Document Y9jwjKM3qd8RqdwM2RXyVvz1V

OSHC-16 CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION Minutes of Meeting Occupational Safety and Health Committee Monsanto Company 1101 17th Street Suite 604 Washington, D.C. 20036 Wednesday December 10, 1980 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Attendees J.E. Aiken, M.D. Cities Service E.E. Christofano Hercules Incorporated H.A. Eschenbach W.R. Grace & Co. T.F. Evans (Chairman) Monsanto Company D.W. Hillman, M.D. Diamond Shamrock Corp. T.M. Holmes Exxon Chemical Americas (for J.D. Robertson - Exxon - 713/870-6189) R.B. Hoots, Jr. ICI Americas Inc. P.J. McNulty Rohm & Haas Company M.E. Miller IMC Chemical Group J. Pickett Standard Oil (for J. Wheeler - Standard Oil - 312/856-3871) J. Plaut(Vice Chairman ) Allied Chemical Corp. A.W. Sheldon M&T Chemicals Inc. J.S. Snyder Merck & Co., Inc. F.A. Ubel, M.D. 3M Company J.R. Venable, M.D. Dow Chemical 918/561-8756 302/575-7055 617/876-1400 314/694-8888 214/745-2736 713/870-6189 302/575-3135 215/785-7307 312/566-2600 312/856-2523 201/455-6570 201/499-2401 201/574-4185 612/733-5181 517/636-1355 Guests Present R.J. Brant J.L. Purswell ICI Americas Inc. OSHA 302/575-4524 202/523-7198 CMA Staff Present M. Freifeld P.C. Joyce C.H. Nolde 202/887-1384 202/887-1160 202/887-1134 ********************** ACTIONS The Committee endorsed the thrust of a developing plan to conduct a pilot effort to inform private practice physicians about occupational health. This is being done in cooperation with the American Occupational Medical Association. Additional CMA 060584 (16) Minutes of Meeting OSHC - 12/10/80 - Page 2 information will be obtained before requesting five thousand dollars from the Board to initiate this project. The Task Group on Reproductive Hazards will prepare comments on a draft report dealing with this subject dis tributed by the Council on Environmental Quality. The unreasonably short response time and the lack of well developed test methods on which to base regulations, will be cited. The Committee recommended that CMA provide a means for member companies to establish a program for exchanging per sonnel with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The Task Group on Revision of ANSI Labeling Standard Z129.1 will resume its work after a hiatus, provided OSHA does not issue a proposed standard on this subject soon. The work product will be submitted for approval to OSHC, the Hazards Communications Special Committee and the Board of Directors. ********************* The meeting was convened at 9:00 AM by Chairman Tom Evans. I. Minutes of Meeting October 1, 1980 The minutes were approved as distributed. II. Annual Report Mr. Evans will report orally to the Board of Directors on January 5, 1981, on Committee activities. His presentation will be based on the draft report and update sent to the Committee. III. Legislative and Legal Updates Mr. Nolde indicated that despite the victories for conservatives in the recent elections, it will not be easy to change the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Liberal Democrats are expected to retain considerable power in the House and Senate Committees dealing with OSHA. Mr. Joyce reviewed the ground gained in the Supreme Court decision on benzene but he pointed out that it did not require cost/benefit analysis. The high court is expected to deal with this issue in the case to.be heard in January 1981, concerning cotton dust. CMA 060585 (16) Minutes of Meeting OSHC - 12/10/80 - Page 3 IV. Task Group Reports 4.1 OSHA Reform This Task Group, under Mr. Plaut's leadership, will develop a program for effecting changes in OSHA. This is to be done in coordination with other associations. Committee members were asked to participate by assigning priorities to specific suggested changes and adding others, by January 7, 1981. 4.2 Reproductive Hazards Mr. Pickett outlined the CMA response to questions on the captioned subject posed by the Inter-agency Regulatory Liaison Group (IRLG). The Committee agreed that comments in a similar vein should be made on a draft report prepared by Clemment Asso ciates, and distributed by the Council on Environmental Quality. Briefly, our position is that there is a lack of well developed test methods on which to base regulations. EPA recently proposed questions on testing for mutagenicity (45 FR 74084, November 13, 1980). An appropriate response will be developed in cooperation with the Chemical Regulations Advisory Committee and the American Industrial Health Council. 