Document B2n6Ry52j69mEbbJV3LEBNJE

ToTM - Occupational Health & Safety Letter Volume 12, No. 20 GERSHON W. FISHBEIN, PUBLISHER October 22, 1982 Main Office 1097 National Press Building Washington, D.C. 20045 (202)347-3868 / ' Published twice a month. Rate: $125 per year; $235 in combination with Environmental Health Letter. y' ' Checks and orders payable to Environews, Inc., 1097 National Press Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20045 Highlights of This Issue Stress emerging as top occupational health problem in grim economy.............................. Page1 Tony Robbins to take over as APHA president; that could be a problem..........................Page2 NIOSH defends study of shipyard workers, but probably won't conduct it......... .. .Page 2 NIOSH funding of ERCs causes some grumbling among peer reviewers............................. .Page3 Chemical Workers Union, OSHA exchange jabs on benzene report..................................... Pag4 Labor Dept, split on case of worker fired because of complaint to newspaper.................Page5 NIOSH starts health hazard evaluation at Exxon's Baton Rouge refinery..........................Page5 "Dump truck" approach to black lung claims deplored......................................................... Page6 'y STRESS EMERGING AS TOP OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROBLEM IN GRIM ECONOMY: As companies lay off workers and tighten their belts to prevent further shutdowns, stress among both executives and employees has bobbed to the top of the list of occupational health problems. ) More and more physicians and other health personnel are reporting seeing patients with mental anguish and stress resulting from uncertainty about their jobs. Once considered a subject of leisurely interest by a few specialized health professionals, one-the-job stress is now the subject of seminars attracting wide audi ences among many disciplines. Few occupational health physicians,1 trained in traditional medicine, are able to get a handle on the subject and are unable to go much beyond common-sense counseling--especially since they are no better equipped than the average person to assess the economy`and the economic roots of the problem. (Paren thetically, we might add that the problem is compounded because many occupational health professionals are themselves the victims of the layoffs, and stress among this group may soon be the subject of sub investigations.) The newspapers are giving increasing attention to the subject, of course, although again it's hard to give advice. Amid the welter of information, one scientific,study has come to our attention which we believe merits passing along--whether or not you agree with the conclusions of the investigators. We're referring to a study by Boston College psychologist Ramsey Liem, Ph.D., and Brandeis Univer sity sociologist Paula Rayman, Ph.D., and published in the journal American Psychologist (Oct. 13). The authors warn that policymakers should no longer see unemployment as simply an economic problem, but as a serious threat to personal health that can aggravate chronic and latent disorders, change usual patterns of health-seeking behavior and trigger other social and inter-personal costs. Dr. Rayman interviewed 80 unemployed aircraft workers near Hartford, Conn., and noted that the overwhelming majority experienced related instances of "serious physical or emotional strain as well as financial hardship." Hypertension, alcoholism, increased smoking, insomnia, nervous exhaustion and worry and anxiety were among the commonly reported symptoms. The project was conducted in an area where 87 percent of all jobs are in the aircraft industry, and "being out of work meant virtually no opportunity to reenter the industry until it moved into a boom ) cycle," Dr. Rayman said, adding that those conditions are a major reason why so many of the unemployed workers studied experienced "real health as well as economic costs." In the Hartford study, middle-aged heads of households with young dependents experienced more SAL 2 Occupational Health & Safety Letter, October 22, 1982 intense strain than younger, single workers. Female aircraft workers with blue-collar jobs were more likely than their male counterparts to be thrust out of the main industry into more marginal, unskilled jobs with lower pay and benefits. Dr. Liem studied 40 blue-collar and white-collar families following the layoffs and other involuntary job loss of husbands. He found that within the first months, wives of unemployed men became signifi cantly more depressed, anxious, phobic, and sensitive about interpersonal relations than spouses in a con trol group. By the fourth month, measurements for family cohesion, organization and conflict showed higher depression levels among unemployed families than control groups. Among husbands in the study, being without work was strongly associated (at one and four months after job loss) with increased psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hostility, paranoia and psychosomatic conditions. Moreover, while they initially complained of symptoms similar to those of men who were constantly out of work, men who became re-employed appeared less stressed by the fourth month than workers who had held steady jobs. Investigations by University of Michigan researcher Louis Ferman also suggest that for many children of unemployed families, digestive problems, irritability and impaired physical and mental development may result from decreased nurturing by parents. Unemployed parents are often too concerned with "mere survival" to meet other essential developmental needs, the studies note. Other research on joblessness has found related increases in alcohol and drug abuse, and noted that such increases can intensify the depression and feelings of despair that can prompt other social problems such as crime, child abuse and spouse abuse. An accompanying article by Sen. Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (D-Mich.) reported that the U.S. economy ties health insurance to employment. Faced with "an almost immediate" loss of health benefits, many unemployed workers and families hesitate to seek out health care just as stress-related health problems may be beginning to surface, allow i ng many minor problems to turn into serious health conditions." We'll return to this subject periodically because of its importance. Meanwhile, we invite real-world experiences and comments from readers. TONY ROBBINS TO TAKE OVER AS APHA PRESIDENT; THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM: Dr. Tony Robbins, former director of NIOSH, will take over as president of the American Public Health Association at its annual meeting in Montreal Nov. 14-18. For Dr. Robbins, who is currently a professional staff member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, that could create a potential conflict of interest. We're not saying that it will, only that it could--and Dr. Robbins, no stranger to controversy, will be obliged to take a crash course in highwire walking. \ The source of the potential conflict lies in APHA's advocacy of health legislation, as indeed it should, and Dr. Robbins' position a staffer and source of information to the committee which considers that legis lation. He would certainly not want to testify personally on behalf of APHA before the very committee for which he works. But even beyond that, he may at times be forced to separate his own views and those of APHA and those of the committee majority. This is the first time that an APHA president has been drawn from the ranks of Congressional staffers. Nearly all of them in the past have come from academia or state and local health departments. That is all the more reason why Dr. Robbins, in a precedent-setting role, must tread carefully. NIOSH DEFENDS STUDY OF SHIPYARD WORKERS, BUT PROBABLY WONT CONDUCT IT: NIOSH has expressed its disappointment in the recommendations of a National Academy of SciencesNational Research Council committee that it not conduct a cytogenetic study of present and former work ers at the Portsmouth (N.H.) Naval Shipyard because of low radiation doses there (OCCUPA TIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY LETTER, Oct. 8)--but conceded that, because of the committee's recommendations, it was unlikely to proceed with the study. An October 18 letter, signed by Drs. William E. Halperin and Philip J. Landrigan, told NAS-NRC pres ident Frank Press that "we sincerely believe the conduct of the proposed study would have generated SAL 0O0C2G4Co ' Occupational Health & Safety Letter, October 22, 1982 3 occupational health data important to the PNS workers, and other workers in similar occupations." It continued: "Two specific aspects of the evaluation, pertaining to the cytogenetic study, do require further com ment. Our first comment concerns the NAS Committee's reliance on existent studies of workers, particu larly the Evans study of British nuclear shipyard workers (Nature 277:531-534). This study demonstrated a dose-response relationship between genetic damage in lymphocytes and low dose radiation. "The Committee maintains that, `previous studies on humans and animals have provided ample con sistent information on the cytogenetic effects of ionizing radiation at comparable doses and dose rates'. In fact, a major goal of the NIOSH proposed study was to confirm these important findings in another nuclear shipyard. To our surprise, the NAS Committee suggests that the NIOSH study is unnecessary because the Evans report already has demonstrated adequately that nuclear shipyard workers are sustaining genetic damage at doses within allowable limits of exposure. "The Navy, on the other hand, thought the NIOSH study should not be done, in part, because they were not convinced by the results of the Evans study. Frankly, we had thought there was more controversy about this research, and that the Evans study warranted replication. "Our next concern is related. If the results of the Evans study are fully accepted, then within permis sible levels of exposure, one could expect to find genetic damage of unknown consequences in peripheral lymphocytes of workers at PNS or in similar circumstances. The NAS Committee states that the absence of a proven detailed causal relationship between the observation from cytogenetic and sperm studies and adverse health outcomes presents a major obstacle to public (worker) understanding of any study results. "The Committee speculates the NIOSH study may have `adverse psychological effects on worker per formance'. We suggest that the Committee underestimated the capacity of workers to understand technical information, even if the implications are not clear cut. "In summary, we do believe the NIOSH study would have provided important occupational health data that would have benefited the PNS workers and other similar workers. We also believe the NAS con clusion that existing research on cytogenetic effects does not need to be replicated poses important occu pational health issues. For example, the NAS position should be an important point to be considered by the appropriate standard setting groups. In addition, if it is to be assumed that the low dose radiation causes chromosomal breakage, the workers need to be informed about the potential for genetic damage, although the significance of this damage is unknown." NIOSH FUNDING OF ERCs CAUSES SOME GRUMBLING AMONG PEER REVIEWERS: The allocation of renewal funds for money-starved Educational Resource Centers by NIOSH for the current fiscal year has caused dismay among some members of an extramural center advisory panel who believe the funding did not reflect their evaluations of the various university-based programs and came out more equal than they should. The outside panel, which consisted of a number of experienced occupational health and safety pro fessionals, assigned numerical ratings to each center up for five-year renewal funding after evaluating core programs such as medicine, nursing, industrial hygiene safety as well as additional programs established at some centers. After the panel met in June, review summary statements were prepared for NIOSH by consultant Dr. Charles F. Walters of Carrboro, N.C. Those statements of the findings of the outside panel, along with secondary review criteria established by Dr. J. Donald Millar, Director of CDC, were then used by NIOSH to allocate the funds. Dr. Alan D. Stevens, Director of the Division of Training and Manpower Develop ment at NIOSH, was in charge of the project. NIOSH defended its allocations, saying that it established other criteria to protect allied programs such as nursing and safety. Another factor related to the percentage of the request for funds by individual grantees. The over-all center score given by the outside review panel, and the final allocation of funds by NIOSH, are as follows: SAL GC0C2C409 Center Occupational Health &' -4 .. , , . ri! Over-all Center Scdte !F6S*Hn> University of California, Siini Francisco.................... University of California, Irvine .................................. University of Cincinnati............. ~........................... University of Illinois . .................................................. Johns Hopkins University .................................... .. University of Michigan........................................ * - University of Minnesota............................................. New York University.................................................... University of North Carolina...................................... University of Texas...................................................... University of Utah........................................................ University of Washington........................................... $299,000 83 * $179,000 $306,000 $388,000 $356,000 $359,000 $325,000 * $343,000 74 $320,000 $494,000 89 $471,000 $436,000 $254,000 70 $311,000 *Not evaluated, not up for renewal yet. Based on the panel's ratings and recommendations, as well as internal reviews, a number of bore ' academic programs will no longer be supported by NIOSH after this year; funding this year will be for the purpose of permitting students to finish those programs. They include the occupational medical programs in Minnesota (Mayo Clinic), Arizona and Texas; mint ing programs at New York (CCNY), Washington, Harvard, Arizona, Texas and Califomia/Irvine; safety pro grams at Cincinnati, Johns Hopkins, Minnesota, New York, Washington and Harvard. <r "Allied" programs were not funded, with two exceptions: (1) programs in mining health and safety at Arizona and Utah; (2) occupational biohazards program at North Carolina. Ten percent of each award is earmarked for continuing education and outreach activities. Members of the outside review panel: Steven Deutsch, Ph.D., Eugene, Ore., chairman; Dr. Jerry T. Applebaum, Mountain Bell Telephone; Dr. M.M. Ayoub, Texas Tech; Judy Hayes Bernhardt, University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee) School of Nursing; Dr. Hollis Boren, McLean, Va.; Dr. Vernon Dodson, University of Wisconsin Medical Center; Dr. Samuel Elkin, Temple University; Robert J. Firenze, RJF Associates, Bloomington, Ind.; Dr. Victor C. Furtado, Brooks Air Force Base, San Antonio, Tex.; Dr. Bruce Hertig, University of Illinois; Stephan Konz, Kansas State U; Also, Dr. Marvin Mills, Murray (Ky.) State University; Rafael Moure, OH, Chemical & Atomic Work ers Union; Carol Oppenheimer, Antioch Law School; Mary Rahjes, Aurora, Colo.; Dr. Thomas Rockwell, Ohio State University; Dr. Mary Segall, Aurora, Colo.; Joyce Simonowitz, nursing consultant, CAL/OSHA, Los Angeles; Dr, Lloyd B. Tepper, Air Products & Chemicals; Frank Valentino, Catonsvifle (Md.) Com munity College. CHEMICAL