Document dD5w3EBGOEN7jjvqrOB2OLDe6

NEWS 2:4:74 r zene or the benzene - based awareness that this was the The Goodrich report "gives us materials from the free mar third death of its kind "war a head start on finding if there ketplace, utilizing them inter ranted a thorough investiga is work-relatedness in these nally or bartering them away for tion. . . ." deaths, and in finding suitable items that may be [otherwise] Goodrich, under the law, was standards if there is." unavailable.... duty-bound to notify Kentucky "The regulations as written health officials. But the firm Operation candor--"We were provide the oil companies with: was not required to notify required by law to notify Ken relief in securing their feed NIOSH or to release notice of tucky officials," says John Bell, stocks," Mr. Fass continues. the deaths to the press. Goodrich's director of external "The theory goes that if these And the fact that they did is communications and public af feedstocks are secured, then somewhat unusual. NIOSH in fairs. "But those reports are I they will take care of the down formation officer Dick Wilson privileged. Not a matter of pub stream market." But to Mr. says the voluntary report was lic record. Fass, the situation "is somewhat "unique. "So our decision to notify akin to the lamb in the lion's "In our experience--and this NIOSH and to make a public an den." dates back to June 1971, when nouncement was based not on the institute was first set up-- legal considerations but on prac this is the first voluntary alert tical matters. Goodrich's warning could save lives we've received." Because the petrochemical in dustry has been with us for "The evidence was complex, fragmentary, and inconclusive. Nonetheless, we wanted to tell 1 ^MEDICAL EXPERTS at the Na tional Institute for Occupational about 20 years--and the three who died worked around vinyl our employees what is going on and not make them rely on hear 1 Safety & Health (NIOSH) are chloride an average of 20 years ing everything second-hand, or l & uniting computer cnecKS ot --mr. wnson is concerned that eetrinp fracnrripntar'' information medical records and autopsy re the industry might soon see more from unreliable sources/' he ports from a number of vinyl such cases. says. chloride plants across the U. S. Spurring the investigations HMO: a health care optionI was a report in January that since 1971 three employees of B. F. Goodrich Co.'s polyvinyl chloride plant in Louisville have died of angiosarcoma of the your firm will have to offer liver. Angiosarcoma, Goodrich doc tors explain, is a fairly rare form of cancer. And a determination that the Goodrich illnesses were indeed caused by the work en vironment would no doubt lead to a revision of federal stand ards for working with vinyl chlorides. BUSINESSMEN may soon find HMOs are an old idea whose time has come. Starting next year, many employers will have to offer their workers the option of health maintenance organiza tion (HMO) enrollment instead of traditional health insurance. The reason: a little-noticed HMO option need not be offered until the contract expires. Another condition on the offer: an employer won't have to pay more for the HMO al ternative than he already does for current health insurance plans or Blue Cross/Blue Shield. "If HMO benefits cost more, and the employee wants it, then it is (! Who told?--Although the last employee died in December, Goodrich did not receive an au topsy report until mid-January. And although all five of the firm's vinyl chloride plants were section of the Health Main up to him to pay for it," Wil tenance Organization Act that liam McHenry, the U. S. Cham President Nixon signed Dec. 29. ber of Commerce's economic The legislation applies to j security manager, advised na firms covered by the minimum tional and state chamber person wage law and which have an | nel this month. n; T009IrlZ operating well below levels pre scribed by the government--the Louisville plant at only 10% of average of 25 or more employees Further, the option will apply , in a calendar quarter. For some i only if there's a qualified HMO j companies, however, the effec- j in the area where employees i l live, it s up to the secretary ofthncft lot'olc M-..-.*-- .. . w wukW VV/UIU IU1I UltCi ddliual I Johnson, Goodrich's director of environmental health, said 1975. If a firm has a multiyear J the Dept, of Health, Education health contract in force then, the j & Welfare (IIEW) to determine | BFG2257520 February 4. 1974 / Industry Week jlt i T