Document kmkV3dqJ2Rg6QR9aEakBQLDB0
FILE NAME DuPont DUP
DATE 1966-1967
DOC DUP205
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Memos from G.J. Stopps to J.A. Zapp & J.W. Clayton Jr. RE The Medical Aspects of the Use of Asbestos and Asbestos Products within the DuPont Company
a
P . TO FROM
Y MORANDUM
a
*J.A. Zapp Jr.
;
G. J.
Jr. Stopps qo
0022.Jis 0022.Jis
Sx,
ExhibiNro. 26
THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF THE USE OF ASEESTOS st
AND ASEISTOS FRODUCTS WITHIN THE DU PONT MPANY
lS
Meeting held at Haskell Laboratory
Industrial Medicine October 25 1966
Present
C. J. Pc. oo.
S. a. S.
Pow,
i G. C.
A. D'Alonzo M.D. - Medical Director
R. Zahn M.D. - Assistant Medical Director
Director
A. Zapp Jr. - Director Haskell Laboratory
Laboratory
Laboratory
W. Clayton Jr.- Assistant Director Haskell Laboratory Laboratory
et
E. Neeld Jr. M.D. - Medical Director Chambers Works Works
1. Linch - Manager Industrial Hygiene Laboratory
Pell - Biostatistician Medical Division
H. Zane - Design Division Engineering Department
J. Stopps M.D. - Chief Physiology Section Haskell Laboratory
F. Reinhardt M.D. - Physiologist Haskell Laboratory
Statement of Problem
Asbestos has been recognized for many years to cause a
chest disease called asbestosis This is a fibrosis of the lung
and is associated with several years exposure to asbestos
Obers at concentrations above the Threshold Limit Value of
S million particles per cubic foot More recently within the
past 10 years an association between asbestos exposure and
cancer has become apparent This association shows itself in
cancer three ways
persons with established asbestosis have an
incidence of cancer of the lung or pleura of approximately 13
compared per ing silicosis for increase
cent compared from who have a
with a rate of 1.32 Two persons not
history of exposure to
per cent
persons suffer-
suffering from asbestosis
asbestos show a tenfold
increase in the incidence of cancer of the respiratory system
Three been to
among
asbestos
the persons developing cancer
a small number show a type of
who have tumor which
exposed
is very
population are in the general
In cases showing this tumer
the occupational history of the person has almost always revealed
the Period of exposure to asbestos
The association of cancer with asbestos is of special
because concern at this time
of the lack of data upon which to
base a safe dust concentration and the very long incubation
period from exposure between the initial
and the development of
cancer This time interval varies from 15 to 45 years
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Objectives of Present Study
1 Assess the risk to the health of employees employees from asbestos within the Du Pont Company
asbestos prescribe 2 Examine the handling procedures for parsebsecstroisbeasbestos
fr
asbestos asbestos asbestos fr
an industrial hygiene viewpoint and prescribe prescribe prescribe prescribe prescribe prescribe
safer procedures where indicated
A.
Exposure
1. Define asbestos dust levels for as
handling operations as possible
2
3 3
-
L.
5
5
Define
Define
materials
materials
materials
containing
containing
possible possible
possible
type
type
of
of
asbestos
asbestos
asbestos
asbestos
DDeeffinie ne
operations operations
operations operations
wh wh eerree
exposure exposure
exposure
may
may
Define Define
Define
adequate
adequate
respiratory
respiratory
respiratory
protective
protective
protective
CConosidnersider Consider Consider
Consider
Consider
need
need
for
for for
s suubbsstt utu es testutes
for
for
asbestos asbestos
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
L. Develop a smoking and respiratory function
7
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 programs of
5 will be of general value in the medical the Company with special relevance to the
asbestos study
ak a
A
ot
8d
fe
mete
cc EO me
wee
see
sere
r sorey.
