Document pBV3YR5KNxDzK2LVjByK5B0oX
FILE NAME Brakes BRK DATE 1975 July 21
DOC BRK128
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Meeting Minutes - Occupational Exposures to Asbestos from Brake Linings - Dept of Health CDC & NIOSH
t
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND WELFARE
wn
,
CDC NIOSH
Minutes of Occupational Exposures to Asbestos Just From
Brake Linings Meeting
,
July 21 1973
See Attached
5 Proceedings
Dr. John F. Finkles Director of MOSHI welcomed the attendees Ile
stated that the purposes of the accting ware 1 to consider preliminary data on asbestos exposure on brake lining workers and 2 to discuss
a future course of action based this preliminary information
ats
Finkles thun turned the aceting over to Dr. Irving Selikoff of Houns
Sinci presentatioonf some of his work on this problem
. .
Dr.
Selikoff described
the background
for
ous
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Cut
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health effects of asbestos are well known However the health ard
associated with tobestcz in brake linings until recently has received received
little attention It was thought that the intense teat generated Iron
braking modified the asbestos and that brake linius Just contrised
insignificent mounts of asbestos #ibera
.. Mancuso 5 17 ads
describo
zsbestos health effects in the manufacturi of
asbentos for brake lining but sparently this esusel little 08
In 1973 a case of mesothelioma was reported in This stimulated a examination of the problem with fir Mayers of UAW r Cefalo of IUI and the
a brake repair worker
Pr Salikoff consilted
Ford Motor Company asl
the grous at t Sinai a initiated study to dctermine if
workers were exposed to significant levels of asbestos
brake
linag
Dallkoff introduced e Langer of it Sindi who reviewed als
cennosizim of brake linings and the breakdown products thought to occut
fron hatof generated
Juring braking
Previous studies
aut
demonstrate asbestos fibers in the zouts or prevalence ay indiski by
the current studies at it Sinal Noiever rocant studies at lit. Sia
demonstrated cynical chrysotila osbostes fibers along with a wide range
of other forms of crystalline and fibrous interials He naised that
the composition of brake lininga may differ for male brake
linia's
Ia the U.S. and Creat Britain and products here in the U.S. may have
undergone many changes over the years This is particularly importin since recent :: show that 29 of the now carrket carrket made an of
these insorts Jurther research is needed to characterize the bents bents
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Fe ah hee ets eile ates eid able Ae sa ae ea
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content of past and present Also that the health affects of
been studied
dust exposures other materials
It should be in brake dust
recognized
love act
Dr. Mohl from ft Siani reported on studies of asbestos dust exposura automobile repair shops in New York City Penk exposurus Iron
5-8 minutes duration were measured
Fiber counts using the OSHA
method were from 5 to ml at 3-5 fect from brake drums cleaned with
Compressed air
At 5-17 feet counts ranged from 2 to 4 ml at 20
fuet 7.4 to 4.8 Druns elected with a brush generated lets Airborne
#sbestos 1.3-3.6 fibers in the operators breathing song Eight to
99 of the fibers as observed by electron microscopy were less than J.4
afcroas in langth indicating a much higher exposure to asbestos fibers
than indicated by optical microscopy
Workers engaged in grinding
.
operations to renew brake linings were csposed to 2-7 ontically visible
.
fibers Those bevalling linings had high exposures ranging fro 32-
72 fibers Dr. George Wright pointed out that earlier studies showed
that 1 to % of brake dust is fibrous asbestos
THE Lorincz of it Sinai reported on medical examination of 03 brake repair workers with 19-40 years of exposurc A substantial number were reported to have ray and ventilatory function abnormalities - Further studies need to be docs in this area before any conconiusions on
health effects can be drawn However it was pointed out that at idest four cases of neeethelioma have been reported nationally acens wtoe mobile repair workers and this lends urgency to the probles
Dr. Finklea the problem
ow
asked
for
comments
\
and
:
recommendations
.
for
addressing
.
,,'
fr Meyers suggested that several practical control measures are
fascible nov Indeed these measures have been instituted in several
shops His union alerted its members via its newsletter and ceveloped
posters to alert workers to the problem . Nevers emphasized that t
players with when he worked were most coenerative Harlovers wure
encouraged to use vacuum cleaning of brake drums and where necessay
masks toreduce cocposure
His union has made arrangements for continusi
Endiesl Reination of its mershoes
No aphasized the importance ,,
union presentatives practices.
having
360039 to workplaces for observation of
.
Dr.
facturers
producte
George Wright an industrial consultant emphasized that -
havea responsibility to ascertain What happens to their
after being sold to others This problem renresent a diffi-
cult problem for the manufacturer and for their Industrial cant 1'3
Dr. Wright stressed belief that the asbestos industry would coonerate in
overy possible way Br Wright was not entally murprisebdy the fiber
counts reported and expressed the belief that one might subsequently subsequently
encounter the full spectrum of asbestos disease mong grin.crs
Dr. Wright expressed concct that coulitions night be LDISC and
.
e
.
.
