Document npMkpYV3jG6RKm6RDwQRrzZKX

manufacturing chemists association 1825 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W. WASHINGTON, 0. C. 20009 (202) 483-6126 May 2, 1974 To: MANAGEMENT CONTACTS OF COMPANIES SUPPORTING THE VINYL CHLORIDE RESEARCH PROGRAM TECHNICAL TASK GROUP ON VINYL CHLORIDE RESEARCH Subject: NIOSH Request for Proposal for Study of Vinyl Chloride Exposures Gentlemen: Enclosed herewith are the Statement of Work and Scope of Work sections of a request for proposal (No. CDC-99-OSH-128(4)) issued by NIOSH last March 28, and just now called to ray at tention. This material is being distributed for your in formation, so that you may be prepared to handle contractor visits should they select one or more of your plants for study. Sincerely, R&S 158550 KDJ:mb Attachment cc : Mr. A. W. Barnes D. P. Duffield, M.D. Dr. Tiziano Garlanda Technical Task Group on Vinyl Chloride Research T . I Copied by MCA. `5/2/74 * STATE'T'rr OF WORK A. Background nod Purnoso Information recently has been made available to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that indicates a sericus health prcl.lt:- potentially exists in workers involved with the polymerization of vinyl chloride to polyvinyl chloride and polyvinji chloride copolycars. Preliminary cortality information concerning one vinyl chloride polymerization plant has revealed there is a definite excess of deaths due to angiosarcoma of the liver in workers that have been involved with this processing. It has been reported by Imperial Chemical Industries of Great Britain that angiosarcomas of the liver develop in animals exposed to vinyl chloride. Since vinyl chloride is definitely present in the environs of the plant mentioned above, vinyl chloride has been postulated to be an etiologic agent In the above mentioned excess employee deaths. Since there is a large work force involved with vinyl chloride poly merization processing, NIOSH immediately initiated an extensive epidemiological investigation (including environmental surveys) into vinyl chloride polymerization operations and workers thereof. Vinyl chloride exposures, of course, also can occur in the .produc tion of the monomer and may occur in the processing of the polyvinyl chloride and its copolymers and during the commercial and industrial use of these polymers. Eecause these polymers have widespread use and there is potential for quite a large number of persons to be exposed to vinyl chloride, in addition to those people working in 'polymerization operations, there Is a need to document the extent of vinyl chloride exposures in operations other than polymerization processing. The purpose of this contract is to document oast and present worker exposures to vinyl chloride during (1) the monomer production and the (2) processing of polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride copolymers. In addition to documenting worker exposures, to vinyl chloride, information on work practics, environmental control pro cedures, indpstrial hygiene practices and worker exposures to other known liver toxins also will be documented. These data will be utilized to ascertain the extent of worker exposures to vinyl chloride and possibly other liver toxins so that the possible health effects Impact in the industry can be determined and appropriate priorities for corrective measures, if needed, can be set. If vinyl chloride exposures are considered to be significant In these areas, then a very critical lock at possible general exposures will be cade. Enclosure 1 R&S 158551 B Scone of Work * la The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, services, facilities, and otherwise do all things necessary for or incident to iperformance of work set forth herein. Speci fically, the Contractor shall perform the following: Task I. Vlnvl Chloride Monomer Production There are 15 plants in the United States that produce vinyle chloride monomer according to information (Attachment A). From these 15 plants, and any other plants that the contractor identifies, three plants shall be selected for on-site environraental/industrial hygiene.* surveys. Within 90 day;, of the initiation of the contract, the con tractor shall present to the project officer (s) the list of vinyl chloride monomer plan::; and polymer processing plants that have been ch osen for rhe envirenmental/industrial hygiene surveys. This pre sentation 11 Include the basis for the selection. The actual surveys shall notcomence until this information has been reviewed and approved by the project officer (s). Maximum review time shall be five working days. The criteria for selection shall include, but not be limited to: (1) information gained from preliminary site visits; (2) information gained from literature searches; (3) information gained from personal contacts; (4) the representativeness of the plants to Industrywide operations; (5) the plants having the greatest potential for work ex posure to ninyl chloride; (6) the plants having the greatest gradient of worker exposures to vinyl chloride; (7) `the availability of historical inplant, air measurements of vinyl chloride; and (jT~ the plants having _the_ longest' history