .- ee 68c employees cow we eo 95 . 1.00 . 1.00 Rubber manufacturing manufacturing =~: Fiber goods manufacturing . Carbonate of magnesia manufacturing Building Material dealers employees . Clay products manufacturing .. . Paper manufacturing . ... .. Wood pulp mills .. 1.10 .81.10 1.20 . 1.80 1.60 2.00 Health Record Excellent The health of Fiberglas workers is regarded as better than average by the Aetna Life Insurance Company which underwrites group insurance life disability sickness and hospitalization for employees of Corning Fiberglas Corporation In a letter to an Corning executive dated June 11 1941 Astna's Toledo general agent wrote in part as follows evidenced The health of your empleyses average This is have in effect a 36 factthat we the than has in rate from stand- both the sickness and hospitalization insur- any similar lower in affect a permanent and total disability festure connection with your life insurance and as been only one claim from an employee removtehderefrom ocupational course of occupational acciordent hesith hazard in his occupation oc upation As further evidence our Casualty Company carrim what is known as Products Liability at an sly low rate acnodunroesclaim theretheerever been pro hasard lleedd , indicating coures any that there products Burgical Fiberglas Burgical Uses Several surgical uses of Fibergladesscribed in recent medical literature are of interest as demonstrating the fact that glass is an inert toxic substance which produces no harmful effects on human tissues The use of a strand of Fixyas y'err as 2 tracer thread that makes it possible to detect the presence of a surgical sponge if left in wound during an is described by Captain Edward P. Lewi- son Corps United States Army who says was aot practical practical recent development .. E enderteck to find sa u surgical sponge- 8 ray and ene thet would the permanent thes, evald be the oe . i en krag him that a practical an"apostle of development Abergias solution 1- the problem wus practical to this specially found to embody the prepared Kurginu Kurginu ym~-n~-<ae following qualities 1 Marked activity 2 Minimum tissue react 8 Chemical inactivity properties splitacy 4 Physical properties us plinuly plinuly splitacy and appearance resembling i ^ nesiis thread 8. Reasonable cost n^pranuesign Like glass which is the basic constituent of sta composition this thread is chemically payaichily und Siniogically inert yet unlika ginas ibs ad ad ad of exceptional strength soft texture an iremarkabju plasticity . It was therefore almces inevitable that the hid den aptitudes of a specially prepared opaque fbergian yara should be discerned and a thread de valopad which was permanently impenetracie to the ray and perfectly harmless to body tissun as well " .. no more than one opaque thread per sponge required is thereby This reduces the cost of production and enhances the practical virtues and expediency of this type of safe surgical gause . The by the essential characteristics of a sponge as defined American College of Surgeons are na follows Ability to absorb the greatest quantity in the shortest time Ease of ateilization ate ilization Freedom from loose threads # Uniformity Softness to prevent trauma Freedom from foreign substances 4 With the innovation of rayable |, surgical gause these general readily opaque standards remain thread is soft sterilism unaltered and as qualibes buign freedom substances then this within substances harmful toxic fiberglas yarn of this essential Dr. Roy Philip Schols and Dr. PhilipS.Mountjotyo describe the use of thread as a suture material employed to new surgical wounds The authors of the article write f , '...Bounce Fiberglas is inert and reacting Smee Bounce 1. Capture Medical Cana Daited Bene form Kersbic Gergeli Sergee Vel. EXTE M. 1. p 39-40 Ja 1947 Capture Sergee Sergee of EXTE M. i 39-40 Ads of thedemon Esdag al Web uonaenel, NB Say Philip M.D. 44. 44. Phills S. NB Pinaglen Dalura i found at Borgery Vai 11 ha 5. pp 35 n 2945 ce pongo ae vere compared compared other succumb glass A strip strip of woven woven glass^p...obretrabsl, e used used apparatus filter in tubing transfusions transfusions transfusions apparatus used to the Through this frequently frequently t Fiberglas behind front lines on the way from Fiberglas tape all plasma fluid passes man's veins bottle bottle to wounded from from plasma the filter because the Fiberglas sterilized tape used used sterilized repeated use because the the tape can sterilized Sorpresi New Pervensise Fats Unend Shock ia Lt-tew Troe ass p 20-21 Will did Pervensise 20-21 Basinain. base, b D-F: C - oe ae FIBERGLAS HEALTH ASPECTS OF MATERIALS - oe MATERIALS . eee . " fc osaee ANNOTATED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY | LUNGS AND RESPIRATORY TRACT after Lover U. Annual D. Bundy Tuberculosis Tuberculosi The the Lebernary for the &.LebeTrnarryudofnor Foundation You 196 [cu x ri HI i wth. anal 8 on. Phuttp, 14D. ead Mesejer, Poh TneNets to 8 Onan 1993 Pore waned a nm the expose Oe his izvalves demoted board for the leage bez Basque material in 1900- Remarches ad Maiian Institute American Chemeral Society Non " in News EdL Vol XIX No. April 18 1941 482 ***** ***** ***** ephens dun is not wool Apparually awe the domes 274 Anon graciable Stalibus the lung dongoruma offerte upon textus glass in wor produen ant op sor Fibrous Glass insulative NoVtalHarImIfuhle i1n5 TFheebrFeubrauraryy dalakis Navy Tord Bracon & 1963 p 2 Prasidense. Tee wenserige gensehes the of te intel ow dws tories cmon tofery we b aby GathLaes,d Se Le wanTehse Yaege. te dmg wt emgheyer when when Story Engiorgir Humorda Bozard Su " in MR.27 Vol LXXXIV No. 1 July 1942 go Use of Fibergles for thermal feealatwtaen, cSoenebd er ouembly plants describ bamber quamtine 12 ne anak ofan, @ sol ote June Gus June 15 1969 pp . 62-63 V NIK Re keeper nos of fiberglas escort is cme) and keeper keeper Hem Type Plan Fiber Will Aid in fromation of #us Vai V. Na Imal Wnced Abock in Surga 3 ^ler3562 pp 11 ^lervege movk co Alver in biped pinume Want fetes appre. Lect, 1. Youen, MD.ember hKaiana Bone Ser son Gun m ton Vel. 1F5e,e Hdom.or1ceemmber 1964 90> MD-O0F- beptember , 193 BLAID oo BUSHIPS and BLAID 538-1 5381 3636 BNM AJ 11 SKIN m<Expor Seitberger More .. M.D. and Rasoef RLuoduelmlbe.r.y ... with the blanovi jfildegard 2.2 The dutie Clare S. and blanovi jfildegard of ~ steminat~-na @ Animal and Numan Vel XI metal ~ steminat~-nain industrial Modus No. 10 Ucsaker 1913 pp 682 404 Report of slimmal investigacion n^ afaste bad~- AAllll Report the sh"ninvestigacion which the sather bad~- of the rescues ved which of a sather the rescues FIBERGLAS IN SURGERY Threaded M.D .. a Livet M.D Threaded Cons.Me it Borgisel Speoge. ho. 2 (Anges, 108). BP sal-3s. Ve, CEVE we te