ee ne
tee:
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at
Implementation Implementation of the program to be through a working par
on health and asbestos Suggested make of working party
Medical Department
- G. J. Stopps Physician - S. Fell Biostatistician
Engineering Department Engineering Service Division - J. L. Parsons or his representative
Design Division
Safety
- W. H. Zane K. E. Keuper
Chambers Works
Industrial Hygiene Lab
- A. L. Linch
Funding
It is anticipated that the working party will be engaged in
the collection of data on asbestos dust at a wintuhmbetr he ofdurCaotmipoanny of
ations and in correlating health records
the exposure
This will require funding which can not be but would almost certainly be
isely forecast at this time
suit brought by a work-
below the cost of losing one party
Han claiming pulmonary disability due to ufnosrafae pwroorgkrianmg scucohnads
tions The more important justification
that outlined above is the Company's traditional concern for the
It has been shown that some workers
safety of its
with asbestos
employees have an increased
risk
of dying of cancer It is
whether under the condi-
of the utmost importance to discover
tions existing within Du Pont plants this is true for our
employees who handle asbestos
This project is in the general itnhtuserefsutndiofng thsehouClodmpannoyt affects many operating departments borne by a single operating department
and
be
Duration of Study
be of value medical information on those working with
To
an annual review The initial
be asbestos
muskt ept
current by records with
exposure
data would bio-
correlation of existing
of time work by the
probably require about 30 days
identified
once the records were
Statistician
and
the
physician
These
30
days
would
probably
be
and collected in one place period of about four months
Dust sampling is
of the
over a
spread impossible to forecast at this time since the scope
be defined by the working party When the program
p68rogwroarmkimnugst a few days of work per year should keep the medical
information updated
working
working working working working
working start start
during during party party party party
during duringduring
during
during
a }
/
the
data be the data be
on
the
the
expected expected expected
~ a
Pricin
THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF THE USE OF ASBESTOS
ASBESTOS WITHIN THE DUPONT DUPONT COMPANY
we
Sete
Sat ~
.
^ memorandum with the above title was prepared in early
Jember
1966
reporting
the
discussions
held
at Haskell
.
boratory on October 25
Certain of the proposals made at that meeting are being ried out by the Engineering Department but in general the
dical recommendations have not been implemented
A survey of plant physicians by letter suggests that at
mm
of respiratory respiratory disease among
ut we do not have an epidemicto asbestos but I regard this
ose with an obvious exposure
- not the end of the
only useful
me
Testigation
preliminary information
There are four reasons
why
the
proposals made
Ma the memorandus should be implemented
2
The data developed to date is suggestive but not
conclusive and both from the humanitarian and
legal points of view the date must be convincing not only to ourselves but if necessary to a
court of law We sust be able to demonstrate
that not only do we not have a bealth problem due
to asbestos but that the research methods used
were such that a problem would have been uncovered .
8
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a 2
a
The long incubation period that may exist between
asbestos exposure and the development of cancer requires that we focus our attention on the exposures occurring to employees in the period 1922-1952 At that period the number of employees
Has smaller 1930 37,000 employees 1940 53,000
employees 1950 80,000 employees and the potential
exposure --... have been much less
omens
.
7
.
a
.
4
.,
,
.-
.
[
s
. .
: .
sad
-2-
...
3 Because of Point 2 above it is
postulate that due to the
reasonable to
asbestos and the size of increase in the use of
.
that it will be in the
the population at risk
problem will develop ratyheaerrs tahahneadnectehsatsartihley being
present at this time
4. If we can demonstrate that at present there is
undue incidence of carcinoma due to
no
will
be
very
gratifying
but
it
asbestos
does
the study should end It will be
not mean
this that
continue
important to
monitoring the exposed populations and a
suitable control group to see whether because of Point 3 an occupational disease disease
later date
develops at a
.
B...
If we considered the points made at the
966 valid then they remain valid
meeting in October
nto operation subject
urther information
always
today and we should put them to modification in the light of
i
Pam
34
y,
35
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ORIGINAL SIGNED fy G. J. STOPPS
T
an
ng