Document OzVrMp1GaGo4yKRmqbkJRbKrK

r& PROGRAM CONCERNING VIHYL CHLORIDE STANDARD T The vinyl chloride health hazard cane to the Department of Labor through a recent public announcement by The B.F.Goodrich Company In mid-January. Since that time we have aggressively addressed the problem by several actions. A public hearing was held on February 15. The record of this hearing was held open by the Hearing Officer until March 3. OSHA has made a number of visitations to facilities irtiere vinyl chloride, monomer and polymer, are manufactured. Ve have gathered all factual statistics available to us. NI05H has been actively Investigating the magnitude of this serious problem. Based on facts available and judgments of law an Emergency Standard will be filed in the Federal Register very soon. (Federal Register next week effective approximately April 1st.) Aefi>A<-t-Y The Emergency Standard will amend our present Sub-Part G, 1910.93. to provide for SO ppm (currently 500 ppm) as a ceiling on exoosure to vinyl chloride by employees. It further will provide that employers must regularly monitor work areas. Also, in any area where exposure exceeds the 50 ppm, employees must be provided, and must use fresh air supply respirators. NIOStt has developed a proposed work practices document for vinyl chloride. OSHA will file in the Federal Register as a proposed permanent standard for vinyl chloride a proposed rule based on the work practices document proposed by N10SH. A final decision, as to a permanent standard, will be made upon conclusion of the rule making procedure based upon the record and facts then available. In conclusion 1 might add that I once said there would never be another Emergency Standard Issued while I was in charge of OSHA. I guess at my age I should never said "never." However experience with the Emergency Pesticide Standard and the Emergency Carcinogen Standard very definitely created more problems than they resolved. They really did not speed the protection of cnployecs very much. In the case of Pesticide, we do not have a work standard yet. tilth this experience in mind. I took a "close took" at what was involved in the vinyl, chloride matter. The 500 ppm now in the standard very definitely is useless in our field compliance efforts. The Kaltoni Research Study indicated cancerous tumors In animals came from exposure to 250 ppm vinyl chloride. However, the research indicated that no tumors were found upon exposure to animals at 50 ppm. 50 ppm, as an Emergency Standard, will give our OSHA field coopllance staff a base from which they can work in this industry to monitor work place employee exposure. TOQSSSfZ + BFG32563 I -2- We expect to have our field people begin checkins work practices In the entire vinyl Industry almost Inmediately. We will require detail reporting from the field offices to our OSliA-HIOSH team who will be assigned the task* on a full time basis, of developing a permanent viqyl chloride standard. /s/ John H. Stender Assistant Secretary Occupational Safety and Health Administration cc: Secretary Brennan - Secretary of tabor The above is essentially a press release which Dr. Roger W. Strassburg received today at a luncheon he attended in Washington, 0. C. which Was attended by John H. Stender. Copies to: Hr. W. C. Becker Mr. J. J. Bell Dr. M. N. Johnson Hr. T. B. Nant2 Mr. J. D. Ong Mr. J. W. Miller. Jr. Mr. A. Vittone Dictated by phone from Washington, D. C. March 22, 1974 24595C0: BFG32564 M 4> '