Document O1ENXjZ4vndmOvKDwNjvjm7xM

AMERICAN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 150 NORTH WACKER DRIVE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606 R U L EM A K I N G RECORD O N LEAD REOPENED FOR RECEI PT O F LI MI TED I N FO RM A T I O N A lim it ed reopening o f t he ru lem akin g record coverin g o ccu p at io n al exposure t o in o rg an ic lead has been ann ou n ced b y t he O ccu p a t io n a l Safet y and H ealt h Ad m in ist r at io n . The a ct io n cam e as a result of a cour ru lin g concerning f e a sib ilit y in cert ain indust ries. I n a len g t h y o p in io n issued August 15, t he U . S. Cir c u it Co u r t o f Ap p eals f o r t h e D ist r ict o f Colu m b ia u p h eld t he v a lid it y o f O SH A 's lead st andard in most respect s, but found t hat O SH A f a ile d t o present sub st an t ial ev id en ce or adequ at e reasons t o support t he f e a sib ilit y o f t he st andard w it h respect t o ce r t ain in d u st r ies,* and rem anded t he st andard t o t h e ag en cy for reassessment. A c co r d in g ly O SH A has reopened t h e lead record for t he lim it ed and express purpose o f so lic it in g and r e ce iv in g a d d it io n a l in f orm at ion per t ain in g t o the t ech n o lo g ical and econ om ic f e a sib ilit y ( in clu d in g t he t im e necessary for m eeting the 50 pg/ m^ perm issib le exposure lim it so le ly by en g in eerin g con t rols and w ork p ract ices) for t hose indus t r ies for w h ich t he Cou rt ru led O SH A had not ad eq u at ely det erm ined f e a sib ilit y . The Cou r t u ph eld t he v a lid it y o f t he en t ir e st andard for t h e m aj or lead indust ries: p rim ar y sm elt ing; se con d ary sm elt ing; p rin t in g ; can m an u f act u rin g; b at t ery m anufact uring; p ain t and c^ atings^ m anufacturing; ink m anufacturing; w allpaper m anufacturing; elect ron ics m anufacturing; and g ray-iron foundries. OSHA is not request ing in f orm at ion p er t ain in g t o t hese in d u st ries. Some o f t h e issues on w h ich O SH A is s o lic it ing dat a w it h regard t o t hose indust ries ex clu d ed by t h e Co u r t , in clu d e id e n t if ica t io n o f indust ries in w h ich w orkers are exposed t o lead and t he size , ag e, lo ca t io n , and number o f plant s in each; the numbe o f w orkers exposed t o lead and t he Jobs in w h ich exposure occurs; t he ch em ical and p h y sica l ch ar act er is t ics o f lead t o w h ich w orkers are exposed; t he air b orn e co n cen t rat io n s, d u rat io n , and freq u en cy o f e x posures; t he number o f w orkers exposed t o v ar iou s co n cen t rat ion s o f lead and t h e ir b lo o d lead le v e ls. A d d it io n a lly , O SH A is int erest ed in kn ow in g in w h ich op erat ion s or processes a 50 pg/ m ^ exposure le v e l has been ach ieved ; i f t hat exposure lim it has not been a ch ie v e d , w hat en gin eerin g and w ork p r a ct ice co n t r o ls are a v a ila b le and w hat t im e w o u ld be necessary for t h e ir im p lem en t at ion , and w h et h er t here are an y u n iq u e co n d it io n s in an indust ry t hat w ou ld p r eclu d e t he use o f t hese co n t r o ls, in w h at operat ions should personal p r o t ect iv e equipm ent be req u ired , are t here ot h er O SH A standards or o t h er fed eral or stat e reg u lat ory a ct iv it ie s t hat af f ect w orkers1 exposure t o lead , are t here any t e ch n o lo g ica l changes to im prove p r o d u ct iv it y in t he indust ry w h ich have also redu ced lead exposures; and w h at is t h e a v a ila b ilit ; p r ice , and se r v ice a b ilit y o f any substitut es. W r it t en comments w il l be r eceiv ed u n t il Oct o b er 2 7 . An inform al p u b lic hearin g is sch ed u led t o be * nonferrous foundries; pigm ent manufacturing; shipbuilding; aut o m anufacturing; solder manufacturing; w ire patenting; pot t ery; brick manu fact uring; agricult ura l pest icides m anufacturing; leat her manufacturing; pipe ga lva nizing; gasoline oddit ives m anufact uring, linoleum - rubber plast ics m anufacturing; paint spraying; ammunition m anufacturing; smelting and refining of z in c, silv e r , g old, pla t inum , copper and a lum i num; m achining; lead burning; glass m anufacturing; t e x t ile manufacturing; book binding; st eel a llo y m anufacturing; t erne metal manufactur ing; glass polishing and spinning; cut lery manufacture; diamond processing; plumbing; j ew elry m anufacturing; pearl processing; cast ing; ca ble coat ing; elect roplat ing; explosives m anufacturing; lamp manufacture; sheet metal manufacture; t in rolling; t elecom m unicat ions; and inde h eld in W