4.3 Joint CMA/NIOSH Symposium The program has been completed and physical arrangements made for this event. A contract to study control technology for batch operations in the chemical industry has recently been let by NIOSH to Enviro Control Inc. It includes many unpalatable features such as providing to contractors access to cost information, and emphasis on engineering controls. An attempt will be made to influence the work plan before it is published and put into effect. The composition of this Task Group may have to be modified or changed completely to deal with this new matter, although it is related to the subject of the Symposium. 4.4 OSHA Cancer Policy Underlying references for substances on the OSHC Candidate List, which includes the EPA Carcinogen Assessment Group List by reference, have been made available to member companies through the CMA library. Also, CMA, in cooperation with the Synthetic Organic Chemicals Manufacturers, is providing a clearinghouse function for members and providing information on which companies are interested in specific chemicals on these lists, said Dr. Hillman. CMA 060586 (16) Minutes of Meeting OSHC - 12/10/80 - Page 4 4.5 Future Issues Dr. Ubel reported that there is very little activity at OSHA. Morale is low and speculation is high. Some statutory changes are anticipated to redirect the thrust of the Agency, possibly to include a one year moratorium on new regulations. 4.6 Liaison with Technical Societies The Committee endorsed the recommendation of the Task Group that a method be sought for monitoring the activities of the National Fire Protection Association and the American National Standards Institute at a high level in these organi zations. Mr. Snyder said this should enable CMA to provide input on important issues. Meanwhile, the present system of CMA sponsorship for representatives on specific technical committees of these societies will be continued. However, the Task Group will recommend only about six technical committees in each organization which merit long-term CMA involvement. 4.7 Safety Statistics Mr. Eschenbach reported that the recently revised instruc tions for CMA safety awards and reporting of statistics will be used to kick-off a campaign to increase member company participation. 4.8 Revision of ANSI Z129.1 (Labeling) This Task Group will resume the process of revising the captioned standard provided OSHA does not issue a proposed rule on the subject soon. The work product will be submitted for approval to OSHC, the Hazards Communications Special Committee and the Board of Directors. 4.9 Safety Standards Mr. Brant reviewed the testimony he, Mr. Eschenbach, and Mr. Freifeld presented at an OSHA hearing on lockout and tagging. A summary of the status of development of various OSHA- standards was also presented by Mr. Brant. Messrs. Freifeld and Brant were assigned the task of drafting a letter to OSHA requesting a delay in the deadline for responding to their initiatives on conveyors and walkaround pay. When it was learned that OSHA would deny extension requests on the walk around pay comments, Mr. Joyce undertook to prepare comments by the December 29 deadline. CMA 060587 (16) Minutes of Meeting OSHC - 12/10/80 - Page 5 4.10 Access to Employee Records Legal manuevering related to the final rule on this subject continues, but there is little action to report. 4.11 Informing Private Practice Physicians about Occupational Health The Committee encouraged continuation of an effort to launch a program in cooperation with the American Occupational Medical Association on occupational health training of private practice physicians. Dr. Aiken has been discussing this sub ject with Dr. Cannella, Chairman of AOMA's Educational Council. Dr. Cannella has requested a CMA contribution of $5,000 and input for the planning and execution of a pilot program on this subject. Dr. Aiken will obtain additional informa tion about this proposal and if the Committee concurs it will be presented to the Board. 4.12 Ergonomics and Stress Messrs. Robertson and Christofano are in the process of assembling a task group which will develop a proposed charter as a starting point. 