Document gbKnvxBrjGXrBg71vJzLyMzo9

THE LOUISVILLE TIMES - WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 13, 1974 3n By PIJNMS 1`OT.STK T(ma 5t*ff V?rit*r There I? probably no `'rafft'* level of exposure to vinyl-rhtoritfn v suers. the Na tional Jnrt.itctn for Occupational Safety and Health has told tho Mate Occupational Safety end Health Administration (OSHA). "We reject the concept of a thrwhhold limit for vinyl-chloride gas in the air." national Job-snfely officials aaid In a let ter to OSHA this week. "Consequently . . . where any employe . Is exposed to measurable concentrations of vinyl chloride ... he (should> wear an air supply respirator," the national : agency recommended as part of a *Ut>dard on vinyl chloride. Meanwhile, there was grumbling among several industry spokesmen con tacted about the report. The industry rep resentatives said It would bo difficult ant], perhaps, impossible to meet a sttn dard kx low a* a maximum exposure level of one part of vinyl chloride jjas per mil lion parts of air. They also contended that It Is Impossible to scientifically and continuously monitor levels that low. However, the industry leaders declined, to comment specifically on the rccomtnen-. datlons and referred these Inquiries to ' trade croups. A spokesman for the Manu facturing Chemists of America, one of tho I principal trade groups Investigating lb* vinyl-chloride problem, was not avallaid* for comment. The recommendations report to OSHA U the latest action by federal officials la a chain of events that has fallowed tha January announcement by B.F. Goodrich Co. that four employes at Us Louisville "hcmica! facility died of tho rare liver cancer, sngiosarcoma. The cancer was thought to be caused by exposure to vinyl chloride, which tha company produces at tho Bells Lam facU-ity. Since the January announcement. It has been found that one additional death of a plant worker wu caused by angiosar coma. and that two workers now have the disease. . -r.i Also, two other, chemical plant* have announced that one of tbeir worker* died of * he same disease. OSHA sets standards for work safety based on the advice of the national ageo- ,<y. i .. And la Us recommendations to OSHA this week, the national report point* out that industry recommended a standard . of 50 parts of vinyl-chloride vapor per million parts of air. . The report said that although studies r pts r=is here txd produced cancer at the .exposure levels asked by industry, it doe* not regard u test* conclusive. m-fpj Go* k? Goodrich`'spofeesertn said worker;1 `Sr-the Bell* l-ane plant who work in the vinyl-chk-nde operations wear sir respir ator* when there is a danger the exposure level might exceed -50 parts per million. ' He said the 2"D employes in the section do not weir the respire!or*-all tho time. 'A-spokesman fur OSHA *a-d it will study tho naiional .agency rteommenda'tipms'along w;th the result* of its own studies before deciding on a final sUa;dsnf. . .Be sard agent* from OSHA arc in the field new gathering data on the exposure -and possible protective measures, - Sosas* 6,500 workers employed in 37 plaids are potentially involved. The rational job*afety agency said it will Iruc.wiihirr two weeks the recom mended standards for monitoring the air to - plant operelions and the medical screening it think* ought to be part of the standard. ..-The air monitoring it will recommend will pick up concentrations of one part per million. This mean* that any time (be concen tration exceeds that level workers will have to wear air respirators, under the satioiral recommendation. Dr. Herbert E. Christensen. deputy di rector for the national agency's office of research and standard* development, said the recammcndiUon* deal only with the polymerisation process of vinyl chloride. , Still to be decided, he said, are recom mendations for the vinyl-chloride syn thesis and the larger are* of product* made from polyvinyl chloride. >rtWc don't know (on fhose- matters) u&,n be laid. "We don't have anyrinfor* tnaUoe st the iwmbI." He said tha recommendation is that OSHA expedite matters "to insure that tbe health of exposed uvirfceri i* promptly and adc^ale-tosafeguarded,'' Meanwhile, Tbe Wall Street Journal said today that AFL-CIO officials want an interim standard issued and enforced while OSHA debates what the permanent standard ought to be. . 'Without the interim measure*, tbe labor official* say, workers arc not protouted white the standard-setting process . mom forwent. 23085001 T