WORKERS UNION, OSHA EXCHANGE JABS ON BENZENE REPORT: The president of the International Chemical Workers Union and the Director of Health Standards for OSHA are at odds over the evaluation of a paper on benzene exposure at the Conoco plant in Baltimore. In the October 8 issue of OCCUPA TIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY LETTER, we reported that Dr.' Peter Infante, who heads the OSHA Office of Carcinogen Identification and Classification, had been asked by the union to review--as an individual scientist only--a paper by Drs. Pierre Decouffle,'William Blattner and Aaron Blair of the National Cancer Institute reporting an excess of leukemia among the Conoco work ers exposed to benzene. The paper will be published in the December issue of "Environmental Research." In his review for the journal, again as an individual scientist, Dr. Infante praised the study as supporting the conclusion that workers who had been employed for at least one year at the plant "have experienced an excess risk of mor tality from the lymphatic and hematopoietic systems." SAL QCGC2041C Occupational Health & Safety Letter, October 22,1982 5 But the union's request for Infante's review was instead answered by Dr. R. Leonard Vance, Director of Health Standards for OSHA. On August 16, he wrote to Richard A. Uhlar, industrial hygienist for the union, that"`a preliminary review and evaluation of the study has been made by the staff. However, that evaluation has not been subjected to internal peer review within the Directorate of Health Standards Pro grams nor to external peer review outside OSHA. Both kinds of peer review will be sought. If, on the basis of OSHA's complete analysis of the Decoufle study, it appears that the interests of protection of worker health will be served by further discussion of the Decoufle study with the ICWU and with Conoco, I shall write or call you." Faced with the "don't call us, we'll call you" statement, ICWU president Frank D. Martino wrote to Vance on September 16 to explain that the union sought Infante's review only as an individual scientist, not as an OSHA official. Then he added this zinger: "As for your internal agency review, I am confident that you are in an excellent position to judge the cost and benefits inherent in an internal and external peer review of the staff evaluation of the study. "I am less confident, however, that the members represented by the International Chemical Workers Union can wait for you to call on a matter as important as this one. We expect to have expert analysis. We expect to have it available for our members as quickly as possible, consistent with professional standards. "Do you intend to continue preventing us from receiving this analysis?" LABOR DEPT. SPLIT ON CASE OF WORKER FIRED BECAUSE OF COMPLAINT TO NEWSPAPER: Does Section 1 l(c)fl) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which bars retaliation against em ployees who file complaints of unsafe or unhealthy conditions, cover comments to newspapers as well? A judge in Topeka, Kans., has issued a preliminary ruling that the worker is protected in such cases, but the Labor Department Solicitor T. Timothy Ryan doesn't believe that it does, even though an OSHA solicitor in the regional office in Kansas City, pressed the case on behalf of the worker without telling Washington. Is this confusing? It is. Here's what happened: Ronald Fent, an employee of R.D. Anderson Construction Co. in Topeka, complained to a newspaper reporter about asbestos exposure on the job site. After the newspaper published his comments, he was fired. He then went to the OSHA regional office to complain that his rights under Section 11 of the Occu pational Safety and Health Act were violated. Without informing Washington headquarters, the regional office filed suit against the company. Fed eral District Judge Richard D. Rogers issued a preliminary ruling in favor of the employee and, in this case, OSHA. When OSHA's national Solicitor Ryan heard about it, he blew his top. He said Section 11 does not cover employee complaints to newspapers, refused to send the judge's ruling for official printing as is usually done to alert the legal community, and strongly indicated that the Government would not pursue the case further on behalf of the worker. Ron Andersen, president of the company, was quoted as saying that Fent was fired because "he reported an unsafe working condition to a newspaper rather than to his supervisor," in violation of com pany policy. The judge has still not ruled on the merits of the case, so the company could still contest the charge there. So far, his ruling has applied only to the principle of talking to the press. So what exactly does Section I l(c)( 1) say? It reads as follows: "No person shall discharge, or in any manner discriminate against, any employee because such employ ee has filed any complaint or instituted, or caused to be instituted, any proceeding under, or related to this Act; or has testified, or is about to testify, in any such proceeding; or because of the exercise of such employee, on behalf of himself or others, of any right afforded by this Act." Note: Even if the employee loses under the Occupational Safety & Health Act, he might claim viola tion of his First