Document MMZ9BpK1e8kevnx6VVgdQMnDk

Copy to: D. H. Dawson Vie* President G. E. Holbrook Vice President May 20, 1966 File OH - 430 TO: GENERAL MANAGERS -CHIEF ENGINEER, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, CENTRAL RESEARCH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUES On April 19, 1966, the MCA Board of Directors, upon recotr.ner.ca- tion of its Medical Advisory Committee, approved the attached policy statement concerning Threshold Limit Values. In it, member companies arc urged to give favorable consideration to the establishment of surveillance faculties ar.d related medical program as suggested in the statement. The importance of Threshold Limit Values to the chemical industry . lies in the fact that, as Issued by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, they are intended to be unofficial guides to good indus trial hygiene practice, but are now being adopted by an increasing number of states as legal limits of exposure of workmen. The engineering cost of com pliance with such limits is such that the chemical industry has an economic interest in seeing that the Threshold Limit Values are valid, but not more re strictive than is necessary for the protection of the workers' health. Our Company is doing a commendable job in protecting the health of its workers. It does this by establishing a priori engineering guides for safe exposure limits and through continued medical observation of the workers. . J26 DU? 0900495 DU 021892 In general, it has not been necessary for the successful operation c: v.ic program toJidetermir.e quantitatively the actual cay-to-day exposure cf the workers on the job. As a result, favorable Company experience can seldom be used to validate or refute a suggested numerical Threshold Limit Value. The chemical industry can, if it wishes, have a positive influence on Threshold Limit Values, 'out only if It can relate quantitative exposure levels to effects or lack of effects through documented medical observations. It would appear desirable for each department, in consultation with the Medical Division and Haskell Laboratory, to consider the expansion of Its employee health program to include the accumulation of data on the levels of employee exposures to those atmospheric contaminants which may be significant in your operations. Questions pertaining to this subject should be directed to Dr. X. A. Zapp, Jr., Extension 31-3771. Additional copies of this letter and the attachment may be obtained by calling Extension 81-3707. G. G. MITCHELL, DIRECTOR Attachment OOP 0900496 DU 021893