Research May Speed End to Decades-Long Workplace Health Concern; Scientists Present New Data on Chronic Beryllium Disease.

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 1999--

New scientific studies conducted by researchers from Brush Wellman Inc. (NYSE:BW), the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Energy, the University of Pennsylvania, the National Jewish Center, and Lovelace Institute may help lead to the elimination of chronic beryllium disease, or CBD, a potentially debilitating and sometimes fatal condition associated with exposure to beryllium. The new scientific data were presented in Washington, DC September 23 at a national symposium co-sponsored by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and Brush Wellman. Key findings included:

- Brush researchers reported on employee health screening results

from the company's mining and beryllium extraction facility in

Delta, Utah, which has been in operation for 30 years. No worker

who has worked exclusively in Delta has developed chronic

beryllium disease. Similar results have been reported at the

Cardiff, Wales, beryllium-manufacturing site operated by the

British government for over 35 years. The Cardiff facility

achieved compliance with the current beryllium standard

98 percent of the time, followed strict workplace procedures, and

has had no cases of clinical CBD among its work force. Both sets

of data provide additional insight as to how the current

beryllium exposure standard acts to protect worker health, and

may also help identify different exposure risks presented by

various forms of beryllium.

- Researchers from Brush Wellman and NIOSH presented new evidence

that CBD may be linked more closely to beryllium particle size

and, possibly, chemical form than to total beryllium exposure.

Government standards now set permissible exposure levels at

2 micrograms per cubic meter of air without any reference to

beryllium particle size or chemical form. The data presented are

based on studies being conducted under a research partnership

between Brush Wellman and NIOSH. The studies are being conducted

at Brush Wellman's Elmore, Ohio and Tucson, Arizona plants.

- Testing of the Brush Wellman workforce has established the blood

lymphocyte transformation test (BLPT) as a useful tool for

evaluating the effectiveness of workplace safety practices.

However, the medical benefit of using this test to screen people

who are no longer working in the beryllium industry and who are

asymptomatic is not well established.

Hugh D. Hanes, vice president of government affairs for Brush Wellman, noted, "Findings from this conference may provide a key to at last achieving a decades-long goal at Brush Wellman: the elimination of chronic beryllium disease. The more data we can share with those who work on this problem every day, the closer we come to understanding the way beryllium enters our bodies and sets off the reactions that lead to CBD. Once we understand that mechanism, we'll be able to focus on the measures that will prevent it from happening in the future."

Chronic beryllium disease was first identified in the 1940s. Since then, Brush Wellman has been working independently and with various government agencies to refine the process used to identify the disease, develop ways to identify CBD earlier, implement workplace standards that better protect employees from exposure and conduct the research to more fully understand the factors that trigger CBD.

Last year, the company introduced a new level of workplace safety standards for its employees in Tucson, Arizona after blood testing there indicated that precautions already in place had failed to prevent beryllium sensitization and eliminate chronic beryllium disease. Similar measures were implemented this June at the company's Elmore facility following additional testing. Just last month, the company announced expanded health screening for employees to better identify and eliminate potential exposure routes within the company's production facilities. The moves are part of the company's ongoing practice to use new knowledge to better protect its workforce and to continue its commitment to eradicate CBD from the workplace.

Brush Wellman is the world's only fully integrated producer of beryllium, beryllium alloys and beryllium ceramics. Beryllium is a critical component in a range of products including air bag sensors, fire extinguisher sprinkler heads, x-ray windows for mammography, medical laser bores, pacemakers, landing gear bearings, weather forecasting satellites, automobile ignition systems, computers and oil exploration equipment. A pioneering use has been in various military applications, including electrooptical targeting and infrared countermeasure systems, advanced missile systems, radar systems and surveillance satellites.