Document 7M1qmO5MOjqjBjd76vGjRnO8j

I V TO: ALL MANAGEMENT HAY 28, 1981 ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM - PARTICIPATION OP PENSIONERS A few months ago, the Medical Division initiated a special program to review x-rays of employees over forty with ten years or more of DuPont employment, who have possibly had exposure to asbestos, primarily through handling of insulation. The objective of this program is to determine if there are any early lung abnormalities that may be related to asbestos exposure at Du Pont. Other employees' x-rays are being reviewed at the time of their regular physical examination. This x-ray screening program is now being extended to pensioners. We will be contacting each pensioner in the near future concerning this program. As is our policy with employees, pensioners will be informed immediately of any abnormality observed. Physicians and radiologists traditionally have not specifically examined x-rays for minute, early signs of thickening of the lung lining (pleural thickening). Based on developments in and outside the Company during the past decade, medical knowledge and understanding of asbestos-related lung abnormalities have in creased dramatically, making early identification of these abnormalities more feasible. Therefore, the review program is being conducted in the light of this increased knowledge and under standing to identify and follow up on any abnormalities which may have gone undetected by traditional methods. The Medical Division began a program last year to better train Company physicians1 in early detection procedures. The train ing is now completed, and the physicians are reviewing x-rays in conjunction with our consulting radiologists. DuPont believes that it is the first company in the chemical industry to initiate such an extensive program. We strongly stress that an early positive reading on an x-ray does not necessarily mean that an employee or pensioner has, or will develop, asbestosis.- No medical treatment is required for asbestos-related abnormalities where no disease is present but all work-related cases will be referred to a pulmonary specialist at Company expense for evaluation and consultation. We believe that our current procedures .for handling asbestos insulation ensure a level of exposure w411 within accept able limits. Therefore, no changes in handling procedures are anticipated. .806 B000555 DUP 0906369 SC-DP-07000