Amendment freedom of speech right. NIOSH STARTS HEALTH HAZARD EVALUATION AT EXXON'S BATON ROUGE REFINERY: NIOSH has launched a health hazard evaluation at the Exxon refinery in Baton Rouge, La., to evalu ate employee exposure to various chemicals in the wastewater treatment section. The visit is the result of 0 ocor.2c.41i- S rM- 6 Occupational Health & Safety Letter1^October 22,1982 a confidential health-hazard evaluation request from the International Brotherhood of Electrical-Workers and a local of the Oil and Chemical Workers Union, A study by a California-based consulting firm released in August found a 20 percent rate of miscar riages among wives ofhten employed at the wastewater treatment facility. At that time, Exxon said the group's findings were "not conclusive." ` The study, performed for Exxon, showed that 89 wives of electricians, mechanics and other workers who had been exposed to hazardous chemicals in the wastewater treatment plant at some period from 1978 to 1981 had an over-all rate of miscarriages and stillbirths of 10.5 percent. More than 100 employees in the plant have complained of rash and eye irritation. "DUMP TRUCK" APPROACH TO BLACK LUNG CLAIMS DEPLORED: One of the basic problems of evaluating a physician's opinions and medical reports in black lung claims is the "dump truck" approach, or the ambiguous and bald assertions. That opinion came from Charles P. Rippey. Administrative Law Judge of the Labor Department, at a symposium on Black Lung Liability under the 1981 Legislation, sponsored by the Energy Bureau. "One of the glaring weaknesses on the part of both claimants' and employers* presentations is their utilization of physicians who are biased," Rippey said. "An impartial physician is able to offer the employer a more accurate assessment of the claimant's condition. The employer then will be better able to decide whether to contest the claim. The use of the impartial physician will also prove to be an asset to the attorney when he wears the advocate's hat. Unfor tunately, there are a number of physicians who fail to find pneumoconiosis or disability in spite of over* whelming evidence or who, on the other side, use the slightest pulmonary deficit to support findings of pneumoconiosis or disability." Rippey said that a responsibility of a judge is to determine whether the physician's opinion is affected by any relationship with the claimant. A physician who strives for objectivity rather than strains to support one side of the case will produce a much sounder opinion, he said. Attorneys should not rely on the physician to supply a full explanation of his findings, Rippey said. Instead, they should review his report and use follow-up questions or depositions to clarify his findings. "For the 'dump truck* approach to advocacy, nothing proves to be of more hindrance to the idea of keeping the record clear and concise," he said. "The attorney's fear of omitting a crucial bit of informa tion is genuine; however, a truck load of information will not necessarily remedy that situation. More often than not, the mass of materials will ensure that some of the critical material is overlooked or not given the proper emphasis." GAO REPORT PRAISES ACTIONS TAKEN TO REDUCE OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION EXPOSURE: The General Accounting Office has issued a report praising the actions taken thus far or planned to help reduce occupational radiation exposure at commercial nuclear power plants. GAO found that many of the efforts to reduce the collective dose began after the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island. Before that, it said, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the nuclear industry "paid little attention to the collective dose and its increases." However, it added, NRC, utilities and industry groups have recently initiated a number of actions to improve control over and reduce occupational radia tion exposures, including the collective dose. The Department of Energy (DOE), which is responsible for dose reduction research and development, is currently reassessing its role. GAO prepared its report at the request of Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio). It was asked to provide answers to the following questions: * To what extent have radiation exposures increased for reactor employees? GAO said that although exposures to individual workers have remained relatively constant, the collec tive dose--the total dose received by all nuclear power plant workers--has increased dramatically. Individ ual exposures have not increased because operators of nuclear power plants have, as a standard practice, restricted doses to individual workers by adding more workers and exposing each worker for only a short period of time. -V*i & " Occupational Health & Safety Letter, October 22, 1982 directed to explore everyone's responsibility toward creating a healthy environment--both social and physi cal--that will lead to healthy babies." NASHVILLE TO HALT ASBESTOS PAYMENTS PRIOR TO FILING: Manville Corp. says it will stop payment on a major asbestos damage settlement reached before its August 26 filing for protection under Federal bankruptcy laws. The move threatens to have a great impact on several settlements that the