Document pmoeEe2zm5Jbo0x4Ek3RGkRp6

Johns-fvlanviiie lay P. Kotin, M.O. Prom; G. L. Swallow W. B. Reitze - 4 North Copies: P. P. Geleta - 4 North K. Q. Beyard - 4 South Subject: ASBESTOS DUST SURVEY GSA BATON ROUGE WAREHOUSE Internal Correspondence -. - CONFIDENTIAL , --i- -.'-Vj ......... ---- ............ ----mm , ... 0,1.,' April 23, 1975 E. J. Mitchell - 2 South E. Thies - 2 South File & Chron Authur Neilson of the Tulane University Schoni of Medicine telephoned me to advise that he had personally sampled the GSA Baton Rouge Ware house once in late March, and a second time on April 4, 1975. The survey was made at the request of, and paid for by, GSA. The results of this survey have just been determined, port has as yet been submitted. For this reason, this should be treated confidentially. o forma 1 re format! on It is Mr. ?Jei Ison's understanding that the survey came about as a ro suit of a new GSA Safety Man's concern for the dusty situation he odserved. Mr. Meilson's survey results confirm that conditions are gX f >"']'!0 )y ^ 0 cl The survey was made to cover working conditions involved in re-bagging amosite fiber for shipment to Jchns-Manville. The work was being done by employees of the company with whom Uohns-Manville has a contract for re-packaging this fiber. According to Mr. Neilson, the general background level within the ware house was approximately 25 F/cc. Airborne concentration ranges for some typical jobs are as follows: Re-packaoing Operator......................98-123 F/cc Truck Lift Operator........................ .204 F/cc Floor 3aggers......................................139-198 F/cc Top Baggers........... .......... ....................66-82 F/cc Sacking ft Banding Operators (Out-of-Doors).........4.2-7.4 F/cc The re-bagging method used when MrCNeilson first started his survey consisted of having Top ^Baggers physically.on...top of an. approximately 20 foot high.pile'of bagged aniosite. These men placed the jute bag within a plastic bag, land without sealing the plastic bag, dropped it CONFIDENTIAL Respirators were in use during this operation. They were not, however, suitable for the high' fiber concentrations noted above. They were the iUSiial Hindus trial, reusable, air purifying respirator, which is uthorized for use up to not more than 10 times TLV, or 50 F/cc. Additional , protective equipment consisted of coveralls. There was no head or foot gear in use. The resDirators were used only while actually working, which Mr. Neilson estimated at aporoximately 40% of the total time the employees were in the warehouse. JiAcooirding to Mr. Neilson, a "high level" meeting was to have been held M^-i^jFjriday.'-'among-.ap'propriate GSA officials, for the purpose of deter mining what should be done in view of the overall situation. He stated -that his contact, the Supervisor of the GSA warehouses in the southern part of the United States, mentioned the possibility that the contract might have to be abrogated for lack of suitable solutions to the dust problem. } Mr.Neilson does not consider the problem insurmountable. He immedi^flly eliminated the dropping of bags from the top of the asbestos piles to the floor. The^alternative used is to lower them using a high masted fork truck. He dso instituted tying the plastic hags at the top of the pile before they are lowered to the floor. He suggested that a program to handle these shipments safely would consist of: 1. Chutes for getting the bagged asbestos to floor level. 2. Use of air supplied respirators. 3. Stringent rules regarding work practices. 4. An evaluation and suitable corrective measures for the present inadequate v/arehouse ventilation. 5. Better housekeeping practices. 6. Strict and specific agreements for proper work prac tices to be made among Johns-Manvilie, GSA, and the contractor. , ; Mr. Neilson noted that the plastic bags; used have one-inch holes perfor ated in them on approximately 12-inch centers. He assumes these were provided to make the bagging operation easier, however they obviously maker the plastic bag less effective in correcting the dust problem. His final incidental observation was that the Weverhauser Corporation is also buying this fiber. However, they are accepting it "as is". No at tempt is being made to re-bag it or in any other way prevent the escape of asbestos. LWVf ?!rea ffcussed tbis situation with Jack Mitchell and Emil Thies itin^Deoartmpnt^SR0r1 ' KeTM Buy^d IPD' and Pete Geleta of the Purchas- to9fhfEarT,nentr Bec^se much of this information is new since I talked' t&penr, I am forwarding them a copy for their information. l. Sv/allov/ MT004633