Document 9Vrrgd8Vxg0Z41xEzgK9wO0D

Octo b e r 2 9 ,. 1957 D r . W illia m P i As h e . Ch a ir m a n , D e p a rt m e n t o f P r e v e n t i v e M e d i c i n e The Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y Co lu m b u s .10 Dear B i l l : I am i n d e e d aw are o f t h e s t a t u s o f t h e r e p o r t o f t h e w o rk., do ne b y y o u r s ; If and o t h e r s In th e s u r v e y o f t h e Alc o a P l a n t a t N ia g a r a F a l l a i n 1 9 ^-3 . A r e p o r t o f t h i s , you. w i l l re m e m be r, h a s b e e n p u t t o g e t h e r i n a s a t i s f a c t o r y fo rm f o r s u ch a r e p o r t . Some c o n s i d e r a b l e w o rk w o u ld h a v e t o b o do ne t o make t h i s i n fo rm a tio n s u ita b le fo r p u b lic a tio n . I co n s id e r th a t i t w i l l be p o s s ib le t o p u b lis h t h is a t s one tin e In the n o t to o d i s t a n t fu tu re , sin ce the Alco a atto rn e ys have alre ad y re co gn ize d th at t h is w ould have s e rve d a u s e fu l purpo se i f i t had be e n in the l i t e r a t u r e . I have worked a lo n g in t h i s d i r e c t i o n and I th in k th e end i s i n s i g h t . I agre e w ith .y o u t h a t t h i s i s tia e fu l i n fo rm a tio n and I t s h o u ld be p u b lis h e d . . I m ust p o in t oub t o you how ever, th a t you are e n tir e ly m istake n In y o u r b e l i e f t h a t th e r e was some In fo r m a l agre e m e n t be tw e e n o u rs e lv e s and Alco a as to th e p u b lic a tio n o f t h is m a te ria l a ft e r th e la p s e o f te n o r more y e a r s . I t Is tr u e t h a t I h ave z e a lo u s ly gu ard e d th e r i g h t o f th e La b o r a to r y to p u b lis h th e r e s u lt s o f i t s I n v e s t i g a t i v e w o r k . On t h e o t h e r h a n d , I h a v e r e c o g n i z e d t h a t o ur a c c e s s to i n d u s t r i a l p l a n t s , and o ur g a th e rin g o f in fo rm a tio n abo ut s uch p la n ts and t h e i r e m p lo ye e s , i s in a t o t a l l y d i ffe r e n t c a t e g o r y t h a n i s o u r i n t r a m u r a l e x p e r i m e n t a l w o r k . One e n t e r s . an In d u s t r ia l p la n t s o le ly w ith th e co n s e n t o f the m anagement, n d im m e d ia te ly as s um e s a d o c t o r - p a t i e n t r e l a t i o n s h i p , u n le s s some d e fi n i t i v e u n d e rs ta n d in g h as be e n a r r iv e d a t to th e c o n t r a r y , o r u n l e s s ' on h a s p o l i c e ; p o w e r s , w h ic h un d e r, law e n t i t l e h im t o n te ;r, o b s e r v e , .-and r e p o r t . The p r e m i s e s b e l o n g t o th e i n d u s t r y , th e e m plo ye e s are th e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f th e management in m a tte rs o f o c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h , and on i s d e a l i n g t h e r e f o r e , w i t h r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s and r e la t i o n s h i p s , w ith w h ich , as an o u t s id e r , one Is n o t e n t it le d to m e d d le . There Is no s ta tu te o f lim it a t io n s on such m e d ica l r e la t io n s h ip s ; th e y are c o n fid e n t ia l and th e y re m ain co n f i d e n t i a l . One g a i n s a c c e s s t o i n d u s t r i a l p r e m i s e s and i n d u s t r i a l problem s o n ly w ith the co n s e n t o f th e m anagem ent, and on a c o n fid e n t i a l b a s i s . T h i s I s t h e p o l i c y we h ave a lw a y s fo l l o w e d i n co n n e ctio n w ith p la n t s u r v e y s , and we c a m o t p u b lis h In fo rm a tio n o f th is s o r t, u n le s s the re has been a s p e c ific agreem ent, or u n le s s s p e c ific consent is giv e n . K 0 0 1 S7 4 8 D r . Vi i l l i am P . A s h e . ( 2 ) - Oc t o b e r 2 9 , 1 9 5 7 I agre e th a t t h is has i t s d is a d v a n ta g e s . How e ve r, th is i s th e way i t i s , and a l l we can do i s t o w a it u n t i l c o n s e n t has be e n g i v e n .fo r th e r e l e a s e o f th e i n fo r m a t i o n . I t Is n o t e v e n p o s s i b l e no r e f e r t o t h i s in fo r m a t i o n i n any . s i t u a t i o n in w h ich i t may fi n d i t s w ay d i r e c t l y , o r i n d i r e c t l y In t o o u b l i c a t i o n . The e x i s t e n c e o f s u c h i n fo r m a t i o n i n th e hands o f an i n v e s t i g a t o r makes him s u b je c t to subpo e na, and i n d i c a t e s th e p r o b a b i l i t y o f a r e p o r t , w h ich a l s o may he s u b p o e n a e d . It is a very to uchy b u s in e s s , th e re fo re , to use data o f th is s o rt in s u p p o rt o f a p u b lis h e d o p i n i o n , s i n c e one n ay bo re q u ire d to s u b s ta n tia te the o p in io n e xp re sse d . T h is i ? o ne o f th e p ro b le m s ' w h ich , we h ave to fa c e in co n n e ct io n v i'Hi a i l i n d u s t r i a l s u r v e y s ., X r e g r e t i t , b u t i t ip a c o n d i t i o n o f -o u r w o rk , and t h e o n l y p e o p le w ho g a i n a c c e s s t o th e p r o m is e s and o p e r a t i o n s o f c e r t a i n In d u s t r i e s , are th o s e who a rc p re p a re d to a b id e by th e s e c o n d i t i o n s , The moment one i s c o n s id e r e d to he un brao tw r-rthy in t h is r e g a r d , th a t moment he i s e xclu d e d fro m m a k in g o b s e r v a t i o n s . T h is Is im p o r t a n t t o remembe-r, In c o n n e c t i o n w it h yo u r own w ork, and th e r e fo r e I make e m phatic p o in t o f I t . s i n c e we m u s t w o rk i n i n d u s t r y i f we a r e to kne w c u r wap/ a r o u n d , an d we m u s t , t h e r e f o r e , w o rk u n d e r t h e c o n d i t i o n s t h a t axe p r e s c r ib e d . I can no t im agine any In d u s try o pe ning up i t s doors to m e d ica l and' h y g ie n ic i n v e s t ig a t o r s unde r any o th e r s e t o f c o n d itio n s s in ce - th e r i s k s In th e s e d ays are , much to o g re a t- to Ig n o r e . Sin ce re ly yo urs, RAK:s s Ro b e rt A . Ke h o e , M .B . KE 0019749