Document nmGd614gkbX41Qz9Yd0V19RkR

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS DIVISION 064190 IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VERMICULITS ORE PROCESSORS W. R. Grace & Co. is finding it necessary to use dust control for ore handling and processing to meet current OSHA dust regu lations in plants. As employers of workers handling vermiculice ore, you should be aware of these regulations and of pending changes to them. The most difficult standard to meet applies to a "cramp" mineral found in vermicullte deposits. It is tremolite, defined by OSHA as one of the asbestos family. Dust control systems you install should he selected on the basis of keeping airborne concentration of this material within limits. Current requirements which limit exposure of employees to an eight hour time weighted concentration of five fibers per cubic centi meter of air can be found in detail in title 29 Code of Federal Regulations PART 1910. This will be reduced to two fibers on July 1,' 1976. A further reduction to 0.5 fibers has been proposed. Comments on the proposed standard may be made to OSHA through April 9, 1976. Thereafter hearings will be held on the proposed standard. A copy of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is enclosed for your information. Grace believes the proposed 0.5 fiber limit is too stringent for current technology to achieve. As an ore processor, you should sample air of your operation and take appropriate action regarding the current and proposed OSHA regulations. RIM:cj Richard I. Morris l GRAC ' ;r7/*cs:iMtji ZOjnOLITS cohVrHtx-TioN Ki*otucr nivtmoN March 17, 1976 03625(505 TO: BPD Regional Management cc: See Distribution List Ue sent the attached notice to all of our customers who purchase crude vermicuJite ore notifying them of current and proposed OSHA standards for dust control in their plants. The most difficult standard applies to tremolite which appears as a "tramp" mineral mixed with many types of ores, vermiculite Included. OSHA defines tremolite as a member of the asbestos family. Although we remove a great deal of tremolite during processing, it is not now possible to provide our ore customers with a totally tremolite-free product. As a result, we felt obliged to send this notice to our customers, since they, like us, are employers of plant workers who handle vermiculite ore and are, wiiti* be web) <-->-,--,-b-l 4- -^ *#> rtCtU fepid1 1 * AMf You may receive questions about the asbestos content in our ex panded products as a result of this notice to ore users. If so, please note that the notice applies to ore, not expanded products. In addition, the OSHA regulations relate to the employer-employee relationship only. Significant amounts of the tremolite are removed during the expan sion process. We are now testing each of our products for tremolit content and airborne dust levels during their use so.that we will know where we stand when specific regulations concerning use of cur products in the construction industry are established. Should you be subject to detailed questioning about asbestos in our products, please refer these questions to your regional manager. JLW:cJ Attachment J. L. Wright CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS DIVISION 64l908 03625g07 OKK BAG LABELING Until further notice, the following label will appear on bags in which vermiculite ore is shipped to processors. CAUTION .jy Contains Asbestos Fibers -- 0*JC***< Breathing Asbestos Dust May Cause Serious Bodily Harm