Document rpGXj6Eq6y0ze9KOxxE8R8wYG

FILE NAME: Colgate (COL) DATE: 1977 DOC#: COL035 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Naval Shipyard Newsletter Article - Protect Their Lungs From Asbestos SMARTEN UP! Is your job cram ped b y old fogy ways? O utput low? Bogged b y m an y d elays? May not n ee d to work h ard er. But just try w orking sm arter! EVER get the feeling that your department is in the doldrums? Do you get the idea that your operation is not progressing as it should--that production is not improving as you'd like? . . Perhaps a thoughtful reappraisal of your management methods, held over from the techniques of decades ago, may feveal spots in ' your pattern that need refurbishing. You can find lots of valuable help in such an effort if you'll take advantage of the excellent talent ail around you--your crew! If you have encouraged- their cooperation- and have inspired their wholehearted dedication to the job, they will- have many excellent ideas for improvement. As a break from such serious problems, why don't you try for a lit tle fun--and profit--by finding a clever finishing line for the in complete limerick above. Be sure to use a post card (no envelope), giving your name, address, firm name and position. You may win $10, or one of 15 $1 runner-up prizes. Remember: NO ENVELOPE! Mall your c a rd b e fo re A u g u st 2 0 to INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISOR, National Safety Council, 4 4 4 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, I t 60611 U .SJL Winners win re ceive pjrbee by mall and wDl be Hated In our O ctober Issue. 1N0 o th er entries w ill be a c - : knowfedgad. N o dupDcafe prizes shall b e awarded. In c ase o f ties, early postmark w ill w in .'' Decision of judges will b e final. April lim erick W imers 7 7, 3_ 3_ 0_ 4 Winner o f the $10 top prize in our April safety limerick contest was D ebbie Brebun, secretary for the West Penn Power Co., Loy alhanna Division, in Latrobe, PA, who com pleted the verse in this manner: If you're drowsy w hile driving, take ten, And resume your sa fe trip only w hen You're awake and alert, So no one will get hurt. We would all like to see you again! Fifteen winner of Si runner-up prizes ware A. V. Ar\gov*, admin asst., St. Louis Ship, S' Louis, MO: J o s e P. Bernardo, strpvr. social responsibililY Victorian Mining Ctx, Yicmico, Negros Occidental, Philippines: W. E. D reeszen, info. A security mgr., Ames Laboratory, USERDA, Antes, IA; Ron Thumblay, bldg. Inspector, Oty of Salinas, KS; Nancy E.McLean, recpL, General Refractories Co-, Warren, OH; M. R. Troup ThiokoJ Carp-, Huntsville, AL; Kathryn E. Vauthfln, eterit-typist, Cihr Health Dept, San Antonio, TX; Leo T, Saunders, sr. sal. engr,, Georgia Rower Co-, Macon, GA; Joanns Rutherford, T/M. Burwood Products Co., Traverse City, Ml; Alan Brahn,*Bne supvr., Hallmark Cards Overland Park. KS; Barbara M ars, report iasl, Rochester Telephone Corp_, Rochester, NY; Jam es T, Orretl,i jrsyma. meterman, Arkansas Power & light Co- Hot Springs, AR; Helen MlSer, admin, svc. cleric. Federal Aviation Aamlolstriuon. Reno, NV; Jo an MLShadier,area dk., Omaha Public Power District. Humboldu NH, and Bradley H. Hahn, die, Michigan Cons. Gas CO, Ana Arbor, ML 131JB-077 C 7 *. 7 7 - 7 7 - j j ay 77 330 By Jean Spencer Felton, M JD. M edical Director Long Beach N aval Shipyard LONG considered safe and pro< tecting, asbestos is now viewed as a material extremely hazardous to the worker. Although known for centuries, and having served as an important substance in our econo my for nearly a century, medical science has learned in recent decades o f the harmful effects of this valuable industrial commodity. Asbestos has had well over 3,000 useful applications, some of which have been seen in building siding, brake linings, insulation, safety cur tains, filter cloths, bench tops, and spackling compounds. Considerable quantities, in ap propriate mixtures, have been sprayed into plenum spaces and onto ceilings as a fire protectant in modern construction. Serious exposure has been en countered among occupants of these structures, among workers at the time of demolition of buildings, and among personnel involved in the ripout of insulation or ceiling covers in dormitories, schools, ships, and public office housing. C h em ically , asbestos is a crystalline, hydrated mineral silicate m ade up o f fibers of high tensile strength and various lengths which are flexible and long lasting, with th e unique characteristics o f fire arid heat resistance. Its worth lies in its ability to cut energy loss, to m in t 12 INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISOR for JULY, 1977 mize heat stress of workers in hot The third disorder is a rare tumor, workrooms, and to protect person called m esotheliom a, a cancer nel from thermal burns. which develops in the lining of Mined primarily in Canada, the either the chest cavity or the abdo United States, Russia, and Africa, it men. While identified years ago as a goes under a variety of names, de malignant growth, it was only after pending upon type, such as amosite, going back into medical records that crocidolite, chrysotile, and tremo- it was found related to the inhala fite, among others. tion of asbestos fibers. Usually, it Observers in ancient Greece and follows exposure to the crocidolite Rome described a sickness of the variety rather than to the others lungs of slaves whose work was the used in industry. weaving o f asbestos into cloth. But Lastly, cancer of the digestive it was only in this century that re tract, stomach, rectum, or colon has search pinpointed the real dangers been found to occur more frequent to humans and identified the dis ly in asbestos workers titan in other eases connected with its use. persons of the same age and sex, but Scarred Lung Tissue who are in different occupations. A time connection between expo The primary condition resulting from work with asbestos and the in halation o f its fibers is asbestosis. a scarring of the lung tissue. This change may follow brief exposure or may not appear until many years after first work contact. sure to asbestos dust and disease on set has been roughly established as follows: Asbestosis, 10 - 20 years; Lung Cancer. 1 5 -2 5 years; Meso thelioma. 