Ford River Rouge Plant Asbestos Threat

The following quotes from Jeremy Pearce's story raise several serious questions such as the presence of asbestos in the building at the time of the explosion.

"Ford Motor Co. officials acknowledge that asbestos may be present, but add that company policy has been to remove the fire-retardant from plants or even to shut down older plants with heavy concentrations of asbestos. Parts of the Rouge complex -- including the power plant -- date back to the 1920s."

Ford seemed to admit in the Detroit News article that asbestos was in fact present indicating that it was a "real possibility." Ford reprsentative Sara Tathio hedges on the safety threat.

"We're not positive that asbestos is not there," said Sara Tatchio of Ford's environmental division. "We don't expect asbestos, but we do have a team poised if we find contamination."
Michigan Dept. of Consumer and Industry Services officials have sent two crews to the disaster site to examine the boiler and address issues of worker safety.
"Given the age of this building, we think asbestos is a real possibility," said Maura Campbell, a department spokesman. "We've prepared our crews with appropriate equipment if that turns out to be the case."

The dangers of asbestos are well documented. Asbestos causes asbestosis and, sometimes, a fatal cancer called mesothilioma, a disease only caused by exposure to asbestos.

"Following studies of worker exposure to the mineral, scientists determined that asbestos can severely damage lungs and lead to cancer.

"Airborne asbestos causes a unique disease called asbestosis, which impairs breathing and cakes the lungs with needle-sharp particles," said Dr. Michael Kamrin, a Michigan State University toxicologist.

Experts also believe cancer can result from cell divisions started by minute asbestos particles, but they differ on the exposure needed to cause cancer."

New Link Experts Check Plant Today: Feb 2, 1999 By Charlie Cain / News Lansing Bureau Chief. The state's last inspection of the plant was in January 1996 after a water pump turbine explosion, but there were no serious injuries, said Commerce Department spokeswoman Maura Campbell. The state issued three citations at the time: a training violation, a violation for not following proper procedures and one for an unidentified control value, she said. The state closed the complaint file in August 1997 after fines were paid and safety issues corrected. A boiler at the Ford plant passed an inspection by Ford's insurance company last May, state records show. After Monday's explosion, the state dispatched three inspectors to the site: a boiler inspector and an inspector and supervisor from the Michigan Occupational Safety Health Act information division. The three inspectors were unable to get to the accident scene Monday because of concerns over "secondary fires and toxic fumes," Campbell said. When they inspect the site today, they will wear protective clothing, including masks, as a precaution against possible asbestos contamination from the explosion, Campbell said.

Rouge Boiler Passed Inspection - By Charlie Cain / News Lansing Bureau Chief Rouge boiler passed inspection - State inspectors scheduled to be at site today for detailed look at damaged building - MIOSHA's last inspection of the plant was in January of 1996 after a water pump turbine explosion. The state issued three citations at the time: a training violation; a violation or not following proper procedures; and one for an unidentified control value. The state closed the complaint file in August 1997 after fines were paid and the safety issues corrected.

According to the Federal Government, "an estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job. Heaviest exposures occur in the construction industry, particularly during the removal of asbestos during renovation or demolition. Employees are also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials) and during automotive brake and clutch repair work. Asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and is highly regulated."

See: OSHA Compliance Standards: Asbestos - Compliance

Asbestos Links:

	American Cancer Society: "Mesothelioma Information" http://www.cancer.org/cidSpecificCancers/mesothelioma/index.html
	OncoLink: "What is Mesothelioma?" http://oncolink.upenn.edu/pdq_html/2/engl/201071.html
	National Cancer Institute: "Malignant Mesothelioma" http://www.graylab.ac.uk/cancernet/101071.html
	OSHA Asbestos Site - http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/asbestos/index.html

Asbestos Removal:

	Work practices and engineering controls for Class I Asbestos Operations. 1926.1101 App F. This non-mandatory appendix offers work practices and engineering controls for asbestos removal.
	Guideline specifications. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1998, February 19), 157 KB PDF file. Index to specifications includes Section 02080, Asbestos Abatement. Specifications can be downloaded in PDF or a special SGML format (software to view and edit this format is available online).
	Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance. EPA (1990), 4 pages. This publication emphasizes the need for proper wetting of asbestos containing material prior to removal.
	Demolition Practices Under the Asbestos NESHAP. EPA (1996), 10 pages. This publication summarizes EPA-accepted work practices. OSHA requirements differ, especially regarding "nonfriable" ACM (asbestos contractors may not be aware of this difference).

ASBESTOS: BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
By the 1930s, the manufacturers of asbestos products were aware of the deadly dangers and health hazards of their asbestos products to people. Workers in asbestos factories, including men, women and children, were developing asbestos lung disease as soon as five or six years after first exposure to asbestos. By the early 1940s, medical and scientific articles were being published, showing the connection between asbestos and the development of lung cancer. By the 1950s, the connection between asbestos and mesothelioma had been made, and by 1960, it was established that persons exposed to asbestos were developing mesothelioma at an alarming rate. Secret internal company documents reveal that the asbestos companies intentionally hid what they knew about the dangers and health hazards of asbestos so that workers and customers would not object to using asbestos products.

The fact that asbestos companies had actual knowledge of the dangers and health hazards of their asbestos products many years ago has formed the basis for the award of punitive damages against a number of asbestos manufacturing companies. Punitive damages are awarded by juries to punish the asbestos companies for their malicious and despicable conduct of concealing the dangers and health hazards of asbestos from their workers, customers, the public and the government, thereby bringing about unnecessary injury and death to tens of thousands of people. Juries have awarded punitive damages against the following asbestos companies to punish them for their malicious, knowing and intentional conduct, which brought about injuries to so many people: Owens Corning, Owens Illinois, W.R. Grace, Armstrong World Industries, GAF, U.S. Gypsum.

