Document 4GbkBVKN9Vrp68GKNLBDNQyG

FILE NAME: Abex (ABX) DATE: 1954 Apr DOC#: ABX122 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Journal Article - Industry Strikes Back - Nationwide Concern Adopts Broad Cancer Control Program industry strikes back nationwide concern adopts broad cancer control program AMERICAN industry, long alert to the health hazards which threaten employees, has recog nized cancer as among the deadliest of them all---and is doing something about it. The appeal of the American Cancer Society to aid in reaching workers with life-saving edu cational material is yielding results and com prehensive long-range educational programs have been adopted. 14 Typical of the firms which recognize the advantages of providing medical services to their employees is the American Brake Shoe Company, whose medical program ranks among the top ten in the country. The cancer education program inaugurated there a year ago has already paid big dividends. Since then, several cases of cancer were detected after employees learned how to recognize the dan ger signals. What this means in terms of savings of human misery and costly medical expenses alone is worth the investment of time and effort by the company. An added bonus to the industry accrues through the saving of man hours of which cancer could rob them through the absence or loss of a key executive, an ex perienced secretary, a skilled worker, a valued clerk striken by the disease. A manufacturer of miscellaneous castings tor railroad, automotive, petroleum and other industries, the American Brake Shoe Company early established a medical-safety program for its nearly 10,000 employees. Although its hlty-six plants are scattered throughout the United States and Canada, Brake Shoe has provided them with a unique and highly suc cessful program for more than a decade The American Cancer Society's aim in an industrial education program is periodically to expose employees to ideas about cancer. Changes of emphasis, new points of view, new approaches are carefully planned to attract at tention, arouse curiosity and interest, and ulti- niately to motivate individuals to action. The important fact to be learned is that it takes two to find cancer-- the doctor and you! In the case of the Brake Shoe Company the program was announced first to its plant man agements by memorandum from the medical director at company headquarters. An initial article on cancer was published in the em ployee magazine, accompanied by a message from the company's medical director, Dr. loyd E. Hamlin. A distinct effort was made to avoid alarming employees in announcing the program. "We urge you to read and study this information," Dr. Hamlin wrote "It should enable you to `strike back at cancer' through sensible action, and help to alleviate unreasoning fear of this disease." Dr. Hamlin, at the company's medical head quarters m Chicago, also contacted the super intendent of nurses, located in St. Louis. She in turn notified all forty Brake Shoe plant nurses in the program. This was an important step since the nurse in most cases would be the first individual the employees would con tact for information or advice on questions about cancer. Then began the routine of posting on bulle tin boards, the distribution of pamphlets in pay enecks and througn literature dispensers, the showing of films, and other such attention getting devices. The program was accepted readily by the people m the company. Employees quickly recognmed its purpose and took advantage of the booklets and other features provided Man agement recognized its value as an employee benefit particularly since it did not interfere with production in any degree. Further articles appeared m the employee magazine. A review of the results of the program now at its half way mark will again be featured in the April issue of the company magazine. Feature stories will be sent to all the newspapers in the plant towns. The company regularly maintains a mobile x-ray unit which visits every plant at least once a year to x-ray all 10,000 employees. During 1953 it completed its 33,400th x-ray. In 1953, 42 cases of tuberculosis and 6 early lung ma lignancies were discovered among Brake Shoe employees through this important x-ray service The American Brake Shoe Company feels that the results in improved morale, greater efficiency, and in humanitarian and corporate public relations brought about by this health program are inestimable.