G. L. Swallow to W. B. Reitze on Industrial Hygiene and Employee Health Briefings at the Toronto Plant (1975)

A one-page memo of July 31, 1975, from G. L. Swallow to W. B. Reitze (copies to Dr. Paul Kotin and Toronto and Jeffrey staff), headed "Employee Health Briefings," reporting on a special industrial hygiene survey of the Toronto plant made by Ed Stevens on May 28–30, 1975. Housekeeping was "quite good" but could be better; one machine on the dust collection line "does not have adequate suction"; more operators wore respirators than a few years before, though the resin-coated protective clothing "cannot breathe." On the medical program, workers with 18 or more years' service had X-rays every six months and others yearly: "They are being told more regarding their health than in the past."

What it shows

Swallow also notes that from June 2 there would be no smoking where asbestos was present, on instructions from Ontario's Department of Labour (the plant notice). The remark that workers were now being told more about their health than before is a J-M staff member's own comparison with past practice.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

Swallow in a memorandum to Reitze dated 7/31/75 discusses industrial hygiene at Toronto. He notes improvements in the medical program there. "They are being told more regarding their health than in the past."