Asbestos Companies Behaving Badly

Back to the teaser that I left you with in my last post.  Let’s have a preliminary and introductory discussion about the danger of asbestos and the potential misconduct by companies.  “Preliminary” and “Introductory” because I could not hope to thoroughly address these issues in a single Blog.  As I am most familiar with the United States issues, this Blog will focus on the asbestos industry on this side of the pond as my U.K. friends are apt to say.

What better way to begin than to skin back the attorney client privilege at the largest asbestos company of all, Johns-Manville, to let all of the knowledge collected by its legal department hang out without protection.  What a wonderful way to see all of the warts that, for many years, were locked up out of sight.

Well, the above book is not going to do that.  Rather, this book is a 1972 tribute by the then President of Johns-Manville discussing the company’s wonderful leadership during the 1930s and 1940s including its high community values.  As stated by Mr. Goodwin, whom assumed his then role in 1971, about Mr. Lewis Harold Brown, the President starting in 1930:

“In summing up his philosophy, TIME quoted Brown’s remarks to the 1938 International Management Congress, in which he said, ‘In the complex industrial society under which we now live, management no longer represents, as formerly, a single interest; increasingly it functions on the basis of a trusteeship, endeavoring to maintain a proper balance of equity between four basic interlocking groups: the shareholders; the jobholders; the customers; and the public.’ Brown continued to guide Johns-Manville through the war years as President until 1946 when he became Chairman of the Board.”

Of course, it was during those 1930s and 1940s when Johns-Manville was at it very worst in deceiving its employees, the public, and the government about the dangers of asbestos.  Worst of all, a main character involved in this deception was Lewis Harold Brown’s brother, Vandiver Brown, who was then its Vice President and General Counsel.  As sworn to by Charles H. Roemer, formerly an employee with Unarco, in an Affidavit describing a meeting with both Browns in the early 1940s at the Johns-Manville headquarters in New York City:

“In response, Vandiver Brown stated that Johns-Manville’s physical examination program had, indeed, also produced findings of X-ray evidence of asbestos disease among workers exposed to asbestos and that it was Johns-Manville’s policy not to do anything nor to tell the employees of the X-ray findings.  Vandiver Brown went on to say that it was foolish for us to be concerned and that if Johns-Manville’s workers were told, they would stop working and file claims against Johns-Manville, and that it was Johns-Manville’s policy to let them work until they quit work because of asbestosis or died as a result of asbestos-related diseases.”

If you believe that they were joking, there is an entry in the Motley 1000 Document Index on page 145 by a Johns-Manville attorney after reviewing Johns-Manville documents that the company did at times withhold asbestos exposure related medical concerns from affected employees.

The attorney who created the Index stated, “There are instances noted in the minutes where it was decided not to tell a worker of his/her abnormal chest condition or not to remove him/her from a dusty area even though the worker had an abnormal chest.  The minutes also document discussions about potential claims.”

There is a lot more in the Index created by Johns-Manville’s legal department for the Motley 1000 Documents which discuss how the company focused over many years on controlling the message rather than aggressively pursuing the science which will be part of my future Blogs.  However, rather than continue the story for now, I would like to turn to the Mesothelioma fight spearheaded by Mavis Nye of the U.K. since her 2009 diagnosis.  Yes, 2009. 

Mavis’ story is best told at A day in the life | British Safety Council (britsafe.org) which discusses her husband Raymond’s work as a Shipwright with Mavis being exposed to asbestos while washing his clothes.  I urge you to read her story to understand how the lack of information so many years ago continues to affect us all.

Mavis and Raymond Nye

Now, let’s get a little serious.  Mavis runs a foundation which focuses on medical equipment and nursing assistance for those diagnosed with Mesothelioma in the U.K.  Please see if you can make a small donation to her foundation at  My Donate Page – Mavis Nye Foundation.  As in the United States, times are tough right now due to the Pandemic and yet those with Mesothelioma continue to need help.  Please step up to help those Meso Warriors.

I plan to issue a new Blog each week for the time being, but I am looking for stories from anyone else involved with asbestos who is looking for an opportunity to discuss their story.  Just let me know at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com.  

As always, stay safe and be careful out there.