Document rxZ578kVx54xQmEqkDRyooo6E

FILE NAME: Kent (KNT) DATE: 1949-1958 DOC#: KNT112 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Recommended Safe Practices - Asbestos Hazard Classification - Mass. Dept, of Labor & Industries HAZARD CLA SSIFICA TIO N DUST - V2RY HAEKTUL - Kay cause asbestosis. I GENERAL Asbestos is a fibrous mixture of various silicates, mainly the hydrated I silicate of magnesium with additional'quantities of iron, aluminum, sodium, potassium and calcium. The'fibrous characteristic, rather than the chemical composition, is responsible for the harmful tissue changes in the lungs. Industrial asbestos is chiefly derived'from Canada, Italy and the Transvaal. Asbestos is used in a Variety of products. The long fibres are used in the textile industry for the manufacture, of cloth, braid, rope, theatre -curtains, etc. The shorter fibres together with an agglomerating agent are used in the manu facture of felt, paper, cardboard, varnishes, covering agents, cements, and rubber i tires. i HARMFUL EFFECTS cause a sbe6tosis, a disease, of the lungs in which the, af fected lung tissue becomes partially collapsed and fibrotic. The .unaffected lung tissue tends to become dilated and emphysematous. The signs and symptoms are cough, expectoration, shortness of breath, weight loss, and easy fatigability. Occasionally, asbestos corns may occur in the skin of.the hands caused by penetration of asbestos fibers into the layers of the skin. It takes five to ten years for asbestosis to develop. Death, in these cases, is susually the result of infection of the lungs, such as tuberculosis, or from congestive heart disease. MAXIMUM AVLOWABLE CONCENTRATION rr continuous' exposure to'respirable dust the maximum allowable concentra tion is 5 million -oarticles of asbestos dust per dubic foot of air. PROTECTIVE MEASURES The asbestos dust should be controlled at the point of origin by use of local exhaust systems or wet methods. The operation dispersing the dust should be isolated or enclosed, or the operation so changed as to eliminate the dispersion of the dust. Approved dust type respi rators are recommended tnly as a last resort. MEDICAL CONTROL Pre-employment physical examiretion including an X-ray of the chest should be required of all employees where exposure to excessive dust will be encountered* Individuals with a history of tuberculosis should not be placed in a dusty atmosphere. Periodic physical examinations including chest X-rays should be required at least annually of all persons employed in dusty asbes tos operations. rv-. n \ $ An l (T U 1 /Jc h D' L -fdVn !D ji _ O \i U V_/' -- Division of occuPRTicnni iu g o e Sill-etin umbef tebrua^y, 1 9 9 RECOMMENDED SAF E PRACTICES MINERAL .DATA SHEET NO. 2-ii'' CONFIDENTIAL PURSUANT TO THE IERARDI PROTECTIVE ORDER DATED JANUARY 7,1991 . ' * HAZARD CLASSIFICATIO N d u s t - v e r i h a r m f u l - Hay cause asbestos is . . GEN ERAL Asbestos is a fibrous mixture of various silicates, mainly the hydrated . - silicate of magnesium with additional- quantities of iron, aluminum, sodium, potassium and calcium. The fibrous characteristic, rather than the chemical composition, is responsible for the harmful tissue changes in the lungs. Industrial asbestos is chiefly derived from Canada, Italy and the. Transvaal. Asbestos is used in a variety of products. The long fibers are used in the textile industry for the manufacture of cloth, braid, rope, theatre curtains, 'etc. The shorter fibers together with an agglomerating agent are used in the manufacture of felt, paper, cardboard, varnishes,covering agents, cements, and rubber tires. H A R M F U L .EFFECTS Prolonged exposure to asbestos dust will cause in susceptible (fj individuals a chronic lung disorder known as "asbestosis." * ~ This condition tends to develop very slowly (usually .within five to 10 years), and its effect upon the worker1 ability to work may be slight. The first signs of _ ` :- .. disease are tendency to cough and expectoration, chest pai^, and weight loss. . Examination, of the sputum may reveal so-called asbestos bodies. X-ray films will show changes in varying extentvhich. are considered characteristic for ashesto sis. . - The disease tends to