Document v6g7Zx8BoemZ7EMa6BQL87XX8

Route to: <u (2). (3) (4). EMPLOYMENT SAFETYAND HEALTH = GUIDE -- 2076, Commerce Clearing House, Inc. 75ANUMBER MARCH 30, 1976 Thla lune la In two part*, conaiatlnc of 1M pncaa. TMa la Fart 1. j Asbestos Exposure Records Retention Period Increased to 20 Years Employers must retain monitoring records of employee exposure to as bestos for 20 years instead of three, pursuant to a March 19 amendment to the OSHA asbestos standard, 1910.1001. The action was taken because the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia directed the Secretary to re-examine the three-year retention provision and to reconsider whether such a period adequately assured availability of data needed for research on asbestos-related diseases (AFL-CIO v. Hodgson, 1973-1974 OSHD If 17,618). OSHA's decision was based on the long latency period for many asbestosrelated diseases, and the new rule matches the present retention requirement in the asbestos standard for employee medical records. The data obtained as a. result of the new retention period will be useful in detecting patterns of health hazards associated with occupational exposure to asbestos, the agency said. The amended regulation appears at ff 7602.2 and the announcement at ff 10,261. J $ Respirators Mandatory for Vinyl Chloride Workers as of April 1 Beginning April 1 respirators must be worn by employees exposed to vinyl chloride at concentrations greater than 1 ppm averaged over any 8-hour period and those exposed to concentrations greater than 5 ppm averaged over any period not exceeding IS minutes. Field Information Memorandum No. 76-12 (f[ 10,257) reminds OSHA regional personnel of this requirement. Since the vinyl chloride standard ( 1910.1017) became effective one year ago, use of respirators has been discretionary for workers not exposed to concentrations greater than 25 ppm measured over any 15-minute period. NIOSH Issues Warning on Possible Cancer Risks of Chloroform Exposure A NIOSH alert on possible carcinogenic effects from exposure to chloro form was issued March 15 by the Office of Extramural Coordination and Special Projects, following the release of a National Cancer Institute study on March 1 Commerce, Clearing, House.Inc., PUBUtHCNS TOPICAL LAW REPORTS 4029 W. PETERSON AVE.. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60649 CTL031401