Document qaMLe8346ewOZB8753GKDOBJK

FILE NAME: Kaiser Gypsum (KG) DATE: 1974 Mar 27 DOC#: KG088 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Press Release - OSHA Alerts Employers & Employees to New Asbestos Hazard U. $. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR orrict of i i h m i t i m . isNimon, o. c . i u i b DEFENDANTS EXHIBIT UCC-978 USDL-- M 1 4 i Oetbpstiwukl S*fty ni Wt.llh AninliratIon I m (202.' 1 -3 9 1 A (H M tt) (01*. PM. XUAIt A,K. H U IoiS l'dneid*y, M orrh .V , 1 9 05KA M Z j T j a g l g m a AM) O J U T I E S T 3 V A StC StO g UAZAMt r u V.S. Jte?laent c l Libel lilted itxfuicry and Ubcr CoJcy to 4 M U -fnU JUlf f t '.ufiardtnitf cxpo*uro to 3 bistod Hbero. M alaxan* SocxstaTy o! labor John K* ftttn d tr, vfco ta&Cs th t Departnartt' s 0ccupu.<nJi fairy atd H ealth A d u t n l tt r i t (on <03UA) t *oW h is sgOncy hfts U om e Chat aany tpjccU r> .X CJjlftg coapcvrvi u*od fco cover 9tas o dry-mil joint contain etbattec, InpIcytB* sndin| joints smooth befora pnlncini tvy or.poo tivemvsivey .EtiootD libers par cubic vanl laatara of M r, three to Is.J / OSliA'a Asbcotas fcaaLth standard Iloilti caployoc orposu** cb Itvo libavt pn cubit/ Mhtitatcr, on or. 8-hour cl* uelgnted 491150* 13HA o fficials cagllon that auny cjtployota sitd employe. p m u u U ily 41 the atni- mUdtAi Industry, say bo oxpoieh to unaccuptobU leveU of chrytoUls aibcstss. Aitxi to ia one of Mv# texis tubstcnc (tht otKsri carbon conoxU, .ta, ilia **< cocear* Outtj rh*t J-tvc recslvsd eportoi actent or. freer uartA Uvseceorr %\rca acsouneewnt of th a^eecy'c la r ia t joftltn Isierds froftran** iu Jam:sry Inc OSHA field staff in not thao 100 aCCIcos nstiurw tit stittv a*tU OSiU vppc.-viJ ;c> Ciety Shd hail eh %.lace* l,ava brn n?t;fvad of the v*'M source *if .-syCvii * * "filo KU tioa*. cchsr isoloyss ctsvpf. wlonj, oiKt ivf.r*%v u tIvt nt it* iut.C rulU o *.*dvci*y ara ber,f o'H.Bu ec ^ .r. :H 01fere to oUr: all orp.oyttj >tU -rfUT*** of the htaard ond of cl; need to rc*p|y w*cb OSKA*' nW kU i *; .ire npljyo protreiuii* -none - 2 )i:l\ W* a le rte d CO th e . w tta iard by r . Mcrcuft K6y, directo r o f tti<* { u tjct tu tOucupjc tonal 5of?iy nd Huulth (KIOSK) til clut Departewnlr trf Huvltii, U iM llon, M\1VolCvtt NlOSK U OSHA* arch ar*. Key an xaaitiaclon of 17 Oasabact of local 1974 (Bow York Cxty> 1 efeo ir.twTrr.M0r4) Srotluthacd at Paint And AUUd Trad, conducted by Or Irving 7 Oelthcli, director at .eh* inviraqnaotnl Sclcatao U lcriiery , Hcuat Sinai School MatHalne, cf she City 'Jalverelcy of York cevunled that tha lung of nine of 17 w rtes xwclttcd jhewed ^oittivo X-ray evident n tibrotie. hi chough S e lik o ff c a u ti otmdthat teeeloeiooa cannot bo drove f t on aueh few data M\y sutgeet that 1 oorlous health h u u d may oxiiC aaottg ham builder* became lung saasuci v^t;h otm ielLowa tibtoolo. TuUorit dovelop in favor chan 70 yaori of *xpiuca. tth e 17 workar* ovm irw d, flow out e f .10 Who hA<! bean an ta p in g V nri .0 Co .*> y u art fib ro a ia m ic e ; to u r o f th* ramalolng w vc tfcitUi .ihwed ftb c o rU jftc Kid n aapaouri hiatus? of 2$ to 29 y u a n . Gincu oftbcTtoi. fiber urn wi< coocopio tr. ai*e, they car. c ^ l l y t t m tiU d . Guru U rhj lungs. *tlw> Hbara ore coated with a were tier but * not dissolved ot ulhUaatcd. * vjificlanc buildup of such eeeretiona cao cat j:?.iirxrt ut Uog cayacicy Aitc vwn itoerh* O de TF-7471 PLAINTIFFS EXHIBIT km-:u s I C u rre n t R e p o rt Health M aw d t OSKA WILL ADOPT SO PPM EXPOSURE LIMIT IN EMERGENCY VINYL CHLORIOE RULE An em ergency tem porary health standard for vinyl chloride to be issued by the Occupational Safely and Health Administration wUI establish a ceiling exposure lim it o f SO p a rti per million. The emergency rule will be issued while 05H A pro* cceds with normal rulemaking procedures for a permanent standard. Tlte OSHA action followed disclosure by officials o f cite B. F. G oodrich Chemical Company plant in Louisville* Ky.* o f a possible connection between vinyl chloride exposure end the deaths o f several employees o f angio* sarcoma* a rare form o f liver cancer (Current Report, January 31, p. 1099). Union support and management opposition to an enter* gency standard for vinyl chloride were registered during an OSIIA public hearing on February 15 (Current Report, February 21, p. IJ89). Tlte emergency standard will reduce permissible ex* posurc levels o f w orkers in industry from 500 ppm in air to a SO ppm celling* and at ihe same time require workplace monitoring and* where exposure is greater than th e .50 ppm level, personal protective measures and equip m ent. The adoption o f a SO ppm ceiling would be a .signifi cant departure from the work practices standard rccum m ended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Current