NIOSH, Occupational Exposure to Fibrous Glass: Proceedings of a Symposium (1976)

The 401-page proceedings of "Occupational Exposure to Fibrous Glass," a symposium held at the University of Maryland on June 26 and 27, 1974, sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and published in April 1976 as HEW Publication No. (NIOSH) 76-151. The speakers included government scientists, university researchers and industry doctors, among them F. L. Pundsack, Johns-Manville's senior vice president for research and development, Dr. George W. Wright of Denver, and Owens-Corning Fiberglas's medical director, Dr. Jon L. Konzen. The preface explains that the hazards of fibrous glass mattered more because "it is often used as a replacement for asbestos."

What it shows

The symposium was held to fill gaps in what was known about the health effects of glass fibers, "including long-term effects of exposure to small-diameter fibers," before NIOSH recommended a workplace standard. Its sessions cover how glass fiber is made and used, which fibers can be breathed in, animal and human studies, and exposure measurement, with the discussion after each session recorded. The preface notes that asbestos "has been associated with increased incidence of asbestosis and certain types of cancer" and that the possibility of similar effects from fibers of similar shape "underscores the importance of this symposium."