Document V7LQ4e7nmq8zrkno0OxKQDEN

FILE NAME: WR Grace (WRG) DATE: June 27, 1961 & October 21, 1964 DOC#: WRG213 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1961 1964 Correpsondence on workers comp claims June 27, 1961 Mr. W illiam L. Ealllie JFairrdsitnNc ,atSiotnepahl eBnasnokn,BBuilledvin/cgtt ii W eaver G reat ^ a lls , Montana Bear Bill: Re: Zonolltc Company V.'illiam E . A irth In rep ly to your le tte r of June 21 concerning the above-nam ed, I think that you are correct in your assum ption that no claim has actually been filed with the Industrial Accident Board. None has been filed with us. This n a n 's attorney came to the office and talked with me after our last phone discussion on the case. I think it was obvious that he knew that he did not have any grounds for a claim because ho kept asking me w hether our company would make any so rt of a settlem ent. I told him that we pay insurance prem ium s so that our Insurance company will accept the respon sibility of handling any claim s of this nature. There was no point in our discussing any so rt of a settlem ent, that his only reco u rse would be to file a claim with you. I gave him your address and told him that It would be necessary for him to contact you as you are the adjuster for our insurance company in Montana-. He took your address and I was of the opinion that he would have contacted you before this because it was some time ago that we had our conversation. jAugsat infe, eIlinfegelusthoaut thteo knowws htehtahtetrhesynyhasveettlneom celnatimof aagnayinssotrtusc,oubludt bhee mwaads e. F o r reaso n s obvious tBoeeyou, I am sure we re aliz e that we cannot make any Cseotptlieems eonf tthaendlectteerrtawinelrye wgoivueldn ntoevmere afgrormee tthoismmakaen'osnedoocntoa rv, otlhuentfairrystb aonseis. dates May 11, I960 and the latest M arch 30, 1961. F ro m these it would appear that he Is not pushing us very hard. Sincerely your* c* O C T 2 5! j$4 G O V E R N M E N T O F THE PROVINO ! O F ALLER T A DEPART :nt c ? p u b l ic h e a l t h EDMONTON. ALUKi<TA 21e1 0 o6^< Mr, T,A. Willlama, Manager Grant Indus trias. Division of Eddy Match Co*, [.030 8th Street, CALGARY Alberta. Dear Hr. Williams, In May of this year this division initiated a survey of men working in dusty trades including'coal mines workers, brick tile, potteries and ceramics plants, gravel crushing, lime and ` comenfc workers, etc.in order to secure quickly a picture of problems involved and. conditions leading to them. About 900 men were given breathing tests and had llj. by 17 inch cheat X-ra/3 done. Among these men were nine working in your Zonolita plant at Calgary. Df then 7 produced forced breathing curves suggesting some degree of faulty breathing Of these 7 the radiologist of the Baker .Memorial Sanatorium at Calgaryreported-two as shov/ing evidence of pulmonary fibrosis, two aa having emphysema, one having both fibrosis and emphysema and two with no abnormal itlea. None of the xv'ua had active tuboroulosia. This number of men with breathing abnormaliti % in a group of nine is most unusual and puzzling Thu materials u3od in tho production of Zonolito arc not generally considered harmful oxcopt whore ground asbestos i3 added which is done in your plant only occasionally. However, several authorities have reported pneumoconiosis resulting from exposure to mica dusts. Since vormicullto is a micaceous material this leaves ua somewhat uneasy* Wo aro oft the opinion that a more detailed study of thoso men by a chest specialist would be desireablo This of course would involve not only..the...expenditure .. .mo \ey "but also the cooperation of the men con 0 ;'.'nod, W would welcome your comments on tlfiia- problem ' Wo would also b interested In knowing whether to oura W' atc-vn you have tha resulta of investigations similar available from tho othsr Canadian plants expanding verraioulito, Enquiries hava gc .a out from this office for further information on tha offoots of mica dusts on the lungs and lung* functions of vjorker3,, In tha meantime it v/ould aoom desirable o ionsidor tho advisability of the men in tho Calgary plant wearing respirators until more definite conclusions regarding the problem oan bo reached* A paragraph by our Chief Choi 1st, Dr, H,, Buohwaldjis attached, doallng with our visit to tho Calgary Zonolite plant in September 1 6 ^4. ay d tho examination of tho du3t samploa collected at that time* to We wish to express our appreciation of tho courtesies and help extended ua by your Supervisor of tha Zonolita plant, Mr* Sohuidt, and Mr Ralph White, Engineer on your staff, at the timo of our September visit Yours very tru ly. H* Siomona, MD 5 Director, Division of Industrial Health., 323 Administration Bldg# ?,30 An extra copy of this latter ia onoloaod should you roquire it