F. R. McQuern to E. A. Paddock on a New Respirator Procedure for the Transite Pipe Division (1968)

A two-page memo of July 23, 1968, from F. R. McQuern to E. A. Paddock, copied to all superintendents, setting a "New Procedure for Respirators" at Johns-Manville's Waukegan, Illinois, plant from August 19, 1968, "To insure an adequate supply and control of respirators." The Transite Pipe Division used 690 respirators a month, about 23 a day, across the ball mill, maintenance crib, finishing, tool crib and pipe machines, with an inventory of 70. Under the new procedure the division store room would stock and issue respirators and be the only place where the safety department picked up dirty ones and delivered clean ones. The only approved respirator was the Mine Safety Appliances "Dust Foe 66," at $4.05, with Type H filter cartridges at $2.75.

What it shows

The memo says the program was needed "to prevent the discarding, loss, and cost of respirators. It is not the intent of this program to restrict or deny use of respirators in the various plants." Handwritten notes mark it as a "Sample of program for all divisions" and add that "Respirators are not assigned to an individual or a particular dept."