Document pmrXXoZQV3oR527QDJ2zvDYbj

FILE NAME: Cummins Engine Co (CEC) DATE: 1980 Apr 17 DOC#: CEC004 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Press Release from NIOSH U.S.DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND W E I ? * COSTACI: S30SK Informatica Office (301) 443-ZUO FOR RELEASE: 1:00- P.M., ESI Thurs.day, Aprii 17, 1980 REMARKS BY NIOSH DIRECTOR ANTHONY ROBBINS ON THE NEED FOR A NEW ASBESTOS STANDARD Good afternoon, I am Dr. Anthony Robbins, Director of HEW's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, KIOSH, .With me are Dr. EuX'a Bingham, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health; Dr, Bailus Walker, Jr., Director of Health Standards for OSHA; and two NIOSH scientists,- Hr, Richard Leman and Hr. John Dement. We are here to announce the findings of a joint N10SK/0SHA Work Group that has reviewed tecent scientific information about the health effects of asbestos, The 'Group reconfirmed .that-- ~^3^.o There is no safe exposure limit for asbestos. . o All commercial and several non-commercial forms of asbestos cause disease. i I I s On the basis of the Work Group's findings and recommendations, which we i ] endorse, we are today recommending to the Department of Labor that It -more- CUMMINS - 00169 i CUMMINS003711 promulgate a safer standard for workers exposed to asbeecoa and that it eliminate from the workplace all exposure from new non-essential uses of asbestos. VJe have asked that the new standard set a maximum workplace exposure 0 -/ C.<L. limit of 100,000 fibers per cubic meter of air, the lowest level-which can be J .o pcv. C.<2. accurately measured. The present level, set la 1972, is two million fibers per cubic meter of air, Asbestos poses a grave danger 1% the workplace. At least 1.4 million workers are exposed to asbestos in the United States. In conducting a National Occupational Hazard .Survey from 1972-74, N10SH found that 45 percent of the occupations observed Involve exposure to the substance. Nearly three quarters of a million tons are used- annually in this country in a vide range of products Including floor tiles,'cements, acoustical products, brake linings, and roof coatings. Between 8 and 11 million, workers have been exposed to asbestos since World Her II. Asbestos is ubiquitous and Its effects, measured in disease and death, arc staggering. Asbestos causes a very serious form of. lung fibrosis known as asbestosie. It also causes lung cancer and mesothelioma,, a cancer of the membrane that lines the chest and abdominal cavities. Exposure to asbestos has also been related to significant Increases In lung, laryngeal, and gastrointestinal cancers! In 1972, OSHA promulgated a workplace asbestos standard setting the maximum exposure level at 2,000,000 fibers per cubic meter of air. Since then both NIOSH and OSHA have monitored asbestos health effecta research and Che development of asbestos substitutes. In 1975, OSHA proposed lowering the -more- C0MMINS - 00170 CUMMINS003712 r -3- standard to 500,000 fibers per cubic meter of air. In 1976, NIOSH recommended . lowering. the standard to 100,000 fibers. N10SH and OSHA established an Asbestos Work Group in the fall of 1979. Its charge was to review all health effects data since the 1976 h'lOSH recommended standard was transmitted to OSHA and to determine whether any changes to that recommendation were warranted. Was there health damage, occurring at the level of the current standard? The Work Group consisted of four experts from N10SH and three from OSHA. The Work Group has completed its report and NI0SH has formally recommended that OSHA adopt the Work Group's findings. A copy of the report is in your press kit. , _ The Croup reconfirmed that there is no safe exposure level for asbestos. Although data suggest that lower exposures result in lower risks of developing, cancer, there is no known level below which asbestos-related diseases do not ^occur. The Group reconfirmed that all commercial and several non-commercial forms of asbestos cause disease. There has at times been debate over which types of asbestos fiber cause disease. The " found evidence' that all forms are dangerous, including chrysotile; crocidolite; and fibrous curamingtonite-grunerite including amosite, fibrous tremolite, fibrous actinolite, and fibrous anthophyllite. The Work Group found no basis for regulating one type of fiber and not another. With these two premises in mind, let me enumerate some of the specific findings of the Work Group: o Optical microscopy continues to be the most reliable and economically feasible method for determining airborne levels of . -more- CC/MHONs -0017J CUMMINS003713 -4- asbestos. Its lowest reliable detection limit Is 100,000 fibers per cubic meter. cc Substitutes for asbestos should be used whenever possible so that non-essential uses of the carcinogenic fiber are eliminated. The report contains recommendations for medical testing procedures including chest X-raya, pulmonary function tests, observation of respiratory and other cliulcal symptoms. The Group also recommends that sputum cytology be evaluated