Document ymjeGBeDqkGGE8yLoQrm5amd

Georgia-Ffacific intracompany memo to Mr. G. E. Wilson from C. W. Lahoort subiect Article oo Aabeatoa PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT $(0 location location date Pertland Tigard Pebruery 8 n b /R\ Enclosed ia a copy of as article froa the Jaauary, 1977 laaoa of 'Construction Diaaaelons' which waa sent to Bill Gettel by Windsor Minarala. RECEIVED BY FEB 1 0 1977 GYPSUM DIVISION SGP 0009049 AS3ES i OS: Still Some Problems Inspections Disclose That Some Contractors Apparently Are Still Using Asbestos-Containing Materials ii he asbestos threat to construc tion industry workers still exists. Despite fhe introduction of asbestos-free insulation materials and the existing bans on the use of asbestos-containing spray fire proofing, a quick check by gov ernment inspectors last month showed that some contractors are still using materials that exceed the new federal mandates. The federal asbestos standard of 2 asbestos fibers, which are longer than 5 micrometers, per cubic cen timeter of air on an 8-hour timeweighted average went into effect July I. 1976. The major manufacturers have introduced wallboard finishing compounds, and spackle, which are asbestos free. But inspection showed that some contractors are still using materials that contain significant amounts of chrysotile asbestos. This is released into the air as dust either during the dry mixing of these compounds or dur ing sanding. Shortly after World War II, drywall taping compounds came into widespread use. The materials used at the construction site were, until fairly recently, creating large clouds of dust. Since the cancer scare and gov ernmental initiatives to reduce the asbestos exposure, many contrac tors have switched to premixed compounds. What's Supplied The advantage of switching, though, depends on the contractor January, 1S77 and what he supplies his workmen. There are some contractors who still find a need to use the dry-mix brands. Mixing of asbestos containing spackle material can create dust concentrations that exceed the cur rent asbestos standard by more than ten times. But even the use of ready-mixed compounds leaves the problem of dust. It's produced when the dried compound is sanded, prior to paint ing. Work habits vary. Tapers, or their apprentices, do their own sanding in some sections of the country. In others, the painters are left to finish the job. The sanding is often done while other men are working in the same room or area. Samples Taken To determine the level of expo sure, the Environmental Sciences Laboratory last year took air sam ples at selected job sites in New York City while tapers were work ing. Personal samples taken during pole sanding ranged from 1.2 fibers per milliliter (f/ml) to 19.3 {7ml; in an adjacent room, at a distance of 25 feet from the sander, a level of 8.8 f/ml was found. Hand sanding levels ranged from 1.3 to 16.9 f/ml in the breathing zone of the workers, and a high of 7.1 f/ml was taken in an adjacent room, at a distance of 15 feet. A breathing zone sample taken during dry mixing was found to contain 59 f/ml, though a 15-minute lapse dropped the level to 0.5 f/ml. Considerable quantities of set tled dust were stirred up after sand ing operations. Thirty-five minutes after sweeping at the site of the sanding, a fiber concentration of 26.4 f/ml was obtained. In view of these findings, the use of respiratory protection and care ful clean-up in order to reduce the risk of inhaling asbestos fibers is clearly warranted. A respirator should be worn by sanders and by any other workers who must be in adjacent areas while this work is in progress. Where possible, other workers should be instructed to wait to allow the dust to settle. A vacuum is preferred for clean-up, as soon as the dust is set tled. To further minimize dust clouds, the floor should be dam pened when a vacuum is not used and sweeping is the only alterna tive. The sweeper should wear a mask. While sanding may represent only a small part of the construc tion activity its danger should not be minimized. Even when expo sure duration is short, the cumula tive effect of repeated short-term exposures to measurable concen trations of asbestos fibers can be serious. A medical study of 69 drywall tapers in New York revealed the dangers of continued exposure. Of the group of 69, some two-thirds had an exposure of 10 years dura tion and 61 were smokers or ex smokers. Yet, X-ray abnormalities characteristic of asbestos exposure were found in 37 out of 63 films. Again, the major manufacturers have developed new formulations that are free of asbestos. Contrac tors are encouraged to patronize the products of these suppliers. It SGP 0009050