::. Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program (AMSP)

The AMSP offers medical counseling and testing for NIH employees who are at risk of exposure to significant concentrations of airborne asbestos. Individuals who break, cut into, tear out, or otherwise disturb or manipulate asbestos containing materials may be at increased risk for asbestos-related diseases. DOHS industrial hygienists identify potential program participants and advise workers on the use of personal protective equipment.

The AMSP differs from other OMS surveillance programs in that it monitors employees for long-term, cumulative effects from a physical hazard. Medical evidence of asbestos exposure generally appears ten or more years following an exposure and can include asbestosis, lung and gastrointestinal cancers.

Participants in the AMSP are advised of the importance of proper use of personal protective equipment and the need to avoid or discontinue smoking. Evidence has shown there is an increased risk of lung cancer attributable to smoking and asbestos exposure.

In addition, participants receive periodic medical evaluations and testing that are designed to detect the earliest clinical evidence of asbestos-related disease. Participants leaving the NIH who have documented history of asbestos exposure while working here are encouraged to have an exit physical before leaving.