as a surveillance technique. Results of medical examinations should be reported directly to the employee, and aggregate medical information-- without Individual identifiers-- should be reported to an employer's entire workforce. Asbestos workers showing respiratory problems should be afforded the opportunity to transfer to jobs where there.is no asbestos exposure,. They should suffer no cut in pay or benefits to do so. The Group suggests that this program should be similar to the one now enforced cy 05HA for lead workers. Regulations should protect all workers exposed to asbestos, including those in the construction, shipbuilding, and maritime industries, where high exposures have historically occurred. -more- CUMMINS- 00172 CUMMINS003714 FILE NAME: Cummins Engine Co (CEC) DATE: 1980 Apr 17 DOC#: CEC004 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Press Release from NIOSH U.8.DEPARTMENT OF MEAtfH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE CONTACT: HIOSH Information Office (301) 443-2140 FOR RELEASE: 1:00- P.B., EST Thursday, April 17, 1980 REMARKS BY NIOSH DIRECTOR ANTHONY ROBBINS ON THE NEED FOR A NEW ASBESTOS STANDARD Good afternoon, 1 am Dr. Anthony Robbins, Director of HEW's National Institute for Occupational .Safety and Health, NIOSH, .With we are Dr. Eula Bingham, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health; Dr. Bailus Walker, Jr., Director of Health Standards for OSHA; and two NIOSH scientists,- Mr, Richard Lenten and Mr, John Dement. Ue are here to announce the findings of a joint NIOSH/OSHA Work Group that has reviewed recent scientific information about the health effects of asbestos. The Group reconfirmed .Chat-- , -^\o There is no safe exposure limit for asbestos. . O All commercial and several non-commercial forms of asbestos cause % disease. On the basis of the Work Group's findings and recommendations, which we endorse, we are today recommending to the Department of Labor that It -icore- CUMMINS-00169 CUMMINS003711 promulgate e safer standard for workers exposed to asbestos and that It eliminate from the workplace all exposure from new non-essential uses of asbestos. We have asked that the new standard set a maximum vorkplace exposure O-l /?* Cfl_ limit of 100,000 fibers per cubic meter of air, the lowest level which can be J? O C. <L accurately measured. The present level, 3et la 1972, is two million fibers per cubic meter of air. Asbestos poses a grave danger ili the workplace. At least 1.4 million workers are exposed to asbestos in the United States. In conducting a National Occupational Hazard Survey from 1972-74, NIOSH found that 45 percent of the occupations observed involve exposure to the substance. Nearly three quarters of a million tons are used annually in this country in a vide range of products including floor tiles,cements, acoustical products, brake linings, and roof coatings. Between 8 and 11 million workers h3ve been exposed to asbestos since World War II. Asbestos is ubiquitous and its effects, measured in disease and death, are staggering. Asbestos causes a very serious form of. lung fibrosis known as asbestosis. It also causes lung cancer and mesothelioma,, a cancer of the membrane that lines the chest and abdominal cavities. Exposure to asbestos has also been related to significant Increases in lung, laryngeal, and gastrointestinal cancers! In 1972, OSHA promulgated a workplace asbestos standard setting the maximum exposure level at 2,000,000 fibers per cable meter of air. Since then both NIOSH and OSHA have monitored asbestos health effects research and the development of asbestos substitutes, in 1975, OSHA proposed lowering the -more- CDMMDVS- 00170 CUMMINS003712 r 3- standard to 500,000 fibers per cubic merer of air- In 1976, XIOSH recommended lowering, the standard to 100,000 fibers. NI0SH and OSHA established an Asbestos Work Group in the fall of 1979. its charge was to review all health effects data since the 1976 KX0SH recommended standard was transmitted to OSHA and to determine whether any changes to that recommendation were warranted. Was there health damage, occurring at the level of the current standard? The Work Group consisted of four experts from NI0S11 and three from OSHA. The Work Group has completed its report and N10SH has formally recommended that OSHA adopt Che Work Group's findings. A copy of the report is in your press kit. The Croup reconfirmed that there is no safe exposure level for asbestos. Although data suggest that lower exposures result in lower risks of developing, cancer, there is no known level below which asbestos-related diseases do not occur. The Croup reconfirmed that all commercial and several non-commercial forms of asbestos cause disease. There has at times been debate over whirl, types of asbestos fiber cause disease. The " found evidence that all forms are dangerous, including chrysotile; crocidollte; and fibrous cummingtonite-grunerite including amoslte, fibrous tremolite, fibrous accinolite, and fibrous anthophyllite. The Work Group found no basis for regulating one type of fiber and not another. With these