Document ByJkROkaE5zxOOw41Jbzqn8Gk

-Tom Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky.. in 1951, a master of science in zoology from Cincinnati in 195**, and doctor of philosophy from the school in 1958, concentrating in physiology, ecology, and biochemistry. Enforcement OSAHRC^TCUITES FAILURE TO MONITOR FOFjM/INYL CH LOR I DE^l'S JUSTIFIED nL A ntanufacturerTBelTef that only a "negligible" amount of vinyl chloride (VC) would be released during an operation in which polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was used is seen to justify the firm's decision not to monitor the operation for VC. This 2 to 1 ruling ol the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission in Western Electric, Inc. (No, 8902) reversed a decision of Review Commission Judge Raul E. Dixon. Western Electric was cited for allegedly failing to monitor an operation in which a solution containing PVC was used in a process whereby wire coils are coated with a layer of in sulation The company's omission was alleged to be in viola tion of the monitoring requirement of the emergency tem porary standard for vinyl chloride. 29 CFR 1910.93q(c)(l). The employer's contention that VC was not "released" during the coating process within the meaning of the stan dard was based on monitoring performed by one of the firm's industrial hygienists at its Lee's Summit, Mo., plant. The operation monitored was one in which sheets of PVC are welded together to make exhaust ducts. The hygienist thought that, of all the operations in the plant utilizing PVC, this would result in the release of the greatest amount of VC. The resulting measurement of several parts per billion rein forced his conclusion that VC levels in all areas of the plant were well below the 50 ppm specified in the emergency standard. Accordingly, he decided it was unnecessary to monitor the other operations in which PVC is used. The highest concentration of VC measured by the Secretary of Labor was 1.7 ppm, or approximately one-thir tieth of the 50 ppm limit established by the standard. Nevertheless, the secretary argued that because some amount of VC, however small, is "released," Western Elec tric violated the standard by failing to monitor the coil coating operation. On the other hand, the employer contend ed that the standard was not intended to require monitoring when only a negligible amount of VC is released in an opera tion utilizing PVC. Noting that Western Electric's decision not to monitor the coil coating process was based on foresight, the commission majority declined to find a violation of the standard. The result of the company's monitoring of the welding operation, coupled with its understanding of the process by which VC is released from PVC, strongly suggested that the amount of VC released in the coil coating operation would be negligi ble compared with 50 ppm, according to the majority. "Nothing in the record casts doubt on the validity of this judgment, or on the good faith with which it was made," the majority added in an opinion written by Chairman Frank R. Bamako. Commissioner Robert D. Moran concurred. In the dissenting opinion of commission member Timothy F. Cleary, the standard requires monitoring of employee ex posure levels in every operation in which any vinyl chloride is released. In his opinion, the majority has substituted its own monitoring standard. Since some quantity of VC was released into the work environment during the coating OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH REPORTER operation and the operation was not monitored by Western Electric, Cleary would affirm the citation. This ruling will appear in a future Decisions supplement. Appropriations REVIEW COMMISSION JUSTIFIES '78 REQUEST IN BUDGET FOR $720,000 OVER '17 BASE The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission February 3 justified a $720,000 increase in its budget request for fiscal 1978 amounting to a total of $7,150,000, to the House Appropriations Labor-Health, Education, and Wel fare Subcommittee. The increase includes $316,000 for employment of five ad ditional administrative law judges, four clerical support positions for the ALJ's, one appellate counsel, and one secretarial position. The increases also include a $150,000 supplemental request to support the FY 1977 pay raise. In addition, other increases include $108,000 to cover costs of converting from a commerical contractor for automatic data processing services to a commission-operated mini computer system. Review Commission Chairman Frank R. Bamako was re quested by Congressman Silvio O. Conte (R-Mass) to answer for the record the following questions: How many cases has your commission successfully handled in the past year? Do you see a possible trend evolving toward an increase in this number as a result of the adoption of Rule 91a? Did you see any need to revise your budget requests since the adoption of Rule 91a? At what rate is your work load increasing every year? With the closing of field offices on the west coast how much will your case load decrease? What are the monetary savings? Will the combination of your extensive reorganization and congressional acceptance of your budget allow you to handle your case load efficiently? Where will these proposed new Administrative Law Judges be located? What is the price tag attached to your computerized retrieval and case tracking system? What are the unnecessary services you refered to which are provided by the G.S.A. and how much do they cost the commission? Do you know what the savings would be if you moved out of Washington D.C. and into the metropolitan area? What are the estimated savings in time and money related to the recent adoption of Rule 91a? Utah AS I 00022793 OSH ACT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE RULES The Utah Occupational Safety and Health Act violates the state constitution in several respects, a state court judge held on January 19. Judge Bryant H. Croft of the District Court of the Third Judicial District, Salt Lake County, issued this ruling in a class action titled Baird v. State of Utah (Civil No. 237878). Plaintiff R. Lamar Baird, a local businessman, filed suit on behalf of himself and all other Utah residents similarly situated, seeking an injunction against the enforcement of the state job safety law, which is modeled after the federal Occupationol Safety g, Health Reporter 1180 from Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky., in 1951, a master of science in zoology from Cincinnati in 1951, and doctor of philosophy from the school in 1958. concentrating in physiology, ecology, and biochemistry. Enforcement OSAHRC RULES FAILURE TO MONITOR FOR VINYL CHLORIDE IS JUSTIFIED A manufacturer's belief that only a `'negligible" amount of vinyl chloride (VC) would be released during an operation in which polyvinyl chloride (PVC! was used is seen to justify the firm's decision not to mou.tor the operation for VC. This 2 lo 1 ruling ol the Occupational .Solely and Health Review Commission in Western Klectnc, Inc. (No. 8902) reversed a decision of Review Commission Judge Paul E. Dixon Western Electric was cited for allegedly foiling to monitor an operation in which a solution containing PVC was used in a process whereby wire coils are coated with a layer of in sulation, The company's omission was alleged to be in viola tion of (lie monitoring requirement of the emergency tem porary standard for vinyl chloride, 29 CFR 1910.93q(c) f I). The employer's contention that VC was not ``released'' during the coating process within the meaning of the stan dard was based on monitoring performed by one of the firm's industrial hygienists at its Lee's Summit, Mo., plant. The operation monitored was one in which sheets of PVC are welded together to make exhaust ducts The hygienist thought that, of all the operations in the plant utilizing PVC, Ibis would result in the release of the greatest amount of VC. The resulting measurement of several parts per billion rein forced his conclusion that VC levels in all areas of the plant were well below the 50 ppm specified in the emergency standard. Accordingly, he decided it was unnecessary to monitor the other operations in which PVC is used. The highest concentration of VC measured by the Secretary of Labor was 1.7 ppm, or approximately one-thirtieth of the 50 ppm limit established by the standard. Nevertheless, the secretary argued that because some amount of VC, however small, is ``released," Western Elec tric violated the standard by failing to monitor the coil coating operation. On the other hand, the employer contend ed that the standard was not intended to require monitoring when only a negligible amount of VC is released in an opera tion utilizing PVC. Noting that Western Electric's decision not to monitor the coil coating process was based on foresight, the commission majority declined to find a violation of the standard. The result of the company's monitoring of the welding operation, coupled with its understanding of the process by which VC is released from PVC, strongly suggested that the amount of VC released in the coil coating operation would be negligi ble compared with 50 ppm, according to