4.13 Worker Education Dr. McNulty is contacting potential task group members. V. Guest Speaker Remarks Dr. Purswell, Special Assistant for Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at OSHA, felt that by the end of this year we could have a final standard on noise and a proposal on labeling. He noted that the chemical industry has a good record on traumatic injuries but the Agency is less confident about its record in health matters. He also emphasized that a clear distinction must be made between risk assessment and risk acceptance. VI. Report on Meeting on Brain Tumors Dr. Venable reported on the New York Academy of Science's Workshop on Brain Tumors in the Chemical Industry, October 27-29, 1980, in New York City. He said that industry studies of brain tumors among chemical workers in the Gulf Coast area did not indicate the existence of a problem. However, OSHA and NIOSH plan to study the matter further and attempts will be made to see that this work is carried out in a sound scientific fashion. CMA 060588 (16) Minutes of Meeting OSHC - 12/10/80 - Page 6 Mr. Evans said that the American Industrial Health Council suggested that CMA consider sponsoring a study of brain tumors among chemical workers in the Gulf Coast area. The potential value of such a study was questioned in view of the planned government study and the negative findings of individual company investigations. Nonetheless it was agreed that Mr. Evans should pursue this matter with AIHC. VII. Liaison with CMA and Industry Groups 7.1 Special Projects Advisory Group (SPAG) Dr. Miller reported that the Board approved SPAG's charter. Two new panels are being considered on glycol ethers, and zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate. 7.2 Second National Occupational Hazards Survey Mr. Christofano reported that a group of industry associations headed by the National Association of Manufac turers, has initiated discussions with NIOSH on the protocol to be used in this survey. He will participate in such future interchanges and will report to the Committee. 7.3 Hazardous Waste Manual This draft CMA document was prepared as an activity of the Hazardous Waste Response Center with input from Mr. Christofano. It is being used by EPA in preparing their own manual on this subject. 7.4 CRAC Section 8 (c) of TSCA No new developments to report. VIII. Hazards Communications Special Committee OSHA is reported to have a new version of their proposed labeling standard, said Mr. Evans, but they are keeping it in house under tight security. When it becomes available, appropriate CMA comment will be made. IX. Exchange Program with NIOSH Dr. Robbins, Director of NIOSH, was enthusiastic about the idea of a temporary exchange of personnel between that agency and the chemical industry. Dr. Cox has also agreed in principle to this type of activity. It is expected however, that such an arrangement would probably end up as a one way proposition since NIOSH is so short of personnel. It was felt this would also be a problem for CMA members since CMA 060589 (16) Lnutes of Meeting WSEC - 12/10/80 - Page 7 trained people are desperately needed to fulfill assignments within our companies. The consensus was that CMA should provide the contact for interested companies but not actively sponsor this program. X. Semi-Annual Meeting The entire program and the OSHC portion in particular, were considered very successful, said Mr. Evans. Planning for next year's semi-annual meeting should begin shortly. XI. Coast Guard Request for Proposal The Coast Guard plans to develop a regulation dealing with the exposure of marine workers to chemicals, which could serve as a model for other health and safety standards. Mr. Eschenbach indicated that although actual work on this project is not expected to begin until 1982, the choice of a contractor and preparation of a work plan will be followed. XII. Report on Labeling Conference in Europe ^ Mr. Plaut said that with regard to labeling there were Borne sharp differences between the U.S. and European represen tatives in dealing with the treatment of acute hazards. were fewer differences between these groups with regard chronic hazards. It is expected that these differences be worked out in the long run. There to can XIII. Laboratory Standards OSHA intends to propose either guidelines or standards for work with chemicals in laboratory workplaces. The American Chemical Society has taken a lead role in consulting with Dr. Lucille Adamson of the Agency on this matter and has requested CMA representation in the effort. Mr Brant will recommend candidates to work on this project. XIV. Next Meeting This was tentatively scheduled for 8:00 AM, February 19, 1981, in Washington, D.C. nutes Subject to Approval 1:jb 1/6/81 Milton Freifeld P Associate Director Health, Safety and Chemical Regulations CMA 060590