Dr. Hilton C. Lewinsohn to Dr. Joseph L. Goodman on Removing Workers with Asbestosis from Exposure (1977)

A two-page letter of May 27, 1977, from Dr. Hilton C. Lewinsohn, Raybestos-Manhattan's corporate medical director, answering Dr. Joseph L. Goodman's question of May 20. "It is my personal opinion that a person with diagnosed asbestosis should not continue to work in an occupation which exposes him to asbestos dust containing respirable fibres." He wrote that in his experience asbestosis "is a progressive condition even after removal from further exposure," and that because of its link with lung cancer a person with asbestosis should not be exposed "even to low levels." He ended that the diagnosis was in Goodman's hands, "and, therefore, the final decision is yours in the long run."

What it shows

Lewinsohn noted that, in theory, the standard of 2 fibers per milliliter might be argued to protect workers already affected, but he could not believe that continued work, "even if it is below the present standard, will not in some way exagerate his affliction." He wrote that mesothelioma seemed to need a far smaller dose than lung cancer, and that in his experience asbestosis was confirmed in half of "suspected cases" within three years, "even after removal from further exposure." The letter shows the company's own medical director advising in 1977 that the disease could keep progressing after exposure ended. He enclosed a paper by Julian Peto, which is not attached.

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

Dr. H. C. Lewinsohn letter to Dr. J. L. Goodman, 5/27/77, discussing Dr. Lewinsohn's view regarding removing workers from further exposure to asbestos once asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma has been diagnosed. Concludes by stating that the diagnosis of asbestosis and the decision to remove workers from dust is Dr. Goodman's ultimate responsibility.

Related documents

• Dr. Joseph L. Goodman to Dr. Hilton C. Lewinsohn on Workers with Asbestosis (1977)

About this copy

This is document 227 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-001322 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-001323.