Document 2qmJ87bw45ve2247GjxGjeRYr

AR226-1395 R a a6 - /3e!f March 1. 1982 C-8 (F C -143) EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION In A p r i l o f l a s t y e a r we In fo rm e d yo u o f r e s u l t s o f a p r e lim in a r y 3M s tu d y In w h ic h b i r t h d e fe c ts w ere o b s e rv e d i n t h e e ye s o f unborn r a t s when C-8 was fe d t o p re g n a n t fem ale r a ts . E xte n s iv e anim al s tu d ie s were I n it ia t e d p ro m p tly by b o th DuPont and 3M. R e s u lts o f th e s e s tu d ie s showed no eye d e fe c ts o r o t h e r b i r t h d e fe c ts 1n e i t h e r th e u n b o rn o r th e r a t p u p s. I t was concluded t h a t th e a lte r a tio n s observed 1n th e p re lim in a ry study were n o t caused by exposure t o C -8 as o r ig in a ll y su s p e c te d , b u t In s te a d w ere caused by 3M's te c h n iq u e o f p re p a rin g th e f e t a l eye tis s u e f o r m ic ro s c o p ic e x a m in a tio n . 3M has j u s t co m p le te d a s tu d y w h e re in p re g n a n t r a b b it s w ere exposed t o C -8. No eye o r o t h e r b i r t h d e fe c ts w e re fo u n d 1n t h i s s tu d y . S in c e C -8 has n o t been shown t o pro d u ce t e r a to g e n ic e f f e c t s in th e s e v e ra l a n im al s t u d ie s , we c o n c lu d e t h a t fe m a le em ployees o f c h ild b e a r in g c a p a b i li t y no lo n g e r need t o be e x c lu d e d fro m a re a s w here th e r e i s p o t e n t ia l fo r exposure to C-8. A l l em ployees b o th male and fe m a le , a re now e l i g i b l e t o w ork 1n TEFLON*. Normal p la n t b id d in g p ro c e d u re s w i l l be fo llo w e d f o r wage r o l l em ployees w a n tin g t o move t o TEFLON*. The f o llo w in g g u id e lin e s w i l l d p p ly f o r ex-TEFLON wage r o l l fem a les who were moved t o o th e r d iv is io n s l a s t A p r il and a re s u c c e s s fu l b id d e rs on g a te p o s tin g s o f op e n in g s 1n TEFLON*: Upon t h e i r r e tu r n v ia norm al b id d in g p ro c e d u re s , em ployees g roup s e n i o r i t y w i l l be c a lc u la te d as though th e se employees never l e f t . T h e re fo re , tim e s p e n t 1n o t h e r d iv is i o n s s in c e A p r i l 1981 w i l l c o u n t as TEFLON* group s e rv ic e I f th e s e em ployees e le c t t o b id back t o th e TEFLON* a re a . T h is group s e rv ic e p ro v is io n w i l l a p p ly t o each fem a le wage r o l l employee who was removed fro m TEFLON* l a s t A p r i l , f o r a p e r io d o f one y e a r o r u n t i l each has a t le a s t one o p p o r tu n ity - to be a s u c c e s s fu l b id d e r, w hichever 1s la te r. In view o f th e absence o f te ra to g e n ic fin d in g s 1n th e anim al s tu d ie s , and th e absence o f e v id e n c e o f a d ve rse h e a lth e f f e c t s i n em ployees a t 3M and DuPont who may have been exposed t o C -8 , we a re no lo n g e r a d v is in g a g a in s t blood d o n a tio n . EID089464 000183 DDJ001722