Document DG91pMvqLx8kMvmwGkpEoMx7d

AVAILABILITY OF POLYVINYL CHLORIDE FOR WIRE AND CABLE THREATENED Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used plastics in the electronics industry, where it is employed principally for in sulated wire and cabie. It is also used for encapsulation, coatings and plastic parts and hardware. Indirect applications of PVC in the electronic industry include its use in nines.(for water and chemi cals!, racks, IC carriers and num erous production aids. It is also essential to the automotive, con struction, appliance and pack aging industries. A proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard governing work ing conditions has threatened to shut down the entire vinyl chloride industry, with immediate widespread consequences. PVC resin--the basic material for the entire spectrum of PVC plastics--is made from vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), whose IUC designation is chloroethene (CH,:CHC1). Since its boiling point is --13.9C, VCM is a gas at normal temperatures. The pro posed OSHA standard would re quire that by October 5, 1974, the VCM content of the air in vinyl chloride plants be reduced from the April 5 emergency standard level of 50 ppm (parts per million) to a "no-detectable" level. Since the OSHA "no-detectable" level is based on the use of measuring instruments that are sensitive to 1 ppm, in effect it implies a VCM concentration (in air) of less than 1 ppm. Presum ably, a VCM concentration of 0.5 ppm would be interpreted as being undetectable. One of the reasons for the strict VCM exposure standard proposed by OSHA is the recent linking of exposure to VCM with the in cidence of a rare form of liver cancer known as angiosarcoma. Stating that the "zero-detect able" VCM concentration require ment would make it virtually im possible for vinyl chloride plants to operate, the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI> called the proposed OSHA standard "exces sively and unrealistically restric tive." To enable the industry to present plans that would assure worker safety while permitting a vital industry to continue operat ing, SPI requested that OSHA hold hearings on the problem. SPI also commissioned the consulting firm of Arthur D. Little, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., to prepare a survey of the economic impact of cutting off the supply of vinyl chloride. Nearly a thousand representa tives of government, industry, organized labor and the medical profession gathered for the subse quent hearings that began on June 25 in Washington, D.C. Extensive testimony was presented during some two weeks of hearings, in cluding questioning of witnesses by members of Ralph Nader's consumer advocate organization. To summarize briefly, the hear ings brought out the fact that ex posure to excessive levels of VCM has a high probability of causing cancer in man. Exactly what con stitutes an excessive level was not resolved definitely. Industry testi mony indicated that reduction of exposure to "no-detectuble" levels of VCM is not technologically feasible at the present time but reduction of VCM levels during a two-year period is a realistic probability. The industry proposal for PVC resin plants, as stated by Anton Vittone, chairman of the SPI committee of Vinyl Chloride Monomer and Polyvinyl Chloride Producers and president of B. F. Goodrich Chemical Co., calls for a ffTTal ceiling level of 25 ppm, with a maximum daily time-weighted average of 10 ppm to become ef fective October 5, 197G. The use of practical and effective respira tory protection would be required for levels above 25 ppm. In an overview of the plastics industry's position with respect to vinyl chloride problems. Jerome H. Heckman, SPI's general coun sel, stated that SPI believes it to be essential that any final stand ard adopted by the government take into balanced account the full spectrum of public and employee health considerations, social and economic impact, and other publicinterest factors. At this precarious state of its knowledge, SPI be lieves that misplaced reliance on mere suspicions rather than proven data, or precipitous and emotional reaction to such in complete information, together Electronic Packapin And Production Chicago, 111. M. 26.50C AUG 1074 BFG26426 zmoL&Z News with a narrowly construed inter pretation of interests, could lead to major economic consequences, Vince P. Ficcaglia, manager of economic analysis and forecasting for Arthur D. Little, Inc. (ADL), summarized the conclusions of the recently published report prepared for the VCM and PVC Committee, titled "United States Polyvinyl Chloride Resin Industry Impact Analysis." (ADL employed an in put/output economic model for its analysis and was able to estimate the impact on the PVC resin in dustry itself, as well as its effect on other major segments of the U.S. economy, by defining the interaction of the PVC industry with primary, secondary and final demand markets.) Among the conclusions were the following: An immediate shutdown of all PVC resin plants in the U.S., and the subsequent unavailability of PVC resin, could result in a loss of 1.7 to 2.2 million jobs in con suming and related industries and a loss of domestic production value of $65-90 billion annually. The extent to which materials could be substituted for PVC resin in the immediate term (less than one year), ADL believes, is quite limited and, therefore, would have an insignificant effect on reduc ing the potential job and domestic production losses noted. Because of the high depend ence on PVC resin in the building and motor-vehicle sectors, these two segments of our economy would suffer the greatest share of the total impact. -Unavailability of PVC resin will cause production bottlenecks in terms of insulated wire and cable, flooring, upholstery, and many other materials. The eco nomic impact of loss in production and employment would be felt by all regions of the country. Among other major points raised by industry witnesses testi fying on behalf of SPI was that, on the basis of available evidence, it would appear that the national incidence of angiosarcoma has been underestimated in the past. A medical survey of present and past industry employees shows, in general, no greater incidence of liver abnormality, even among long-term employees, than exists among the general public. Interestingly enough, although PVC may cause deaths, it also saves lives. The Brunswick Cor poration, a producer of catheters and other medical devices made from PVC, testified that a shut down of the PVC industry could threaten the lives of thousands of Americans who undergo surgery each year, during which such de vices are used or implanted. It is expected that the judge will keep the record open for some time, now that the hearings have been completed. SPI, which stresses that no evidence pre sented at these hearings should cause the general public any alarm concerning the use of any PVC product, expects to file a wrap-up statement for the record. The evidence upon which, after review, OS HA may base its judg ment has now been established. It is expected that by early Septem ber OSHA will issue a proposed final standard for promulgation by October 5. It is SPI's fond hope that the standard will be one that "we can all live with and prosper under." {ON!C rACKAOINO n<! PRODUCTION BOOiil& Z Z