Document n9EGQBZ2JZ0OEVnE8RkjMpjNR

(>icopalmuni Health A l.chrf. Ochdici 22, o: is ihe rat- .it which OSUA has been proposing oL'v'tip.ilio.i.ii lit .ill!, n.md.nd.. I hr .cc old of the past is nut .in exemplary one, .>ml. altUough tile matters arc extiem. !v complex, i w.ll i .I.a m> cxcn.iO tor past dcln . TIk-:c ,,,,d v* ill continue to he a significant improvement in (In., aiea .0 a a suit of ilie actions described in the enclosed u-'po.ae to issue paper number 14. I assure vou that 1 will continue to focus the utmost attention upon the problem of workplace health ha/aalsaiul the means lor their elimination. "I am certain that >011 are aware of the milieu within which this progi.nn esisls. The Act is ,1 complex piece of legislation, virtually unprecedented when passed, which the Department hail m implement on a fullscale basis almost immediately after its enactment. There is considerable anil vocal opposition to many ot the policies ami decisions involved in implementing the law as well as to the staiute ilselt. .'such factors as availability of qualified personnel, finite resomees, court decisions and jurisdictional questions all impinge upon the manner in which we implement the Act. Yon can he assured, however, that consideration of these factors will not lead to any lessening in our efforts to enforce this legislation." SI.,NS. WII.id AMS, IIAKT HUGE CONSULTATION WITH LABOR. ON- l)R, KEY'S SUCCESSOR: Senators HairiMii) Williams (D-N.J.) ami Philip A. Hart (D-Mieh.j have written a letter to President hoid urging that labor he consulted, along with management and technical groups, in appointing a successor to Dr. Marcus Key as Director of NIOSH. Dr. Key retired last month and is now in the Washington office of liie American Medical Association. 1 ite committee screening a possible successor to Dr. Key has succeeded thus far only in weeding down the potential list of candidates from SO to 50. It seems unlikely that the committee's recommendation will come before elections next month. Several unions have joined the American Industrial Hygiene Association in urging the promotion ot Edward Baier to the post. Baicr. 0 hygienist, is currently serving as Acting Director "As tiic recent headlines concerning the hazards of vinyl chloride and asbestos make clear, the safety of the working environment is a critical national problem," wrote Williams and Hart to the President. "To reassure the working men and women of America that everything possible to reduce the incidence of occupa tional disease is being done, it is important that the new head of NIOSH he familiar with and sensitive to labor's concerns. "May we suggest therefore that you consult with labor union representatives, as well as management and technical groups, in making your selection for this post. We are entering a difficult time for labor-manage ment relations. A director of NIOSH who enjoys the confidence of labor and management can do much to improve the atmosphere for amicable settlements of disputes based on safety issues." / NIOSH WITHHOLDING CERTIFICATION OF RESPIRATORS FOR VINYL CHLORIDE: NIOSH is reaffirming its policy that only air-supplied respirators can he certified as safe for workers cxpiisgd-h-t-v-inv 1 ehlnrwlfi :md tiius far no manufacturer has submitted an nir-snpplied respirator for testing .ii,;l ce/i bit atom. 1 lie net effect could be to neutralize the vinyl chloride standard, or at least that part of it which requires j respirators if the level exceeds 25 ppm. it's the view of NIOSH that only an air-supplied respirator provides sufficient protection tor the uurkeis and It:ls reaffirmed.that position in a scries of meetings, Respirators with cartridges might he efficient but they itave the risk of leakage around the face and do not have the necessary warning property, said Edward J. tinier. Acting Director of NIOSH. An effective and certifiable respirator must contain a warning device of some kind to alert the worker to the exposure level, he said. Several respirators which include cartridges and chemicals have been tested by NIOSH but have been found lo-bi-suitjcxl-to IcakagC-aodjejiiilamination. Baier noted that vinyl chloride generally t.innot he smelled mini it reaches a level of 2000 to 5000 ppm far above the level considered to be safe. NIOSH is currently working with two manufacturers on a timing device, lmt the problem appears to be one of economic feasibility rather than technological possibility. Note: 1 he Industrial Union Department of AEL CIO lias entered the suit filed neainst the Labor Depart ment bv the Society of Plasties Industry and individual companies in New A ork emut seeking judicial review ol the vinv I chloride standard. IUD has entered the case mm the side of the Government as an "iiitervc.oor." BOR 014697