Document NGQr5waO2qnjXkzRxepqY6VwV

B.F. Goodrich Chemical Company A DIVISION OF IHE B.F. GOOOAICH COMPANY P. 0. BOX 954 BELLS LANE LOUISVILLE. KENTUCKY 40201 PHONE: 502-778-6631 November 13, 1974 TO: BFG Employees: We were all sorrowed to hear that a recent diagnosis has identified another employee with angiosarcoma of the liver. Two previous blood tests and the man's apparent good health, until recently, had given no indication of the liver tumor, although he had worked for many years as a poly cleaner. Medical experts have recognized that the blood test series are not conclusive. In view of this. Dr. Creech recommended scans for all Louisville employees some months ago. This is the best screening technique known to detect liver tumors other than by biopsy. So far nearly 700 scans have been com pleted, and others are being scheduled as rapidly as possible. Mo suspected tumors have been observed in these scans except for the new case reported. The results of these scans are being correlated carefully with the current and earlier blood tests. If there is any question about a person's condition, as a result of tests, he meets with Dr. Creech for thorough discussion. The University of Louisville Medical School is doing a lot of research in the health testing area. They are working with new equipment and procedures, and they have a number of specific projects under way that may help make medical testing more meaningful, more quickly, more of the time. Meanwhile, as all of you can see, the exposure levels of all employees to vinyl chloride monomer remains low and construc tion projects are going on all over the plant to further re duce exposure levels. Still more projects are on the drawing board. I am enclosing a copy of the recent statement made by 0. P. Thomas, our Chairman of the Board and President, on BFG policy and thinking on the vinyl chloride crisis. Sincerely, dot end : 20281001 VINYL CHLORIDE DEVELOPMENTS On October 4, 1974# the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (QSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor put into effect a permanent standard for vinyl chloride (VC) exposure in the work- atmosphere* The standard applies to the vinyl chloride industry, including manufacturers of VC and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and fabricators. However, manufacturing operations in which employees handle or use fabricated products made from PVC are excluded from the standard* The temporary standard limiting vinyl chloride exposure in the work atmosphere to 50 parts of VC per million parts (ppm) of air, vhich has been in effect since April 5, 1974, remains in effect until December 31 # 1974, under the permanent standard* All Goodrich plants are currently operating within the existing standard* Effective January 1, 1975# the permanent standard requires immediate institu tion of feasible engineering and work practice controls to reduce VC exposure to the lowest practicable level, until such exposure is at or below 1 ppm aver aged over any 3-hour period and 5 ppm averaged over any period not exceeding 15 minutes* The permanent standard requires the use of respirators by employees coming into contact with air having VC content in excess of the permissible levels* However, until Oecember 31# 1975# the use of respirators will be at the discretion of each employee, provided that exposures do not exceed 25 ppm measured over any 15-minute period* The company, with the cooperation of employees, has substantially reduced vinyl chloride exposure in all VC and PVC plants* We anticipate making capital ex penditures of approximately $42,000,000 over the next three to four years to reduce exposure to the lowest levels attainable with currently feasible tech nology. We believe that compliance with the permissible exposure level in our polyvinyl chloride polymerization plant areas and certain VC production plant areas is not feasible with present technology unless various types of respirators are used by employees* The use of such respirators is expected to result in a de crease in productivity. However, the expansion currently under way at the Goodrich PVC plant in Louisville, Ky., is expected to replace any reductions in capacity resulting from decreases in productivity. We are unable to determine at this time the cost of compliance with the 0SHA permanent standard* Based upon current market conditions, we believe that the capital expenditures referred to above and any increased costs of operating our VC and PVC facilities under the permanent standard can be recovered. The company and other members of the industry have filed petitions in the Federal courts, seeking a review of the 0SHA standard. 0. Pendleton Thomas Chai nr.an T ZOOT8ZQZ