Asbestos Textile Institute Hygiene Committee Minutes on Fiber Sampling and Two Standards (June 1953)

Three pages of minutes of the Asbestos Textile Institute's Hygiene Committee meeting of June 10, 1953, attended by member-company engineers and, as guests, seven doctors including Dr. Kenneth W. Smith of Johns-Manville and Dr. Paul Cartier of Thetford Mines. The minutes state that the Saranac research on experimental asbestosis "clearly shows the long fibres (10 microns and longer) to be the fibrotic producing agent," so that industrial hygiene surveys that measured only dust particles "are practically without value." The doctors agreed on pre-employment and annual examinations and four X-ray classifications, and that there are usually no significant X-ray changes with less than five years of asbestos exposure.

What it shows

The committee noted that most state codes set the limit for asbestos dust at five million particles per cubic foot, a particle count, and that changing the states over to a fiber count would be "a long term job." Until then, "we will be subject to two standards, that required by the states, and our self imposed standard based on experimental and clinical evidence." The minutes also report that New Jersey was revising its code and that copies of the Saranac reports had been given to state officials. Each company doctor was asked to bring data on every worker's diagnosis, X-ray class and exposure to the next meeting. Three months earlier the committee had first recorded that its surveys counted particles rather than fibers; J-M had been counting fibers since 1951.

About this copy

The minutes are signed "J. M. Jackson, Chairman." The March 1953 minutes are signed H. M. Jackson, so this is probably a typing error for H. M. (Hugh) Jackson of Johns-Manville.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

ATI (Hygiene Committee) meeting minutes, 6/10/53. Saranac research on experimental asbestosis clearly shows that long fibers (10 microns and longer) are fibrotic producing agents. The dust per se (particles 10 microns and less in diameter) is relatively innocuous. Therefore, the industrial hygiene surveys which have been conducted in the past in which only dust particles were measured are practically without value. The Air Hygiene Committee presently has under consideration the problem of determining a valid method of sampling and analysis for the long fibers. Discusses fact that most state industrial hygiene codes set the TLV for asbestos at 5 mppcf. Acknowledges it will be a lengthy process to convince states to change to a fiber evaluation. Determines that for a period of time the ATI will be held to two standards, one required by the states, and a self-imposed fiber standard based on experimental and clinical evidence. Also, the doctors present agree that there are usually no significant x-ray changes with less than five years of asbestos exposure. The doctors recommend that each doctor bring to the next meeting data on the work force of each plant indicating the diagnosis and x-ray classification and length of type of exposure for each individual. The Air Hygiene Committee heartily endorses this proposal.

Related documents

• Asbestos Textile Institute Air Hygiene Committee Minutes on Fiber Counts and Dr. Kenneth Smith's Talk (March 1953)