the majority. "Nothing in the record casts doubt on the validity of this judgment, or on the good faith with which it was made," the majority added in an opinion written by Chairman Frank R. Harnako. Commissioner Robert D. Moran concurred. In the dissenting opinion of commission member Timothy F, Cleary, the standard requires monitoring of employee ex posure levels in every operation in which any vinyl chloride is released. In his opinion, the majority has substituted its own monitoring standard. Since some quantity of VC was released into the work environment during the coating OCCUPA i IOi\IAL SAFE i Y & HEALTH nEfOri i C t i operation and the operation was not monilored by Western Electric, Cleary would affirm the citation. This ruling will appear in a future Decisions supplement. Appropriations REVIEW COMMISSION JUSTIFIES '78 REQUEST IN BUDGET FOR S720.000 OVER '77 BASE The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission February 3 justified a $720,000 increase in its budget request for fiscal 1978 amounting to a total of $7,150,000, to the House Appropriations Labor-Health, Education, and Wel fare Subcommittee. The increase includes $316,000 for employment of five ad ditional administrative law judges, four clerical support positions for the ALJ's, one appellate counsel, and one secretarial position. The increases also include a $150,000 supplemental request to support the FY 1977 pay raise. In addition, other increases include $108,000 to cover costs of converting from a commerical contractor for automatic data processing services to a commission-operated mini computer system. Review Commission Chairman Frans R. Bamako was re quested by Congressman Silvio O. Conte (R-Mass) to answer for the record the following questions: How many cases has your commission successfully handled in the past year? Do you see a possible trend evolving toward an increase in this number as a result of the adoption of Rule 91a? Did you see any need to revise your budget requests ,:nce the adoption of Rule 91a? At what rate is your work load increasing every year? With the closing of field offices on the west coast how much will your case load decrease? What are the monetary savings? Will the combination of your extensive reorganization and congressional acceptance of your budget allow you to handle your case load efficiently? Where will these proposed new Administrative Law Judges be located? What is the price tag attached to your computerized retrieval and case tracking system? What are the unnecessary services you refered to which are provided by the G.S.A. and how much do they cost the commission? Do you know what the savings would be if you moved out of Washington D.C. and into the metropolitan area? What are the estimated savings in time and money related to the recent adoption of Rule 91a? Utah AS I 00022794 OSH ACT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE RULES The Utah Occupational Safety and Health Act violates the state constitution in several respects, a state court judge held on January 19, Judge Bryant H. Croft of the District Court of the Third Judicial District, Salt Lake County, issued this ruling in a class action titled Baird v. State of Utah (Civil No. 237878). Plaintiff R. Lamar Baird, a local businessman, filed suit on behalf of himself and ali other Utah residents similarly situated, seeking an injunction against the enforcement of the state job safety law, which is modeled after the federal Occupational Safety & Health Reporter ! 1 SO from Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky., in 1051, a master of science in zoology from Cincinnati in 1054, and doctor of philosophy from the school in 1958, concentrating in physiology, ecology, and biochemistry. Enforcement OSAHRC RULES FAILURE TO MONITOR FOR VINYL CHLORIDE IS JUSTIFIED A manufacturer's belief that only a "negligible" amount of vmyl chloride (VC) would be released during an operation in uhich polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was used is seen to justify tiie firm's decision not to monitor the operation for VC. This 2 to 1 ruling ol the Occupational Saiety and Health Review Commission in Western Electric, Inc. (No. 8902) reversed a decision of Review Commission Judge Paul E. Dixon. Western Electric was cited for allegedly failing to monitor an operation in which a solution containing PVC was used in a process whereby wire coils are coated with a layer of in sulation. The company's omission was alleged to be in viola tion of the monitoring requirement of the emergency tem porary standard for vinyl chloride, 29 CFR 