Document gajJOKpejX7aNkY4gyV2zMRLQ

November 10, 1931 :.fp. Mr . C. a . Ri l ey, I ns ur ance De pa r t me nt , As hl and Ref i ni ng Co. , As hl and, Ky. Dear Si r : I have your l et t er of November 6 wi t h i t s encl os ur es concer ni ng one who cl ai ms t o have be e n poi s on ed i n connect i on wi t h hi s wor k at t he r ef i ner y. I do not know whet her any f ur t her i nf or mat i on i s avai l abl e beyond t hat cont ai ned i n t he encl os ur es i n t he l et t er . However , t he f ol l owi ng f act s concer ni ng t he cont act s t hat my as s i s t ant s have had wi t h Mr . ar 8 per t i nent . Mr . ^ H^ p wa s accept ed f or wor k I n t he handl i ng of ETHYL f l ui d, on' Oct ober 11, 1930. At t hat t i me phys i cal e xa m i nat i on done by Dr . Kl t zmi l l er , i ndi cat ed t hat t her e was no evi dence of di s eas e pr oces s es . Exa mi nat i on o f men engaged I n t hi s wor k i s made t wi ce annual l y, but M B was abs ent on a vacat i on I n J ul y 193. 1, and was not examl necH^ Thus our r ecor d does not s how any evi dence of any i l l nes s at any t i me I n t he cas e of t hi s empl oyee. , . .. _ Under condi t i ons of nor mal oper at i on of t he pl ant s at whi ch ETHYL f l ui d I s mi xed wi t h ga s ol i ne , t her e i s ver y l i t t l e oppor t uni t y f or expos ur e t o l ead. Mi xi ng i s not car r i ed out ever y day, but at i nt er val s of one mont h t o one week, so t hat any s l i ght expos ur e whi ch ma y be br ought about occur s at s uch i nt er val s t hat t her e i s no appr eci abl e danger . Our obs er vat i ons on t hes e men over a per i od of year s have i ndi cat ed no appr eci abl e expos ur e t o l ead i n t hi s wor k. Ther e ar e r eal l y onl y t vi o s i t uat i ons i n whi c h any danger i s pr es ent . ( 1) At t he t i me t he dr ums ar e opened t her e may be an es cape of vapor f r om t he dr ums, ' cont ai ni ng f ai r l y hi gh concent r at i on of l ead. Thi s danger i s obvi at ed by ha vi ng t he men wear mas ks at t he t i me t he dr ums ar e opened a nd unt i l t he Fl ui d begi ns t o be s ucked i nt o t he mi xi ng s ys t em. Fr om t hi s t i me on t he dr um i s unde r a negat i ve pr es s ur e, and t her e i s no es cape of f ume. The mas ks t ake ujp t he vapor s quant i t at i vel y, so t hat i n doi ng t hi s I n t hi s wa y t he oper at or exper i ences no oppor t uni t y of l ead abs or pt i on. ( 2) I n t he event of any s pi l l of Fl ui d t he oper at or ma y r ecei ve s ki n cont act wi t h a l ead compound whi ch i s r eadi l y abs or bed t hr bugi i t he s ki n. At t he s ame t i me, I f t he Fl ui d i s s pi l l ed over t he s ys t em at any poi nt t her e wi l l be var yi ng quant i t i es of va por i n t he ai r about I t , t hus gi v i ng r i s e t o t he oppor t uni t y of i nhal i ng t he vapor s of t he l ead compound. uHa C. A. Ri l ey #2 \ \C \ \ I t s houl d be cl ear l y under s t ood t hat af t er t he l ead i s mi xed wi t h gas ol i ne, t her e i s no chance of i nhal i ng t he vapor s of t he l ead f r om t he gas ol i ne except as t he gas ol i ne i s compl et el y evapor at ed. That i s t o say, t hat unl es s t he gas ol i ne i s s pi l l ed, i n whi ch cas e al l t he gas ol i ne and al l of t he f l ui d i s per mi t t ed t o evapor at e, t her e i s l i t t l e or no chance f or expos ur e t o l ead. The r eas on f or t hi s i s t hat t he gas ol i ne i s so muc h mor e vol at i l e t han t he l