Document zLBJxjZQ5yYGv27XgYbDdpp7
FILE NAME: Foster Wheeler (FW)
DATE: 1968 May 20
DOC#: FW010
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo RE Insulation Industrial Hygiene
FOSTER WHEELER CORPORATION . DAUSVILLE, N. Y.
May 20, I960
From: To: Copy:
Subject:
a n 8 | T
R. C. Johnson, Research D ivision
MR. V. HEWITTS, CONSTRUCTION DIVISION
M esirj. W. Stevens, L. O'Connor, J , Winkin, H. PrttC, K. Sheerer, E. Galvanek, L. Conklin, C. Kensen, K, Welker, Reseerch Division (Livingston, Densville)
INSULATION INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
The w riter ettended e seminar a t the New York Academy of Sciences on May 14, 1968 a t which the executive represen tatives of the in sulation Industry, labor unions, government end academic in s titu tio n s , end contractor organisations M b Co d S . T h . , r t l of k . l * ^ , r d . t a th . in u l*c lo a t n d y . * U se
of these personnel is attached to th is le tte r .
A b r ie f summary of th is seminar i s given below:
1. The in teractio n of trade unions, crusading medical rep orters, ^ t i n g c l i n i c a l evidence, end public h ealth pressures has culminated in the
conclusion that insulation duets
a. contributing facto r
in cre ase s in deaths due to : mesothelioma, Inn* carcinoma, pulmonary
f ib r o s i s , and c a lc ific a tio n , o f t h e p ie w e i p l a c e s .
2. There i s an estab liab ad medieaT r .ra tio n .h ip between tha following
environmental fa c to rs which affam t tba prognosis o f ^ * I# ^ * * ` * " Q
(1) concentration and s i a a o f lnamlation d u st l r t i c l a s , (2) ***[
exposure, (3) additive effeata a h
^
of particles,
,
(5) u t i l i s e t ie e f proper breath in g d o siaee^ and. (6) age.
*3" One of the more im pressive s t a t i s t i c * we* that the pathological mani
iu2* j* "" l* jf" S'SiS ' festacions of a disease caused by eabe.coa inhalation until at lease 20 year of exposure to asbestos dust. ASter cnxs
1 .uU M C loo by o s , in d u .eiy l . d . r c i t 0 o b u t o . before he i s 45 years o f age wea tabled without d iscu ssio n .
.4 Lerswmad unanimous that continue* enpeeure kp am aabestoa * " * " t0
aibesroe dust fo r hour pwr dey end 5 da^ ^ r / V kJ ^ f i <lv lu.,. (TLV)
accaptable working risk provided that ,the 'ThreiheU.
^ a lu a ^ ;
u,, L ,- allowed to exceed 3 miH IM puifVTe* pa* aubin foot.
fora ^ l i t o ^ n r ^ i a a i to ~ JT ^ d -- U # >
J'
the induetry-wida approach t o - t f a e . . " S S S t t o i ! IciU ratio n ,
ior a l l phases of the trade: miaiag, prodoction, application,
and even r e p a ir or removal o f in sulation : pro daets.
'5 . An Insulation Industry Atssarch Council was formed to i n i t i a t * an In d u stria l Hygian. Program with th primary objective of reducing dust le v e ls in industry. A m illion d o llar budget for th is program Is attached, eta > M S o i S S I X ; started th . monetary b a ll ro llin g with a $100,000.00 peace o ffe rin g . The Council i s composed of Messrs. Henry, Brodie, Jobe,
Hutchinson,Bernhardt, Levine, and S e lik o ff.
6. The sign ifican ce of this program is assessed below:
n \ t m , < * cooperative venture between 18,000 asbestos workers and the insulation industry; i t affords a powerful cou n ter-irritan t to the type of p u blicity experienced a t Turkey Point.
(2) One o f the cases cited a t the seminar was the establishment of maximum dust lev els at our Wyandotte job where asbestos was being sprayed. The Michigan Department of Health tested and approved these maximum le v e ls a l l the fears of the asbestos worker
were put to r e st and no labor disputes were experienced,
(3) I f one notes the well-rounded representation of labor, government, and industry on the attached l i s t s , the channels of communication have been improved for the d iscussion of analogous problems. -
m The funding i s estab lish ed on the b a sis of in d u stria l a sS H S of ' ' S b a r ; the%cr.cumer was not o f f ic ia lly invited to contribute
funds to th is program.
.. .
.
that we coopera cm with this e ffo r t by specifying maximum < iv ) 1 .p .cigic*tio o fat
in sta lle d .
/]
.
th th. - c h t = u of " * ' *
out fu lly uudir.tooUi h o v .v .r, lout *
" t " i th.
relatio n sh ip between the cau sativ e agent and th . d isease - and not ju
job title 'a n d the d ise a se .
Very tru ly yours,
RCJ:gh.
Richard C. Johnson Research Division