1910.93q(c)(1). The employer's contention that VC was not "released'' during the coating process within the meaning of the stan dard was based on monitoring performed by one of the firm's industrial hygienists at its Lee's Summit, Mo., plant. The operation monitored was one in which sheets of PVC are welded together to make exhaust ducts. The hygienist thought that, of all the operations in the plant utilizing PVC, this would result in the release of the greatest amount of VC. The resulting measurement of several parts per billion rein forced his conclusion that VC levels in all areas of the plant were well below the 50 ppm specified in the emergency standard. Accordingly, he decided it was unnecessary to monitor the other operations in which PVC is used. The highest concentration of VC measured by the Secretary of Labor was 1.7 ppm, or approximately one-thir tieth of the 50 ppm limit established by the standard. Nevertheless, the secretary argued that because some amount of VC, however small, is "released," Western Elec tric violated the standard by failing to monitor the coil coating operation. On the other hand, the employer contend ed that the standard was not intended to require monitoring when only a negligible amount of VC is released in an opera tion utilizing PVC. Noting that Western Electric's decision not to monitor the coil coating process was based on foresight, the commission majority declined to find a violation of the standard. The result of the company's monitoring of the welding operation, coupled with its understanding of the process by which VC is released from PVC, strongly suggested that the amount of VC released in the coil coating operation would be negligi ble compared with 50 ppm, according to the majority. "Nothing in the record casts doubt on the validity of this judgment, or on the good faith with which it was made," the majority added in an opinion wTitten by Chairman Frank R. Bamako. Commissioner Robert D. Moran concurred. In the dissenting opinion of commission member Timothy . Cleary, the standard requires monitoring of employee ex posure levels in every operation in which any vinyl chloride is released. In his opinion, the majority has substituted its own monitoring standard. Since some quantity of VC was released into the work environment during the coating OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH REPORTER operation and the operation was not monitored by Western Electric, Cleary would affirm the citation. This ruling will appear in a future Decisions supplement. Appropriations REVIEW COMMISSION JUSTIFIES '78 REQUEST IN BUDGET FOR $720,000 OVER '77 BASE The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission February 3 justified a $720,000 increase in its budget request for fiscal 1978 amounting to a total of $7,150,000, to the House Appropriations Labor-Health, Education, and Wel fare Subcommittee. The increase includes $316,000 for employment of five ad ditional administrative law judges, four clerical support positions for the ALJ's, one appellate counsel, and one secretarial position. The increases also include a $150,000 supplemental request to support the FY 1977 pay raise. In addition, other increases include $108,000 to cover costs of converting from a cornmerical contractor for automatic data processing services to a commission-operated mini computer system. Review Commission Chairman Frank R. Bamako was re quested by Congressman Silvio O. Conte (R-Mass) to answer for the record the following questions: Plow many cases has your commission successfully handled in the past year? Do you see a possible trend evolving toward an increase in this number as a result of the adoption of Rule 91a? Did you see any need to revise your budget requests since the adoption of Rule 91a? At what rate is your work load increasing every year? With the closing of field offices on the west coast how much will your case load decrease? What are the monetary savings? Will the combination of your extensive reorganization and congressional acceptance of your budget allow you to handle your case load efficiently? Where will these proposed new Administrative Law Judges be located? What is the price tag attached to your computerized retrieval and case tracking system? What are the unnecessary services you refered to which are provided by the G.S.A. and how much do they cost the commission? Do you know what the savings would be if you moved out of Washington D.C. and into the metropolitan area? What are the estimated savings in time and money related to the recent adoption of Rule 91a? Utah AS I 00022795 OSH