Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 3
COMMONWEALTH OF RENNSYLVANIA RECEIVED NUG 13 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY 5 HARRISBURG August 9, 1928. TERIAL CORP. Mr. C. B. Lee Re : Plants using radio- President, United States Radium Corp. active luminous com- 535 Pearl Street pounds. New York, N. Y. My dear Mr. Lee: Thank you very much for your letter of August 7, , supplying me with the addresses of your customers in Pennsylvania. I have visited the plant of the Hamilton Watch Company on several occasions to take up with them the examination of their workers using radio-active luminous compounds. I understand that they are now having their workers examined. My usual procedure in visiting the plants using this type of material has been to observe the manner in which the material is applied, and to offer suggestions for safe application of the substance if safe methods are not alre ady in use. If any consi- derable amount of radium is used in the plant I also urge a physi - cal examination of the workers exposed to this luminous compound This department has at the present time no power to compel such examinations I feel, however, that every employer using these substances in any considerable amount should know, as far as our knowledge now permits it, whether or not his workers are re- taining any of these compounds in their bodies or whether they are being adversely affected by the use of these compounds. I understand that the material is made with different de- grees of luminosity, depending upon the amount of radium present. Therefore, if I learn from the firms using your compounds the amount of material they have purchased from you I would still not know the amount of radium these companies are using unless they have that information from you. If they know the amount of radium contained in the materials they are using they can give me the information in the plant at the time of my visit.