company reached before filing. The trustee handling the case acknowledged that Manville might be forced to stop payments for asbestos-related cases until a plan is worked out to pay all Manville creditors. Meanwhile, a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles says he will reopen about 4,000 civil suits over asbestos-related diseases unless defense lawyers persuade him otherwise. Proceedings in all the suits were brought to a standstill by Judge Christian F. Markey Jr. in August after Manville Corp. sought protection from creditors. FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO GET GREATER HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTECTION: OSHA has announced new initiatives to strengthen on-the-job protection for Federal employees. Assistant Secretary Thome G. Auchter said the new initiatives will include: * Placing increased reliance on upgrading the importance of the Federal Ad'- sory Council on Occu pational Safety and Health, a 16-member advisory panel constituted under the authority of a Presidential Executive Order. * Making better use of data available from the Labor Department's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, reflecting more current and more comprehensive information on injuries and illnesses among Federal workers. * Using the worker compensation data to assist in identifying Federal establishments with the worst injury and illness rates so the agency can concentrate its efforts there. * Working more closely with Federal agencies to contribute appropriate OSHA assistance such as consultation, education and training and technical advice to agencies. John Plummer is head of the Office of Federal Agency Programs at OSHA. AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY ADOPTS COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY: At its recent conference in Canberra, the Federal Australian Labor Party adopted a comprehensive health and safety policy, which includes the following basic components: * Involvement of workers and unions in setting health and safety standards at the national level, through establishment of a tripartite National Occupational Health and Safety Commission responsible to the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations. * Enforcement of standards and regulations at the national level, with the Territories, and in the sphere of Commonwealth government employment, through establishment of a National Occupational Health and Safety Office to implement the decisions of the Commission. * Involvement of workers and unions in monitoring and control of hazards at workplace level through appointment of workers' health and safety delegates. * Licensing of new chemicals at the national level, according to principles and criteria to be developed by the Tripartite Commission, through the establishment of an Environmental Contaminants Authority responsible to the Minister for Environment. * Provision of hazard information, commissioning of research, and training of health and safety profes sionals, through establishment of a National Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health (NIEOH) responsible to the Minister of Health. SAL JCC02r^l4 Occupational Health & Safety Letter, October 22, 1982 7 "From 1969 to 1980, the number of workers exposed per reactor has increased approximately eight fold," it said. "Thus, individual exposures have been maintained well below the regulatory limit. The col lective dose, on the other hand, has increased substantially, rising from 1,247 man-rems in 1969 to 53,796 man-rems in 1980. While some of this increase is due, in part, to an increase in the number of reactors, the average collective dose per reactor rose from 178 man-rems in 1969 to 791 man-rems in 1980--a fourfold increase. * What are the causes for this increase? GAO identified three major factors: (1} increased radiation levels and maintenance due to plant age; (2) modifications required by NRC to correct identified safety problems; (3) unanticipated premature failure of major plant components. Others are the use of less experienced workers and nuclear plant man agement's attitude toward radiological safety. * What are the potential impacts? GAO believes the most likely impact would be increased exposures for highly skilled technical work ers who are hired on a temporary basis to perform major maintenance and modifications when the plant is shut down. Because the practice of adding more workers to keep individual exposures down relies on an adequate supply of workers being available to replace those already exposed, individual exposures could increase if worker supply falls short of demand. "Temporary workers in highly skilled technical positions require a great deal of training and will be the hardest to replace and the most likely affected should shortages occur," it said. "However, because licensees have restricted exposures to levels well below the regulatory limit, individual exposures would have to increase about seven times before contributing to any worker supply shortages." SWEDEN ADOPTS NEW REGULATION ON SYNTHETIC INORGANIC FIBERS, EFFECTIVE1 JAN. 1: The National Board of Occupational Safety and Health in Sweden has issued a new Ordinance cover ing exposures to fibrous dust in the handling