NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Testimony to DOL (Department of Labor) on Occupational Exposure to Asbestos by R. Lemen, June 21, 1984

摘要

The testimony opened with a historic review of the development of asbestos (1332214) exposure standards for workers in the United States. Current data indicated that larger doses of asbestos produced greater biological effects than smaller doses. However, uncertainty in exposure estimation has been a problem due to changes in methods of measuring exposure and the inability to compare results based on different sampling techniques. While respirators were felt to be effective in reducing employee exposures, there were problems in using or selecting the proper ones to use. The proposed standard was designed to reduce the risk of workers developing asbestos-related disease by considering the estimated probability of developing significant disease following a given cumulative exposure; by comparing the risk estimate with the health and safety risks in workers in non asbestos producing or using industries; and by understanding the technical limits of reliable sampling and analysis.