Report* March 14, p. 1276). NfOSH m aintained that there was Inadequate evidence to support he concept that exposure levels o f less than SO ppm were safe. U nder the O ccupational Safety and Health Act* the emergency tem porary standard serves as a proposed per* Rtimcnt standard. Assistant Labor Secretary John IL Slender said the perm anent standard would also be based upon the NIOSH recommendations. Proposed Standard The proposed standard (the emergency standard) would establish m ethods o f njoniloring work areas for vinyl chloride* set work practices to be followed, Institute a medical surveillance program for employees, and require specific personal protective equipment. H ie rule Is Intended lo lim it exposure to vinyl cldo ride, a substance th a t is used widely in the manufac ture o f polyvinyl chloride* a form of plastic. Monitoring devices now available can measure exposures as Inw as oue.parl per million in aii. llu* e itiritfitry llaiuluid, It 1 lnueri `iin remain in effect up to six m onths, ft wilt be superceded, how ever, as soon as the permanent standard proposal is adopted. Slender said that ' " theoretically, the permanent stand* aid can be oo the books as early as June. Meanwhile, the emergency standard will serve to protect workers from the grave danger we know exists " Following the OSHA hearing on February IS* Slender and other OSHA officials visited several chemical plants for on-the-spot investigations to determine possible means o f limiting worker exposure lo vinyl chloride. Slender said scientific evidence presented ai the Feb ruary IS hearing by Professor Cesare Maltont* an Italian scientist, led to the emergency ceiling reduction. Malimu * studies dem onstrated that reduction from 500 to SO ppm provides a considerable degree o f protection from the 2SO ppm concentration observed by Malioni to be cancercausing in animals* while those exposed only to SO ppm showed n o apparent U1 effects. Slender? Writs and meetings followed a Held study by a team o f OSHA industrial hygienists and chemical engi* neers a t a num ber o f chemical plants In Louisiana to develop technical recommendations. A lthough the emergency standard will becom e effective shortly .a fte r publication In the Federal Register, the perm anent standard will not be adopted until the public has been given a n opportunity to com m ent and, if req u ested a public hearing is held. OSHA ALERTS INOUSTRY TO NEW SOURCE OF HAZAROOUS EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS PIBERS Industry and labor were alerted to a new potential source o f occupational exposure to asbestos fibers con tained in speckling and taping compounds used to cover seams in diy-wall joints, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced on Match 27. The com pounds are used chiefly hi the hom e con struction industry. Workcrs ^mdirig oinis smooth before pamintjing may n m f tly m stlvc* to three lo 13.7 asbestos ySatf per c ubic ,,centim eters o f air* OSHA staled . 7hc OSHA standatd for asbestos limits worker expusute to five fibers per cubic centim eter for ait eight-hour timeweighted average. Trade associations* unions, employer groups, and repre sentatives o f construction industry ate being asked by OSHA to join the effort to alert employers and em ployees to the potential hazard. OSHA was alerted to the hazard by Dr. Marcus M. Key, director. National Institute for Occupational Safely and Health. Worker Examination Cm rent awareness o f lln puren lial W a r d k hv.i-.J m, ev.iinin.iti*hi nr I / iiinobeir. nl the Iiiteui4ti*in:if hood o f Painlcis and Allied Trade*, New Yoik C ity, conducted by Dr. Irving J. SclifcofT,.director, environ m ental sciences laboratory* Mount Sinai School o f . Medicine, City University o f New York. X-rays revealed th at die lungs o f nine o f the 17 w orkers exam ined py<iglirO IP74 by Tk# Qv*ov of NotioA! Altai#^ lor. KMX 01087 1356 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH REPORTER showed postlive evidence o f' fibrosis, OSHA stated, litis evidence suggests dial a Serious health hazatd may exist among home builders because lung cancer, which often follows fibrosis, seldom develops before years o f exposure. Of the 17 workers examined, five out o f 10 who had been in taping work from 10 to 19 yean showed fibrosis results. Four o f the remaining seven, who had an ox* posum history o f TO lo 39 years, showed signs o f fibrosis. The OSHA field staff and all states with approved worker safety and health plant have been notified of the new potential source o f exposure, OSHA stated. Health Hazards NIOSH ISSUES MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE SUPPLEMENT TO VINYL CHLORIDES DOCUMENT Recommendations for medical screening to detect liver disease and/or hepatic