ACT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE RULES The Utah Occupational Safety and Health Act violates the state constitution in several respects, a state court judge held on January 19. Judge Bryant H. Croft of the District Court of the Third Judicial District, Salt Lake County, issued this ruling in a class action titled Baird v, State of Utah (Civil No. 237878). Plaintiff R. Lamar Baird, a local businessman, filed suit on behalf of himself and all other Utah residents similarly situated, seeking an injunction against the enforcement of the state job safety law, which is modeled after the federal Occupational Safety & Heolth Reporter l> 734 V Tin, I.ANU.T, AI'KIt. 3, 1976 Occasional Survey GHNin'IC RISKS OF VINYL CHLORIDE Prir.R F. Im-an'tf Jo.sith K. Wacom.r Anthony J. McMichah. Richard J. Waxwmiu.r Henry Falk , Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and Bureau of Epidemiology, Center for Disease Control; and School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Summary A study of pregnancy outcome among wives olwbrkcrs exposed to \TriyI7chlar- ide monomer (v.c.M.) indicated that, in comparison wTflrrOTirrgTsC there"was a significant excess leTal loss in thcgroJp'wnosc husbands had "primary exposure to v.c.M.) whereas no differences between the groups were ooserved before the husbands' exposures. 1 he dilierencc in fetal death-TaTeVTofThc post-exposure comparisons was a reflection of a greater fetal loss associated with the wives younger-aged husbands. The significant excess did not seem to be the result of bias from interviewers, re spondents, nor from women who had experienced chronic abortions weighting the results. These findings, in conjunction with the demonstration of a mutagenic response via microbial test systems and with observa tions of significant excesses of chromosomal aberrations among workers exposed to v.c.M., raise scientific and public-health concern for the possible genetic risks of v.c.M, to man. In the past year, several reports have indicated that^ vinyl-chloride monomer (v.c.M.) is mutagenic in micro bial test systems.1-3 v.c.M. metabolites also have in duced mutations in mammalian cells.'* Likewise, reports from four countries have shown an excess of chromoso mal aberrations in lymphocytes of workers exposed to v.c.M. compared with controls.5-' However, Purchase et al.7 have stated (though no animal fla'fa were presented rtrartHe~mutagemc effects of v.c.M. expressed as chro mosomal aberrationslri lymphocytes in humans do not occur in germ cells in mice; they concluded that the pSTSTrrtaT"danger oi mutagenic effects on the fetus via sperm seemed unlikely to exist. In a study without con trols, Sclikoff observed feta! deatfiTrates among wives of v.c.M. workers tfiaTrangetfTro~m / to 14 per lUO pregtTcTfldesI* Thesd fSICS TtppEaFTo have been higher than "expected.10 To develop further data on this question, pregnancy outcome has been studied among the wives of workers exposed to v.c.M. All current v.c.M. polymerisation and polyvinyl-chloride (p.v.c.) fabrication workers were in cluded for study together with a similar number of cur rent rubber workers (8% of all such workers) selected from work areas relatively free from known toxic materials and matched as a group to the v.c.M. workers by age. Group-participation rates ranged from 62 to 77%. Data for the wives of v.c.M. polymerisation workers (primary v.c.M. group) were contrasted with data for the wives of p.v.c. fabrication and rubber workers ("controls"), who were known to have had very low or no v.c.M. exposure, respectively. A total of 95 v.c.M. polymerisation and 15K rubber and iw.c, fabri- cation workers were interviewed. Paternal age, preg nancy outcome, and estimates for the time of conception of all pregnancies were ascertained by interview in Oct ober, 1974, from males employed at a rubber manufac turing, P.v.c. fabricating, and v.c.M. polymerising facil ity. As part of a larger survey of worker health, date of first employment in the job categories was determined from company records. Mean paternal age, total number of conceptions, total number of fetal deaths (defined as any product of conception not born alive), and fetal deaths per 100 conceptions were then computed for each group prior to and subsequent to the worker's date of employment. No interviews were conducted with workers' wives and no data were obtained concerning maternal age, except indirectly through paternal age. Since fetal loss is known to increase with ascending parental age, the fetal death-rates for the primary v.c.M. exposure group were