Document mq4Y9NqReqXyNDzN2YeX38K7Q

FILE NAME: Rogers Corporation (ROG) DATE: 1978 DOC#: ROG067 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Trade Journal Articles - Warning Labels Likely if Cancer is Suspect & Changing Rules Keep Buyers Scrambling WASHINGTON^Waming r labels ).vji,von chemicals, believed to cause $&?' cancer--anii oh products contain- 1ping' these, ; chemicals^-could be ^ i^ ta n d a r d procedure by the end of k;-J th y e ^ .: In. addition, companies wluch use, buy/ handle, store, or / ^ distribute, toxic chemicals will be ^required to post warning signs in ap p ro p riate locations. A-;1That's jxist one provision of '^jOBHA's proposal, for the regu- : v lation of carcinogenic chemicals. Workplaces where cancer-causing chemicals are used would require posting of "Cancer Hazard" signs The proposal--entitled "Iden- : ;i:^ tification, Classification and Reg- ^ u la tio n of Toxic Substances Posing during manufacture. ^*V-a| Potential Occupational Carcino- Labels will also be required i^f^gnic Risk" (Federal Register, Vol. for containers of protective cloth No.' 192)--goes into public ing contaminated with the chemi ^ hearings in 'May. Barring any cal. According to the proposal: ^ ^ sig n ific a n t hang-ups, the proposal "No evidence may presently /;; is expected to become law by late exist that laundry workers who i i? 7or ear]y 19*handle contaminated clothing con Three classes. o s h a aims''to taining any specific carcinogen /i.,:/class all chemicals into one of exhibit an excess of cancer. 'J ^ th ree categories according to However, no evidence exists to the Vi''carciiiogenip potency. For chemi- contrary." /^i'.cals in Category I (most potent), So far, no specifications (size, !` signs, in the workplace flatly will color, etc.) have been set for either state/'-Cancer Hazard." the warning signs or the container ' ;v;$ For chemicals in Category. II labels., -- Henry G. DeYoung /(lesspotent), the signs will read the same,- except that "Cancer ' H azard" will be changed to COATINGS / / / 'Potential Cancer Hazard." No signs or labels will be High solids gain -required for the third category, in coatings comprising chemicals for which :/*^.,the government does not; believe CHICAGO--Newly-developed high ^ enough evidence has been gath- solids coatings should grab in ered to. determine whether they creasing shares of the coatings ./cause cancer or not. . . marketplace over the next, few Containers of Chemicals in the years: ' -j|v;-first i two; categories also will While high solids arc some i|i^pequirp wairiun^, labels. So will what more expensive than conven containers of^products which use tional coatings hiy an average of li'^/the; chemicals /in. virtually any 10%,: developers' claim they're /'amount. ' // '// ! 1 cheaper in the long run, by cutting / Labeling required. The up- waste, cutting application time, shot is that suppliers of chemicals and by going a long way towards ini categories/one and two will be meeting stringent emission control ^V^yequired 'tp,.'attach' labels ...on all standards. ,* ; .. out-going containers, and the user Several types-of high solids ^ company will have tq affix labels coatings (e.g.,; polyesters and any finished product which urethanes) have been in .use for contains th at raw material,, or more than a year in various ;$->which usedjit;as an intermediate end-m arkets, says Richard G. several others in the industry) are ,now working to bring, new and improved variations on stream .'. m-v `V ' Less solvent waste. As the' /;J?/ name implies, the coatings are ; . characterized by a high percent of volume solids--typically' 60-80% versus 25-40% for conventional ' ;' 1! paints. That means that with each; -;;^^; pass of a spray, gum"more/solid' film-forming material is deposit-' ed. and less solvent goes up th e / - stack. ' Not only does th a t.-save piti /,'? ./* hydrocarbon solvents,;;, says1 v Forsythe, but it's also in closer compliance with p a standards, / ' '*= -which can be expected- to; - tougher as time goes on. `/ 1 The new coatings, morvif,/;? are designed for use with all typiees - of existing eq u ip m en t/ ro lle r EM i coating, electrostatic spray, air- V y'; less spray, ,and compressed air ' spray. -, V :1;\~/ / / . ; . "In the past," notes Forsythe, '"there were a lot of problems. For one thing, it was so thick you could walk on it. Now we have high solids material which flows and applies very easily.". Some resistance. Still, high solids coatings aren't quite ready for full commercialization. ;.Alex Ramig, m anager . of chemical . coatings R&D a t Clevelanndd'.s ' Glidden Corp., says that he isn't . /.>vl:i SmyKlimfiat. aware of any 80%-solida'material now in commercial use: "We've found th at people don't . ' //j! want to make the switch unless it's ' : ; absolutely necessary; thre has to . be a clear advantage. And w h ile -,V ';//J it's true that you apply more solids k with each coat, you're ,also losing v more solids in over-spray." ,, As a consequence,; he adds, .many users.are adding solvents (during application,/and hence aren't sure what percent the solids actually are. O thers 1find necessary to Heat the.; paint promote flow. / V . ' [r. . "We're going to see a lot more work on th is," says Ramig, "especially as e p a toughens its . regulations on solvent emissions. At present, it's very much in the experimental stage."