tumor associated with exposure to vinyl chlorides were issued by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on Match 22. The recommendations, supplementing N10SH*s recom mended work practices document on vinyl chlorides (Cur rent Report. March 14, p. 1276), were sent to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on the above date. The supplement, " h . Medical Surveillance." recom mends specific health screening requirements that would apply to all persons involved in vinyl chloride monomer production and polymerisation including those clerks and management personnel involved indirectly with these operations. The recommendations mutt be applied both at a pre- employment requirement and as part o f periodic health followups. Screening priorities must be given to current employees with prolonged and dose potential exposure to vinyl chloride monomer In present and past settings. The specific full text recommendations for routine health screening at ihe time of Initial employment and for periodic health followup examinations (where specified) ate as follows: U) At tune o f initial employment, Ot upon institution of screening, a physical examination shall be performed with specific attention to detecting enlargement o f liver or spleen by abdominal palpation. (ii) At time o f initial employment, or upon institution of screening and annually thereafter, a medical history check-list shall be completed by the employee. This Hit shall include questions concerning: (a) alcohol intake; (b) past history o f hepatitis; (c) past exposure to potential hepatotoxic agents, including drugs and chemicals; (d) past history o f blood transfusions; and (e) pass history o f hospitalizations. Completed medical check-lists shall be reviewed by a physician and should be acted upon as medically Indi cated fur cseh individual employee. (0 At time of initial employment, or upon institution o f screening, a rerun specimen shall be obtained for screening with respect to the following five biochemical determinations o f liver function: (a) total bilirubin; .(b) alkaline phosphatase; (c) scram glutamic oxalateik transaminase (SCOT); (d) serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT); and (e) ggmma glutamyl transpeptidsm (GGTP).* Additional tests that may optionally be considered for use in screening include lactic dehydrogenase (OLD), serum protein determinations, serum protein electrophoresis, and platelet count. Laboratory analyses shall be performed in laboratories accredited by (he College o f American Pathol ogists ot licensed in accordance with the provisions, of the Clinical Laboratories improvement Act o f 5967. <iv) If results o f laboratory screening are normal, screening shill be repeated on an annual basis. If the person being screened has been employed directly in vinyl chloride monomer production or polymerization for 10 years o r longer, screening shall bo repeated aw ry tix (6) months. (v) 1f one or morn liver function tests are abnormal, serum testing shall be repeated es soon as possible, preferably within two (2) to four (4) weeks. If no abnormalities arc present open reacreenmg, testing should be repeated in three (3 ) months. (vt) If abnormalities persist on rescreenbtg. the cm- ployee shall be removed from contact with vinyl chloride monomer operations and an individualized medical work up thaU be instituted. Suggested as Initial steps in medical workup are a complete physical examination and various special procedures such as hepatitis B antigen determina tion and ttver scanning. (f liver function abnormalities am determined to be unrelated to liver disease (e.g., elevated alkaline phos phate in a young, physically active man or elevated bilirubin in Gilbert's syndrome) o r to be transient (e.g., due to recent hepatitis or recent alcohol intake), the employee may be permitted to return to vinyl chloride, related employment, subject to Individual metEcal valua tion. (vii) In view o f the preliminaty results o f animal toxicology studies, it Is recommended that no woman who is pregnant or who expects to become pregnant should be employed directly in vinyl chloride monomer operations. . Health Hazards LOUISVILLE HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER ORGANIZES RESEARCH ON UV6R ANCER A -medical research program on angiosarcoma and re- b le d liver abnormalities is being organized by the Uni versity o f Louisville's Health Sciences Center and Cancer Center under a grant from the B.F. Goodrich Company. An announcement byBS. Goodrich severe! workers at Its Louisville, Ky., plant died from angiosarcoma o f the liver prompted concern about health hazards associated with the production o f vinyl chloride (Current Report, January 31, p. 1099). Compan OccvpOlion! Salary 6 Maslih KMX 01058