Document nogX302ebjZLVY9Zr1p1992G

FILE NAME Corning OC DATE 1943 DOC OC296 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Legal - Supplementary Statement of American Shipbuilding Co. - SHIPBUILDING COMMISSIO2N3 of the Vu. NATIONAL WAR LABOR BOARD In the matter of se THE AMERICAN SHIP BUILDING COMPANY and Eleven International Unions Affiliated with the AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR : CASE NO 25-467 3 3 BUILDING ADDITIONAL PRESENTED BY UNITED OF CARPENTERS AND JOINERS OF AMERTI OPEN HEARING BEFORE THE SHIPBUILDIN 1943 COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 7 a hes ( S > The Union without previous notice to the employer presented an additional proposal at the time of the open hearing before the Shipbuilding Commission on October 7 1943 requesting compensation at the rate of time and half the basic rate of pay for the trade employed for work involving the installation of fiber- which glass The Shipbuilding Commission at that time granted the employer the right to file with the Commission any information it might wish to submit concerning this proposal Proposal the Union based its request on two claims That fiberglass is a skin irritant That fiberglass affects the mucus tissues of the mouth and throat and the lungs oo Company's Position oo ' ee a , Union's proposal A No authorities are cited its statement that fiberglass is skin the in tes Ovities although the statement factmade that leading medical 1 at 2 ; examples innumerable The following are merely of accepted statements concerning this subject by eminent and widely medical authorities refuting the Union contention The irritation of the skin from contact with glass fibers is of a purcly transitory and superficial nature Only the immediate skin areas in contact with or rubbed with glass wool are slightly irritated accompanied by a slight thickening of the skin lasting as most for a few days Minute pieces sticking to the skin and appearing to be superficially embedded are readily removed by ordinary washing with water Source - Memorandum dated December 30 1942 to the Commandants of all Naval Districts the Commandants Comandants of all Navy Yards U. S. Navy the commanding officers of all tenders and repair ships and all Industrial Managers U. S. Navy from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery U. S. Navy Department ) All of the reactions observed were of a transitor transitor superficial nature The only part of the reaci persisted for more than a few days were slight @ and brownish pigmentation of the skin The latt sometimes apparent for several weeks No react stickin symptoms outside the rubbed skin were areas any time during the experiment The pieccs of material which were soon skin after rubbings with Foborglas in its wool appeared to be very superficially embedded Thi observation was borne out by the fact that ordinary spicules ing with water easily removed a large part of the remaining in the skin after rubbing No definite sensitization to any of the materials could - bc demonstrated In a fow subjects there were a fow mild and cvancscont reactions to several of the materials but it appeared very questionable whether those reactions wore based on specific sensitization Source - Report of investigation published in October 1942 issue of Industrial Medicine by Doctors Sulzberger and Baer of investigation of the effects of fiberglas on the skin of laboratory animals and human volunteors) below As to the Union contention that the use of fiberglass Nous examp tissues of the mouth throat and lungs we note ominent ominent medical authorities on the subject Because of the physical characteristics of glass wool the producing damage to the human lung is practically nil No cases of silicosis or other disabling changes in tho lung have been brought to the attention of the Division glass glass of Industrial Hygione of the National Institute ofHealth in association with the handling of wool Institutoe r |Aa fibers ct 3 j It is concluded from observations investigations and available literature that there is no appreciable health hazard associated with the handling of fibrous glass and slag wool in the blanket or board form Source - Momorandum dated December 30 1942 to the Cormandants of all Naval Districts thc Commandants of all Navy Yards U. S. Navy the commanding officers of all tenders and repair ships and all Industrial Managers U. S. Navy from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery U. . Navy Department! Lu your information we recognize discasos of the respiratory tract as compensable occupational disuasos such as silicosis asbestosis anthracosis and siderosis As a matter of fact there is a provision under the new law to recognize any disease of this type which is caused by the inhalation of any injurious dusts We endeavor to keep a complete statistical record in the Department of Safety and Hygiene of all cases of this type I have made a thorough check with this Departmen antd to of date wo have never had a claim filed for a disease the - upper respiratory tract caused by the alleged inhalation -*" of fiborglass particlas Source - The Industrial "(a * Commission of Ohio letter of June 17 1941 to Walter ti! Seibort 2415 N. King's Highway St. Louis Mo. Dr. os 3: The apparent lack of pulmonary damage from exposure t ce aeee. glass wool dust is demonstrated by an inhalatiexposure on experiment Source - Annual report of the Sarande F". L19a4b0o.ratory for the Study of Tuberculosis for the year We the Saranac Laboratory have been studying the effect of inhaled glass wool Apparently evon the finest textile glass set up as atmosphoric dust is not inhaled in appreciablo concentrations and does not produce any dangerous effects upon the lungs Source - Researchus of Mollon Institute 1940-1941 In rofutation of the reasons advanced by the Union wo particularly direct your attention to the attached letter from the U. S. Maritime Commission to this Company and the enclosure therewith which we beliovo conclusively dispose of all of the contentions made the Union on this issue ee THE AMERICAN SHIP BUILDING COMPANY By ~ . President ad Rees 01 501 1490% Chicago 4 Illinois f September 15 1943 Mr. Leo Heller Director of Labor Relations American Ship Building Company 1410 Terminal Tower Cleveland Ohio Dear Mr. Heller a, &: Fiber of Reference is made to the recentgril workers engaged in the installation Fiber because of an alleged industrial healthtig reporati enclose herewith five copies of the pirigte Kenneth Nelson Industrial Health Consul Mr. Raymond Clow Safety Consultant TE gentlemen are attached to the Labor Relation of the Great Lakes Regional Office but repre~ the Navy Department and Maritime Commissionrepre~ respective specialized fields The Maritime Commission will not consider rates for Fiberglas installation as a reimbursable |oy recommendations allowable in cost We suggest that the ys contained in the enclosed report be followed as a pre- ventive means for alleviating the alleged hazard Yours truly oan ae eyed oS Nag et . > AT at tes sh A SB a ) Pr. | i " ARITIME 7 oe A ARITIME COMMISSION BATES ' Chicago Michigan Avenue 25 a Chicago Illinois 4 2 September 13 1943 From Lt. Ken Nelson- Mr. Raymond Clow 8 4.- Subject Meetings at the Cleveland and Lorain yards of the American Shipbuilding Co. concerning possible hazards to health of work with Fiberglas insulation At the request of Mr. Leo Heller Labor Relations Director the regional health and safety consultants met with workmen and of the two yards to discuss the hazards of working with Fibergla at 12:30 P.M. September 9th Lorain and at 4:00 P.M. the same Workmen were concerned with possible lung damage or silicosis fine particles of Fiberglas It was pointed out that extensiv that the nature of Fiberglas prevents it from causing silicost ailment an due inhere The second complaint was the annoyance of itching thread on the surface of the skin This effect is an inhere though it has been found that workmen acquire an immunit are after a week or two of work A very few individuals exti become used to it and that event should be transferred to Medical studies of skin effects have concluded that all reactions were of a transitory and superficial nature --Minute --Minute particles st and appearing to be superficially imbedded are readily removed by with water ; ; an are follow- To eliminate the annoying effects workmen wore advised to institute the ing measures oe S starched preferably preferably materialsoap 1. Thorough clean with Kleen a corn meal lanolin found to be effective and which has been made available by the v with ov clothing preferably of a material PREMRMOTEEE claimed shor home Work clothes should be 7 4. If possible showars should continues mana gom st 5. FiberglasFiberglas mater scrap 9 aw CuvVAdL aC2 cher ewe egee n Re R3he ey, ee EAT eaetr an 4 an "oe ox Boe ate ORS ao pe . *e - Le cary Aa aap nahin