/ ' / . / - t ; PURCHASING APRIILL .12, 1978'1 W 1 : [ fe H " K ttm m a m w m m PROTECTED RGS-SC 052694 0m M g ig n > M ^ ^ 1 |g||f ';*;'.-;*>?,j*;(&`,*V/'; :v; -: &:,&. &s > ';M Sc ^:^'% v * YS'iC^ ill s l; mm S'g5^*']'/j J .'i-m (; ` : .' ' ; SAFETY EQUIPMENT - .vV^isVr : :'y :. v%, By El Hoeffer / Metalworking Editor Purchasing turns to user departments and suppliers to pinpoint workplace hazards and applicable standards for safety products S- *#' V. \ -V.< . *,{* : 1 CHICAGO--When the National president M. G. Hulme, vice- lines, ansi defends these as institute for Occupational Safety president of Mine, Safety Appli representing the expertise of all & Health (niosh) conducted a ances, Pittsburgh, reports favor affected parties., In contrst, it series of tests on safety equipment able response from niosh, though asserts, government-set standards said to comply with osha stan no concrete action on the proposal. can be quite arbitrary. dards, it discovered a significant Not everyone agrees with the Buyers need input. In the percent of safety goggles, foot need for federal certification of absence of clear-cut regulatory; wear, and face protection failed to equipment. Labor and business are authority and permanent stan meet critical requirements. apprehensive of the government dards, buyers face a critical Coupled with frequent user acquiring more regulatory control. challenge: knowing exactly what complaints, the tests convinced osha specifies American National the in-plant hazards are, which niosh that government-controlled Standards Institute (ansi) stan laws apply,- what alternative product testing and certification is dards which are consensus guide equipment is available, and how to the only way to assure commercial availability of high-quality, pro tective equipment. 'Sizing "Unless allproducers manu facture products and control quali ty in complete conformance with published, unambiguous perform ance standards, niosh believes that federal certification is neces-. sary and inevitable," declares Robert H. Schtz, director of the | Z87. V i V ' i * ; ; practices lor occupational, educational; eyeand'face?^ # Institute's testing and certification. ` protection . \i . . . ^ The Industrial Safety Equip ment Association (isea). Philadel phia, agrees, in principle. It would like to see niosh s^t standards, test Z8 8.1' I V v ^ . J-M y Z88.2 y ' 't \;', Safety'guide for respiratory. protectibn against .r^ 'v daughters.: American National Standard for rw pira'^ products, and issue equipment .288.4 ' % Safety guide for certification, butfhave the manu facturers voluntarily control prod uct quality. 2881.5.5 ` wi-t'K-f-;-:- 'v:-Practices'for respiratbnftirottMft^ . Last fall,, isea developed 15 'quality assurance guidelines and a6ked,NiosH to.incorporate them in its certification procedures, isea 42 PURCHASING APRIL 12,1978 PROTECTED RGS-SC 052695 mm t * ,: s: - ** > * . ; ; 'y; \. : ' ' il'A, ;*,T ># "**M,vvlr se a s ' of all f ast, it ; ;;^f{ ndards' ^ In the. .;..i- datory &*ri- ' il ' v : ^ which ' : i!;;^' iati v e '- ;f. ow to .vi## A ' ;i ' 'J:'. uld:I'*- ''/ivi.! *1 i., ;uft >. v;.^. Hi on Vi*'lV- ::vi ' V$- .: I procure it economically! As many have discovered the hard way, anything generally called safety equipment is not neccssari ly a legal safeguard. But beyond that, the equipment, may involve a `standard th at is being reviewed or. revised--a; point that can leave buyers wondering whether they should purchase the most durable product or one that will suffice until the new standard is enacted, ^>v;The answer to purchasing's dilemma must, come from in-plant personnel and safety equipment suppliers. Using departments must identify hazards, standards, and needs;' while suppliers pin point v applicable ^regulations, equipment alternatives, and train ing necessary for proper use. The supplier, whether manu facturer dr distributor, is critical. Some intimate that their product covers.a variety, of safety applica tions; where- in fact--regulations specify- particular types of con struction or. material. The supplier must have a 'wide product line so specific needs can be satisfied. His ability to provide technical backup 'and regulatory data is also key. Responsible suppliers are de veloping expertise more rapidly than new products. Dramatic breakthroughs in new equipment are the exception, while growing knowledge of products and appli cations is the rule. o s h a states that w hen a workplace hazard cannot be elimi nated through engineering or administrative changes, use of personal protective equipment is mandatory. The National Safety Twoselection criteria: degree of protection product affords pnd ease with which it can be used. Council advises buyers to use two selection criteria: degree of protec tion the product affords, and ease with which it can be used. osha section 1910.132 sets general requirements for applica tion, provision, and design of personal protective1equipm ent (p p e ); section 1910.140 cites a n s i . standards as the reference re-1, quirements. The following is a product-by-product review of cur rent developments. G lasses and goggles: style becom es big factor S The law requires that protec tive eye and face equipment' be . .' provided where there is a "reason-ir able probability of injury that can V,y be prevented by such equipment." !