Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, asbestos, and a "sane appreciation of the risks"

Our plain-English summary of Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, asbestos, and a "sane appreciation of the risks", by D. Egilman (International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2009).

The study

• Author: D. Egilman
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
• Published: 2009;15(1):109-10
• Type of article: Editorial
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This is an editorial, not a research study. The author, the journal's Editor-in-Chief, described asbestos training materials for mechanics who service brakes and clutches. In 1994 Ford produced a self-study manual and training video for its mechanic employees. The video told workers that asbestos "does not work well with the human body," to always wear an approved respirator and safety glasses when servicing brakes, and never to blow brake dust with compressed air. The author wrote that the video could have been improved by naming the specific hazards of mesothelioma and lung cancer. Ford, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors also endorsed a separate brake-work training program called S/P2, from the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair. That program told workers that inhaling too much asbestos dust and fibers can cause asbestosis, which it said can lead to mesothelioma and cancer. It also said that disposable or particle masks are not acceptable, and that during clutch repair asbestos often falls on a mechanic's face and clothing. The author commended the companies for the program and for acknowledging asbestos disease risks. The author disclosed consulting for injured workers in lawsuits against these companies.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: editorial (opinion piece describing company training materials); not a research study
• Who was studied: No study population. The editorial describes training materials for mechanics: Ford's 1994 self-study manual and training video for its mechanic employees, and the separate CCAR S/P2 brake-work training program endorsed by Ford, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors.
• Exposure: Asbestos in automobile brakes and clutches during brake and clutch servicing by mechanics (fiber type not specified)
• Main results:
  • In 1994 Ford produced an educational program for mechanics about asbestos from brakes.
  • Ford's video told mechanics that asbestos does not work well with the human body, to always wear an approved respirator and safety glasses when servicing brakes, and never to blow brake dust with compressed air.
  • The author wrote that the video's description of risks could have been improved by mentioning the specific hazards of mesothelioma and lung cancer.
  • Ford joined DaimlerChrysler and General Motors in endorsing the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR) S/P2 training program for brake work.
  • The S/P2 program told workers that inhaling too much dust and fibers can cause asbestosis, which it said can lead to other lung diseases including mesothelioma and cancer.
  • The S/P2 program said disposable or particle masks are not acceptable because they let fibers pass through.
  • The S/P2 program warned that during clutch repair asbestos often falls on the mechanic's face and clothing.
• The authors' conclusion: The author commended Ford, GM, Chrysler and their S/P2 partners for their educational program and for acknowledging the risks of asbestos disease from brake and clutch work.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The author disclosed regularly consulting at the request of injured workers in litigation in which Ford, General Motors and Chrysler are defendants.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation.

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