two premises in mind, let me enumerate some of the specific findings o f .the Work Group: o Optical microscopy continues to be the most reliable and economically feasible method for determining airborne levels ol -more- CUiWVQNs.0g3n CUMM1NS003713 asoastos. Its lowest reliable detection limit Is 100,000 fibers per cubic meter. ** t Ss-yit. cc Substitutes for asbestos should be used whenever possible so that non-essential uses of the carcinogenic fiber are eliminated. The report contains recommendations for medical testing procedures including chest X-raya, pulmonary function tests, observation of respiratory and other clluical symptoms. The Group also recommends that sputum cytology be evaluated as a surveillance technique. Results of medical examinations should be reported directly to the employee, and aggregate medical Information-- without Individual identifiers-- should be reported to an employer's entire workforce. Asbestos workers showing respiratory problems should be afforded the opportunity to transfer to jobs where there.is no asbestos exposure,. They should suffer no cut in pay or benefits to do so. The Group suggests that this program should be similar to the one now enforced by 05HA for lead workers. Regulations should protect all workers exposed to asbestos, including those In the construction, shipbuilding, and maritime industries, where high exposures have historically occurred. -aore- CUMMINS- 00172 CUMMINS003714 -5- o Asbestos product manufacturers-should perform air sampling In all possible processes involving their products to determine probable airborne asbestos levels. This information should be passed on to the products' potential users. Thank you for your tine. X would now like to open the conference to questions. ' t n CUMMINS-00173 CUMMINS003715 Dr. Eula Bingham * AOSCSCIUSPTAATNIOTNSAELCRSEATFAERTYY OAFNDLAHBEOARLTH REMARKS AT NIOSH NEWS BRIEFING April 17, 1980 Thank you Dr. Robbins, and good afternoon to all of you. For quite some time, a number of us in the public health community, both in and out of government, have expressed concern .about the health effects of exposure to asbes.tos.. In recent years,, the substance has become the focus of public attention as well; asbestos is now perhaps the foremost symbol of this country's concern about toxic substances in the environment and in the workplace. Considerations of asbestos health effects and regulatory protection have always 'been complex, and controversial. In this light., the current data and solid recommendations to come out of' this NIOSH/OSHA project are especially welcome and important. The report released today is certainly a cause for. concern-- concern for the numbers of workers still exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos. But this report, and O S K A 's response to it, should also be a cause for hope among American workers everywhere. It should be a cause for hope because it confirms that occupational health research is not a static - more - ' CUMMINS-00174 CU MMINS003716 science. On the contrary, under nr.. Robbins' direction, SXOSH has demonstrted on ongoing commitment to the re-evaluation of all available data with only one thought in mind: the protection of the worker. The current workplace standard governing asbestos exposure was OSHA's first comprehensive health standard. It is based on data that was assembled and analyzed during the mid-sixties, if not the infancy certainly the childhood of occupational health. Much has been learned in the laboratory and in the workplace.since then, as this report indicates. In view of what we know now, OSHA's current standard needs major improvements. The 'report is cause for hope because, contrary to seme c OSHA's critics, .the agency's regulations are not carved in stone. They are instead a reflection of the best science available. As science continues 'to improve, so will OSHA's health standards,, and worker protection. The report we are issuing today demands corrective action. We w ill begin immediately. We have designated a team within OSHA to begin working on a proposed revision to the present OSHA - more - CUMMINS - 00175 CUMMINS003717 asbestos standard. - 3- : . ' We will be developing1that proposal-- pursuant.to the OSHA cancer, policy announced last . . January. X can't tell.you yet what permissible level will be proposed or whether we will issue an emergency temporary.standard or pursue the proposed permanent standard route. But the severity of the threat .posed .. * and the very high numbers of workers exposed to the asbestos hazard dictate that we- move with all deliberate speed in amending .the present standard of- 2 million fibers' per cubic meter,'average over- a workday. I am confident, that the procedures _set- down by the cancer policy and the synthesizing effect of. the rulemaking procedure' will' r e sult'in a 'much more' '-- ....... - protective standard so that we can finally move toward an end to fatal asbestos-related diseases such as lung ' cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. '. *'f . _ , _ . i , , " CUMMINS - 00176 CUMMINS003718