of synthetic inorganic fibers. It covers all activities involving the production, use or other handling of synthetic inorganic fibers or of materials in which the content of such fibers exceeds 5 percent by weight. The ordinance, which will become effective January 1, 1983, stresses the duty of the employer. If there are several products to choose from, employers must try to use the product emitting the least amount of fibrous dust. The safety regulations must be posted. In addition, products which can generate fibrous dust must carry a warning and instructions in Swedish concerning the safety precautions to avoid harmful exposure. Glass wool and rockwool insulation products, however, need not be marked if they carry product numbers, product names or such which make them easy to identify. Products consisting of or containing crystalline fibers or mainly consisting of microfibers must be machined or handled on special premises if the operation generates dust. Special measures must be taken to prevent dust spreading from operations involving heavy dust emis sion, such as spray insulation using loose wool or demolition work. Respirators must be used for work gen erating large amounts of dust, and use should be made of safety clothing to protect sensitive areas of the skin. Premises on which material containing synthetic inorganic fibers is handled must be cleaned at least once per week in a way to prevent dust from spreading. The atmosphere must be checked at least once a year. MARCH OF DIMES LAUNCHES HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM IN WORKPLACE: A new health education program in the workplace has been launched by the March of Dimes, with the theme "Good Health Is Good Business." The March of Dimes will focus on health habits and attitudes that lead to healthy childbearing and prevention of birth defects. "The facts are that more and more women are delaying childbearing until they have established their careers, and more women are working in order to provide that second income," said Mary Hughes, Ph.D., March of Dimes vice president for public health education. "Many women are staying on the job while they are pregnant. It's clear that nowadays the audience for our educational message is in the workplace." Although the primary audience will be women. Dr. Hughes emphasized that the program would be SAL oconzco 3 Volume 12, No. 19 GERSHON W. FISHBEIN, PUBLISHER October 8. 1982 Main 0fficejl097 National Press Building Washington, D.C. 20045 (202) 347-3868 Published twice a.month. Rate: $125 per year; $235 in combination with Environmental Health Letter. Checks and orders payable to Environews, Inc., 1097 National Press Bldg., Washington, D.C. 2004S Highlights of This Issue Dr. Infante in new internal flap over review of benzene report...................................... .Page 1 Cowan moves upstairs at Labor Dept.; effect on OSHA uncertain........................... .. .Page 2 NIOSH advised not to conduct radiation health study at Portsmouth shipyard........... .Page 2 Report says workers denied jobs because of genetic screening may sue employers ... .Page 3 NIOSH awards II more research grants....................................................... ........................Page 4 Two chemical plant employees die after exposure to EDB............................................. .Page 4 OSHA summons leaders in occupational health, announces 1983 objectives......... .. .Page 5 Pathologists to conduct one-year study of asbestos exposure .................................. .. .Page 6 DR. INFANTE IN NEW INTERNAL FLAP OVER REVIEW OF BENZENE REPORT: -& The Infante Terrible of OSHA has done it again, although this time the hiss seems more of a tempest in a teapot. You will recall that Dr. Peter F. Infante was fired in the summer of 1981 as Director of OSHA's Office of Carcinogen Identification and Classification for allegedly misrepresenting the agency's views on formal dehyde after he wrote his personal views of an International Agency for Cancer Research report on OSHA stationery (OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY LETTER, July 8,1981). His dismissal was rescinded shortly thereafter when a Congressional committee began an investigation. Now the stationery issue has surfaced again--although, as we say, in a milder fashion. Here's the story in capsule form: Three researchers from the National Cancer Institute--Drs. Pierre Decoufle (now at the University of Arizona), William A. Blattner and Aaron Blair--conducted an epidemiological investigation of 259 male employees of the Conoco Co. chemical plant in Baltimore, where benzene had been used in large quantities. The study group included all persons employed by the company between January 1,1947 and Decem ber 31, 1960. The cohort was followed through December 31,1977, at which time 58 known deaths were identified. They found four deaths from lymphoreticular cancers when 1. P would have been expected on the basis of national mortality rates. Three of the deaths were due to leukemia and one was caused by multiple myeloma. In addition, one of the leukemia deaths had multiple myeloma listed on the death certificate. "The findings are consistent with previous reports of leukemia following occupational exposure to benzene and