XN000022-1980-01-14 — Page 6

5

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1980

THE TRADE INDICES FOR OCTOBER 1979 (1973- 100) WERE RELEASED AS FOLLOWS:

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

IMPORTS

VALUE INDEX

328

343

UNIT VALUE

INDEX

QUANTUM INDEX

171

192

177

195

THE TRADE INDEX FOR OCTOBER 1979 WAS 97.

VCM TO BE INCLUDED IN PROHIBITED GOODS LIST

*****

VINYL CHLORIDE MONOMER (VCM), USED AS A RAW MATERIAL IN THE PRODUCTION OF BULK POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) AND AS A PROPELLANT IN AEROSOL PRODUCTS, WILL BE PUT ON THE LIST OF PROHIBITED GOODS UNDER THE DANGEROUS GOODS REGULATIONS.

THE BAN, TO BE EFFECTIVE FROM MARCH 1, 1980 AND RECOMMENDED BY THE DANGEROUS GOODS STANDING COMMITTEE, IS SET OUT IN THE DANGEROUS GOODS (GENERAL) (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) REGULATIONS 1979 ALREADY PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID: INVESTIGATIONS IN RECENT YEARS HAVE SHOWN THAT PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE SUBSTANCE, A COLOURLESS INFLAMMABLE GAS AT ORDINARY TEMPERATURE AND NORMAL PRESSURE, MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR A CANCER OF THE LIVER IN A NUMBER OF WORKERS AT BULK PVC PRODUCTION PLANTS OVERSEAS.+

MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN UK AND USA TO REDUCE THE PERMITTED LEVEL OF VCM TO WHICH WORKERS MAY BE EXPOSED AND TO STRICTLY CONTROL ITS USE AS A PROPELLANT IN AEROSOL PRODUCTS.

+ IN HONG KONG, VCM IS NOT KNOWN TO BE USED AS A RAW MATERIAL BY ANY LOCAL MANUFACTURER. WORKERS IN WAREHOUSES WHICH STORE PVC OR IN FACTORIES WHICH FABRICATE FINISHED PRODUCTS FROM BULK PVC RUN NO HEALTH RISK IF THESE PLACES ARE WELL VENTILATED.

+ THE SUBSTANCE IS ONLY KNOWN TO BE CONTAINED IN CERTAIN FOREIGN-MADE AEROSOL PRODUCTS. THE BAN WILL THEREFORE BAR THE IR IMPORT AND SALE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

IN CASE ANYONE IS IN POSSESSION OF VCM, THEY SHOULD CONTACT THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR ADVICE ON ITS SAFE DISPOSAL.

16