Document EmmGXNzwOwYokDM3v2nVODBGL

FROM BERTRAM D.JDINMAN, M.D. PITTSBURGH OFFICE TO LOCATION MANAGERS, PRIMARY PRODUCTS LOCATION MANAGERS, MILL PRODUCTS LOCATION MANAGERS, ALLIED PRODUCTS / 1978 February 16 RE: STRATEGY FOR MEETING ALOCA'S HEALTH PROTECTION RESPONSIBILITIES Ref: William B. Renner's letter of 1978-01-26 (Attanhpfn Following up on Mr. Renner's letter of January 26, I will attempt to expand upon the strategy we have recommended to meet our goals for health protection through industrial hygiene related action. aw At the outset, I emphasize that safety and employee health protection must be considered as coherent spheres of activity, complementary to each other with a common goal in mind, i.e., making the work place a non-detrimental part of all Alcoan's lives. Responsibilities clearly need to be met in both areas, i.e., prevention of physical trauma, prevention of occupational disease. The vigorous beginning you have all made toward achieving safety goals should be pursued unabated. Although Alcoa started first on this road toward ensuring a physically safe work place, this cannot be considered as any reason either to alter the direction taken to achieve your safety objectives or to defer meeting our industrial hygiene responsibilities. As for the strategy to be employed toward meeting health protection responsibilities. Bill has broadly indicated what is needed. We intend to survey each location for potential health hazards by June 30. After the potential health hazards have been surveyed at each location, as a component of this survey, we intend to clearly define what activities cure required both on the basis of Alcoa's Policy Statement of Business Conduct as well as OSHA regulations. At that point, we want to work with you to assist in the initiation of a plan which reflects local needs and resources. We wish to emphasize^that the organizational arrangements that should develops locally should be tailored to fit local realities and needs as your managerial perceptions indicate what is necessary to do the job. In either case, I wish to emphasize that at this time development of a plan of action presupposes nothing other than our corporate goals for health and safety protection. We visualize that any resulting plan of action will be based on local needs and resources and will reflect what you perceive as the best local organizational mode. But, regardless of any organizational changes that may result, we feel that it is essential to. establish clear accountability for this responsibility. 2- I am sure that with your cooperation, an organizational mode designed in accord with local needs and realities will lead to the fruitful initiation of a cost-effective plan to accomplish safety and health objectives. BERTRAM D. DINMAN, M.D. gd cc: J. R. Archibald P. R. Atkins T. B. Bonney J. G. Morber 916286 0314 WILLIAM B. RENNER PITTSBURGH OFFICE - 30 TO MR. J. C. BATES MR. C. F. FETTEROLF MR. R. R. HOFFMAN MR. 0. M. MADER MR. C. W. PARRY MR. R. B. SMITH 1978-01-26 RE: ALCOA'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT I am encouraged by the improvement I have seen developing in our safety effort in recent months and am convinced that we can become one of the leaders in safety in all of industry. While I am satisfied with our safety progress, I do want to point out that improving safety is only half the job in meeting our responsibility for the health and safety of employees. As Alcoa's Policy Guidelines for Business Conduct states, "Maintenance of a healthy workplace in order to protect each employee from potentially harmful agents in the working environment is a basic premise underlying all Alcoa operations." Accordingly, to meet both moral and legal obligations, I'm asking that all Alcoans focus their attention on seeing that the working environment is not only safe from physical hazards, but also free from the hazards that chemicals, fumes and dusts can create. This means that we have to find, control and monitor health hazards and apply the resources necessary to assure that the working environment is consistently healthy. This will require the effective use of present resources, acquiring additional resources as necessary, and--most important-- assigning appropriate management responsibility. The first task will be to assess the health impairment ^ - potential at each location. Toward this end, the Corporate Industrial Hygiene Division will audit all locations during the firsts six'months of 1978. Following each audit, I expect that development of a well-organized plan will be initiated and responsibility assigned in cooperation with the location manager. Dr. Dinman will assist in the development of these plans. It is our hope that by the end of 19.78 all locations will have active programs that will provide a continuing knowledge of potential hazards, as well as the capability for cost-effective control of them. 916286 0315 V i,-- Beyond our moral obligation to I'ployees is our clear responsibility to meet requirements of all laws and regulations concerning the working environment. We must direct and sustain whatever attention is necessary to assure that no Alcoan becomes injured or ill as a result of his or her employment. While the cooperation of all Alcoans is necessary, management must take the lead in assigning responsibility, assessing the situation, improving the program and sustaining the effort toward this important goal. WILLIAM B. RENNER WBR/gd cc: Executive Staff Meeting Attendees 91626$