age-adjusted to the control group. Table t shows the age-adjusted fetal death-rates 'for wives of the primary v.c.M. exposure group versus the control group, both prior to and subsequent to each group's respective exposures. Among pregnan cies occurring pnor m exposure, dj-tal death-rates were 6-9% for the controls versus 6-1% (aRe-adjusteTTISOBe primary v.c.M. exposure group. These rates were not significantly different by Mantcl-Hacnszcl Chi-square testing.12 Among pregnancies occurring subsequent to the husband's exposure, tne'dillerence in frequency of feral deaths between groups was significant at r?lMfy(-/^4-U0, dl= 1).12 Although the underlying distributions differed, mean paternal ages were virtually the same--30-4 versus 30-2 years. The significant dif ference between the groups subsequent to exposure was a reflection of a relatively greater feta! mortality-rate as sociated with younger-aged husbands in the primary v.c.M. exposure group. Among pregnancies occurring subsequent to exposure, the fetal mortality-rates associ ated with husbands 30 years of age and older for the pri mary v.c.M. exposure and control groups were 9/69 (13-0%) and 17/142 (12-0%), respectively; whereas, for ! ; , , TABLE I--MEAN PATERNAL AGE, NUMBER OF PREGNANCIES, AND FETAL death-rates according to husband's v.c. exposure -- Prior to husband's exposure; Number of families Mean paternal age al conception (yr.) Number of fetal deaths among wives Number of pregnancies Agc-udjmted fetal d<rsths/K)0 preg t Subsequent to husband's exposure: Number of families Mean paternal age at conception (yr.) Number of fetal Deaths among wives Number of pregnancies Age-adjusted fetal dcaths/100 preg.t Primary "Controls'** v.cjx. exposure; 95 23-0 11 159 6-9 113 30-4 24 273 ^ 8-8 70 26-4 15 148 6-1 62 30-2 23 139 I5ll$ Rubber grid p.v.c. fabrication workers, fv.c. polymerisation workers. jKates age-adjusted to `'control" group paternal age distribution. ^Subsequent to husband'* exposure, the frequency of fetal deaths among wi\ci was significantly greater m the primary v.c.M. exposure group than m the "con* trols" (f<0-05) or in the study group prior tn husband's exposure (f<0-02) by *ge-adju3ied chi-squarc testing. 1 j AS I 00022796 1 c (' ir e: SI a! cc 8 ex fa r W( in, lat tai far m; wc da: Pn anc 3-1 sun seqi wor a bo eacl for ' was expc T have ing t tervi each amoi com: Fu val b loss the lancet, ai'kh. 3, 1976 735 TAIU Y ll---MFAN PATkRNAl AG! , NUMUHR OF PRKiNANCll 5, AND I i'TM, DV ATH-RAt V $ ACCORDING TO mis HAND'S V.C. 1 XPOSDKl ! XCt.HDIKG PRUiS'ANClFS OF wovt K WITH > 3 HTAL 1)1 AT US -- Primary "Controls"* v.c.m. exposure} pri.t' rn <'rpo:urr. Me.if' p.Hcm.il age (.11 tointp ion vr NumN'r 0) id t] dc.uM M |\ ct Number of prcpn.inoct Apc-.KluiMc4 fetal tJoathMlOO preg Subsequent to h>< f hand's eTposure: Mc.m pjicrn.il .11 conception (vr.) *Number o( (clal dc.illv; among Mixes Number of prcpnjnucs Apc-.idiUMcJ fetal deaths.' 100 preg.i 23-0 1 15V 69 30-2 18 265 6-8 26-3 9 141 i-\ 30-8 14 120 10 s * Rubber and y.\ c. fabrication workers, jvc. poK mentation workers JHaiet aC-jJ?uMcd lp "cpniro}" paternal age disinbuiion. husbands less than 30 years of age, fetal mortality was 14/70 (20-0%) for the primary v.c.m. exposure group compared with 7/131 (5-3%) for the control group (these data are not shown in tables.) Furthermore, intragroup comparisons indicated an increase in age-adjusted rates for the primary v.c.m. exposure group from 6-1% before exposure to 15-8% subsequent to the husband's exposure. This difference also was significant, r><0-02 (/2= 5-51, df=l).13 Similar comparison for rates in the control group, 6-9% versus 8-8%, indicated no significant difference. To determine whether women who had chronically experienced abortions might have weighted the results in favour of a higher fetal death-rate in the primary v.c.m. group subsequent to husband's exposure, pregnancies of women who had more than two abortions were elim inated from the analyses and the data were recalcu lated to determine whether or not the trend was main tained. The decision to exclude all pregnancies among families, associated with more than two abortions was made without prior knowledge of how these families were distributed among the exposure categories. The data in table it show that the trend was maintained. Prior to exposure, the fetal death-rates in the control and primary V.c.m, exposure groups were 6'9% and 3T% (age-adjusted), respectively, whereas, after expo sure, the rates were 6-8% and 10-8%, respectively. Sub sequently, data were eliminated for pregnancies of women who had