H. L. King Jr. to D. W. Mastin on a Dust Training Program for Lompoc Workers (1952)

A two-page confidential memorandum of October 1, 1952, from H. L. King Jr. of Johns-Manville's Research Center to D. W. Mastin at headquarters, commenting on Mastin's proposed industrial hygiene training program for workers at the Lompoc diatomaceous earth plant. King asked that the statements about hazards and health be checked with the medical director, since "some of the statements could be controversial," and questioned whether it was wise to stress that only invisible particles are hazardous: "Every time you see a cloud of diatomite dust, you can be sure that it contains some small micron size particles." He warned that Lompoc workers would ask whether the doctor would discuss the results of their X-ray examinations with them.

What it shows

King urged that the company settle in advance "the policy to be followed" in answering the workers' questions, since the program would be presented soon after work resumed at Lompoc following a strike. The memo shows that J-M staff expected workers to ask to be told their X-ray results. The company's answer for the Manville plant came three months later in Dr. Smith's no-dust list memo.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

H.L. King memorandum (research center) to D.W. Mastin (GHQ), 10/1/52, regarding Mastin's new proposed industrial hygiene training program at Lompoc. King states that one question Mastin will be asked about for sure and which he should have an answer for is "Will the doctor discuss the results of my x-ray exam with me?"