-4; Minimum requirements state the -f product must protect against the . hazards for which it is designed; be ' ; reasonably comfortable, fit snugly, !- and allow the worker free imoye^vV; ment; be durable and easy to,clean. y In buying safety glasses;- .y. check to be sure th identity of the * manufacturer is on both lens and ; frames. On plan, tinted, ; and. welder spectacles, .identification is'4& near the upper center of the lens;. J*;r on prescription, by . the u p p e r ; temple corner. j.`:-iS'CV V' . ; Lenses- must be hardened,'.;;^ either by heat or ch eh iic aL trea t(^ ment. ; .They must . also >be' ,;i distortin:free, . 3.0 to : 3.8 1;iiunvj!| thick! Protective prescription len!ay^ es can be 2.5 mm thick at the edge;:.4 4 After assuring th t`gasBes:<ir goggles meet or exceed NS^y standards, the buyer's most impor- y tant consideration is employee ^ acceptance. Style' has become a s;\:;;' important as comfort; thus, manu- ; facturrs now offer a much wider' ' range of shapes and designs. Plastic lenses (polycarbonate) offer'-' advantages over glass; they're lighter, more comfortable,. . less fatiguing, and allow ed more 9tylish frames. They are also V unbreakable, more . im pact-/^; resistant, and usually cost less!' Prescription safety lenses, howev er, must be made of shatter-., resistant glass. Glass also is much more scratch-resistant, an impor-. tant consideration because o s h a ! ' states spectacles having mre than, minor scratches must be replaced! ! Goggles must be designed for -.4/ specific hazards--for exam ple,'1,v ; chemical splashes and - noncorrosiye. dust, fogging, metal chips, and even laser beams. They : ; differ from face *shields, which ,'& A \i` ' : ' ; PRHASINQ APRIL '12,.^1976 ^ 4 3 ^ 3 v'- PROTECTED RGS-SC 052696 ; .* V'` .`V m^ `Vv- Safety equipment (continued) ; f. dampening property, and its usage would provide a poor defense against a lawsuit..W.ax-,. or plastic-impregnated cotton' isv ef- fective for short-term use. Pliable usually are attached to some form (rubber or plastic) perm anent m of _head gear.yet must satisfy all eye protection requirements. Com insertable plugs, molded to fit the individual's ear are good, comfort V^M.% mon shields, for which there are able attenuators. They must be f t 'Ihboiwttinstgricatnsdtanwdaerlddisnignclhuedlembeatbs-, fitted by a trained person and normally become user property. hand-heldr face units, and acid- Major and special noise haz proof and. air-supply, hoods. \ , ards usually require muff devices. If an electrical hazard is present, : Earplugs and muffs: v : nonconductive material is a must. f% sound out a hygienist - the bInuyesrelsehcotiunlgd bpeluggusidoerd bmyufthfse, ' When a worker is exposed to advice of a safety engineer or noise levels exceeding permissible industrial hygienist. osha levels, the employer must provide .personal ear protection. Respirators and masks: The., twEoarbpalsuicgstywpehsi:ch can reduce disposables emerge ^ ,tto iM ,,^ 3 p .;.d B : (usually ample Respiratory equipment is the i';.' ^ protection against sound levels of most confusing area in personal ^ ^ 1 5 - 1 2 0 d B );.^ S `- protection because of overlapping "i; Ear muffs which can reduce regulatory authority. The Bureau : noise 35-45 dB (generally effective of Mines (mesa), osha/ ansi, and .-.''A at sound levels of 130-135 dB). niosh all have authority to set kf Aocmbination of thessetacnadnards--and have for varying add 3-5 dB more protection:* conditions, ansi standards gener Reliable manufacturers have ally cover safety programs, while v d e v e l o p e d their own attenuation latest product standards come charts indicating degree to which under niosh/ mesa certifications. 7, their "product" will reduce noise. During the past five years, The buyer should order ear devices m anufacturers have developed with references to his supplier's disposable face masks offering claims in writing. ' several benefits over the reusable Insertable ear protection may type. The disposables are lighter be, disposable`dr permanent type. and less expensive, elim inate Unseated cotton has poor .noise cleaning, and maintenance costs, and have high worker acceptance. However, reusables offer a much wider range of applications and are built sturdier to hold their seal Earplugs srs Inexpensive noise protection devices, but may have a short service life. Three types: formable. custom-molded or prefabricated. Disposable respirators are gaining popularity. This vinyl-chloride protector provides a visible "end-of-iife" indicator. for longer work periods. . v V: Because respirators and masks are worn prim arily in hazardous workplaces, selection is , critical. With heavy testing cur rently being conducted by niosh, look for new, tighter regulations governing toxic substances and suspected carcinogens. . v*.. Footwear, revisions on the march i ;; Guidelines for selecting safety footwear are murky. General requirements are covered by ansi* Z41.1, which