20 - 45 years. One must remember that there is this latent period, or time delay, be The first sign seen in x-rays o f the chest usually is a thickening of the pleura, the thin, smooth, well-lubri cated lining of the chest cavity. When the fibers cause changes in the lungs, these alterations are seen m ost frequently in the lowest parts of the lungs. The scarring that re sults is called fibrosis and it lessens the ability of oxygen to pass from the air inhaled Into the lungs to the circulating blood. After many years, there is a gradually increasing short fore changes develop. Implied in this fact is the great need for preven tion. Several measures can be taken to elim inate the disease changes; Wherever possible, asbestos should be eliminated from the work proc ess. In a few situations only, no satisfactory substitute has been found that can resist a high level of heat. Fibrous glass has replaced asbestos in many uses, and research is going on now to determine the > ness of breath, even with mild exer safety of this material. tion. Smoking hastens the develop Particularly during ripout pro ment and severity of asbestosis. cedures, the insulation being re A second illness that follows the moved should be wetted down so breathing in o f asbestos fibers is that no fibers will be free to be in cancer of the lung, a possibility haled. All removed material must definitely increased by smoking. be placed in plastic bags, labelled, INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISOR for JULY, 1977 13 and sealed for removal to safe dis posal areas for burial. Exhaust ven tilation in the form of sucker lines and collectors must be used. Under no circumstances should streams of air be used to blow the dust away. Protective clothing must be worn. Disposable coveralls are available. If work clothes are used, they m ust be laundered by the employer, and under no circumstances should they be worn home, because the gar ments can contaminate one's resi dence and create a hazard for other members of the family. Cases of disease have been reported in adults who, as children, were exposed to their parents' dusty work clothing. Most important is the use of respiratory protection in the form of self-contained air supply units, airsupplied masks or hoods, or less valuable, as disposable face respira tors. All areas where asbestos fiber is present in the air must be iden tified by signs. The Williams-Steiger O ccupa tional Safety and Health Act o f 1970 called for health "standards to be issued by the Secretary of Labor, and the Asbestos Standard was the first promulgated. Medical require ments are built into the standard, which call for periodic physical ex aminations, including chest x-rays and lung function studies. Also pro vided are the levels of fibers allowed in workroom air and the kinds of environmental measurement to be utilized by industrial hygienists. Records of sampling, examinations, and related activities are mandatory. In no other area of human conserT vation does the supervisor have greater responsibility than in the prevention of asbestos-related dis eases. He or she must be familiar with the health hazards of the asbes tos fiber and the asbestos content, if any, of the work materials. The supervisor must ask for engi neering controls when they are indi cated--must seek alternative work substances if they are available-- must ascertain that wet methods are utilized for dust control, and must educate all employees in the safe work practices required for asbestos handling. Further, it is necessary to determine not only that respiratory protection is available but is used. The supervisor is responsible also for determining that employees keep appointments for medical ex aminations, and that they know .of what is found following both envi ronmental and clinical monitoring. If disease is suspected in old timers, the supervisor must arrange for their examination, and if retirement is the answer to job-caused disabili ty, should know the steps needed for filing a work injury claim, and the applications required for the particular retirement systems in volved. In short, the supervisor must be thoroughly familiar with asbestos and enforce the use o f all precau tions. He or she should not be guilty o f sacrificing workers to the ravages of the work disease o f "White Lung" and its extremely serious complications. <4 14 INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISOR for JULY, 1977 Houston? Texas IS your attitude showing? Maybe you've heard someone ask the question in jest; but seriously now, just how important is your attitude? Did you know that your inner at titude affects your appearance, your health, the way you conduct your business--and even causes similar attitudes or adverse reactions among your family, friends and co workers? The term "ill feelings" toward som eone or something is ap propriately named. It is a sick at titude, one that does more physical harm to oneself than it does to the object o f inner wrath. And it is even more damaging when it is vented upon one's work ing environment: the occupation, the industry, or the supervision and feJIow employees. Taking the "healthy" attitude is so much better. People are easier- to work with, the job is more tolerable, if not enjoyable, because of the sense of accomplishment it offers; and as the quality of your work im proves, so does the "health" of your company and industry. Success is the product of people thinking together, in a team effort, that success is their common goal. Each and every employee, from the chief executive on down, has. as much at stake in the company as anyone else. If he fails, the company fails. If the company fails, all are out of livelihood. There can be no failure where success is the attitude, and every em ployee relates the company's suc cess to his own. Take an interest in your com pany's affairs and place in the com munity. Don't perpetuate rumors about the company or its em ployees. Take as much interest in your company as a stockholder would, because your fortunes are as directly related to the company's well-being as his are. And take your good attitude home wiLh you. Spread it around your family and community.' Say positive things rather than griping, about your work. Where would; you--or they--be without it? Think about it!!- INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISOR lor JULY. 1977