Document xzBDzkj9neB5gvVb7daevBgY6

_____ /C:;n r' c i ' t ' s~\ /mt; at r*r. ~ szs. -s V-T2 *. i . fc-/ <* L *f^\ T* /> ** '*'SV *S^\SXr * vj v_i *-u> v*szr> v3 >j AUB 30 19/4 /7/^i n ' V ^QFLCSrS *i n ^. -T1,-'^/^ /.! u V->ss-j vs-i no V^..j JsL/ 'o `fcct V&4, =- John Stender, Assistant Secretary of Labor and head of the Occupational Safety and Health Ad ministration (OSHA), is now considering volumes of evidence supcouine and opposing a pro posed stan.l-r j for v ori;i"p with viny! chloride and polysinyi chloride (F'^'C) resins. That standard, allowing for "no detectable leveis" of vinyl chloride, is supported by labor and opposed by many indus trial and management groups. Of all the information Stender will have before him, probably the most useful could be me data gathered during four days in June, in a small West Virginia city. There in South Charleston, members of 1AM Local 59S, oH'ciais and employees from Union Carb.de Corp., and stall members from the famed Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City v.otkca together searching for answers to the frightening problems posed by working with Mnyl chloride. James Cocenhavcr, Local 5SS rep, reports that Union Carbide and the JAM asked Dr. Irving Selikotf, director of Mi-unt Sinji, to come to South Charleston and screen the more than 400 active workers, former employees ar.i retirees. The check was for liver abnormalities that n ight lead to angiosarcoma, a deadly cancer of the liver. Angiosarcoma has s'ready claimed the lives of 21 PVC workers around the world. Two of the victims were 18-year veterans of PVC work at South Charleston. Carbide has been making PVC at the West Virginia plant since 1935, longer than any other plant in the USA. The product rroduced by IAM members at South Charleston is Oynel. It's a synthetic fiber that is used widely in the manufacture of wigs, sleepwear and upholstery. Cocenhavcr adds that even before the current controversy began late last year, Union Carbide pressed for exposure levels of close to 50 parts of vin>l chloride per million parts of air. At the same time, some of the industry was loosely adhering to a 500 parts per million level. The Mount Sinai tests averaged two and one-half hours. Workers had their chests, hands and feet x-ra\ed. Other tests included pulmonary functions, urinalysis anti blood samples. The examinations were given on company tunc, it a worker was detailed past quitting time. Carbide paid hint time and onehalf. Dr. William Nicholson, associate professor at Mount Sinai, reports that the tests are almost all completed in the laboratories. Those results wilt be given to each worker and will remain confidential unless the worker approves the release. Copies of the overall findings will be sent to OSHA in lime to help John Stender decide on the standard that will protect vinyl chloride workers in this country. P.Y.I. * The Machinist - August 15, 1974 Alan Baker H. Blalecki R. J. Delargey Dr. M. R. Gasque J. Haarahan Dr. R. Henderson D. Palm J. R. Ryan J. R. Wilkinson Machinist Photo* OLI 020 PVC consumer products numerous, FDA checking all, banning some Polyvinyl chloride resins are used in a wide range of consumer products. With two notable exceptions, most of the products contain* mg PVC, arc thought not to be harmful to consumers. One of the recently publicized exceptions is a wide variety of aero sol products, such as hair and wig spray, insect sprays, foot deodorants and sprays, anti-perspirants and deodorant sprays, first-aid sprays, and some medicated vaporizers. 1 he Food and Drug Admin istration explains that the actual products do nut contain PVC. The aerosol mechanism of the can uses vinyl chloride gas as a propellant. It's the propellant that's dangerous to breathe. In another case, plastic liquor bottles containing polyvinyl chloride have been ordered off the shelves. The FDA found that the PVC combined with the alcohol. Lab studies showed as much as 20 parts per million of PVC combined with the liquor and was subsequently taken in by the consumer. Studies are continuing by the FDA. the Environmental Protection Agency and other medical groups irto possible PVC hi.zrrds in other consumer goods. Here are some of the products that use polyvinyl chloride: Shower curtains Tablecloths Construction pipe Electrical conduits Vinyl wall coverings Gaskets Vinyl asbestos flooring Steel beer cans (in-.id? lining) Metal screw-on jar lids Swimming pool liners Phonograph records Shoes soles and heels Auto seat covers Bicycle saddles Salad dressing, detergent bottles Upholstery (coated fabric) Dentures Garden hoses Credit cards Foamed carpet padding Weather stripping Stationery (sheet separators) Fruit, vegetable can linings Latex paints and lacquers Vinyl house siding (especially mobile homes) Inflatable beach balls Vinyl auto tops Auto head and arm rests Food wrappers (meat, cheese, crackers) Baby bottles OLI 021