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Companies Knew the Danger - Highly Confidential Documents
Since the 1930s, the asbestos industry has known that exposure
to asbestos was extremely dangerous. Despite this knowledge, the industry
intentionally concealed this information from people who worked around
asbestos and from the general public. As a result, thousands of American
workers have died from mesothelioma asbestos-related lung cancer and many lawsuits have been filed.
Following are just a few of the asbestos industrys many documents
demonstrating their conscious disregard for the safety of workers:
The Less Said the Better
In a letter dated October 1, 1935, the President of Johns Manville Company,
the largest asbestos manufacturer, stated, I think the less said
about asbestos, the better off we are
The President then acknowledged in that letter that that the industry
had been pressuring the American asbestos magazines not to report that
asbestos was harmful to workers, and that the American magazines had been
very decent about not reprinting the English articles [which
substantiated the health hazards of asbestos exposure].
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Asbestos is a Hazard
In early 1943, Dr. Gardner, a doctor hired by the asbestos industry informed
the Owens Illinois Glass Company of the dangers of asbestos. Dr. Gardner
stated:
Starting with a mixture of quartz and asbestos would certainly
suggest you have all the ingredients of a first class hazard.
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Protective Gear Should be Worn
A September 22, 1958 internal memo marked Personal & Confidential
from National Gypsum Company, another large asbestos manufacturer,
stated:
Men handling the bags of material should be required to wear
the respirators approved by the Bureau of Mines
The memo continued:
We know that you will never lose sight of the fact that perhaps
the greatest hazard in our plant is men handling asbestos. Because just
as certain as death and taxes is the fact that if you inhaled asbestos
dust you get asbestosis.
(Unfortunately, asbestos companies never provided or required workers
to use respirators when working around asbestos, thereby resulting in
thousands of people becoming sick.)
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Asbestos Causes Cancer
Numerous documents from the late 1950s evidence the asbestos industrys
knowledge that asbestos exposure causes cancer. For example, in a letter
to Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation on February 6, 1956, Dr. Schepers
stated:
I suppose you already know that asbestos is fairly well incriminated
as a carcinogen (cancer causing agent) and that asbestos causes lung damage
Other company correspondence stated:
Asbestos (as found in Kaylo) when breathed into the lungs causes
asbestosis which often leads to lung cancer.
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Delayed and Avoided Warning Workers About the Danger
On September 1, 1970, management in an asbestos manufacturer wrote to
his coworker. Their correspondence between Owens Corning Fiberglass employees
J. P. Kerns wrote to Dr. Jon Kanzen stating:
Reference is made to your memo of September 15 regarding the
warning labels that should appear on Kaylo (an asbestos product). Are
you saying that we have to do this now? I naturally would like to delay
this requirement as long as possible.
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Unscrupulous Business Practices
The asbestos companies did what ever it took to sell their products.
They did not care that the exposure to these products would result in
the deaths of thousands of innocent working men and woman. They, instead,
were motivated by greed, and placed sales and profits ahead of lives.
One glaring example of this misplaced priority is found in a memo written
in June 1, 1970. There, Mr. Thomas Egan writes to Bob Chaney that he agrees
with his business practices.
Dear Bob:
Went to Winnipeg and met Whittaker. He cant understand why you
fellows have been so quiet about asbestos? I made no comment, and he proceeded
to tell me what an unethical competitor Bob Chaney is. I stated you hate
to lose, but agreed completely on your scruples.
Stay unscrupulous, unethical, mean and selling Mono-Kote (an asbestos
product).
Seriously, the fiber boys are really worried about his situation and
as soon as we have the new Mono-Kote, lay it on them in your area.
Sincerely,
Thomas F. Egan.
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