ash in gt on on Novem b er 5 , 6 , and 7 . Comments should be sent to: Docket O f f ic e r , Docket H - 0 0 4 E, Room S6212, U . S. Depart m ent o f Labor, W ash in g t on , D C 20210. N o t ice s o f in t en t ion t o ap p ear and w r it t en t est im ony should be sent t o Cla r e n ce Page, O SH A , D iv isio n o f Consum er A f f a ir s, Room N3635, U .S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20210. The p u b lic hearing w ill be held in the au d it oriu m o f t he Frances Perkins Labor Depart m ent Bu ild in g . O SH A / N I O SH I SSUE ALERT O N 2 - N 1 T RO PRO PAN E; CALLED PO T EN T I AL H U M A N C A R C I N O G E N Healt h hazards from o ccu p at io n al exposure t o 2-n it rop r op an e, w h ich is t erm ed a p o t en t ial human car cin o g en , is t he su bj ect of a 'h ealt h hazard a le r t ' issued j o in t ly by t he O ccu p a t io n a l Saf et y and H ealt h Ad m in ist r at io n and t he N a t io n a l I nst it ut e for O ccu p a t io n a l Saf et y and Healt h on Sept em ber 2 6. The a le r t cit es result s o f a r ecen t ly com plet ed st udy w h ich shows liv e r can cers and ot h er adverse ef f ect s in rats exposed seven hours a d ay , f iv e days a w eek at 207 ppm over a six month p er io d . Also cit e d are p r elim in ar y results o f anot her study show ing m et ast ic liv e r carcin om as in n in e o f t en rats exposed at 200 ppm f o r six months. It is not ed, h ow ever, t hat a group o f rat s exposed at 25 ppm f o r 22 months show ed no sig n if ica n t ch an ges. O SH A has announced t hat it w il l con t in u e t o en force it s cu rren t standard o f 25 ppm aver ag ed over an eig h t - h o u r w orkd ay, but recommends t hat o ccu p at io n al exposure t o 2-n it rop rop an e be reduced t o t he low est f easib le le v e l sin ce t he 25 ppm v a lu e was set b ef ore t h e can cer - cau sin g p o t en t ial o f t he ch em i ca l was know n. N I O SH estim at es t hat 185,000 w orkers may be exposed t o 2 - n it r o p r o p an e, w h ich is found in coat ing s such as v in y l, epoxy p ain t s, n it r o ce llu lo se and ch lo r in at ed rubber and in p r in t in g inks and adhesives. List ed in t he a le r t are recom m ended p r act ices for employers^ em ployees and p h y sician s. Ph ysician s are urged to: (a) ob t ain a car ef u l o ccu p at io n al and exposure hist ory; (b) in q u ir e about co m p lain t s, in clu d in g nausea, v o m it in g , d iar r h ea, ef izzin esi, a n o r e x ia , and headache; (c) perform a p h y sical ex am in at io n w it h em phasis on t he car d io v a scu lar , r e p a l, and h ep at ic systems; (d) order lab or at or y st u dies o f b lood p a r t icu la r ly for liv e r and k id n e y f u n ct io n and a u r in aly sis w it h m icr o sco p ic exam in at ion ; and (e) ad v ise t h e em p lo y ee o f results o f t h e m ed ical ex am in at io n and lab o r at o r y an alyses. Sin g le cop ies o f t he a le r t are a v a ila b le from t he O SH O f f ic e o f I nform at ion and Consum er A f f a ir s, Room N 3 6 3 7 , Frances Perkins Bu ild in g , Th ird St reet and Co n st it u t io n A v e . , N . W . , W ash in g t on , DC 20210; telephone 20^ / 523-8151. ' O SH A EXT END S SEVERAL D EAD LI NES Can d id at e List o f Possible O ccu p a t io n a l Carcin og en s: The d e a d lin e for com m ent on t h e O ccu p a t io n a l Saf et y and Healt h Ad m in ist r at io n 's list o f 107 w o r k p lace ch em icals w h ich m ay be con sid ered can d id at es f o r furt her sc ie n t if ic r ev iew and p ossible r eg u lat io n as p o t en t ial o ccu p at io n al car cin o g en s has been e x t ended t o Novem b er 10. (See A O M A Report ,- Sept em ber, 1980, page 1 .) Comments sh ou ld be sent t o t he Docket O f f ic e , Room S6212, Depart m ent o f Labor, 200 Co n st it u t io n A v e . , N . W . , W ash in g t on , DC 20210; telephone 202/ 523-7894. Co t t o n Dust St andard: O SH A has issued a t em porary ad m in ist r at iv e st ay o f ce r t ain p r o v isio n s o f t h e co t t o n dust st andard, w h ich becam e e f f e ct iv e M ar ch 27, 1980. Un d er t h e t im et ab le f o r im p lem en t at ioi o f t he requirem ent s o f t h e st andard, a ll p ro vision s f o r resp irat or usage w ere t o becom e e f f e ct iv e on Sep tem ber 29, 1980, h ow ever, in v iew o f f a ir ly w idespread m isunderst anding t hroughout t h e t e x t ile industi about how an e f f e ct iv e resp irat or program should be im plem ent ed and m on it ored , O SH A has d e cid ed th' it w ou ld be co u n t er p ro d u ct iv e t o r eq u ir e em ployers t o im plem ent t hose port ions of t he st andard r e q u ir in