Document pmEQkp8xGB74gvKZEqvMwKDpB

fvl < ; : - ' ' i ' i . .i' *^(1^ * ... . NOT COifiE iitUi/i J *' U tIFexas JSiab Jifiparimarf cf ffigaltfy tt C. PKAVV, M.D.. M.P.M. mUMMH or KlAkTM U.S. t CMMUMOa** August 30, 1971 AUSTIN. TEXAS MAM HlAbTO HIMATOA C. AOwm. U.IL, CDAII NAUT O. <lriO. ., n(t fa. fAaC. m*MT*HTMIMfaba.t, A.A.L. Ml (HAAkU M*A COfaC. M. O. JmOwllWicfcM. HTOMfaCJOAM.M*. ,a&.a. JIM WAVNC *MT, *. A. . MVS S. MliHMtM, M. * Mfa HlUlnK. Johnsoa, H.D., KXH Hedies! Investigations Srsuch Division of Field Studios sod Clinicsl lavoscigseioas Sapartaent of Health, Education, end Welfare '550 Main Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 * Door Dr. Johnson: .. This letter will confirm discussions between you end Hr, Horace Adrian, Chief of our Industrial Hygiene Program, regarding the asbestos problem at Tyler, Toms. Included are observations and supportive data obtained by Hr. Adrian during his visit on August 17, 1971, with Dr. Lee Grant, Medical Director for the Pittsburgh Plata Class Company, and with Hr. Charles E. Van Horn, Plant Hsuager at the Pittsburgh Corning plane. . .. Preliminary discussions were held in the offices of. Dr. J. JU Hailes, Director of kegion VX1, Texas State Department of Health. Dr. Grant outlined the Pittsburgh Corning medical program and the in-plant steps taken to protect the heelth of their workers against the hazards from asbestos exposure. The following information was developed from the dissuasions at this meeting. The molded thernal Insulation blocks are formulated' from 45Z emoaite asbestos, 21. to 27Z sodium silicate as dry solids, and 7 to Sl dlatomaceom earth. The asbestos is imported Cram South Africa in pissei&'lined, burlap sacks and con tains no chrysolite or eroeidilite fibers. The attached schematic flow diagram shows the process steps within the plant. The sacks am opened and the other additives are supplied at the material feeders from where they are conveyed to the attrition mill. The blend la fed to tho builder feeder In e wet form. The mix builds up on rotating mandrels, which then pass over the finishing rolls. A clay cost is applied to tbs exterior of the cylindrical \ fora, the mandrel is extracted, and the vet product passes through e long drying even. Upon drying, the band saws cut the baked product to the desired length and another saw makes a longitudinal cut which halves cbm product for THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT A RECORD OF PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. DID NOT COME FROM IT'S FILES.AND CANNOT BE AUTHENTICATED BY PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. `'J7-/ | *B*B 002*1643 | 4135 NOT!7: T' -:r'!' t siOT CGIw William M. Johnson, M.D., MZK August 30, 1971 Pngs 2 tuy installation. The. procsss is completed with ths banding*sad y^Vagfng of ths cod product. Scrap piaeaa from tba sawing stops and rejected products ara returned to ths scrap crusher for reprocessing. there are three critical ureas in the plant processing in which asbestos expo* sure exceeds safe levels, these are: (1) the notarial feeders where the begs of asbestos are opened end discharged into the hopper (2) the sawing or cut-off operations which crests dusty particulars suspensions, and (3) the scrap crushing opsration which creates an excessive exposure of the asbestos fibers and partic ulate natter. Or. Grant related that they realised they had a problem following a 1965 survey in' this plant in which Mr. Jin Scefano, an Industrial Hygienist, did an in-plant' study for dust sad asbestos. The Public Health Service study in 196? was an , ' evaluation of the asbestos fiber counts, but did not Include a nedlcsl review* , Following the 1967 eveluation. Or. tartan Cohen, Professor of Environmental Health and Industrial Hygiene st the University of Pittsburgh, was railed upon to work out the control ventilation requirements for the Tyler plant. The eon- - trol system recoomsaded by Or. Cohen was installed. Following the decision of the American Conference of Covernaental IndusOriel Hygienists to further lower .the threshold Unit values for, asbestos to 5 fiber* per milliliter, or G.5 ssnpcf, Pittsburgh Corning Corporation decided to discon tinue its use of asbestos as a raw Material for insulation, sod if possible, to develop a substitute material for the asbestos additive. Approximately * $200,000 reportedly was spent in research sad development. *. .. .