Document xzddvZ13R3koe97XeGn8xxYVG

fifC'D JU.N 2^ '.976 June 8th, 9th, 1976 AIR MONITORING SYSTEM - OPERATIONS WORKSHOP -HIGHLIGHTS- The operations workshop started at 9:00 a.m., Tuesday morning: Room #9. The participants in the workshop are listed below. Z. G. Bell - G.O. R. G. Corley - Beaumont J. C. Delgado - Corpus Christi D. M. Jones - Corpus Christi L. A. Kuryla - Barberton D. E. Miersch - MIS M. Miller - MIS R. Mitchell - Natrium A. Procko R. J. Samelson P. J. Snyder R. E. Sourwine C. Winkler M^Wood--^ " Lake Charles The first day of the meeting concerned itself primarily with the data-input stage of the air monitoring program, or Phase I. This part of the program is planned to be initiated on July 1, 1976. The advantages, requirements and scope of the program were discussed at length by Mr. Miersch, R. Samelson and Dr, Z. Bell. During the morning session ample opportunity was given for questioning and discussing the computer program requirements and specifics. A group exercise in completing sample-data reporting sheets was also conducted. Prior to the lunch break. Dr. Bell reviewed the procedures for completing the air monitoring worksheets and notifying employees of overexposures. The afternoon session of the first day covered information updating and an analysis of the morning's group exercise. General discussion of the computer '^Trains, procedures, and requirements continued to 4:00 p.m. at which time the seeing was adjourned. The second day examined the proposed retrieval packages, or Phase II. Four data reports were evaluated and suggestions were made on their applicability to the plant monitoring programs and the administrative needs of the General Office. In an attempt to put this program's role in perspective, comparisons were made between Dow Chemicals program and PPG's. While Dow is currently bogged down due to the complexity of their program system, PPG has directed their efforts at a single target. While leaving the program, "compatible" with any other programs, PPG's system is responding to the demands of a single function, air monitoring. While medical and work history computer ization is a valuable and admirable goal, attacking this one problem first should assure an earlier start-up date and hence a more effective industrial hygiene program. Once the program's "bugs" have been worked out, then consideration can be given to expanding its functional service. The meeting adjourned at 12:00 Noon. | BB 0002359 J 4 2- - Significant Points Discussed: Updating the programs parameters can only be done through the Pittsburgh office. Requests for such changes, i.e. adding departments, should be directed to either P* Snyder or Dr. Bell. The data reporting forms will be in a "blocked carbon" format which will allow a transfer of specific information onto the underlying notification of overexposure. The notification of overexposure is to be given to the sampled employee where required by the particular standard. It was decided that the plants will exercise their own judgement in notifying the employees of 'other' overexposures or of no over exposure situations. As the monitoring forms are already at the printers, the possibility of changing*the wording on the notification of overexposure is not possible at this time. This suggestion will be considered at a later date. Until such a change is made, the appropriate section on the notification sheet is to be blackened out when required. The employee with the overexposure is to sign both the Notice of Overexposure and the Notice df Investigation and Remedial Action. If the employee refuses to acknowledge and sign the above records, then such should be noted and initialed by the supervisor in an appropriate area on the forms. The pink copy should be sent to the Medical Department and the _^supervisor) shottld rota-in the yelitiw copy. The need to respond to administrative /as well as actual avarexposures was stressed. (^-forCv<x.hds -4<J ^5>-fc7w , An update of sampling/data may be made by the individual plants by specifying e number, date, compound, and plant. The new analytical result will replace previous recording and an update code will be permanently affixed to that entry. In a similar fashion, deletions may be made by the user. Deletions on entries will not destroy the data, it will only be "flagged" as such on the printout. Area and personnel update/deletion codes will appear as AU, AD, PU and PD on the computer printouts. Provision has not been made for indicating how many times an update or deletion has been made on any one entry. Air monitoring data security was discussed. There was mutual agreement among all parties that some form of access code should be incorporated into the program. While the form of the access code is being finalized, the various plants are requested to decide who is to be authorized to retrieve sampling data reports. Questions were brought out concerning the possibility of evaluating the air monitoring data in terms of compliance with the calculated standards for mixtures. It was noted that although the additive effect situation has not aen considered to date, this may be a possible expansion in the future. The PPG standard will be equivalent to, or stricter than, any existing OSHA or ACGIH health standard. With the assistance of the plants, the Pittsburgh Office