Did NIOSH investigate asbestos use in diamond cutting in New York City?
Yes. A 1979 NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation investigated asbestos during diamond-cutting operations at a Manhattan business—an example of an exposure context that broad occupation lists can easily miss.
Answer
NIOSH evaluated asbestos exposure during diamond-cutting operations at the Herman Diamond Company at 36 West 47th Street in New York City in 1979. NIOSH reported that airborne asbestos was undetected or minimal under the sampled conditions, but recommended substituting a less hazardous material for the asbestos paper and, if substitution was not feasible, cutting the asbestos paper wet to reduce airborne fibers.
Why this record matters
Exposure reconstruction can fail when research begins with a short list of famous trades. This record shows why Legacy also searches by task + material + historical work practice. A person may remember diamond cutting or a paper-like material but never think to search for an asbestos occupation.
What this does not establish
- That asbestos paper was used by every diamond-cutting business.
- That every worker at this company experienced the same conditions.
- Historical conditions outside the NIOSH survey period.
- Individual exposure, disease causation or liability.
Next questions
Was asbestos paper remembered? How was it cut or handled? What years and workroom? Were substitutes later introduced? Do coworkers, purchasing records, supplier catalogs or surviving work materials identify the product?
Primary source
NIOSH HHE 79-89-609: Herman Diamond Company Primary government source