Asbestos: Health Precautions in Industry (1970)

This 1970 booklet was government guidance, not a research study, and reported no new data. It was prepared by the Department of Employment and Productivity and the Central Office of Information, drawing on the experience of HM Factory Inspectors. It named the asbestos minerals of industrial significance as chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite and anthophyllite. It listed the diseases from asbestos dust as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma of the pleura or peritoneum. It stated that mesothelioma had developed in some people with short exposures, and that crocidolite may be more dangerous in this respect than other forms. It noted a high incidence of asbestosis in the insulating (lagging) section of the industry. The booklet described dust-control methods: substitutes, wetting, enclosure, exhaust ventilation, respirators, protective clothing and vacuum cleaning. It gave particular attention to lagging removal, asbestos spraying, and fitting asbestos products in building and shipbuilding. It reproduced the Asbestos Regulations 1969, which replaced the 1931 Regulations and came into operation on 14 May 1970. The authors concluded that where risk was real and control difficult, all concerned should consider safer substitute materials.

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From J-M's medical library

This copy comes from the Johns-Manville medical library. It was among the papers J-M kept in its medical library without an index entry.