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News Release
Wednesday, September 30, 1998
Contact: Jeff Ezell (202) 219-8151

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will hold a meeting of the Metalworking Fluids Standards Advisory Committee on Oct. 19-21 in Detroit.

The committee advises the secretary of labor on issues concerning the protection of workers from occupational exposure to metalworking fluids. Millions of workers engaged in the manufacture of automobiles, farm equipment, aircraft, heavy machinery, and other hardware are exposed to these machining fluids. There is substantial evidence of serious health effects, such as respiratory cancer and occupational asthma, that can result from this exposure.

The public meetings will focus on non-cancer respiratory effects associated with exposure to metalworking fluids and ways of estimating risk of non-malignant respiratory diseases. Other items to be discussed include the ventilation and design of enclosures, and occupational dermatitis related to metalworking fluids.

Written data, views or comments for consideration by the committee may be submitted to Dr. Peter Infante, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, Directorate of Health Standards Programs, Metalworking Fluids Standards Advisory Committee, Room N-3718, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Twenty-five copies are needed.

All interested persons are invited to attend. Anyone wishing to make an oral presentation to the committee on any of the agenda items also should notify Dr. Infante in writing. The request should specify the amount of time desired, the capacity that the person will appear and a brief outline of the presentation.

Individuals with disabilities wishing to attend should contact Theresa Berry at (202) 219-8615 ext. 106, no later than Oct. 5 to obtain appropriate accommodations.

The meeting will be held in the Westin Hotel at the Renaissance Center, located at East Jefferson Avenue and Brush Street. The hotel's phone number is (313) 568-8000.

The committee will meet from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 19; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 20; and 9 a.m. to noon Oct 21.

Notice of this meeting appeared in the September 23, 1998, Federal Register.