Dr. George W. Wright, Health and Safety Program of Johns-Manville (1973)

An eight-page paper, "Health and Safety Program of Johns-Manville," by Dr. George W. Wright, a physician and medical consultant to J-M, with an organization chart; the cover carries a handwritten date of "1973-74." Wright writes that J-M's goal of production without harm to health had "not yet been reached," and that "Events of the past year or so strongly indicate a need for Johns-Manville to re-appraise its program." He proposes putting all health and safety work under one vice president reporting to the president.

What it shows

Wright gives his "impression that Johns-Manville, in spite of its early commitment to an optimum safety and health program, came out of the Second World War, and its associated period of laxness in these matters, without an adequate program." "Pace was not kept with what was known and with what others in fact were doing," he wrote. "Some of these shortcomings could, if need be, be documented." He noted that J-M had never had a professional toxicologist, warned against resting on government regulations, and described "a regrettable attitude of looking upon Workman's Compensation as a cost of doing business rather than a reflection of avoidable injury and impairment." He added that protecting product users and plant neighbors should belong to the same program.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

Dr. Wright in a report entitled "Health and Safety program of J-M" is critical of J-M (handwritten date on document is 1973-74). Dr. Wright states "I have the impression that Johns-Manville, in spite of its early commitment to an optimum safety and health program, came out of the Second World War, and its associated period of laxness in these matters, without an adequate program and with other problems that appeared to be of a more pressing nature. Pace was not kept with what was known and with what others in fact were doing. Some of these shortcomings could, if need be, be documented."