Document r6dMMJ5xqNmDoBKJ2Bg0zvKge

@AT&T American Teiepnc-e a^c Telegraph Company 1776 On ihe Gw Morristown. N J C7r>'> June 28, 1982 PLAINTIFF'S EXHffirr ATT-45J Mr. Alfred Algeria New Jersey Bell - Business I & M ]500 Jefferson Street, Bldg. 703 Hoboken, NJ Dear Hr. Algeria: Thank you_ for your letter regarding my recent article in telephony magazine. At the present time I am unable to provide you with specific Bell System Practices .dealing with asbestos hazards thay may be encountered in the course of an installation or maintenance assignment. Stand ardized methods and procedures relative to asbestos are currently under development at AT&T. While actual., practices are not completed, much information on the subject has been transmitted to the Operatiig Telephone Companies in the form of System Letters and general guide lines . Asbestos presents some problems that are difficult to solve on a uniform, standard procedure basis: - It is almost impossible to predict in advance which buildings contain asbestos insulation - Many materials that contain no asbestos look just like those that do - Positive identification requires laboratory analysis of a bulk sample Fortunately, in most of the typical situations encountered by I & M forces, the presence of asbestos does not necessarily mean a health hazard. The findings from our industrial hygiene surveys have shown that there is virtually no significant exposure when the wire and cable can be placed without knocking the asbestos insulation material CONFIDENTIAL 003980 -2- off of beams and pipes. When it is necessary to place support clamps on asbestos-covered beams, a small spray bottle of water can be used to wet the material, which then prevents fibers from becoming airborne. If you should have questions or concerns about specific work sites where you think asbestos may be present, you should refer those questions through normal supervisory channels to the New Jersey Bell Safety Staff. The Safety Staff is both trained and equipped to collect samples and evaluate the work environment for asbestos related hazards. In the absence of Bell System Practices, I hope I have provided you with some useful information regarding your concerns for potential exposure to asbestos fibers. Very truly yours, - .... . James M. Degen District Manager - Occupational and Environmental Safety Copy to A. B. Goetze,.New Jersey Bell Safety Coordinator CONFIDENTIAL 003981