is being, revised! Final approval and promulgation of a revision probably won't come until next year. : > *. .:, M eanwhile, niosh has de clared its tests of safety-toe footwear show most products do not meet critical ansi require-, ments. The footwear, industry . replies that its products have a proven safety record under actual workplace conditions. ansi recently issued standards covering special conditions: metatarsal protection (Z41.2); con ductive soles, to discharge static electricity buildup (Z41.3); and electrical hazards (Z41.4). Buyers should identify the hazard and buy with reference to the standard: Buyers have become more concerned about the skid resist ance of protective footwear. One manufacturer notes! that more workers are .injured and more compensation paid for back inju ries and broken bones resulting from falls than any other work place incident. National' Safety Council statistics support that observation. Recently, many manufactur ers have shifted to heavier gauge steel toe caps (from .054 to .062 gauge), to provide better toe protection and, hopefully, to slow rising foot-injury lawsuits But, nsc warns, safety-toe shoes are just that--toe protectors that do not provide total foot protection. They should not be bought as all-purpose foot protection. 1 . ! Worker acceptance has in creased lately as manufacturers have designed lighter, more com fortable products. Contributing to acceptance is the general practice of employers, who buy the foot- UW- y ifcw- m - * ip ; 18$- : & ip f f : .fetor- ..if ;: ! nm - PROTECTED PURCHASING APRIL 12, 1978 45 w RGS-SC 052697 Spili ;J< i. V T Contents Vol. 3 No. 1 W inter 1979 From the C o m m issio n e r................................................. ............................................................... 3 Articles Further Reflections O n Infant M ortality In Connecticut .......................................Estelle Siker, M .D., M.P.H. and Hugh Fritch, B.S. 4 New Developments In The Health Services For Handicapped C h ild re n ........................................................ Saro Palmeri, M .D ., M.P.H. 7 Provision O f Local Director O f Health S e rv ice s................................................................. M ichael A. Rossetti, M.Ed., R.S. 10 State Governm ent Reorganization G uide -- Connecticut's First Health Services Com m issioner............................................................... 13 Features People and Programs W IC O u tre a c h .................................................................................................................... 15 In M em oriam -- Dr. James M cElroy and Miss Hazel Dudley, R.N..................................... 17 Smoky Issue C le a r e d ......................................................................................................... 18 An A rt Prohibiting Smoking In Certain P la c e s ................................................................. 18 First State Level Com prehensive Health Plan .................................................................. 19 Joel M u ld e r Heads Pulmonary Disease Section ............................................................... 19 Annual San Francisco Cancer S ym p o siu m ........................................................................ 19 Formaldehyde In Home Insulation M a te r ia l.................................................................... 20 Asbestos M onitoring Continues In Connecticut ............................................................. 20 Legionnaires D ise a se ......................................................................................................... 21 M C H Sponsors Intensive Care P r o je c t............................................................................. 21 Genetic S e rv ice s................................................................................................................ 21 Dr. Bapat New Chief O f Maternal and Child Health S e c tio n .......................................... 21 Premarital Rubella L a w ..................................................................................................... 22 Rabies In Pet S k u n k s ......................................................................................................... 22 Health Education C o n fe re n c e ......................................................................................22, 23 C o ld Weather B lu e s ........................................................................................................... 23 Heart Association Penicillin Payment ............................................................................... 23 Index O f Available Sanitation G u id e lin e s......................................................................... 24 Emergency M edical Services Chris Gentile New EMS D ir e c to r ...................................................................................... 25 EMS Center Stage At Big " E" ............................................................................................. 25 State Laboratory Laboratory and Blood Bank Regulations........................................................................... 