* Under eeetrset agreement, the University of California st Berkely made a__ study of the relative dustiness of insulation products under controlled eondi-- / tions. Results showed that none of the five supplier prodaces under study . ` could comply to the new standards during tinss of Installation, repelx, or dismantling of insulation by an experienced journeyman. At e greet expense, Pittsburgh Corning, st thsir Port Allegheny, Pennsylvania plant, had adequately ' controlled one production line within the new limits. Control equipment for all plants would he excessively expensive, especially when valid, tests shoved . that installation exposure would remain in excess of accepted levels. Following the research and study oe substitutes for asbestos as an insulating material, it was determined chat Ban-made fibers, such as mineral wool, could replace asbestos. Experimental tests and plant installations have shown that the new product has comparable insulating characteristics without the attapdaat health problems shown with asbestos usege. Controlled tests on installation exposure hevo shown no- health hazards other than those experienced from nuiseoce dusts. Sinco the new formulation is heavier thee asbestos, any resultant dust settles more rapidly. This was substantiated In recent tests by Dr. Clark Cooper at the University of California at-Eertesley. Uist count results n this new material showed a significant reduction in values over the earlier study. THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT A RECORD OF* PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. DID NOT COME FROM IT'S FILES AND CANNOT BE AU IhtNflCAiED BX PPG INDUSTRIES* INC. ` . * *~ .**--,* * ! v- 1"bTo02264_T ! 4138 1V I 5 William M. Johnson, M.D., MIH August 30, 1971 Page 3 / AC Che present time, the Fort Allegheny plant has one line of machinery in full produccion on a 24-hour basis. The problems of production hove been perfected to' a satisfactory level. Management plans to have the Port Allegheny and the Tyler plants fully converted and in-production on the new line of mineral wool insulation by July .1, 1972. During the interim period, while these two plants are converted, Pittsburgh Corning has requested a variance from compliance with the standards as related to asbestos that are currently .in effect. A copy of their request, which was submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, U. S. Department of labor, is attached for information and raferanca. Xn order to insure healthful working conditions for their employees, a n ***** t and instructions given on August 2, 1971, made mandatory the wearing of approved respirators by all personnel while present within the general plant area. This notice was related to supervisory end operating personnel, maintenance workers, end all visiting individuals. The opereting personnel whose work stations were in the three critical areas described in preceding paragraphs, wera supplied with end Instructed to veer et ell times, respirators equipped with Camfo Mask filters (BM 21B-90), which is an ultra filter designed for this type of service. As further protection to the employees, the verlence request sets forth the following requirements upon themselves: * 1. Approved respirators will he supplied end their usage will be required, 2. Existing dust collection equipment end ventilation system will be --a at optlsum condition. ^ * 3. 4. Continuing health education program on asbestos exposure will be provided. ,. * Medical crimination will be expended Co include pulmonary function tests, other medical tests,, biennially for those employees*with as much as five yeers exposure. Examinations will continue for a tan* year period for employees with five-year expsoure, even though asbestos will be banned by July 1972. 5. Hew end improved respirators have been purchased and tMlr effective ness will be fully validated. 6. Improved housekeeping procedures will be maintained, including fre quent use of industrial vacuum cleaners. A copy of the Radical history questionnaire is enclosed for your files. Ac the time of discussions with Dr. Crant on August 17, 1971, one-half of their employees had corplect'd the extensive medical examination at tha East Texas Chest Hospital at Tyler, under Che supervision of Dr. Hurst, Hospital Admin istrator for this Texas State Department of Health facility. The remainder of THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT A R'ECOtfD OF*' PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. DID ; .0 : CO:/i^FR0M IT'S FILES AND CANNOT BE Auj.-.cniiCAiED BY PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. AJJ//3/T ZT-3 ' ............ ,.n-rTM ----------------_ j *" 002164q*'T I S 4137 I I -i i -t tt l t -t 4 A li 11 i. I r' 'N % William M. Johnson, K.D., MIH August 30, 1971 Pas t # ft r ;5 r, ir the employ*** vero to bo examined on August 23. Uhsn tho results of thoso examinations rs msds available to us within s few days, wo shall forward a copy to you. Thoso employees who have boon exposed to ashoscos In tha Tylor plant consist of 25 smployoos with five or mors years of exposure, and 36 employees with lass than five years. The coverage of this expanded examination does not include salaried clerks and other non-exposed employees The policy in the past has been to perform pre-employment medical exurinations on all employees, dose examinations included chest and back X-rays and were repeated on a biennial basis. The work was performed at the Medical and Surgical Clinic which la locatad at 1100 Beckham Street, Tyler, Texas. The X-ray examinations were conducted and reviewed by personnel approved by the Board of Certifisd Roentgenologists. Doctors in this clinic' have given ell previous pro-msdical examinations. Whan the medical examination results performed recently at the East Texas Chest Hospital are reviewed by management, employees will be advised of any abnormal findings. Their medical staff will provide direction from that point forward. % Mr. Adrian made a walk-through survey of the Tyler plant operations at fiha of his discussions with Dr. Bailee, Dr. Crane and Hr. Charlas Van Horn, Plant Manager for Pittsburgh Corning Corporation. His findings included the observation that every plant employee observed wee wearing a fitted respirator. Each bulletin board exhibited the notice which made mandatory tho wearing f respirators. Hotics of application for variance, es described before, was posted on the board. Management advised that prior to tho posting of tha mandatory respirator directive or the variance application, tha substance and reasoning for each action was explained to representatives of the union council. Dr. Crane invited Mr. Adrian end Mr* Richard Lasrd, Public Health .Engineer for Region VII, Texas Stats Department of Health, to sic la on a briefing of tha employees on the haxards of asbestos and the reasons for all* of tho taken. The evo sessions attended by Mr. Adrian and Mr. laerd were clear, concise end descriptive of the health hsssrds involved where asbastosis is in. use. The right of each employee to protest the method of eooaol or the. granting of s variance was explained in detail. The efforts of msnagamaat toward the protaction of the health of the workers seemed the central theme of expression by those who responded. .. In conclusion, the plant conditions differ but* Uttla from those notad by the Public Health Service Specialises in January 1970.- Additional" protection is provided by the mandatory wearing of respirators by all exposed personnel. Improved filters should provido additional proteecion against.tha inhalation of asbestos fibers during tho interim period. THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT A RECORD OF' PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. DIO ..0. COi/tS FROM . ITS FILES AND CANNOV BE AU i .-.t.. i iCAl ED BY PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. 4Ja 413S William M. Johnson, M.D., MIH August 30, 1971 Page 5 / j -- __J Ve reconmeod chat an evaluation of asbestos fiber content be made In the breathing cone of the three critical plant areas experienced previously. Within the' limits of feasibility, the efficiency of the improved filter* should be determined under existing plant exposuraa. Shmald the Motional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have Field Study Grasp personnel available at -this for evaluation of tbeao parameters, ve would bo pleased to discuss arrangements for such s study with tba plant management. Due to limited staffing at tha Stata lavel, there may be a daisy of time before ve could perform this service; however, every effort will be made to expedite our action. Wo have anjoyod working with you on this problem of mutual concern. We await your cosnsnts or any requests for additional information. Yours very truly, Hprtin C. Wukasch, Pi., Director ifivisioa of Occupational Health and Radiation Control THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT A RECORD OF PPG INDUSTRiES, INC. DiU .-.6: CUME PROM IT'S FILES. AND CANNOi BE AUi,,LliCAIED BY PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. SKiiiQir J^BB 0021647*7 4139