Document v6w02xk0x72GzBzpRm2y0D3Y9

FILE NAME Insulation Contractors & Distributors ICD DATE 1974 DOC ICD029 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Insulation Hygiene Progress Reports from the Insulation Industry Hygiene Research Program le ront E St wi MOUNTS MEDICINE SCHOOL MEDICINE MEDICINE % University of The City of of New York INSULATION HYGIENE PROGRESS REPORTS FROM THE INSULATION INDUSTRY HYGIENE RESEARCH PROGRAM Irving J. Setkoff M.D. Program Director Vol 6 No. 2 Summ er 1974 Court of Appeals Orders Review of Asbestos Standard a historic decision on April 15 the U.S. Court of Appeals forthe Strict of Columbia ordered the Sec- ity of Labor to review portions of the bestos Standard promulgated on 7 1972. The ruling written by Suit Judge McGowen was in re- se to a petition filed by the AFL urging reversal of the existing ndard The Court ruling which was deredin a forty page decision tains the following provisions ap- Zable Zable to insulation work In those industries where a dust Evel of two fibers is feasible it hould be implemented before 1976 Here the court took note of tes- mony of Duncan Holaday of the H.R.P. H.R.P. industry witnesses and Others that a two fiber standard be implemented in implemented commercial industrialindustrial insulation workcommercial Two years of April 1972 Continued on fourth page \ ; . / Director asbestos Insulation Industry Program answers questions J. Dr. Irving Selikoff of regardingregarding health effects asbestos in discussions with Hygiene Research Local 93 members David Patterson Mano Di Rocco Hamsworth and Richard Younkman Thomas Hughes Thomas Smith William Frazier Edward Cisek Mike Walter Hanna Business Agent of Local 93 pro- Dr. Henry vides Dr. Henry Anderson of Mount Sinai with details of his past medical history Local Local993 3 EExxaammss ShowShow Continuing Continuing Continuing Shipyard Problems Examinations of Loca 93 Philadelphia Naval Shipyard of the Interna- tional Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers con- ducted by staff physicians of the Mount Sinal School of Medicine reveal asbes- tos problems still exist in shipyard work While much insulation matenal now asbestos is required to be much better controlled asbestos material in use by other trades poses a continuing problem Here asbestos cement and dust Continued on third page Insulation Hygiene Progress Reports Dust Control Important in Alaskan Pipeline Work Asbestos Workers from all parts of 30 days to dusts and gases produced VVo oll 6 No. 2 Summer 1974 the United States will soon begin work insulating approximately 400 miles of grinding polyurethane insulation the low exposure group the agate Aone: from the the inch diameter Alaskan pipeline Additional insulation work will be re- pheric concentration of dust wa milligrams per cubic meter ( Insulation Industry Hygiene Research Program quired farms in pumping stations and tank The work will commence this was and for the higher group it mg The Threshold Limit Value Pp summer and continue for three years nuisance dusts s 10 mg The insulation material to be used on the low group was exposed to Editor W. J. Nicholson Ph.D. Published at the Environmental Sciences Laboratory IrvingJ Selikott M.D. Director Mount Sinai School of Medione of the City University of New York NY 10029 the pipe will either be fibrous glass or rigid polyurethane foam Little or no containing materials are called for in the specifications While asbestos is not to be used each third and the high group about twice the dust concentrat which is considered acceptable for term daily occupational exposures g Considering the brief exposure of the two materials contemplated for and the relatively low Just concen use has been shown to produce cancer tions the effects on the animals w Advisory Council of MRP MRP ring ring Selikoff Selikoff Chairman Program Director and in animais Because of the remoteness of operations the extreme weather and working conditions and the urgency to complete the job special effons are planned to assure that adequate precau- tions are taken to protect the health of insulators disturbing One rat out of 39 in g lower exposure group and 9 out of 43 the higher physema In physema In developed group adition lung cancer addition one lung cancer was found in each group and one liver cancer in the low group The investigators concluded Caver Flummond Sc .. e Prevident American Cancer Society New York NY All of the procedures appropriate for dust control in asbestos work should be applied exhaust ventilation on all portable and stationary power tools polyurethane insulating materials must be considered a serious industrial health hazard In Dr. Dr. 1972 publication by Dr. ms eee Mecad Mecad Mecad Andrew Haas General President international Association at Heat and Frost Insulators and As- down draft cutting tables for hand saws adequate clean procedures in fabri- Stanton of the National Cancer Institu it was shown that fibrous glass and bestos Workers Washington D.C cation shops and use of disposable the wey respirators if warranted other inorganic fibers could produce mesothelioma when implanted into The possibility that dust from pleura of rats Subsequent investiga Fred L. Pundsack Ph D. Vice President Research and Developinent Manville Cor- polyurethane foam insulation might be hazardous was discussed previously previously in tions by the N.C 1. scientists have cofirmed these results and a detailed de poration Denver Colo Vol 4 No IHRP In view of the possible extensive use of this material scription of their work was presented a the the Lyon Lyon France France Conference Conference Conference Conference Conference on on on the the the for insulating the pipeline it is appro- review the available informa Biological Effects of ThTheey y concluded concluded concluded concluded Asbestos that that PURPOSES OF THE INSULATION INDUSTRY HYGIENE RESEARCH PROGRAM 1. To develop improved methods for minimizing exposure of Unsulation workers to dusts and fumes encountered in their their work 2. To disseminate knowledge of These improved methods of dust tA irl they wherever may be applied advantageously and to tion on its possible health effects Workers who are sawing or abrading this material may be exposed to plastic dusts dust from added fire retardants dust from reinforcing materials gases from unreacted TD or MDI See Vol 5 No. 4 trapped in the insulation and a mixture of decomposition products produced by heat from cutting or abrad- , ing operations No studies have been reported on effects on humans exposed to dusts from polyurethane insulation How ever the institute of Environmental Medicine at New York University has cinogenicity cinogenicity of asbestos und glass in their animal experiments experiments ap- peared primarily tural shape of of the the related to the struc- rather than materials materials materials materials materials properties to their physiochemical properties Of special concern here are fibers of a diameter less than 3-5 microns that In the may be inhaled and deposited lower spaces of the lung of of commenting In commenting materials these materials on the use of either on the Alaskan techniques the techniques usuesded that will engineering and and coquois coquois allow asbestos to be used be asbestos offer cooperation advice and assistance loware their universal adoption conducted animal experiments which were designed to duplicate conditions of use Two groups of rats were exposed for equal vigor to he use of polyurethane and f brous glass