Hilton C. Lewinsohn, "Medical Aspects of Occupational Exposure to Asbestos" (1977)

A 30-page talk, with references, prepared by Dr. Hilton C. Lewinsohn, corporate medical director of Raybestos-Manhattan, for the annual meeting of the Friction Materials Standards Institute on June 22, 1977. He reviewed the diseases linked to asbestos, from pleural plaques to asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, the history of dust standards, and the risks to manufacturing workers, to users of asbestos products and to the general public. He concluded that "when adequately controlled the risk of asbestosis and lung cancer can be reduced to virtually nil."

What it shows

On users of asbestos products, Lewinsohn wrote that no immediate hazard had been apparent, with one exception: "the insulation industry where the upsurge of cases became marked in the late 1950's and early 1960's, probably as a result of the increase in asbestos usage under poor conditions during World War II." Citing a 1975 review, he said mesothelioma was "extremely high" among insulators, among people in shipyard cities, and near certain large asbestos plants. He noted that 20 to 40 years or more could separate first exposure from disease, said that the work practices federal researchers were about to recommend for brake mechanics were "almost identical" to instructions Raybestos-Manhattan had given its friction customers for two and a half years, and wrote that "warning labels should always be affixed and work practices advised." The copy carries a reader's handwritten underlining and margin marks.

In Johns-Manville's index

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

Speech prepared by Dr. H.C. Lewinsohn (Corporate Medical Director, Raybestos-Manhattan), entitled "Medical Aspects of Occupational Exposure to Asbestos." Prepared for Members of the Friction Materials Standards Institute, Annual Meeting, June 22, 1977. A discussion is included on insulation workers.

About this copy

This is document 190 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-001230 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-001259.