Document qmeVpyL2Lq1KXVOjqbOGenwbR

MANAGERS 1 NOTICE ROUTE TO: staff all dept members I-! other ---------------------- 1|2 George Pov Director. Employee Relatione Clevelapo Chemical Dept* 5440 No. 311 December 16, 1974 The following information was released in Canada on Friday, December 13, 1974: SHAWINIGAN, Quebec, Dec. 13--Four former employees of a polyvinyl chloride manufacturing plant here (formerly known as Shawinigan Chemical), acquired by B.F.Goodrich Canada Limited in 1972, had a rare form of liver cancer, angiosarcoma, at the time of their deaths over the past six years, the company has learned. The presence of angiosarcoma in these cases was discovered by Dr. Fernand Delorme, a pathologist at Centre Hospital Regional de la Maurice Shawinigan-Sud, after a three-month review of hospital records. The latest of the four deaths occurred recently, according to Dr. Delorme, and the earliest was in 1968. Based on information presently available to the company, the deaths follow the pattern of those found earlier this year among workers who had long-term exposure to vinyl chloride gas (VCM) at some plants in the-United States and Europe. The U.S. and European cases involved many years of individual ex posure to vinyl chloride gas at levels substantially higher than those generally existing today in plants where the gas is produced or used. The discovery of several angiosarcoma cases in the United States in January of this year was the first known incidence of human cancer associated with exposure to VCM gas. After the January discovery, B.F.Goodrich Canada greatly accelerated its plant modernization program at the Shawinigan facility, which was built in 1941. As a result, exposure to VCM gas among workers at the plant has been drastically reduced. The reduction was achieved through a combination of engineering changes, new work practices and additional monitoring devices and safety equip ment, all part of the company's continuing, intensive effort to minimize VCM gas in the plant's work atmosphere. In addition, the company has provided medical examinations and liver function tests for all 200 plant employees. No other cases of angiosarcoma have been found among employees at BFG. Canada's two PVC facilities located here and in Niagara, Ontario. 24040001 Managers' Notice List - Local Field Locations Outside Plants Ml LITHO. IN U.S.A. John J. Bell Executive Director of Corporate Conmunications The B.F.Goodrich Company BFG28973 ~\ "C