experienced, firstly, more than one abortion, and, secondly, more than three abortions, and each time the trend was maintained. No changes in rates for controls were observed, whereas a 2-3-fold increase was observed in the primary v.c.m. group subsequent to exposure. To determine whether differences in fetal loss might have been the result of one or two interviewers weight ing the results, the data were analysed by individual in terviewer. The results demonstrated a general trend for each interviewer to report a higher ascertainment among v.c.m. polymerisation workers than among the control group. Further, the possibility was entertained that the inter val between the date of interview and the date of fetal loss might have influenced the results through dif ferences in recall. The interval, however, was estimated to have been about two years lers for controls, suggest ing that, i! a bias did exist, ,i wvJd have been towards a greater ascertainment in the control group. In some cases, the worker failed to indicate the ages of his children and in other cases he was unable to recall the approximate time of his wife's abortion; therefore, the data were analysed to determine the distribution of fetal death-rates among the respondents in each occupational group who did not complete the interview properly. The difference in fetal death-rates between groups was very slight, Finally, the workers may have been subject to bias resulting from prior knowledge of known hazards of vinyl chloride. However, the workers themselves did not always know into which of ->ur employment categories they were being allocated. For example, several p.v.c. fabrication workers who were included in the control group thought that they had a primary v.c.m. exposure as a fabrication worker. In addition, the questions regafffibg pregnancy outcome were contained in a much larger interview-questionnaire, the results of which demonstrated very few significant differences with no consistent bias for the parameters ascertained between the workers with a primary v.c.m. exposure, and the other groups. This observation as well as several others presented above tend to support the validity of the study. In summary, a significant excess of fetal loss was observed among wives of workers following exposure to v.c.m. The excess did not appear to be the result of bias from interviewers or respondents, nor from women who experienced chronic abortions weighting the results. Several mechanisms by which such fetal loss may arise arc suggested. Either fetal or maternal toxicity or germ ed! mutagenesis in the mother through indirect v.c.m. exposure from the father might be considered, although these mechanisms seem highly unlikely in view of the highly volatile nature of v.c.m.13 When the findings of the present study are taken in conjunction with the prior demonstration of a mutagenic response via microbial test systems and observations of significant excesses of chromosomal aberrations among workers exposed to v.c.m,, the leading possibility is germ-cell damage in-the father thr<5ugh"dlrecr'V.c.m. exposure. The increased fetal mortality among wives ofworkers subsequent to v.c.m. exposure now raises serious scientific and publichealth concern for the possible genetic risks of vinyl chloride to man. Requests for reprints should be addressed to P,F,J,, N.I.O.S.H., Post Office Building, Room 515, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, U.S.A. KHKHRIlNCfS 1. ll.irivji, Jl,, M.il.ivicHe, C , Mihufvjms R fm,} Cancer. 1V75, 15, 42V. 2. Ixvpncno, N,, Hjrjlc, K . Varoncclli, S., ct ai. Mutation Ret. (in the pro*) 3. Rannug, U., Johansson, A., Ramcl, C., Wochmeistcr, C. A. Arnbto. 1974, 3, 194. 4. Uuberman, E., Bartsch, 11 , Sachs, L. Int.J. Cancer, 1975, 16, 6}9. 5. Ducaiman, A., Hirschhorn, K., SelikofT, I, J. Aiutan'on Ret, 1975, 31, 163. 6. Funes-Cravloio, F., Lambert, 11., Lindsten, J., Hhrenbcrg, L., Natartjao, A. T. Osterman-Golkar, S, Lancet, 1975, i, 459. 7. Purchase, I. F. H., Richardson, C R., Anderson, D. ibid, 1975, ii, 410. 8. Hillesiad, L.> Thiis*Evenscn, E- Unpublished. 9. SelikofT, I. J., N.LE.H.S. Conference on Public Health Implications of Com ponents of Plastics Manufacture, Pinehurst, North Carolina, July, 1974. 10. Infante, P. F. Ann. N.Y, Acad. Sci. (in the press). 11. Shapiro, S., Jones, E. W,, Densen, P. M. Milbank Q. 1962,40,7. 12. Mantel, N., Haensiel, W.7. Natn. Cancer Inn, 1959,22, 719. 13. United States Environmental Protection Agency, sampling and analysis of select toxic substances, task tli vinyl chloride. Contract no. 68-4)1*2646. Jao.20,1976. AS I 00022797