Joe Goldfield to J. A. Vermeulen, Report of a Trip to Turner Brothers Asbestos Co. on Health Problems (1966)

The first page of a report dated February 7, 1966, from Joe Goldfield of J-M's Research and Engineering Center to J. A. Vermeulen, the first of two reports on a week-long visit to Turner Brothers Asbestos Co., Ltd., at Rochdale and Hindley Green in England. This part covered "general and health problems." Goldfield described Turner Brothers, part of the Turner & Newall group, and began a history of English health measures, which dated "from 1931 when the Asbestos Industry Regulations were formulated," following Dr. E. R. A. Merewether's 1930 report.

What it shows

Only the first page survives in this file, so Goldfield's comparison of English and J-M dust counting is not shown here. J-M's own description, quoted above, records that he found Turner Brothers' dust counting "on a much higher technical level than ours," and that the English said no one knew the lowest dust level that would harm the lungs. His recommendations followed in March (Goldfield to A. C. Smith, 1966). The 1930 report and the British rules are Merewether and Price's report and the 1931 scheme.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Memorandum from Joe Goldfield (Research and Engineering Center) to J.A. Vermeulen, 2/7/66, discusses Goldfield's observations regarding Turner Brothers' dust control, dust counting; and health program based on a trip he made to Turner Brothers Asbestos Company, Ltd. in England.

Goldfield states that health activities in English asbestos factories began in 1931 with the promulgation of the Asbestos Industry Regulations. These regulations were formulated because of the 1930 Merewether report. Goldfield states that the dust counting activities of Turner Bros. are outlined in two reports which Goldfield brought back: "Developments in Dust Sampling and Counting Techniques in the Asbestos Industry" by S. Holmes and "Asbestos Dust and Its Measurement" by C.G. Addingley.

"The dust counting activities of Turner Bros. are on a much higher technical level than ours." They have used the Thermal Precipitator method for many years, but in recent years have developed a new method using membrane filters. They count only fibers. They also use a Royco dust monitoring instrument which instantaneously gives a status on dust conditions. "They take a dim view of our use of the Greenburg-Smith impinger method of sampling."

Goldfield states that there is an important difference in philosophy between Turner Bros. and J-M regarding the use of the results of dust counts. J-M uses the results of the Greenburg-Smith impinger counts to determine if they are above or below the 5 mppcf of 1 mfpcf standard.

The English say we have no basis for stating that these limits are safe. "No one knows the lower limit of concentrations that will cause lung damage." The English use their counts to determine if their dust control efforts are effective and to select areas needing improvement even though the counts are well below the limits set by J-M.

Editor's note: This file holds only the first page of Goldfield's report. The passages J-M's description goes on to quote, on Turner Brothers' dust counting, the Greenburg-Smith impinger and the unknown lower limit of harmful concentrations, are not in this file.

Related documents

• Home Office, The Asbestos Industry (Asbestosis) Scheme (1931)
• E. R. A. Merewether, The Occurrence of Pulmonary Fibrosis and Other Pulmonary Affections in Asbestos Workers (1930)
• E. R. A. Merewether and C. W. Price, Report on Effects of Asbestos Dust on the Lungs (1930)