Document 91868b1kGOEzJeZXj2BRNyXjD

-MO02 i-'i UTAIU3HC0 <102 E. I. du Pont de Nemours Company JNCORPORA7CO Wilmington. De-laware 19398 BIOCHEM ICAL3 DEPARTMENT PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL cc: M. B. Burtc . H. L. Richardson W. F. Kirk W. R. Hewton L. D. Dunn W. C. Govier K. A. Saegebarth J. E. Schumacher May 6 , 1981 iI ^ Crawford - Be 1 xe ^ian\ R. D;--Stewart/D. E"." WeHT" Houston Plant N. F. Reinert/H. Nicholas - Endo Labs.-Garden City T. R. Wood - Stine Lab. H. M. Loux - Experimental Station-Information Only ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM PARTICIPATION OF PENSIONERS As you are aware through our letter dated 10/22/80, Company sites have participated in a Medical Division program to increase our ability to detect asbestos-related lung abnormalities in our employees at an early stage. You are now completing a special review of x-rays of employees over forty with ten years' service and "pro.babiedjob-related exposure to asbestos. Other employees are receiving a comparable critical review at the time of their regular periodic physical examination. It has now been decided by Corporate management that all pensioners who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos during their Du Pont employment should be given an opportunity to participate in the x-ray screening program. The plan for management of the program is given below. The Screening Program The screening program is to be managed by each site for its own pen sioners. Your site is responsible for pensioners for whom your site was the final employment point and pensioners from former Du Pont sites for whom you have administrative responsibility. The program will parallel that for employees. Pensioners who wish to participate will respond to a letter prepared by the site. The site, in turn, will arrange for individual consultation and a chest x-ray, which will be read by a board-certified or qualified radiologist. No attempt should be made by the site to dis^jiade any pensioner from participating in the screening; anyone who wishes to participate should be accommodated, and arrangements made for an x-ray. However, if a person is in doubt about his exposure and it appears from a discussion of his work history that he has had no possibility_of asebestos exposure, the advice that he need not participate may be given and recorded. If there is any doubt concerning potential for exposure, he should be encouraged to parti cipate. A record should be kept of all contacts from pensioners and their disposition. A suggested format for recording pensioner contacts is attached. 799 , DUP 0906281 SC-DP-06925 2 The site may elect to carry out x-ray screening at its own site or may arrange to refer the pensioner to a nearby clinic, at the plant's ex pense. Where the pensioner resides at an inconvenient distance from the site, Wilmington Medical will assist in identifying a conveniently situated radiologist to whojn the site physician can refer the pensioner. Pensioner: travel .expense" for- the initial" screen" should-not be.paid* All pensioners participating in the program should be advised of the x-ray screening results whether or not an asbestos-related abnormality is detected. Pensioners who have no detectable abnormality but have been ex posed to asbestos should be advised to refrain from smoking and to be followed with annual chest radiographs by their personal physicians. If the x-ray detects an abnormality, a work history snould_ be obtained and if it appears" that the .abnormality may ;be..related to "Du Pont employment, the same-procedure.for-pulmonary consultation should be followed' as with- employees. Disposition and possible compensation for disability should follow standard departmental procedures. Of course, if an"abnormality but no workfrrelatedness is found, the pensioner also should be advised of the abnormality and urged to consult with his personal physician at his own ex pense.- ,, . Medical Division will separately contact site physicians concerning this program. A copy of their letter, to be mailed May 11, is attached. Because of the importance of this program, we ask that you discuss with your physician each aspect of this program and address medically related questions to the Medical Division, Wilmington. The initial screen of par ticipating pensioners should be completed as soon as possible. Communication All pensioners should be advised of the screening program. A suggested letter, background information, and response form for your use in informing pensioners is attached. It is recommended that a stamped return-address envelope be enclosed with the letter. Address lists and mailing labels for the pensioners administrated by your site are provided in this package to assist with the mailing of letters. Announcement of the x-ray screening program for pensioners should be made no earlier than May 27 to supervision and employees. Letters to pensioners should not be mailed before this date. Since pensioner involvement will heighten awareness of the screening program, you may wish to make a general announcement to employees at your site if you have not already done so. Attached is a suggested announcement to employees and "Questions and Answers" which you may want to use in whole or part to inform your supervision and employees of this program. In deter mining the nature and extent of employee communications, you should consider the highly sensitive, personal, and emotional naturer of this matter. You should also consider that union organizers and others may try to make an issue of Company practices concerning asbestos handling and may use the OSHA standard on access to medical records as a vehicle to accomplish this. " Also attached is a copy of the Corporate