Document 0JZdo4yOnNyB10pG9oVoE1rbb

V 'I * MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS ASSOCIATION w.fl K1825 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W. WASHINGTON, D. C. 20009 (202) 483-6126 MAY May 2, 1974 To: MANAGEMENT CONTACTS OF COMPANIES SUPPORTING THE VINYL CHLORIDE RESEARCH PROGRAM TECHNICAL TASK GROUP ON VINYL CHLORIDE RESEARCH Subject: NIOSH Request for Proposal for Study of Vinyl Chloride Exposures Gentlemen: Enclosed herewith are the Statement of Work and Scope of Work sections of a request for proposal (No. CDC-99-OSH-128(4)) issued by NIOSH last March 28, and just now called to my at tention. This material is being distributed for your in formation, so that you may be prepared to handle contractor visits should they select one or more of your plants for study. Sincerely, KDJ:mb Attachment cc : Mr. A. W. Barnes D. P. Duffi Id, M.D. Dr. Tiziario Garlanda Kenneth D. Johnson, Ph.D. Secretary Technical Task Group on Vinyl Chloride Research ASI 00007153 i ) Copj d bv MCA '5/2/74 STATP^TT OF WORK A. Background and Pnrnoae Information recently has been nade avail able to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NT.OSH) that indicates a serious ul:;h prr`.potentially exists in workers involved with the polymerization of vinyl chloride to polyvinyl chloride and polyvir.\I chloride copolymers. Preliminary mortality information concerning one vinyl chloride polymerization plant has revealed there Is a definite excess of deaths due to angiosarcoma of the liver In workers that have been Involved with this processing. It has been reported by Imperial Chemical Industries of Great Britain that angiosarcomas of the liver develop in animals exposed to vinyl chloride. Since vinyl chloride is definitely present In the environs of the plant mentioned above, vinyl chloride has been postulated to be an etiologic agent in the above mentioned excess employee deaths. 7 Since there is a large work force Involved with vinyl chloride poly merization processing, NIOSH immediately initiated an extensive epidemiological investigation (including environmental surveys) Into vinyl chloride polymerization operations and workers thereof. Vinyl chloride exposures, of course, also can occur in the produc tion of the monomer and may occur in the processing of the polyvinyl chloride and its copolymers and during the commercial and industrial use of these polymers. Eecause these polymers have widespread use and there is potential for quite a large number of persons to be exposed to vinyl chloride, in addition to those people working in polymerization operations, there is a need to document the extent of vinyl chloride exposures In operations other than polymerization processing. Xhe purpose of this contract is to document past and present worker !exposures to vinyl chloride during (1) the monomer production and the (2) processine of polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride copolymers. In addition to documenting worker exposures, to vinyl chloride, information on work practice, environmental control pro cedures, industrial hygiene practices and worker exposures to other known liver toxins also will be documented. These data will be utilized to ascertain the extent of worker exposures to vinyl chloride end possibly other liver toxins so that the possible health effects Impact in the Industry can be determined and appropriate priorities for corrective measures, if needed, can be set. If vinyl chloride exposures are considered to be significant in these areas, then a very critical lock at possible general exposures will be cade. ndnsure 1 ASI 00007154 )/ Task II. Processing of Polyvinyl Chloride and Polyvinyl Chloride Copolymers Environmental/industrial hygiene surveys shall be conducted in producticn .irons vlere nlyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride co polymers* are processed including, but not limited to, the following operations: (1) conpour.ding: (2) extrusion; (3) molding; (4) calenderin'. (5) therroforming; (6) binding; (7) foams; (8) fibers; and (9) plastisol processing. Thesurvcys shall be conducted so that each processing operation is sampled- at three different plants (locations). The criteria for the selection of these three plants shall include, but net be limited to: (1) information gained from preliminary site visits; (2) information gained from literature searches; (3) information gained from personal contacts; (4) representativeness of the operations to in dustrywide processinq; (5) operations having greatest potential for workc exposures to vinyl chloride; (6) operations having the .greatest gradient of worker exposures to vinyl chloride; (7) availability of historical inplant air measurements of vinyl chloride; and (8) the operations havinr the longest history of polymer processing. The information that shall be obtained and/or constructed shall be the same as the eight ttems listed above for thevinyl chloride monomer production operations. In addition, to these eight items past and present Tl.'A worker exposures to other knevw liver toxins (if present) inducing, but not limited to, mercury, 2,2 dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate, ozone, dioxane, beryllium, lead, di methyl nitrosamine, arsenic, (amyl, methyl, ethyl, butyl, proDl and vinyl, acetate, ccnper, trichloroethylene, carbontetrachloride, arsine and tetrahydrofuran shall be measured and/or constructed. Task III. Sample Collection and Data Analyses All vinyl chloride sampling and analytical techniques shall be specified in the contract proposal. If sampling is required for.other known liver toxins, the sampling and analytical procedures must be approved by the project officer(s) prior to use by the contractor. The contractor should be cognizant of the fact that vinyl chloride is considered a potential human liver carcinogen and all employees and agent of the contractor should be provided with appropriate protective equioma' These equipment needs will be discussed with the project officer(s) pric to the field surveys. i The sample collection shall be conducted in such a manner as to provide Statistically valid data that are representative of present worker ex posures (categorized by different job-types) to vinyl chloride and other liver toxins, if found. Past worker exposures (by job-type) shall be constructed based on the information that is collected on the changes ir processing, ventilation, environmental control, work practices and indus rial hygiene practices that have occurred over the years and on historic % Polyvinyl chlcride-acetatc, polyvinyl chloride-propylene and polyvinyl chloride vinylidene chloride ASI 00007155