J. E. Begert to S. A. Williams on Dust Collecting Equipment at Alexandria (1932)

A one-page "Personal & Confidential" letter of December 23, 1932, from J. E. Begert, manager of J-M's Alexandria, Indiana, factory, answering S. A. Williams's memo of December 20. Alexandria had an $8,000 appropriation for dust collection in the saw room, "our major dust problem inside the building," and had spent smaller sums on dust outside. Respirators were on hand but not required: men asked for them when bagging dry wool, but "In other cases or for just normal dust atmosphere, our men strenuously resist wearing respirators."

What it shows

On examinations, Begert writes: "We give our men only a casual general physical examination, inspecting chiefly for ruptures, hernia, sight, hearing and stiff joints. We make no attempt at all to examine the heart or lungs." At the end of 1932, the Alexandria plant did not examine its workers' lungs at all.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

J.E. Begert (Alexandria Plant Manager), 12/23/32, responds to Williams' memorandum of 12/20/32. Begert states that since 9/31, $8,000 has been spent for dust collection equipment in the saw room, which has been the plant's "major source of dust problems inside the building." In 1931 approximately $1,300 was spent on "outside dust control problems". Regarding respirators, their usage is not mandatory. The workers usually request them voluntarily when bagging dry wool. "In other cases or for just normal dust atmosphere, our men strenuously resist wearing respirators." Regarding the physical examination program, workers are only generally examined for items such as ruptures, hernia, sight, hearing and stiff joints. "We make no attempt at all to examine the heart or lungs."

Editor's note: J-M's description says $8,000 had been spent on dust collection in the saw room since September 1931 and about $1,300 on outside dust in 1931. The letter calls the $8,000 an appropriation, and for outside dust it gives about $1,100 appropriated before September 1931 and about $250 spent in 1931.

Related documents

• S. A. Williams to J-M Plant Managers Asking for a Report on Dust Control (1932)