V. J. Liotta's Proposed Survey of Respirator Use and Job Rates at the Manville Plant (1972)

A one-page confidential memo of June 27, 1972, from V. J. Liotta of Corporate Industrial Engineering at Manville, New Jersey, to W. L. Ruff and other managers of the Manville plant. Corporate Industrial Engineering had been asked "to estimate the economic impact of the new dust standards, issued by OSHA, upon job rates and incentive standards," and Liotta set out how the plant would survey the effect of wearing or not wearing respirators and protective clothing on job rates, wage incentives and costs. Departments were to list jobs where respirators were "no longer worn or needed," jobs where they should be worn but no pay credit was given, and wage standards that included the 10% respirator allowance.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

By memorandum dated 6/27/72, V.J. Liotta describes that corporate industrial engineering has been requested to estimate the economic impact of the new dust standards issued by OSHA upon job rates and incentive standards. A survey of the Manville plant is proposed regarding the effect of use or non-use of respirators and protective clothing upon all job rates, wage incentives and costs. The procedure for the survey is outlined.