progress slowly but may not. interfere with a worker* s ability ' to perform work until late* At- that time there may be marked shortness of breath, o r ~ signs of heart failure. Some observers have reported an increased'tendency to lung' . cancer in patients suffering-from asbestosis. * - V Skin lesions occur if small fibers of asbestos are- imbedded into the skin and cause a local foreign-body reaction ("asbestos corn"). MAXIMUM ALLOWA8LE C O N C E N T R A T IO N . For continuous exposure to respirable dust the maximum allowable concentration is 5 million particles of'asbestos dust per cubic foot of air. ; _' PROTECTIVE MEASURES v asbestos dust should be. controlled at the point of origin by use of .local exhaust systems or wet methods. .The operation dispersing the dust should be isolated or enclosed, or the operation so changed as to eliminate the dispersion.of the dust. Approved dust type respira tors are recommended only as a last resort. , . .. " M F D I C A I r n M T I ? n i A pre-employment physical examination, with special emphasis on pulmonary findings, and a good chest film should be required for all personnel to be exposed to asbestos dust. The X-ray films and physical examinations should be repeated at regular intervals during the e m p l o y e e s exposure in order to detect early cases. TREATMENT There is no specific therapy known. Workers with recognizable lung involvement should be removed from asbestos exposure. o Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries o .o * . Division of Occupational Hyqiene ' . -U 0) No. 718 Supersedes No. h 9 2 Revised March, Publication aDcroved by Bernard Solomon, State Purchasing Agent - No. 11 G E N E R A L A.S*6tOS I s a fi br ou s mixture cf various s i l i c a t e c , mainly the hvir&t s i l i c a t e c f magnesium vi th additional r u a n t l t i e s cf ir cn , aluminum*, sodium, potassium nr.c calcium. The fi br ou s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c , rather than the chcr composition, i s responsible fo r the hnrnful tissue chances 'in the lungs. Indus', asbestos i s - c h i e f l y derived iron Canuda. I t a l y and the Transvaal. Asbestos i s used in a v a r i e t y c f products. The long fi b r es are uccd th t e x t i l e industry for the i.anufncture of cloth, braid, rone, theatre curtains t c . The shorter f i b r e s together vi th an agglomerating agent are used in the me facture of f e l t , nn-jer,' cardboard, varnishes, covering agents, cement:, and ru'd: tires. HARMFUL EFFECTS cause asbestocis, a disease of the lungs in which the si fe ct e d lung tis s ue becomes p a r t i a l l y collapsed and f i b r p t i c . Th una ffected lung t i s s u e tends to .become di la ted and enohyscmntcus. The rirm and 3TBptcn are cough, expectoration, phortness of breath, weight l o s s , end eat f a t i g a b i l i t y . O c c a s i o n a l l y , asbestos ccrns may occur in the skin of the hands caused by p e n et r at io n of asbestos f i b e r s into the lnycrs of the skin. I t .takes l i r e to ten years f e r as beetosis to develop. Death, in these c?.:es, is jueunllv the res ult of i n f e c t i o n of the lungs, such as tuberculosis, or from congestive h disease. MAXIMUM ALLCW AhLE CO NCENTRATION Jcr continuous exposure to respirai dust the maximum r.l 1ovrbl e concert: tion i s 5 n i l l i o n -articles of asbestos dust ncr dubic foot c f ai r . PROTECTIVE MEASURES t The asbestos duct should be controlled at the oclnt c o r i g i n by uGe of lo c a l exhaust systems or wet method: .The operation, d i s p e r s i n g the duct shc-ul d bo isolated or. enclosed. nr thj ;: : . so changed a? tc elimina*.; the disperilo.". of the d r.itc-Tt are ' recommended only as a l a s t resort. MEDICAL CO N TR O L Pre-employment physical exnmiation including an Xfrsy of chest should be. required of a l l employees where e^ppjur excessive dust w i l l be encountered. In d iv id u a ls with a history of tuberculosis houldjnot bi placd ia a . du sty Atmos shere.. Perio;dic p h y sica l .examination inpludidg chest .X-rays should be required a t - l e a s t an nually o f a l l persons em ploye^ip' d^**/ ai to opern.tior.e. .................. 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