26 Specified Water Sampling C o n ta in e rs............................................................................... 26 Laboratory Notes .......................................................... ................................................... 26 S t a f f .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Issued quarterly by the Connecticut State Department of Health Services, 79 Elm St., Hartford, Connecticut 06115, second class postage paid at Hartford, Connecticut. FORMALDEHYDE IN HOME INSULATION MATERIAL The environmental chemistry lab oratory is analyzing insulation mate rial for formaldehyde. It is currently popular to apply foam insulation to existing homes where the cost of removing siding is too great to allow conventional vapor barriers, vapor proofing and batt insulation. The one with least flammability is urea-for maldehyde insulation, and it has lately become very popular. In some cases, however, the residents have experienced difficulty due to irritat ing fumes. These fumes seem to be mostly formaldehyde vapor, and they seem to dissipate very poorly in a dis tressing number of cases. Studies have been initiated by the Depart ments of Health Services and of Envi ronmental Protection to deal with this problem. Health Effects Associated With Urea-formaldehyde Foam Insulation The energy crisis which has befall en us over the last two years has created a boom in the home insula tion business. Several new insulating materials have been introduced as a result of these mass attempts to con serve fuel. One of these new products is urea-formaldehyde foam insula tion. Due to its excellent insulating capacity, the use of this foam has become increasingly widespread. Unfortunately, the rise in popularity has been accompanied by a rash of complaints to the Health Services D epartm ent, co ncernin g the emission of formaldehyde gas from the foam insulation. It has not yet been determined whether it is im proper manufacturing, curing, or installation which has caused formal dehyde to be emitted. Men, women, and children of ail ages have experienced health effects from formaldehyde which has entered the air inside their homes. Reported symptoms include eye and nose irri tation, sore throats, and coughing. A number of people have also become sensitized to the formaldehyde and have thus become "allergic" to their own homes. As of this writing, the Health Services Department has investigated 85 such complaints. Tests to determine formaldehyde air levels have been performed in each home, and sym ptom atology has been recorded through use of a question naire. Connecticut's Task Force on Insula tion has recently submitted recom mendations concerning the regula tion of urea-formaldehyde insulation industry to the Governor. These include the testing and licensing of all manufacturers and installers asso ciated with this product. In an effort to assess the long-term health effects of low doses of formaldehyde, the Health Services Department is at tempting to obtain federal funding for a more thorough epidemiologic study. ASBESTOS MONITORING CONTINUES IN CONNECTICUT Increasing concern about hazard ous substances in the environment has led to the expansion of testing for asbestos from schools, homes and industry. This substance, so valuable because of its resistance to heat and chemical attack, has been used for many kinds of insulation -- electrical wiring, boilers and steam pipes, gaskets, flame-resistant clothing for firefighters, and fireproofing for structural steel all depend on these qualities of asbestos. For similar rea sons, it is used for brake linings, in plaster or mortar, and in roofing materials. The environmental chemistry lab oratory continues to receive sam ples from local health departments, concerned citizens, school systems, and other state agencies for asbestos identification. Method of Distinguishing Asbestos Types The types of asbestos can be dis tinguished by a microscopic tech nique called "dispersion staining." The material is immersed in a liquid whose refractive index is the same as or close to one of the indexes of the suspected compound. It is illum i nated by a narrow beam of polarized light, which is then blocked by an opaque stop after passing through the objective. Only that light that was refracted by the prism effect of the particle, and thus passes around the stop, is able to reach the eyepiece. If the indexes match, the yellow light is stopped, the red light bends to one side and blue light to the other, and they recombine at the eyepiece to give magenta. When the match is not exact but is close, the color seen will be different, and it tells whether to go higher or lower. The chrysotile fibers in the specimen would show colors from magenta to blue depending on orientation, and some might be pale blue or even green, due to the third optic axis. Most glass fibers, rock wool and mineral wool would show blue color, but it would not vary as the slide is turned and it would not show extinction effects with crossed polarizers. Cellulose structures like cotton and wood have a much wider range of index, so they show color only in one direction. Synthetic fibers may show colors, but their dimen sional uniformity easily distinguishes them from asbestos. 20