.
at Cb e ew s ee rb .
ee
ete a iy
~~
exposures higher mong some smaller businesses
Dr. Wright cautioned
that theinfluence of finer size should be considered and that any
extrapolation to the general population be made with caution He urged
that any subsequent investigations utilize the UICC classification and
the inclusion of negative controls Dr. Wright cautioned against over-
interpreting the occurrence of four mesothelioma cases
Mr. Saniels of IUD urged that MIOSH = Notify the Department of Labor about this problem
wu lake minutes of this micating available to rublic
along with a suitable press release
e ow Notify other involved unions
ete
ow Institute an appropriate national sampling program
fOr ow Institute a program of surveillance and intervention
Other unions involved includes
.
Ge
~ United Auto Workers
. .
wwe TeamsterS TeamsterS
ab
ow American Federation of Government Employees
.
oe Allied Industrial Workers
~~ Laborers International
- International Association of Machinists
- American Postal Horkers Union
oe United Rubber Workers
cadet Amalgamated Transit Union
Hass te. TTeransport Workers Union of America
a,
ff
~ United Transportation Union
Suk
K. Samuels of TUD urged that everyone be informed of existing
easily applicable control measures Ir Movers augmented any releuse un
control technology be built upon their asbestos safuty bulletins bulletins
JA
os
Mr. Angelo
locals and union
Refale members
of LVI discussed the
in an orderly fashion
need to infors affected
r Cefala stated
fl'
" '
the needed research program should be planned and funded He offered offered his assistance in obtaining any needed support for this program
Dr. Mancuso of the University of Pittsburgh at the request of the
International Association of Machinists conducted a pilot study of deat
records and identified in 1973 a mesotheliona case proven by astopsy
of a garage Mechanic and another DREJ of pleural mesothelia .. ..
millright who URS blowing out asbestos friction clutch with
compressed air at a paper company Dr. Mancuso felt the nature
- 830
death records SPA such that other cases of mesothelioms may exist but
are unrecognized Ne spoke of the need to use this oprortunity to
develop an affective industrial medical surveillance aysten
Herb Northrop of
problem is perspective
.
asbestos
Ford asked that any alert bulletin place this pointing out other recognized exposures to
John Dement of DFSCI presented preliminary data from a NIOsil study
showing neal exposures of un tn 5 fibers during brake LIUM bling He also showed peak lead levels of approximately 4.5 20 Jurlag
blowing operations IOSH electronmicroscopic studies of brake 887
dust also showed a predominance of mall asbestos fibers with west
fibers being less than 1 micrometer in length
At oa plant reneving
lined brake sheca exposures of 21 fibers during grinding and pos
of up to 10 fibers during antying of a drun containing
old old
linings linings
linings
were observod
.
Dr. Weaver of API offered to comunicate with gasoline stations and
rele he supported further studies of the probles and gahasized the aced to
use appropriate controls of UICC film reading techniques
heme
for
El Alpaugh of International Harvester ^...rged preparation of a joint
release Paul Toth of Ford offered to help with suggestions of control
nme
technology and in disseminating information from NIOS on thin matter to
appropriate Ford Motor Company dealer relations personnel
A
John Moran of ETA pointed cat that disc brakes relcase airc
ree
asbest the general environment than chec brakes He stated tinat
we
the EPAexpressway roadside study could look at asbeates levels along a
ailne gradient away from the expressway
Ur Salikoff pointed Uut chat
braking itself may be important and that roadside studies should
oe
consider the affect of braking
eeor Dr. Mancuso was asked to comment on the needed health studies He
none
suggested an epidemiology study of the mortality experience of a conor
of unionized workers and their families He canized are for extreme
rte care in the cxnerimental design He thought such for other cancers and accunational respiratory |
study should look
diseases as well as
ashentos disorders .
et.
e
Mode
It was comphasized that workers were eznonel to metais pisacic
.
dusts ashops solvents and toxic gases like carbon monoxide
Iancuso recorneaded clinical studies in the ante population of workers
In especially requested evaluation of called nuisance dusts which
ho claims may be more hornful than now realized No capsized need to
look at workers who left the industry as well as chose tho area still
employed.-
tr Toth stressedthe need to ascertain the role of tobacco smoking
In any studies Others agrood with him Dr. Mancuso took exception to
the undue caphasis on the smoking expects to the clusion of proper
recognition of the magnitude of inherent health risks Jue 03 Cisc
chemicals.in dusts of the working enviroment
Dr. Selikoff suggested seven areas for urgent study
ow Analysis of brake materials utilized since 1047 using literature survey and laboratory analysis N1953
Broad based national Industrial hygiene Aurvey to assess exposures for various occupational tasks NIOSH
Epidemiologic studies of mortality workers from several sources NI05 receive the highest priority
experience of aposed
He suggests this
~ Further clinical tudic of 000 vorkers including
.
suitable
controls NIOS
.
ww. Autopsy survey of lung anlestos burden of exposed vorkers In auto maintenance industry NIOSH
-ow Industrial hygiene measures to better control exposure
Joint
effort of unions industry and NIOSH
.
ow Education of workers to hazard and to use control measures
.
DOL IOSH .
Seloff Dr.
Selof
suggested .
underway
that there be no delay in getting this progrza
.
.
Dr. Joe Wagoner of IOSH generally supported the discussed researcreseharch
program Ee emphasized ucad for careful characterization of Exposur
to aports other than ashostos and the need to assure that al research funds are used to answer some of our major remaining scientific
question about the offnct of cmsure to relatively low levels of short adestos fibers William Best ofNCI offered his assistance J
asked Mether or not a control study night be of some liclp