SOURCES OF ASBESTOS EXPOSURE

Most people are exposed to asbestos as part of their work. However, exposure to asbestos in other ways can also cause mesothelioma many years later. Asbestos dust carried home on the clothes of workers has caused mesothelioma to develop in their spouses and children many years later. Asbestos dust released from pipes and ceiling materials in schools has caused mesothelioma to develop in those school children after a long latency period. Asbestos dust released from asbestos product manufacturing factories into the neighborhood air has caused mesothelioma to develop in persons who live in vicinity of the plant. It does not take much exposure to asbestos to cause mesothelioma and this must always be remembered if you think that you might be in a situation where there will be some exposure to asbestos. A little bit of this poison can kill.

ASBESTOS COMPANIES

Asbestos products have been used in the United States since the 1800s. Over 3,000 different types of products containing asbestos have been manufactured by hundreds of different asbestos companies. Many of the asbestos companies are multi-billion dollar, multinational corporations with enormous assets and large amounts of insurance to pay asbestos claims. Over the years, these companies earned enormous profits by selling their asbestos containing products at the expense of the hundreds of thousands of people who would go on to develop or die of asbestos related disease. The following list of companies that manufactured asbestos products is by no means complete. Instead, this is merely a list of some of the major companies which manufactured or sold asbestos products;

	AC&S
	A.P. Green
	American Olean
	Armstrong World Industries
	Babcock and Wilcox Bird Inc.
	Bendix (Brakes)
	Cleaver Brooks
	Combustion Engineering
	Chrysler (Brakes)
	DAL-Tile International
	Fiberboard
	Flexitallic
	Ford (Brakes)
	Foster Wheeler
	The Flintkote Co.
	GAF Corp.
	Goulds Pumps
	Garlock
	General Electric
	General Motors (Brakes)
	General Refractories
	Georgia Pacific
	Harbison Walker
	J.H. France
	Johns Manville
	Kaiser Gypsum
	National Gypsum
	Nicolet
	Owens Corning Fiberglas
	Owens Illinois
	Pittsburgh Corning
	Philip Carey
	Reynolds Metals Company
	Rapid American (Philip Carey Mft. Co.)
	Uniroyal
	Westinghouse
	WR Grace (Zonolite)
	U.S. Gypsum
	Rutland Fire & Clay
	Robert A. Keasbey Co

Many other companies made asbestos products. These are just a few!

JOBS WITH POTENTIAL ASBESTOS EXPOSURE:

	Electrical and electronic engineer
	Industrial engineer
	Mechanical engineer
	Boilermaker
	Railroad and car shop
	Plumbers and pipefitters
	Power station operator
	Roofers and slaters
	Asbestos and insulation workers
	Dry wall installers and lathers
	Furnacemen, smelter-men and pourers
	Construction laborers, excluding carpenters' helpers
	Aeronautical and astronautical engineer
	Civil engineer
	Sales engineer
	Engineer, n.e.c.
	Personnel and labor relations workers
	Teachers, college and university
	Elementary school teachers
	Chemical technicians
	Draftsmen
	Technicians, n.e.c.
	Painters and sculptors
	Managers and superintendents, building
	Officers, pilots, and pursers; ship
	Insurance adjusters, examiners and investigators
	Blacksmiths
	Brickmasons and stonemasons
	Cabinetmakers
	Carpenters
	Cranemen, derrickmen, hoistmen
	Electricians
	Electric power linemen and cablemen
	Excavating, grading and road machine operators; exc. bulldozer
	Foremen, n.e.c.
	Forgemen and hammermen
	Heat treaters, annealers and temperers
	Job and die setters, metal
	Locomotive engineer
	Machinists
	Mechanics and repairmen; aircraft
	Automobile mechanics
	Heavy equipment mechanics, including diesel
	Household appliance and accessory installers and mechanics
	Loom fixers
	Miscellaneous mechanics and repairmen
	Mechanics and repairmen
	Millwrights
	Molders, metal
	Painters, construction and maintenance
	Pattern and model makers, excluding paper
	Rollers and finishers, metal
	Sheetmetal workers and tinsmiths
	Stationary engineers
	Structural metal craftsmen
	Telephone installers and repairmen
	Tool and die makers
	Checkers, examiners, and inspectors; manufacturing
	Clothing ironers and pressers
	Filers, polishers, sanders, buffers
	Garage workers and gas station attendants
	Mixing operatives
	Drill press operatives
	Grinding machine operatives
	Sailors and deckhands
	Sawyers
	Carding, lapping and combing operatives
	Spinners, twisters and winders
	Weavers
	Textile operatives, n.e.c.
	Welders and flame-cutters
	Winding operatives, n.e.c.
	Machine operatives, miscellaneous specified
	Miscellaneous operatives
	Not specified operatives
	Motormen; mine, factory, logging camp, etc.
	Freight and material handlers
	Longshoremen and stevedores
	Hairdressers and cosmetologists

ASBESTOS MATERIALS & PRODUCTS

Sample List of Suspect Asbestos-Containing Materials. EPA Region VI (1997), 1 page. Provides a list of 46 materials which may contain asbestos.

	Pipecovering
	Block
	Insulating cement
	Joint compound
	Ceiling tile
	Floor tile
	Brakes
	Clutches
	Cloth
	Fireproof clothes
	Kent cigarette filters (1952-1956)
	Grinding wheels
	Refractory materials

	Paint
	Electrical wire
	Electric motors
	Cement pipe
	Cement board
	aprons
	gloves
	mitts
	flexible duct connectors
	spray fireproofing
	packing
	gasketing
	refractory cements
	insulating cements
	boiler insulation
	pipe insulation
	Boilers