Document VJ3EJ9gG5JyRdZqnY29oxKzop

MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS ASSOCIATION 1825 CONNECTICUT AVENUE. N. W. WASHINGTON. 0. C. 20009 (202) 483-6128 Report of Meeting - May 6, 1969 PVC Resin Producers Representatives University of Michigan Epidemiologic Study Washington, D. C. This meeting under the auspices of the Association's Occupational Health Committee was held at the University Club. A list of representatives from sponsoring companies and the University of Michigan Institute of Industrial Health is attached. Committee Chairman, Dr. C. U. Dernehl opened the meeting with a brief outline of the project program to date, the general objectives, a short discussion of the complexity of the problem, and interpretation of the findings. He then pre sented recommendations of the Occupation Health Committee (OHC) which had considered the report in a meeting April 30. The Committee recommended the following changes in the "recommendations" which appear on page 104 of the report supplied to all producer representatives: (a) RECOMMENDATION 1 Eliminate the last sentence "Where it is necessary for workers to enter the reactor tanks, sufficient ventilation should be provided to reduce the vinyl chloride concentration below 50 ppm." Insert in its place "Where it is necessary for workers to enter the reactor tanks adequate ventilation should be provided. Inasmuch as the etiologic agent of the disease is unknown, a level of vinyl chloride below 50 ppm should be used as an index of adequate ventilation." (b) RECOMMENDATION 3 Change word "continued" to "supported" IJ^C 002602 -2- The OHC also resolved to make additional recommendations to the vinyl chloride and PVC manufacturers: (a) There should be pre-assignment examinations of vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride production workers. These examinations should include: I. Hand X-ray II. History - including that of Raynaud's disease, scleroderma and abnormal cold response. (b) There should be periodic surveillance examinations. These examinations should be given at least once a year and should include: I. Hand X-ray II. History - as above The committee recommended that manufacturers of PVC should sponsor further studies of the disease and its causes and that such studies be under the supervision of the OHC. It was further recommended that the committee chairman write to Dr. Magnuson at the University of Michigan and congratulate him on the successful conclusion of the project and on the excellence of the report. ****** Drs. Magnuson and Dinman and Professor Cook of the Institute then reported at length on this study. They included a review and explanation of many of the charts contained in the report as distributed. Errors noted in several of the charts and figures were listed and it was subsequently agreed that an errata sheet taking care of all of these changes would be for warded to all recipients of the original draft. The afternoon meeting was devoted to open discussions of the findings by the Institute and the recommendations of both the Institute staff and the OHC. Some pertinent points brought out in the discussion were: 1. On the matter of hand cleaning in the recommendations, the Committee considered this point and had the general understanding that it was the intent to get away from hand cleaning of reactors. UCC 002603 2. On questions regarding catalysts toy groups vs. cases, Prof. Cook reported that they did not find any combination of materials causing difficulty. 3. There was a further discussion of the threshold limits and the recommendations regarding monomer limits, particularly in connection with monomer plants. Here it was made clear that there is a condition of acroosteolysis (AOL) related to poly manufacture of PVC which the evidence suggests at this time. There was no evidence that this is related to monomer content that remained in the poly reaction. It is difficult to say that any one item is responsible although admittedly the monomer may toe the causative agent, or this may not be so. 4. For future protection of the workers it was suggested that they be kept from coming in contact with the reactor chemicals a short time after the reaction is completed. 5. At this time there appears to be no evidence of AOL prevalent in operations subsequent to the reactor stage. 6. AOL is a destruction of tufts of the fingers. This may be a general systemic disease in seme people. 7. Several pointed out that the suggested monomer level of 50 ppm recommended by the Committee may be misunderstood. This was explained by the chairman. ****** A paper on this study was presented by Dr. Dinman in a medical association meeting during the latter part of April. A second paper will be presented in the coming meeting of the Industrial Hygiene Association in Colorado. Following a discussion on the publication of the report a motion was made, that the University of Michigan be permitted to publish the scientific facts developed from this study but that the complete document now available to the OHC and the sponsoring companies not be -4- released but held confid ntial for the sponsors only. On being duly seconded this was passed unanimously. At this point the secretary stated that it was the general policy of the Association to make the results of such research freely avail able and that the details of the contract with the institute would be followed in this respect. The meeting was then concerned with further studies that might be desirable. Dr. Magnuson pointed out that patients having AOL may have bones other than the fingers involved and posed a number of questions regarding systemic manifestation. He stressed the need for continued and a more thorough follow up on X-rays, clinical history and the study of the cumulative action through X-rays. He also recommended further etiology study: (a) To obtain a clear definition of products in the kettle including time of flight by mass spectrometer (t^ - tn). Also, on animal experiments better characterization is needed. (b) On this it was pointed out that current data may give additional leads. Chairman Demehl then proposed that the question of future work be referred back to the OHC for recommendations on what should be done. It was also suggested that the Committee issue guidelines or instructions for the taking of history, physical examinations involved and frequency of follow-up on surveillance. During this part of the discussion it was pointed out that the recommendation regarding x-rays had already been made to the companies in the questionnaire form which is included in the subject report. FHCter Enclosure : May 15, 1969 F. H. Carman ucc 002605 ATTENDANCE - MAY 6, 1969 Producer Representatives Laurence H. Ballou John T. Barr Edwin T. Biehl Harold E. Birr Frank A. Cox C. U. Dernehl, M.D. E. M. Dixon John E. Ertel J. A. Fehrenbach Albert W. Fuhrman M. G. Glenn N. V. Hendricks George w. ingle M. N. Johnson. M.D* Robert W. Laundrie Sydney Lipton William E. McCormick John L. Nelson Cal Rehfuss Howard E. Runion Harry A. Russell Arthur C. Siegel William J. Wetzel R. N. Wheeler, Jr. J. H. Wolfsie, M.D. Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. Airco Chemicals & Plastics The Pantasote Co.(Mgr. Resin Operations) Diamond Shamrock Corporation (Mgr. Delaware City Plant) Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Union Carbide Corporation Celanese Corporation The Pantasote Co.(V.P. Production) Shawinigan Chemicals Div. Gulf Oil Canada Great American Plastics, Chemical Division General Tire & Rubber Co. Standard Oil Company (N. J.) Monsanto Company Monsanto Company General Tire & Rubber Co. Chemical Division Esso Research & Engineering Co. B. F. Goodrich Company B. F. Goodrich Chemical Company Allied Chemical Corporation Gulf Oil Corporation The Pantasote Co. (Exec. V.P.) Tenneco Plastics Division RUCO Div., Hooker Chemical Corp. Union Carbide Corporation Uniroyal, Inc. University of Michigan Professor W. D. Cook Bertram D. Dinman, M.D. Harold J. Magnuson, M.D. Manufacturing Chemists Association George E. Best, Technical Director F. H. Carman UCC 002606