Document oDOy1QeOGzdJZ3kkDg5eL1wmr

BFG26944 I Sharp Drop in Vinyl Chloride Exposure Is Ordered by Labor Agency for Workers Wall ertsvr'jovaNAt Haff Rtporttr WASHINGTON-The Labor Department ordered a uhnrp reduction in workers' expo sure to vinyl chloride, a widely used Indus trial gas that has been linked to liver can cer. The ruling, which cornea after nine months of controversy, brought a lawsuit from the plastics industry, which contends the standard can't be met. and criticism from organired labor, which contends the rule contains too many loopholes. Vinyl chloride is a basic ingredient In making many everyday plastic products. A date wasn't set In the ruling for im proving plant engineering and practices to the point where respirators won t be needed. What's more, until January 1976 workers; may refu.se to wear the respirators when ex posures don't exceed 25 parts per million, i even if they exceed the one part per million : over eight hours specified in Uie regulation, j Despite this attempt at compromise. i however, the Society of the Plastics Indus- try and some producers sued the Labor De- ! partment to overturn the ruling only mo- ; ments after It was issued yesterday. And i Firestone Plastic Co., a unit of Firestone1 "Hie new standard, Issued by the Labor Departments Occupational Safely and Health Administration, requires that, start ing Jan. 1, vinyl chloride levels In the air that workers breathe be hold to one part vinyl chloride per million parts of air, aver aged over an eight-hour period. Actual levels may exceed one part per million for short periods, but they must averege out to no more than five parts per million for any 15-mir.ute period within the eight-hour time span. Tire Si Rubber Co . said it will ask a court tc slay enforcement of the standard while the suits are being tried. Ralph Harding, president of the industry group, said the standard is "unrealistic, probably will be impossible for most, if r.ji all, Of the industry to meet and appears to have been developed on some basis inconsis tent wuh recorded facts." The job-safe:; agency "may believe that It has adopted a compromise position." but the result is un acceptable to the industry, he added. The standard also calls for regular moni Industry sources also indicated displea toring of plant air, regular medical exams sure at the inclusion of plants making fabri for workers and establishment of/`regulated cated products from polyvinyl chloride. The areas" where vinyl chloride exposure is industry had proposed excluding ihe.-r- high. It prohibits direct-worker contact with plants, contending they didn't present any liquefied vinyl chloride and requires posting hazard. of signs warning the chemical fs a "cancersuspect agent." Since last April, companies handling vinyl chloride have been under an emer gency restriction of 50 parts per million, But the department said it decided to in clude them because polyvinyl chonde resin and pellets can give off vinyl chloride gas m small amounts during processing. It said however, if the plants weren't exposin? without any time period. workers to more than half a part per million The emergency standard was issued Of vinyl chloride gas, they needn't under after the discovery, beginning last January, take any control measures. of casts of a rare and fatal liver cancer, an- In Midland, Mich., Dow Chemical Co jglosarcoma, among workers exposed to scud the standards were "unnecessarily vinyl chloride Nineteen deaths among such stringent" and unsupported by the data c-n I workers in the U S. and other countries Dow workers that was presented at public have been attributed to liver cancer caused hearings. I by long exposure to the chemical. Organized labor expressed some inure-!:- Vinyl chloride is a gas that is processed ate reservations of its own. to form a powdery substance known us poly In Akron. Ohio, Peter riommarito, peer, vinyl chloride. Polyvinyl chloride, in resin dent cf the UmLed Rubber Workers union, or pellet form, is then fabricated into a wide which represents many vinyl chloride work variety of finished plastic products. ers, said "it would appear this thing has i Coverage for Worker* number of loopholes in it." Mr. Eorr.ma.riw Though only about 6,500 workers are em reserved final judgment until he has seen a ployed in plants that make vinyl chloride full text of the regulation?, bat he was quu:.-. and polyvinyl chloride, about 350,OX) ethers, m take issue with the deeW-'" W wer/pm t who work in facilities that create finished uM-iija- u;e use uf a respirator uni.i 1 products from the polyvinyl chloride, will "We can't make a guy put on a respirator, also be covered by the new ruling. Workers and v.-hile he's not wearing or.e, he may be ! who handle only finished products, and don't endangering himself." What is mere, hr. j have ar.y chance of contact with "raw' added, "The respirator siluvicn is going to I vinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride, arc the be even worse m nonunion plants.'' 1 only ones exempted. Union safety experts have been heavily 1 The Labor Department initially proposed involved in the rule-making process, am j that exposure be limited to "no detectable ' level?" without any averaging over time. ! This proposal pleased organized labor and i some key researchers in the field of occupa- one of their major contention.) has been th../ protection from the gas sheuid be denvr-f primarily from controlling exposure three. engineering and work-rule charges ratrs- j tional heaith. But the Society cl the Plastics th;m from respirators, whmh workers c,'t-" 1 Industry, a trade group, ; rues using tne cn and many compa denounced it as ibalk at wearing and unreliable. because they can be fcui-, j technologically impossible and warned it The department defended its reliance / ! would drive the industry out cf business. the use of respirators, sivinq definite dal- } Discretion in Enforcement couldn't be set for dealing with the prob'e-;.- In selecting as its final standard or.e part solely through engineering and work rul-.-. 5 per rrulhon over eight hours and five parts because "we are presently unable to de-.-r , per million over 15 minutes, the department mine when it will be feasible." It add-d < apparently was trying to reach a compro- "We would agree that r-3>-.-.mv.nr tmv rruae between u oeig.n-u idea anil tne many drawbacks" but said, in the nbaem 'toughest proposal offered by the Industry, of complete engineering control, they are which would have left exposures as high as needed. 10 parts per million in oome plants and 25 The official explanation -of the re?uh. parts per million in others. tlor.s also Said that altnjugh a d'-nb. "- 1 Th; department sought to smooth further wasn't set for <.;n:p.e:ir engm^erirg ir. : ; the ad;ustmcm for industry by delaying work-ru'e chan/es. a cc-ntmomg plan. ava;'. r until next January the drop from the pres able for government inspection, niust be ent 50 parts per million. Also, It gave its en- pursued by e.a.n company at a pace agre-' forcemeat staff dircretion to determine how on by safety inspectors, until respirators am Lhc companies must meet the standard. needed only occasionally. It admitted, how While the goal is to reach the new levels ever, that at different pUnts this could tak ; through "engineering o:id work practice as long as `'several years." i controls," such control must be deemed i "feasible," and companies can deal with any exposures produced by inadequate con trols by giving workers respirators. The unions are expected to study the rul ing :n depth, and thev, loo, a law suit if they are inadequate. WALL STREET JOURNAL 10/2/74