8 
Nr. Barbeito of the NIH Occupaticxial Safety and Health Branch said the working 
group's mandate is to provide guidemce for large scale work. He suggested 
that surveillance of large-scale product icxi cannot be treated as is surveil- 
lance cf laboratory research. He stated that ri^ increases with increasing 
scale. He pointed out that no ccnparative data exist in support of the state- 
ment that industry has a better track record in worker safety than research 
l^x>ratories. Conparati^^ data have been collected for research laboratories 
through the roonitorirg of aerosol facilities. In general, industry has not 
tracked aiployee illness. Ihus, no true (xn^iarison can be made. Ihe primary 
consideration in establishing medical surveillance programs in the biotechnology 
area is whether the costs will cxitwei^ the benefits. For certain projects 
vath certain organisms, the benefits will clearly outweigh the costs. 
Dr. Levin requested that the redreifted OX/KIOSH reconomendations be circulated 
to the woricing group prior to the next meeting. Dr. Bems asked if time cxx>- 
siderations would permit the document to be circulated to the wor]cing group. 
I^. Milewski of the Office of Reconbinant Activities suggested that if 
the document need not be published in the Federal Register before RAC con- 
sideration, the document could be reviewed by the working group prior to 
presenting it to the RAC in June 1982. Dr. landrigan agreed that RAC should 
review the document before it is published in the Federal Register . 
Dr. Landrigan thanked the working grotp for their connients on the CDC/KI06H 
reconmendations. Dr. Bems extended the thanks of the group to Dr. Landrigan 
and his co-authors. 
[ 376 ] 