ead, t hat no l ead i s f ound i n vapor s ar i s i ng f r om or di nar y gas ol i ne cont ai ni ng l ead i n commer ci al quant i t i es . I n f act , one mus t evapor at e 15 t o 20-;? of t he gas ol i ne bef or e any appr eci abl e quant i t y of l ead begi ns t o come f r om t he vapor . Thus t he i nhal at i on of l ead f r om a t ank of Et hyl Gas ol i ne i s i mpos s i bl e. Fur t her mor e, t her e- i s no evi dence t hat i n t he l ow' concent r at i on i n whi c h l ead occur s I n Et hyl Gas ol i ne, t hat t her e i s any abs or pt i on of l ead t hr ough t he s ki n out of t he gas ol i ne. The above f act s di s pos e of t hi s as pect of Mr , __ cl ai m. I n so f ar as t he vapor s i n t he wa s hr oom ar e concer ned, I t hi nk i t ma y be s t at ed wi t h r eas onabl e s af et y t hat t hes e vapor s at no t i me cont ai n appr eci abl e quant i t i es of l ead. The equi pment s whi c h ar e us e d i n mi xi ng Et hyl Gas ol i ne ar e undeb t he cont i nual I ns pect i on of r epr es ent at i ves of t he Et hyj L Gas ol i ne Cor por at i on. The equi pment i s kept cl ean, and . no s pi l l s of Fl ui d ar e per mi t t ed at any t i me t o r emai n, but ar e j car ef ul l y was hed up and di s pos ed of . Thus t he oppor t uni t y t o b^ expos ed t o l ead f r om t hi s s our ce i s def i ni t el y negl i gi bl e. Any s ympt oms or s i gns whi ch mi ght devel op as a cons e quence of expos ur e t o l ead i n t hi s wor k woul d be exact l y l i ke t hos e ar i s i ng i n t he cour s e of ot her l ead t r ades . Ther e i s. no s peci f i c ef f ect upon an i l l nes s , and t her e ar e no ef f ect s whi cj h ar e i n any wa y di f f er ent t han t he us ual s i gns and s ympt oms of l ead poi s oni ng. Thus t he s ympt oms whi ch, Mr . des cr i bes as hi s be gi nni ng s ympt oms ar e qui t e obvi ous l y unr eKr cea t o l ead poi s oni ng. Hi s s t at ement t hat he ha d hwe a k l ungs 1' i s en t i r el y wi t hout meani ng. The s us pi ci on i s r ai s ed, of cour s e, t hat t he man may have a br onc hi t i s , or an as t hmat i c condi t i on, or i ndeed t hat he may have ear l y t uber cul os i s . I n any cas e, a car ef ul phys i cal exami nat i on s houl d be done i n or der t o f i nd out what ma y r eal l y be t he. mat t er wi t h hi m. I t woul d appear f r om t he e xa mi na t i ons o^ t he s ever al doct or s ment i oned i n t he s t at ement , t hat Mr . has a t uber cul ous i nvol vement of t hei l ungs . I n any cas e " t he r e i s no r eas on wha t e ve r f or as s oci at i ng hi s I l l nes s wi t h hi s I nhal at i on of ETHYL Fl ui d or Et hyl Gas ol i ne. I do not know t hat t he a bove wi l l cont r i but e any ver y I mpor t ant I nf or mat i on i n t hi s cas e. However , I s houl d be K 0.017007 gl ad t o toe of any as s i s t ance pos s i bl e, and i f I can gi ve any f ur t her i nf or mat i on I s hal l be gl ad t o do so. I t v/ i l l pr oba bl y toe a mat t er of s ome i nt er es t t o know t hat s i nce 1925 s ome hundr eds of me n ha ve t oeen e ngaged i n t hi s wor k under our s uper vi s i on, and t hat t her e has not t oeen a cas e of l ead poi s oni ng i n t he ent i r e gr oup, i bi s is. undoubt edl y due t o t he f act t hat t he act ual expos ur e t o l ead unde r t he condi t i ons of t hi s wor k i s pr act i cal l y negl i gi bl e due t o t he char act er of t he equi pment us ed. Ver y t r ul y your s , RAK: ET Rot ot . . A. Kehoe, M. D. HE- 0017008