Johns-Manville, This Is Our Policy on Working Conditions (1938)

A short in-house pamphlet, "This Is Our Policy on Working Conditions," the third of a series of talks on Johns-Manville policies, issued at Manville, New Jersey, in January 1938 over the signature of the Manville plant manager. It states that "It is the Company's determined policy to make J-M plants safe, healthful places to work," and lists spending on safety devices, more than $153,000 on dust-collecting equipment at 11 plants in four years, and $430,000 on medical care and compensation of injured employees in five years. It asks employees to observe safety rules and use the equipment provided.

What it shows

The pamphlet tells workers that the company has "one industrial hygienic engineer who spends his entire time testing the air for dust content. This is to protect your health." It also says, in an underlined passage, that "It is not Johns-Manville policy to recommend physicians or to take on activities rightfully the responsibility of a local physician." Although it speaks of dust collection and testing the air, it does not mention asbestos or name any dust disease.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

J-M in-house publication entitled “This is Our Policy on Working Conditions”, printed in Manville, New Jersey. States that it is J-M's policy to make J-M plants safe, healthful places to work. Mentions the amount of money spent on safety devices, dust control equipment, medical care, and compensation of injured employees. Mentions low accident rates. States that J-M insists that all employees cooperate in observing safety rules and in using the safety equipment and medical facilities that are provided for them. Identical publications were issued by each plant manager.

Editor's note: J-M's description says identical publications were issued by each plant manager. This file holds only the Manville, New Jersey, version, and it does not mention editions for other plants.