media standby statement on the pensioner screening program and a draft media statement for your site. Media questions about the Corporate program should be referred to George K. Palmer (302-774-8294) of the Corporate Public Affairs staff. DUP 0906282 3 Sites may modify material in this package to fit their circum- stances, but any change of substance should be reviewed with the writers. If you have any questions regarding this program or departmental proce dures for implementation, please call one of us on extensions 774-9827 or 774-2579. - ^ 4;--^, R. R. DETWEILER Manager - Environmental Affairs (/ J. G. GREGG Manager - Employee Relations JGG/gk Attach. DUP 0906283 SUGGESTED PENSIONER COMMUNICATIONS DUP 0906284 SUGGESTED LETTER FOR PENSIONERS Dear Pensioner: (or use pensioner's name) As you know, over the past several years increased medical knowledge has led to heightened concern about possible health problems for people who have worked with asbestos. Initially, it was thought that only those people who worked in asbestos-related industries might be affected, but it is now known that some workers in our industry have been affected as well. For that reason, we began a special x-ray screening program a few months ago for current Du Pont employees who may have been exposed to asbestos dust, particularly in jobs where work with asbestos insulation was involved. Other employees are also receiving review of the chest x-rays at the time of their regular physical examination. The purpose of this program is to determine if there are any lung abnormalities that may be related to asbestos exposure. We are now extending this program to all pensioners. I believe the screening program is in keeping with our long-standing con cern for the health and well-being of our employees and pensioners, even if only very few may have been affected by exposure to asbestos. If you believe you were exposed to asbestos during your Du Pont employment and wish to participate in the screening program, or if you have any questions, I encourage you to use the enclosed check-shee DUP 0906285 to contact us. A return-addressed envelope is enclosed for your use. We, in turn, will contact you directly to answer your questions or advise you of the appropriate arrangements if you decide to participate. The enclosed questions and answers about the screening program may aid you in your decision. Our experience with the employee program indicates that jobs in the mechanical crafts such as insulators, laggers, pipe wrappers, pipe coverers, millwrights, etc., had the highest potential for exposure to asbestos. Even if you decide not to participate, please take time to complete the enclosed form and return it to us in the self-addressed envelope. Sincerely, Site Manager Enclosure DUP 0906286 ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM The following asbestos questions and answers about the asbestos screening program may be helpful to you. 1. Q Why was this program undertaken? A To take advantage of improved techniques to identify lung abnor malities which may have been undetected by the traditional evalu ation methods. The program was extended to pensioners since some of them also may have been exposed to asbestos during their Du Pont careers and may have developed pulmonary abnormalities. 2. Q What will happen to those pensioners who elect to participate in the program? Tb.e.'j wiVL be. ec-be-daled far an. x_-r av a. Da Pao.t. Suite, at at the. office of a private physician. Since most pensioners live within a reasonable distance of Du Pont plant sites, most screening will probably be done at the sites which are adequately equipped to support the program. X-rays will be read by a board-qualified radiologist to see if an asbestos-related disease or condition is indicated. 3. 0 Will Du Pont pay for these x-rays by private physicians? A Yes. Du Pont will pay for all x-rays authorized as a part of thi program. 4. Q Do you anticipate finding many cases of undiscovered lung disease or asbestosis? A We believe there may be some previously undiagnosed cases of lung abnormalities, some of which may be asbestos-related. We don't, however, anticipate finding a large number of such cases. 5. Q What medical treatment will be prescribed? A Generally, no medical treatment is indicated for asbestosis or asbestos-related abnormalities but all work-related cases will be referred to a pulmonary specialist at Company expense for evalu ation and consultation. It is also strongly advised that smokers with an asbestos-related abnormality or asbestosis should stop smoking immediately. DUP 0906287 6. Q Will a person who has an illness be eligible for Worker's Compensation or other benefits? A If an illness or impairment is detected and it is determined that it resulted from exposure at Du Pont, the Company will accept responsibility for providing medical treatment and other benefits which are appropriate. 7. Q How many pensioners will be included in the program? A All of our present pensioner population, about 30,000 men and women, will be advised of our screening program. We have about pensioners at our site. Anyone who wishes to participate will be accommodated. However, most pensioners were not exposed to asbestos while employed by Du Pont. DUP 0906288 YOUR NAME ADDRESS ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM TELEPHONE NUMBER I WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. PLEASE CONTACT.ME TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS. I AM NOT CERTAIN WHETHER I SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE SCREENING PROGRAM. PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE CONTACT ME. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM IN THE ENCLOSED SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE. 0906289 TIMETABLE FOR COMMUNICATION OF ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM TUESDAY, MAY 26 - REVIEW PROGRAM AND TIMETABLE WITH STEERING COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 ' THURSDAY, MAY 28 (1:00 P.M.) - CONTROL LAB, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, PERSONNEL REVIEW PROGRAM IN PREPARATION FOR 'ACE' COVERAGE COMMUNICATE PROGRAM TO ALL EMPLOYEES ("A" LIST FOOTLIST) AND COVER 'ACE' FRIDAY, MAY 29 - MAIL OUT LETTERS FROM R. D. PORTER TO EACH PENSIONER. BEGIN SCHEDULING X RAYS AS REQUESTS ARE RECEIVED JRZjers 5/22/81 DUP 0906290 TO: ALL MANAGEMENT MAY 28, 1981 ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM PARTICIPATION OF 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 physicians 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 well within accept able limits. Therefore, no changes in handling procedures are anticipated. DUP 0906291 ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM PARTICIPATION OF PENSIONERS ALL MANAGEMENT 2- - MAY 28, 1981 Any cases of asbestos-related abnormalities detected now are the result of exposure many years ago, at Du Pont or in previous employment, at a time when low levels of exposure to asbestos were not known to be potentially harmful. The installation of asbestos insulation on this site was discontinued in 1972. Anyone' having questions concerning this program should contact the Personnel Office on extension 1314 or 1461. DWC:ers 5/28/81 D. W. CRAWFORD EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SUPT. DUP 0906292 DO NOT POST ATTACHMENT Page 1 of 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The following questions and answers may be helpful to supervision in responding to employee or pensioner inquiries con cerning the asbestos screening program: 1. Q. Are all Du Pont sites involved in this program? A. Yes, but to varying degrees depending on the extent of use of asbestos-containing materials. 2. Q. Why was this program undertaken? A. To take advantage of improved techniques to identify lung abnormalities which may have been undetected by the tradi tional evaluation methods. The program was extended to pensioners since some of them also may have been exposed to asbestos during their Du Pont careers and may have developed pulmonary abnormalities. 3. Q. Do you anticipate finding many cases of undiscovered lung disease or asbestosis? A. We believe there may be some previously undiagnosed cases of lung abnormalities, some of which may be asbestosrelated. We don't, however, anticipate finding a large number of such cases. 4. Q. What is asbestosis? A. Asbestosis is a condition of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos dust. The condition involves structural changes chat can be seen on chest x-ray films as well as changes such as impaired pulmonary (lung) function, cough, and labored breathing. Asbestosis is frequently a progressive illness. * 5. Q. What medical treatment will be prescribed? A. Generally, no medical treatment is indicated for asbestosis or asbestos-related abnormalities but all work-related cases will be referred to a pulmonary specialist at Company expense for evaluation and consultation. It is also ' strongly advised that smokers with an asbestos-related abnormality or asbestosis should stop smoking immediately. DUP 0906293 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2- - 6. Q. What is the probability of a lung abnormality developing into asbestosis? A. This is difficult to answer. Assuming that the detected lung abnormality is due to asbestos exposure, we can state the following facts: o Present medical knowledge considers such an abnormality to be irreversible, but not necessarily one that will develop into asbestosis. o Development of and the progression of asbestosrelated abnormalities are dependent upon such factors as dose, age, and life style. For example, smoking increases the possibility of asbestos-related disease, particularly cancer. 7. Q. Do our current asbestos work practices prevent the development of any lung abnormalities? A. Yes, we are confident following present work practices will protect any worker from damaging exposures to asbestos. However, because of the latency period, previous exposure may yet cause a future abnormality to become evident. 8. Q. Why are x-rays being taken in the case of some employees A. The early abnormalities for which our physicians and radiologists are searching are more readily detectable only if a high quality x-ray film is obtained. In certain cases, we have found that while our x-rays are perfectly acceptable for most diagnostic purposes, some are of insufficient quality for detecting early asbestos related changes. 9. Q. How many pensioners will be included in the program? A. All of our present pensioner population, about 30,000 men and women, will be advised of our screening program. We have about 1600 pensioners at our site. Anyone who wishes to participate will be accommodated. However, most pensioners were not exposed to asbestos while employed by Du Pont. DUP 0906294 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 10. Q. What will happen to those pensioners who are believed to have been exposed to asbestos? A. They will be scheduled for an x-ray at a Du Pont site or at the office of a private physician. Since most pensioners live within a reasonable distance of Du. Pont plant sites, most screening will probably be done at the sites which are adequately equipped to support the program. X-rays will be read by a board-qualified radiologist to see if an ^asbestos-related disease or condition is indicated. 11. Q. Will Du Pont pay for these x-rays by private physicians? / A. Yes. Du Pont will pay for all x-rays authorized as a part of this program. 