Document pmNgNa50BYKq584RR8EYq2LqB

FILE NAME: DuPont (DUP) DATE: 1966 Oct 25 DOC#: DUP046 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo from GJ. Stopps to J.A. Zapp & J.W. Clayton RE The Medical Aspects of the Use of Asbestos and Asbestos Products Within the DuPont Company MEMORANDUM TO: -- *J. A. Zapp, Jr._ . j. W. Clayton, or. FROM: G. J. Stepps Z, ' Exhibit Ne. . TRZ MEDICAL ASPECTS OF THE USE OF ASHEST.OS,. ,, r A\T) AS~~S^OS PRODUCTS WITHuN T h t DU PONT COMPANY'. "V" N,^" ----- "-- ~ ' 7 ..... ^ : n Meeting held at Haskell Laboratory for 'foxicology and Industrial Medicine, October 25, 1966. held on )LC. L D-es6n t : r r -, _ / /V C. A. D ' A l o n s o , M.D. - Medical Director j. R. Zah.n, M.D. - Assistant Medical Director or ,...o - A. Z a t r , Jr. - Director, Haskell Laboratory _ v 0 v; C1avtcn, Jr. - Assistant Director, Haskell Laboratory^ Vwi.. E. N e e l d , Jr., M.D. - Medical Director, Chambers works-- A. L. Linch - Manager, Industrial Hygiene Laboratory S. Pell - Biostatistician, Medical Division V,\ v. Za.oe - Lesion Division, Engineering Department _ _ G*. J*! Stoops, M . d T Chief, Physiology Section, Haskell Laboratory C. F. Reinhardt, M.D. - Physiologist, Haskell .uacoratory Statement of P r o b l e m : Asbestos has been recognized for many years o cause^ <=. chest "disease called asbestosis. This is a fibrosis of the lung and is associated with several y e a r s ' exposure to asoestos fibers at concentrations above the Threshold Lim_ w Vaj.ue Oj. ^ =, million particles per cubic foot. More recentuy (within_bhe D a ct i0 years) an association between asoestos exposure ana career has "become apparent. This association shows itself three ways. One, persons with established asbestos.s have f-i? incidence of cancer of the lung or pleura of approximately per cent compared with a rate of 1.52 per cent for persons su_. er ing from silicosis. Two, persons not suffering from asoestosi but who have a history of exposure to asoestos snow a ^ e m o . c increase in the incidence of cancer of the respiratory system. Three, among the persons developing cancer who have been cxp-~s to asbestos, a small number snow a type of tumor v,n- cr- V*-' rare in the general population. In cases showing t..is tumor, ^ the occupational history of the person has almost auways rev-a a period of exposure to asoestos. Tne association of cancer with asoestos is of spec.al^ ^ concern at this time because of the lack of data upon wnicn to base a safe dust concentration and the_very long incubation period between the initial exposure ana the development o* cancer. This time interval varies from 15 to years. b3 3 ^ i - 2- nhiPPtives of Present Study,; 1 Assess the risk to the health of employees from * asbestos within the Du Pont Company. . Examine the handling procedures for asbestos from, an industrial hygiene viewpoint _ar.d prescribe safer procedures where indicated. Plan of Attack: A. E x p o s u r e . Define asbestos dust levels for as many asoestos handling operations as possible. define material , type o: -^ ^ p- Z , -- .*-- * i S D S S wCS Q r. S . C CL . ** -- * T. ?s &na. where psfirie operations winere exposure .,iiwv o c c u r . adecuate respiratory protective proc ^ o -- ss Consider need for substitutes for asbestos. E. Kedical Study records of respiratory cancer cases in fern .r association witr asoestcs. /"n Develop registry of all known asbestos workers C throughout the Company. ne records of asbestos workers and compare them"'with records of a non-asbestos exposec centre, group to assess possible hazarc oi workinfe wj.uh asbestos. k. Develop a smoking and respiratory function ^ _ cuesticnr.aire for use as & r o u t i n e ^ . U - - `-.s nc"j--2 health examinaw.cn fo. &.1 personnel. =. Develoo pulmonary function tests for routine appli " cation* during annual physical examination. I - e m c 4 and 5 will be of general value in the medical programs of the Company with special relevance to the asbestos study. 3 Imo!emendation : Implementation cf the program to be through a working p arty on health and asbestos. Suggested make-up of working party: Medical Department: - G. J. Stopps, Physician - S. Pell, Eiostatistlcian Engineering Department: Engineering Service Division Design Division C~ - J. L. Parsons or his representative - ft". K . Zane - K. E. Keuper Industrial Hygiene Lab. A. L. Linch __L ._ __S c_._ ____ _____ ___ V_ii_. working party wiul be engageo i: the collection of data on asbestos dust at a number cf Company locations and in correlating health records with the duration c; the exposure. This will require funding which can not be precisely forecast at this time but would almost certainly be below the cost cf losing one third-party suit brought by a work' man claiming pulmonary disability due to unsafe working condi tions. The"more important justification for a program such as that outlined above is the Company's traditional concern for th safety of its employees. It has been shown that some workers with asbestos have an increased risk of dying of cancer. It is of the utmost importance to discover whether under the condi tions existing within Du Pont plants this is true for cur employees who handle asbestos. This project is in the general interest cf the Company ana affects many operating departments, thus funding should not be borne by a single operating department. Duration cf S t u d y : To be of value medical information on those working with asbestos must be kept current by an annual revi_ew'. The init: correlation of existing records with exposure data would probably require about 30 days of full-time work by the tio- statistician and the physician once the records were identify and collected in one place. These 30 days would spread over a period of about four months, Dust impossible to forecast at this time since the program must be defined by the working party, is working, a few days of work per year should probably be sampling is of 1;ne the prog .G.7T. the medi cal information undated. O. O i O J:v - k- Starting Date: t - is anticipated that the working party should meet witr.m ie month and field work should start during the first week of muary. robress Reports: A target date for a first m ioal report would be the firs- f June, lt7, and yearly thereafter.