NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) testimony on asbestos by R. A. Lemen on March 21, 1984

Technical Report · Wed Mar 21 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:7136014

The testimony discussed the work conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) concerning protection for workers exposed to asbestos (1332214). All commercial forms of asbestos were considered to be carcinogenic. Exposure to asbestos significantly increased the risk of contracting asbestos, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Asbestos was one of the primary causes of lung cancer in nonsmokers. It was estimated that since the beginning of World War II as many as eight million workers have been exposed to asbestos. Over one million currently worked where exposure may be a problem. Construction workers involved in the demolition of buildings containing asbestos insulation were at increased risk of developing asbestos-related disease. Maintenance personnel often repaired machines in asbestos-contaminated work spaces or worked directly with products containing asbestos. NIOSH programs have involved measuring and characterizing asbestos fibers found in the work environment, quantification of the extent of disease among workers through epidemiological studies, and supporting these study results with toxicological experiments. NIOSH has also sponsored educational programs for the public and the training of workers to alert individuals to the dangers of asbestos.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7136014
• Report Number(s): PB-90-179128/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASBESTOS
BODY
CARCINOGENESIS
DISEASES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
LUNGS
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SAFETY
TOXICITY