12. Q. Will travel expenses be paid for pensioners obtaining x-rays? . A. No. 13. Q. What action will Management take if an abnormality is detected but there is no Du Pont work history involving asbestos? A. All employees and pensioners participating in the program will be advised of the x-ray screening results. When an abnormality but no work relatedness is found, the individual will be urged to refrain from smoking and to consult with his personal physician. 14. Q. May I participate in the program if I didn't work with asbestos at Du Pont but did work with asbestos elsewhere? A. All pensioners are eligible to participate in the screening program. DWC:ers 5/28/81 DUP 0906295 May 29, 1981 Dear Pensioner: As you know, over the past several years increased medical knowledge has led to heightened concern about possible health problems for people who have worked with asbestos. Initially, it was thought that only those people who worked in asbestos-related industries might be affected, but it is now known that some workers in our industry have been affected as well. . For that reason, we began a special x-ray screening program a few months ago for current Du Pont employees who may have been exposed to asbestos dust, particularly in jobs where work with asbestos insulation was involved. Other employees are also receiving review of the chest x-rays at the time of their regular physical examination. The purpose of this program is to determine if there are any lung abnormalities that may be related to asbestos exposure. We are now extending this program to all pensioners. I believe the, screening program is in keeping with our long-standing concern for the health and well-being of our employees and pensioners, even if only very few may have been affected by exposure to asbestos. If you believe you were exposed to asbestos during your Du Pont employment and wish to participate in the screening program, or if you have any questions, 1 encourage you to use the enclosed check-sheet to contact us. A return-addressed envelope is enclosed for your use. We, in turn, will contact you directly to answer your questions or advise you of the appropriate arrange ments if you decide to participate. The enclosed questions and answers about the screening program may aid you in your decision. Our experience with the employee program indicates that jobs in the mechanical crafts such as insulators, laggers, pipe wrappers, pipe coverers, millwrights, etc., had the highest potential for exposure to asbestos. Even if you decide not to participate, please take time to complete the enclosed form and return it to us in the selfaddressed envelope. Sincerely, RDP:ers Enclosures R. D. PORTER MANAGER DUP 0906296 ATTACHMENT ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM The following asbestos questions and answers about the asbestos screening program may be helpful to you. 1. Q. Why was this program undertaken? A. To take advantage of improved techniques to identify lung abnor malities which may have been undetected by the traditional evalu ation methods. The program was extended to pensioners since some of them also may have been exposed to asbestos during their Du Pont careers and may have developed pulmonary abnormalities. 2. Q. What will happen to those pensioners who elect to participate in the program? A. They will be scheduled for an x-ray at a Du Pont site or at the office of a private physician. Since most pensioners live within a reasonable distance of Du Pont plant sites, most screening will probably be done at the sites which are adequately equipped to support the program. X-rays will be read by a board-qualified radiologist to see if an asbestos-related disease or condition is indicated. 3. Q. Will Du Pont pay for these x-rays by private physicians? A. Yes. Du Pont will pay for all x-rays authorized as a part of this program. A. Q. Do you anticipate finding many cases of undiscovered lung disease or asbestosis? ' A. We believe there may be some previously undiagnosed cases of lung abnormalities, some of which may be asbestos-related. We don't, however, anticipate finding a large number of such cases. 5. Q. What medical treatment will be prescribed? DUP 0906297 A. Generally, no medical treatment is indicated for asbestosis or asbestosrelated abnormalities but all work-related cases will be referred to a pulmonary specialist at Company expense for evaluation and consultation. It is also strongly advised that smokers with an asbestos-related abnormality or asbestosis should stop smoking immediately. 6. Q. Will a person who has an illness be eligible for Worker's Compensation or other benefits? A. If an illness or impairment is detected and it is determined that it resulted from exposure at Du Pont, the Company will accept responsibility for providing medical treatment and other benefits which are appropriate. 7. Q. How many pensioners will be included in the program? A. All of our present pensioner population, about 30,000 men and women will be advised of our screening program. We have about 1600 pensioners at our site. Anyone who wishes to participate will be accommodated. However, most pensioners were not exposed to asbestos while employed by DuPont. PDP:ers YOUR NAME ADDRESS ASBESTOS SCREENING PROGRAM ATTACHMENT TELEPHONE NUMBER I WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. CONTACT ME TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.' PLEASE I AM NOT CERTAIN WHETHER I SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE SCREENING PROGRAM. PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE CONTACT ME. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM IN THE ENCLOSED SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE. RDP:ers 5/29/81 DUP 0906298