raise the possibility that multiple myeloma could be linked to benzene also," conclude the authors in the report, to be published in the December issue of "Environmental Research," edited by Dr. Irving Selikoff. In keeping with traditional practice, the journal asked Dr. Infante, among other scientists, to review the study as an individual, not as an OSHA employee. In his review. Dr. Infante praised the study as supporting the conclusion that workers who had been employed for at least one year at this plant "have experienced an excess risk of mortality from cancer of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues." In fact. Dr. Infante suggested--based on his own analyses--that the excess risk may have been underestimated. He noted that his views were his own, not necessarily those of OSHA. The International Chemical Workers Union, which has members at the Baltimore plant, asked Dr. SAL OOCC2C415 Occupational Health & Safety Letter, October 8,1982 Infante for a review of the data, or at least a copy of the review he sent to the journal. At this point. Infante was told by his boss, R. Leonard Vance, Director of Health Standards for OSHA, that he could not reply to ICWU on OSHA stationery. Vance then wrote to Rich Uhlar, industrial hygienist for the union; that Infante's critique could not be sent out because "no internal review" of it had been conducted at OSHA. He also cited "labor-management problems" at the plant and reiterated OSHA's policy of staying out of labotmanagement disputes. Uhlar expressed some puzzlement to us about the reply since he said the union only wanted Infante's personal appraisal of the data and that he was also unaware of any labor-management problem. Meanwhile, Infante succeeded in getting a copy of his analysis of the benzene problem in general into the public record on the subject. That, in itself, was considered a minor triumph. Note: Prof. Cesar Maltoni of the University of Bologna, Italy, considered one of the world's leading investigators in various occupational exposures, has reported widespread tumors in animals exposed to vary ing levels of benzene, raising caution flags among researchers and government agencies. One authoritative source told us that Maltoni's data "give clues that benzene is not only leukemogenic but causes many other tumors as well." ( COWAN MOVES UPSTAIRS AT LABOR DEPT.; EFFECT ON OSHA UNCERTAIN: In an unexpected action, Mark D. Cowan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA for 16 months, has been moved upstairs to be chief of staff to Labor Secretary Raymond J. Donovan. Assistant Secretary Thome G. Auchter notified his managers that all matters previously funnelled through Cowan will henceforth be handled directly by him. Beyond that, the long-term implications fojr OSHA remain uncertain. Cowan had served as alter ego for Auchter, frequently taking the heat directed at his boss. As chief of staff, Cowan will act as liaison between the office of Secretary Donovan and other agencies and units of the Labor Department, so his impact on OSHA will not be diminished and, in fact, may even be greater in terms of top-level decision making. Donovan, who has been under investigation for alleged links to Mafia contacts in his construction business in New Jersey before entering the Government, has in Cowan a former assistant legislative counsel for the CIA, where he served for five years. He has also been counsel for the House Committee on Stand ards of Official Conduct. Note: Cowan recently urged industry not to retrench in occupational health and safety because "OSHA is here to stay" (OCCUPA TIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY LETTER, Sept. 22). ( NIOSH ADVISED NOT TO CONDUCT RADIATION HEALTH STUDY AT PORTSMOUTH SHIPYARD: A committee of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council has advised NIOSH not to proceed with a proposed study of possible radiation health effects of nuclear workers at the Portsmouth (N.H.) Naval Shipyard. After reviewing the NIOSH research protocot, the committee concluded that the tests proposed could "add little" to the scientific information already available on the effects of radiation on human chromo somes and would not provide "neaningful" scientific information on any possible sperm count changes. In addition, the committee said that the relationship between chromosome and sperm abnormalities and subsequent health effects is too poorly understood in general to allow NIOSH to predict health risks from any abnormalities observed in the Portsmouth workers. This is particularly true because of the low radiation exposure for these workers, it commented. Secretary of Health and Human Services Richard Schweiker asked the committee to review NIOSH's research proposal last January following concerns raised by the Navy that the Portsmouth study designs would not produce useful scientific information. The chromosome and sperm studies were proposed by NIOSH as a follow-up to an earlier NIOSH mortality study that found no excess risk of cancer among these workers. Evaluation of chromosomal aberrations is a useful method, or "biological dosimeter" for verifying radiation exposures measured by film badges or other devices for determining the exposure of someone { SAL 000020416