Document mbxXmRDYMgxEMDov7VkM04604

INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE JC '. I CHEMICALS AND PLASTICS to !NtM(i v "junuN Mr. B. B. Cowaer Mr. D. E. Deese Mr. M. E. Eisenhour Mr. J. E. Giffin - 514 Dr. D. H. Glenn Mr. T. L. Rapp Mr. K. E. Ross Dr. A.B. Steele- NY (28) Mr. R. N. WheelerSuspension Unit Super\_____ OATS S. O. BOX Ot, TCXAS CITY. TtXA Fez. -ary 11, 1974 subject Vinyl Chloride Safety Association Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio February 8, 1974 The following brief report of the subject meeting which I attended will be of interest to you. Any questions you may have 1 will be glad to answer. This special meeting, attended by 59 people representing most of the association members, was called after the President, Joe Mudd (General Tire), started getting calls about articles appearing the press (e.g. Wall Street Journal. January 24, 1974) indicating that the death from angiosarcoma of three, and possibly four, workers at B. F. Goodrich's Louisville PVC plant might be job related. He contacted Goodrich who in dicated that they had given all the facts to the Manufacturing Chemists Association (about 75% of VCSA members belong to MCA) and did not want to make a formal presentation to the VCSA at this time. Walt Iliff, Uniroyal, reported on a MCA meeting called in Washington the previous week after Goodrich published their information. (Nick Wheeler attended this meeting for UCC and will have more details than are presented here.) niffs report indicated the following: Dr. Creech, plant physician at Goodrich's Louisville plant, became aware that the death of three workers from angiosarcoma might be job re lated and notified the government (NIOSH). Dr. Creech also called attention to the first case of occupational acroosteolyeis several years ago. The MCA indicated to NIOSH that they and the vinyl chloride research group already studying ^OL were willing to cooperate with them. Task forces of MCA representatives were formed to study various phases of the problem. Dr. Dernehl, Nick Wheeler and perhaps others from UCC are oa some of these task forces. A public hearing has been called in Washington February 15, 1974 at which time MCA will present a statement to the Department of Labor. >v* CV'( 001069 BFG62261 Vinyl Chloride Safety Association Meeting 2. Also the MCA task forces will have a meeting in Chicago February 19 and 20. On February 20, MCA members who have contributed to the TabershawCooper study will receive a preliminary report of that study. A full Tabershaw-Cooper report will be presented at a meeting of the International Cancer Society in October at Florence, Italy. The Tabers haw report will show that 122 people out of 6, 000 surveyed show some liver damage. Following Iliff's report on MCA activity, there were a number of comments concerning instruments and methods employed by various companies to determine vinyl chloride exposure levels in their plants. Of note, Goodrich reported that they were using a Century instrument for spot samples and a Bendix instrument for continuous monitoring. NIOSH inspectors (Vernon Rose, Dr. Lassiter, Mr. Falk) who came to Goodrich's Louisville plant had expressed concern that the Century instrument did not discriminate between various organic vapors. Goodrich also reported)that NIOSH had no instrument of their own. General consensus waa that J. W. type moniter was good only for a general test. A Century type could be used to pick the worst spots and then put a Bendix type at these spots. I described briefly the method employed in our recent TLV study at Texas City using activated carbon tubes. Dow strongly supported this type of sampling. It was noted that the present federal laws call for 500 ppm limit for eight-hour exposure to VCl vapors. The American Conference of Govern mental Industrial Hygienists has recommended 200 ppm with an excursion limit of 250 ppm. Someone said that 250 ppm is the odor threshold. At this point Bogart of Tenneco stated that his opinion was that the VCSA should make no statement as a group to NIOSH or any other organisation since the purpose of the VCSA was the free exchange of safety information concerning vinyl chloride among members. There waa general agreement with this opinion. Meat of our companies are already working through MCA. IClreported that a post mortem on a retired poly operator killed in an automobtte accident suffered angiosarcoma. He was 71 years old, retired two years ago, had worked in emulsion PVC plant for 20 years. Hooker reported that a NIOSH team representing both state and federal agencies unexpectedly visited their New Jersey bulk process PVC plant about a week alter the WSJ article. After lunch, Herman Waltemate of B. F. Goodrich, who had accompanied the NIOSH team on their tour through the Louisville plant, went ............................................................................................................ GGC 001069 cO (V, o CO O c> BFG62262 Vinyi uhioriae oalery Association Meeting 3. over the Uet of recommendations from NIOSH to Goodrich. Copy attached. Waitemate also aaid that next Thuraday, February 14, Goodrich will ahow Roae and other NIOSH people through their Pedrickatowa PVC plant - much more modern that their Louisville facility. Goodrich ia moving to comply with many of the recommendationa. They wondered about NIOSH'a concern about vinyl duat. Othera too conaidered duet primarily only aa a nuisance. A number of people expressed concern about some of the recommendations daily clothes changes, impervious suits in cleaning operations, self-contained breathing apparatus and others. Waitemate stated that the four workers affected with angiosarcoma had work experiences of IS to 28 years in all areas of the plant. General Tire then described in some detail their procedure for venting and preparation for entry of autoclaves at their Ashtabula, Ohio PVC plant between batches. They have installed a gas holder (50,000 ft^ ) for venting autoclaves to. This