Document 10p8oNp094D9oDeMjOOpzMj9K

'pH4 THE IOUBVILIE TIMES, "FRIDAY, JUNE 21, l?7d .. ' esceiyib JUN2G1974 .. B.K&StW.f. ; - ; ` *->- <- 5 Calvert City plastics workers get liver tests By DENNIS POLITE end DONALD M. HOUGHTON UMlttilU TUNH SUM WlMn Livtr biopsies were ordered on live N workers at the Air Products, Inc., plant . . in Calvert City. Ky,, because other re-' pealed test* had failed to show whether their exposure to vinyl chloride had cauaed the rare liver esneer, angiosar coma. The significance of the hospitalizations, which climaxed a companywide medical liver-testing program, has caused dis agreement between the plant manage ment and a spokesman for the workers. Kramer said the five men showed ques Kramer said an undetermined number tionable results when the company began of men will be or have been retested be medical tests on its 300 employes. cause of the results of their initial test*. Kramer's view of the situation con Back say* he recently took* second teat ' flicts in some points with that of Sanford Beck, president of Local 3727 of the Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers Union, Kramer laid the foil report on the teitt ing program will he made in Washington next week at a hearing sponsored by the in a telephone interview yesterday. Beck said from Paducah that 11 men wore either hospitalized or stated to go into the hospital for biopsies. federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration oh the changing of the exposure limits to vinyl chloride. The gov ernment ageney is proposing a zero level of exposure. The present "emergence" Beck said the men were hospitalized ji level is * maximum exposure of BO parti because livers." "something, is wrong . with m their !( j vinyl ehlorid* per million parts One-tenth the original standard. tot air,. At least one of the workers may have been found free of the suspected career. The results of the other four men's tests , are not in yet, according to 3. D. Kramer, plant manager. He said the company has not revealed very much about the testing program to the workers. "They have assured us that if anything is wrong they'll tell us," Beck slid. Beck, who said be has worked at the plant for IS years, mid most of the men hoipiUttted have worked there about tlx years. However, one man has worked IS yean in vinyl-chloride operations, he said. . Kramer said the men were hospitalised after repeated tests showed their liver functions to be abnormal. The needle biopsies, or liver samplings with a large needle, were ordered because of the fall ur of the other tests, he said. Exposure to vinyl chloride is believed to have caused angiosarcoma in at least seven workers at the B. F. Goodrich Chemical Co. plant here In Louisville on Bells Lane. Five of the seven have died from the cancer. Angiosarcoma also has been Identified as the cause of death of other persons who have been exposed to vinyl chloride. Air Products purchases vinyl chloride from a Goodrich plant in Calvert City and uses it to make polyvinyl chloride, a plas tic, according to Kramer. "They have found a lot of things wrong, but they won't ssy what it is," be said. Kramer said, "We have told them re peatedly we don't have the results. It is a medical matter." Beck Slid the loeal union has appealed to the union headquarters fat Washington uru. and to government agencies in *n'effort * cfcrj to learn more about the situation-at tha.r< eVd Calvert City plant He said the doctor in the cases has told "It's a pretty touchy' thing with tn ' the workers he will send the test result* ; now," be said, "if this it not a safe plica to their private physicians. ! to work they ought to shut it down." Kramer said the doctor is "busy, busy" and does not have time to talk individual- ' ]y with each min. 1 Beck says he can't even get the com- ' party to give him a complete report on ` Beck said tome men are told their teats have come back "positive." He laid, how ever, that many workers have not been told what "positive" meant. the results of the two tests be took. * The government btaring In Washington begins amid new developments in the vinyl-chloride situation that came to pub lic light in January when Goodrich an nounced the first of its deaths. He said all of the Air Products men tested have worked rear vinyl chloride for some portions of their careers at the plant. AP00002831