will establish what this standard is to be. When a material is sampled and a standard is not yet available from the provided list, one is to "g-Fill" (999999), the six-spaced block. The need for additional PPG standards should be brought to the attention of Dr. Bell, R. Samelson, or P. Snyder. | BB 0002360 | -3- It was decided among the workshop attendees that the respirator reference table (#4) should be changed to denote the "functional type" instead of manufacturer. It was pointed out that with this alteration, epidemiological studies would than be possible that compared respirator type and biological determinations. The plants are to submit the types of respirators that they currently utilize. Contractor personnel were discussed in perspective to the various sampling programs, however, no conclusions were reached. Air monitoring records are to be forwarded to P. Snyder and Dr. Bell on at least a weekly basis. They will be transferred to the appropriate department for keypunching and processing. Although the problem of time was duly noted, it is hoped that a minimal delay in forwarding the data will be encountered. Any data in excess of these requirements will not be keypunched and processed. The value of sampling for ceiling and TWA concentrations was discussed in-depth. ile an 6-8 hour sample may not accurately assess the exposure during a 45 minute worker activity, it was commented that it complies with sampling requirements, reveals the 'overall' picture, and it supplies evidence of compliance. In the future, the sampling protocol for evaluating area or personnel exposures will be divided into three classes: (1) up to 15 minute samples or as required for determining compliance with ceiling concentrations, (2) greater than 4 hour samples, (preferably greater than 6 hours), for determining compliance with TWA concentrations, and (3) those samples falling between 15 minutes and 4 hours which will be classed as short term. It is hoped that the number of samples falling within the latter category be minimized due to their inability to meet compliance sampling requirements. It is recognized, however, that some value may be placed on their ability to accurately assess the exposure of a short-term activity. Consideration was given to the advantages of standardization of the instrumental methods utilized between plants. Responsibility for this activity apparently lies with the various analytical groups. Since these differences may contribute to misinterpretations of data, consideration should be given to following up on suggestion. An additional source of error in interpreting monitoring records oe attributable to the development and refinement of the various instrumental methods. Accompanying such developments would invariably be an increased analytical sensitivity. To avoid a misinterpretation of recorded data, it is suggested that efforts be made to accurately describe the particular method employed for any one determination. This should aid in the restrospective evaluation of plant data. It was agreed upon to adopt the four retrieval reports that were presented to the group. The only additions will be that report #2, part (C) will be made "variable" and an extra department name will be created for out-of-plant environmental data monitoring. For report #1, the sequence will now be A/P, compound, sort time, overexposure, etc. If any of the plants send xeroxed copies to the Pittsburgh Office instead of the original reporting form, then such records must be stamped "keypunch copy". This requirement was generated in order to minimize any possible confusion on the keypunching end. It is currently planned that at some unspecified time in the future, the plants would adopt the responsibility for keypunching and entering the monitoring data. This changeover would be contingent upon their past reporting performance, the presence of a terminal at the plant and the willingness of the plant personnel to take on this resporisibility. I BB 0002361 1 The offer was made by some participants to go through old files and update the computer program using the plant records. They will be including any determinations recorded on the 'newer' reporting forms. It was decided that if a respirator was in use, that was adequate but not MESA/NIOSH approved, then 'no' must be circled under the question of certifi cation. The appropriate person may add an explanatory comment to the remarks section though. Suggestions were made by Dr. Miersch for minimizing the possibility of misreading the incoming reports by the keypuncher. 1. Character Distinction ALPHA NUMERIC 00 Z2 L 1 or I I T7 2. Acceptable Characters *'"*/ #@ 3. Other Rules will print may not print - for the PPG std, this must be numeric and greater than 0 - left justify alphabetc, right justify numeric characters - blanks in the blocks labeled; result, standard, start-time and duration will automatically be zero filled if incomplete - write clearly for easy and accurate readings by the keypuncher When monitoring physical stresses (heat, U.V., etc.) write in the appropriate descriptor for that stress in the block labeled 'compound'. When checking levels in vessels, tank cars, etc., use the area sample forms. For grab samples, use a "one minute" duration and do not use the other inapplicabl sections. Phil Snyder 1 DB 0002362 |