is maintained at about 1 psig by constantly pulling off of it with a compressor to a condenser. They reported a considerable increase in monomer recovery and now have over 97% vinyl chloride accountability! Safety aside, we should consider a gas holder for our operation. The meeting adjourned after agreeing that we should meet again in two - three months to review new developments. RLF/at Attachment R. L. Frants 3GC0C107Q BFG62263 .. Copieo y c. sa - Me*see*- -5 .J-S.fcM.1niy 1 ` r=?i7T3^q:r ' IZOSB larnmasmliit Precautionary Monitoring ad Control Procedures for Polymerization Processes Involving Vinyl Chloride 1. General Housekeeping Procedures " f-it-*'* % a. Tha spillage of Vinyl Chlorlda ad Polyvinyl Chlorlda In aad around eha production facilltiaa should ba controlled aa follows: 1. Housekeeping procedures should be implemented to assura Immediate sensual nf -VC ead P8C aanmrtal srrsmri golymetixstion operations including drying, packaging sad loading operations. 2. Iscovered PVC aaterlal which is to ba packaged should ba scored in dosed containers. 3. Vesta PVC aaterial should ba stored in dosed containers aad consideration should be given to the adequacy of its disposal and/or destruction. Care should be taken in the storage of eloeed containers to Insure that unsafe conditions do not result * fron a internal build-up of pressure in the container. B. Inventories of beginning and recovered quantities of VC aad quantities of PVC produced, packaged aad recovered should be aade to determine losses and probable areas affected. I C. PVC material should be removed from overhead structures aad conduits where it tends to collect. B. Consumption of food should be peralttod only la separata facilities provided for this purpose, aad no food produces should be permitted elsewhere la tha polymerisation facility. IX. Protective Clothing A. A-dally change of protective clothing including full coveralls, or tlv equilvalant, should be provided each employee in areas where * possible exposure to VC PVC could occur. Clothing contaminated by luldiacl spills should be changed as soon aa feasible. 1. Protective gloves aad footwear, or footeovars, should be worn ms appropriate la those PVC operations where exposure to PVC aaterial is possible. C. Protective head covers should be worn during PVC operations ms appropriate (e.g. hard hats in those areas where physical protection of the head is necessary aad hair coverings, or the equllvaleat, in GGC 001071 BFG62264 -M .o b * o Q operations such u !<; of pol/w i'1 ncion reactor conks and pfhsflni operations). 0. Share employees trt engaged in aainesaancs or elsaaint operations of polymerisation rosecers tanks they should wear full impervious soles to guard agalnse skin eoncace of PTC notarial and VC vapors. Precoduroa for safa entry to eonflaad apacas should ba obsarvad. XZZ. Showers v; W-.'-'Z S.-it's Ihowara at tha taralaatloa of an eight-hour work shift should ba mandatory for all werkara with poaalbla contact with VC-PVC. If. Monitoring A. Xavlronmantal Monitoring . v *" *r. *v*' "* -*-- 1. In-plant aanrlronaantal nonltorlng progras should ba laplaaantad; and whara workars ara raqulrad to antar polymerization tanks, a survey of tha-TC. eoncancraclons should ba aada In tha raactors immediately aftar opanlng, imedlately prior to entry of aalatananeo paraonnal and during tha tank clasping oparatlon. 2. Data obtalnad fro* tha snviiuumnfl nonltorlng program should ba uaad to lndlcsta tboaa araas whara sfforta should ba dlraetad to taduca slrborna lovals of VC. 3. Poaltlva progras to control VC 1avals wall halow tha praaant federal Standard of 300 ppn should ba devalopad (same companies ara targating at SO ppa} and afforts to furthar raduca lavala should ba glvan eonaldaracloa concomltsntly with tha nacaasary nodlficatlona in anginaarlng and daslga controls. 4. Tha concsntrstlon of TC In ezhsnst ventilation should ba dataalnad to asclasta tha mount of TC lost during oparatlons and tha poaalbla aspoaura of paraonnal tmadlataly outslda tha facility. % Monitoring for PTC portleulato notorial should ba maonpUahad to aotlaata tha dagraa ef aspoaura to this substance throughout tha facility. 1. Personal Monitoring Integrated, eight-hour personal nonltorlng samples should ba obtained from those snployaaa consldarad to reeaiva tha greatest aiqpoaurs to TC or PTC. - *wC. .-Jk GGC 001072 BFG62265 2. Branching too* i^lu should bo obtalaod to complement environmental monitoring program for VC, sad siailar samples bo obtained for PVC. V. Besplratory Protsction -- % Boeouso VC is s gas uadsr ablent conditions sad PVC Is a solid under those conditions, lc is recommended choc respiratory proteetloa for employees cake ehese circumstances into eoasideracioa. 4. Where employees are etigigorf* la daaalag aad aaiaeeeaaee sfesscisei inside pnlyorlvarlna .i-earmn They should be agntBped with an atmosphere-supplied respirator la order to protect agalast both VC sapor aad PVC particulates. B. Durlag housekeeplag procedures aad packaging operations where the poesibility of PVC dust inhalation is a factor, it is recommended that aa air-purifying respirator equipped with a aeehaaieal filter designed to reaove particulate saterial be worn. Basplratoty protective devices which east this requirement, as well-aa protect agalast VC vapors la concentrations less than 0.11 have been approved by the NZOSH Testing and Certification Laboratory aad bear the numbers: TC-23C-4Q, TC-23C-47, TC-23C-4B. C. Where saployeea are engaged la transfer operations of VC froa railway taakcars to storage facilities or at say siailar transfer point which requires manual operations, they should wear a aelf- ceutalaed breathing apparatus (5CB4) during such operations to guard agalast unexpected release of VC durlag such operations, (rr^ij Wv 0. Other operations involving possible exposure to VC or PVC should be evaluated as the individual situation exists and respiratory protection provided as appropriate. OGC 00>073 BFG62266 t- I- ' O