Document V1Vx3JL00jYoNpojG51jqkJg

TO: File DATE: 01-26-82 FROM: Steven Borgstrom REDACTED RE : Sherwin-Williams CLAIM NUMBER: A--O'34 2 ^e y 0 2$ 1982 ***** REDACTED 1 - DATE REFERENCE RECEIVED October 29, 1981 2. SELF-INSURED Sherwin-Williams, P.O. Box 340, Hillsboro, IL 62049, 217-532-3971. My contact at that location was Lester Roemelin, the Plant Manager. 3. EMPLOYEE RR 2 Hillsboro, IL 62049, 217-532-5498. He was 62 years old and was born August 20, 1918. His social security number is He was married to and had no dependents. The employee was employed with our client for approximately 36 years. His position was automatic bag house operator. He was at that position almost the entire length of his service. His job duties consisted of operating machinery that draws zinc oxide out of the hopper and delivers it to the storage area via an enclosed conveyor line. He was required to replace dust bags when holes developed. These dust bags are located in cells. There are 14 cells per building. There are three buildings. All are set up identically. The employee would work in any one of the three. Photos were taken of the one building he worked in the majority of the time. It is believed the employee wore a double cartridge respirator up until two years ago when maintenance free particulate respirators were purchased. For additional background information on the employee see numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 11 on letter sent to Attorney Mueller dated December 7, 1981. Photos taken of employees work area on January 7, 1982. Photos taken of employees home on January7 8 , 1982. The claimant is being represented by Ron Scharf, 606 North State Street, Litchfield, IL 62056, 217-324-2101. The claimant's AWW is $234.85. His PPD rate is S]56.55. His TTD rate is $156.55. 0007-SWP-005801122 CONFIDENTIAL REDACTED 2 . 19 El 4. THE OCCURRENCE The application for exposure to picon dung, caused the death of the was Ray' 15, 1981. adjustment zinc oxide employee. of claims allecing and other chemicals The care of death 5. WITNESSES The employee' s foremen were .Melvin Grimm, Tony -Lovattc Robert Shipman, Herbert Doehre. His co-workers could have been almost any employee. 6. PRESENT MEDICAL Subpoenaed records Teller Medical Center, 271-532-3938 since May rexr os. indicate the employee was treated at 400 Round-tree , Hillsboro, IL 62049 14, 1962. fee copies of the medical memo:, Hillsboro, received to date. 0 ' - Jy COl - The employee was treated at Springfield Internal Medicine Associates, 701 ?7orth Walnut Street, 3uilding C, Springfield IL 62705, 217-528-9661. See copy7 of material received from them. It is a letter dated November 25, 1981 directed to Attorney- Scharf. The above letter indicates the employee was admitted to St. John He sol ta 1 , 800 East Camera tar , for ingf ield , IL 62705. 217-544-04 64 in November of" 1980. See copy of letter requesting a copy of the medical records. The cause of death listed on the death certificate is Cardiorespiratory arrest, seatus ast ;m = ts . 0007-SWP-005801123 CONFIDENTIAL REDACTED A-G342 January 26 1982, -- Page 3 It was our client's policy to have the employee have a periodic physical. See copies of these reports. This was stopped several years ago. 7. PAST MEDICAL February 19, 1941, father has silicosis lungs (employment application) October 27, 1941, member of family with TB March 27, 1981, death of brother, will attempt to determine cause 10. THIRD PARTY A NOR-BIO Dust Collecting System was installed in 1946. There are 14 cells. Each cell has a number of dust bags. It is reverse air operated so that if the unit is operating, air is drawn in if the cell door is opened. There is a shut off cord that is used when the operator has to enter the cell to change the dust bags. Our client is not aware of any modification of the system. It is maintained by our client. All the time of our investigation, there was updraft in the building. It has several windows two open doorways. There are also roof vents. No pigeons were present. good and 11. LEFT TO DO 1. Contact Attorney Scharf to obtain his allegations 2. Obtain from Lester whatever information he develops from the employees neighbors 3. Obtain the medical records from St. Johns and Hillsboro Hospital 4. Obtain copy of the Osha monitoring which was done on the employee approximately two years ago 5. Have the work area monitored by a specialist 6. Consult with our pulmonary expert in Cleveland. 7. .Arrange for Attorney Mueller to inspect the work area 8. Await the recommendations of Attorney Mueller car cc: L. Roemslin, T. Locker, R. Mueller 0007-SWP-005801124 CONFIDENTIAL