Document jBNax6mGbJ7024m3VQm4zab4p

Robert L. T.eobke, M.D. Oran D. Steffey August 25, 1978 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE ACTIVITIES - AUCUST, 1978 Coanunlcatloos have been seat to Safety Directors of the Lake Charles, Phanlx City, and Ponca City Carbon Black Plants requesting that surreys be stada relative to various materials and substances which may be In use In these plants. The purpose of these surveys is to furnish the Medical Division with information which will make it possible to relate potential problems relative to exposure of employees to materials present in the workplace. A report has been written covering an industrial hygiene inspection of the Ponca City Tank Car Repair Shop. Recommendations ware made which covered sand blasting operations, quality of breathing air, protaetlva sand blasting hoods, disposal of various materials resulting from oparatlona in tha shops, removal of steam condensate from tank cars used for transporting vinyl chloride, and monitoring recommendations. Various aspects related to roccum seditiona mads for these shops were discussed with Mr. ?. D. Armstrong, Transportation, Houston. A meeting of the DEC Occupational Safety and Health Group, which met at the Arlington Hyatt House, Arlington, Virginia, August 9 and 10, 1978, was attended. Soma of tha subjects which were discussed and of current Interest are as follows: Mr. B. X. Kwon, ORC, discussed the subject of Women In the Workplace: Problems of Resolving EEOC and OSHA Requlraments. The real problem appears to be that of removal of any worker from a job because of the danger of health effects on the fetus, l.e. genetic, teratogenic, or nervous system damage. The EEOC la concerned with removal of an Individual from a job on tha basis of discrimination, i.e. women vs men. Tha EEOC and OSHA apparently era going separata ways in trying to solve this problem. Mr. S. Merkle, Project Officer for OSHA, addressed the subject of Standards Completion Program and Generic Pesticides. It appears that OSHA la in tha stags of attempting to form a broad bass or generic type standard syatma for materials found In tha General Industry Standards of the OSHA regulations. Appendixes would be used to cover such areas ea respiratory protection. Supplementary guidelines may be used to cover areas which cannot be written Into tha broad baas standard. Tha standard would Include tha action level philosophy and in cases where the action level was exceeded, a written plan covering the various health and safety needs would have to ba drawn up. The standard would call for semi-annual MOD 000000676 Hobere L. Lembke, M Page Two August 25, 1978 ventilation systems efficiency checks. The medical questionnaire would call for general nedlcal history and personal physical conditions. Training would be required on an annual basis and would cover safety, emergency and protective equipment. There would be a labeling requirement and a Material Safety Data Sheet or health guidelines requirement. Recordkeeping requirements would Include the retention of Exposure Monitoring Results for one year, medical records for five years and the Current Mechanical Ventilation Cheek for one year. There are many problems Inherent in attempting to write a broad base standard as has already been demonstrated by an ORC Task Force Group which has been working on this problem. Information relative to Monitoring for Hydrogen Sulfide and Carbon Monoxide has been furnished to Mr. Bob Anthony, Fast Plant Maintenance Engineering. An interoffice communication has been sent to Mr. Lowell Betow relative to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Guide 8.13 which deals with Instruction Concerning Prenatal Radiation Exposure. It was recommended that Mr. Betow review the status of female employees of childbearing age working In the Ponca City Refinery in view of requirements aet by this Regulatory Guide. Since Cesium-137 la used for density measurement of products In the cokers, we need to define whether we must meet the intent of the regulation. Information has been furnished to Mr. Dirk Steen, Safety Director of the Ponca City Carbon Black Plant, relative to Respiratory Protection and Breathing Air. This Included a copy of the OSHA Regulations 1910.134 Respiratory Protection end e copy of the communication from Dr. Whetstone dated Key 26, 1978, which addresses the subject: OSHA Standard 1910.134 with attachments relatlva to the medical requirements for those persons required to wear respirators and tha Air Quality Requirements Specified for Grade D Breathing Air as described In Compressed Gas Association Commodity Specification G-7.1-1966. An Industrial hygiene inspection has bean made of the Phanlx City Carbon Black Plant on August 23, 1978. A complete report covering the status of this plant along with appropriate recommendations has been written. Aid has been given to Mr. A. R. Peck, PED, relative to the subject of odor threshold for chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Caution was expressed in use of levels of odor for safely detecting these materials in the workplace. Oran D. Steffey Industrial Hygienist rla MCD 000000677