of vinyl chloride monomer production. The surveys at the selected three plants shall consist of documenting past and present worker exposures to vinyl chloride and past and present w rk practices, environmental control procedures and industrial hygiene practices that involve the reduction of worker exposures to vinyl chloride. At a minimum, the following specific information shall be obtained and/or constructed: (1) a general description of the vinyl chloride monomer pro cessing operation; (2) 8-Uour daily time-weighted average exposures (T.'As) f vinyl chloride for each different job-type/job-operation in the monomer pr cessing area. Including a specific job description for each of the Job-types; (3) general area (stationary) samples of vinyl chloride in areas of suspected high concentrations; (4) raw material and product lists and quantities cherof that relate to the past and present vinyl chloride levels; (5) ventilation design and ventilation measurements, including documentation of dates ot* ventilation changes and the extent of changes and how they relate to past and present vinyl chloride levels: (6) documentation of past and present environmental control procedures and w rk practices that have been instituted to lcvcrrvinyl chloride levels and how they relate to past and present vinyl chloride levels; (7) photo graphs, sketches, etc. to document existing conditions; and (8) documen tation of past and present industrial hygiene practices, including utili zation of protective cloth Las (i.c. type, frequency of change, laundering practices, etc.), protective devices (i.c., respirator-usage, frequenev type, etc.) hotr>d or;>in pruc t icon, shower requirements, eating, smoking and drinking pr.-iet I in product too nr-ns, etc. R&S158552 Task II. Processing of Polyvinyl Chloride and Polyvinyl Chloride Copolymo; EnYironmental/industrial hygiene surveys shall be conducted in pro duction .irons ;.!'cro polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride co polymers* are processed including, but not limited to, the following operations: (1) compounding: (2) extrusion; (3) molding; (4) calenderin; ^5) thermoforming; (6) binding; (7) foams; (8) fibers; and (9) plastisol processing. The surveys shall be conducted so that each processing operation is sampled at three different plants (locations). The criteria for the selection of these three plants shall include, but net be limited to: (1) information coined from preliminary site visits; (2) information gained from literature searches; (3) information gained from personal contacts; (4) representativeness of the operations to in dustrywide processing; (5) operations having greatest potential for workcexposures to vinyl chloride;'(6) operations having the .greatest gradient of worker exposures to vinyl chloride; (7) availability of historical Inplant air measurements of vinyl chloride; and (8) the operations havinc the longest history of polymer processing. The information that shall be obtained and/or constructed shall be the same as the eight items listed above for thevinyl chloride monomer production operations. In addition, to these eight items past and present T'.-A worker exposures to other kr.cv.r liver-toxins (if present) inducing, but not limited to, mercury, 2,2 dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate, ozone, diexans, beryllium, lead, di methyl nitrosamine, arsenic, (amyl, methyl, ethyl, butyl, propl and vinyl) acetate, copper, trichloroethylene, carbontetrachloride, arsine and tetrahydrofuran shall be measured and/or constructed. Task III. Sample Collection and Data Analyses All vinyl chloride sampling and analytical techniques shall be specified - in the contract proposal. If sampling is required for.other known liver toxins, the sampling and analytical procedures must be approved by the project officer(s) prior to use by the contractor. The contractor should be cognizant of the fact that vinyl chloride is considered a potential human liver carcinogen and all employees and agent of the contractor should be provided with appropriate protective equip-.er These equipment needs will be discussed with the project officer(s) pric: to the field surveys. The sample collection shall be conducted in such a manner as to provide statistically valid data that are representative of present worker ex posures (cateoorized by different job-types) to vinyl chloride and other liver toxins, if found. Past worker exposures (by job-type) shall be constructed, based on the Information that is collected on the changes in processing, ventilation, environmental control, work practices and indus1 rial hygiene practices that have occurred over the years and on historic? * Polyvinyl chicridc-acotatc, polyvinyl chloridc-propylcne and polyvinyl chloride vinylidene chloride R&S 158553 4 air sampling data (preferably personal samplino data) collected in the plant, if deemed reliable and accurate. All assumptions t` + are made in arriving at the constructed concentrations shall >._ pre sented. All of the above information on processing changes, ventilation changes, etc. shall be presented as part of the report on the surveys. 33 8cn tfl COOl