DuPont
Du Pont's policy of excluding women from the work place
Beauchamp, Case Studies, p. 19-34
Historical and biological background
The causes of congenital (birth) defects in humans are not well understood. Although specific drugs and environmental chemicals cause approximately 5% of these defects, the causes of at least 65% are unknown.
Of the 28.000 toxic substances listed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), over 50 are animal mutegens (that is, they cause chromosonal damage to either the ova or the sperm cells), and roughly 500 are animal teratogens (that is, they can cause deformations in a developing fetus.
Some tragic events in the 1960s alerted the public to the devastating effects that a teratogenic substance can have on a developing fetus, although the drug may be perfectly harmless to the mother. Doctors had prescribed the drug thalidomide for pregnant women as a tranquilizer, but they discovered that the drug caused fetal defects such as missing arms, legs, hands, and feet, in addition to many soft tissue malformations. Fetal defects [19] included both physical and functional alterations, such as the possibility of growth retardation, deformities, behavioral problems, genetic alterations, or a higher than normal tendency to develop cancer.
The Du Pont policy
E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., the world's largest chemical manufacturer, has long been concerned with chemical toxicity and exposure. Du Pont uses only a small number of hazardous substances – such as lead, aniline, and orthotoluidine – that require special control. Over the years, the company has promulgated several policies dealing with reproductive hazards, particularly one that addressed the problem of fetal damage from chemical exposure.
If Du Pont discovers that a chemical is a developmental toxin (toxic to the fetus), the company first uses engineering and administrative procedures to eliminate the risk of exposere or to reduce it to an
Beauchamp, Case Studies, p. 19-34
Historical and biological background
The causes of congenital (birth) defects in humans are not well understood. Although specific drugs and environmental chemicals cause approximately 5% of these defects, the causes of at least 65% are unknown.
Of the 28.000 toxic substances listed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), over 50 are animal mutegens (that is, they cause chromosonal damage to either the ova or the sperm cells), and roughly 500 are animal teratogens (that is, they can cause deformations in a developing fetus.
Some tragic events in the 1960s alerted the public to the devastating effects that a teratogenic substance can have on a developing fetus, although the drug may be perfectly harmless to the mother. Doctors had prescribed the drug thalidomide for pregnant women as a tranquilizer, but they discovered that the drug caused fetal defects such as missing arms, legs, hands, and feet, in addition to many soft tissue malformations. Fetal defects [19] included both physical and functional alterations, such as the possibility of growth retardation, deformities, behavioral problems, genetic alterations, or a higher than normal tendency to develop cancer.
The Du Pont policy
E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., the world's largest chemical manufacturer, has long been concerned with chemical toxicity and exposure. Du Pont uses only a small number of hazardous substances – such as lead, aniline, and orthotoluidine – that require special control. Over the years, the company has promulgated several policies dealing with reproductive hazards, particularly one that addressed the problem of fetal damage from chemical exposure.
If Du Pont discovers that a chemical is a developmental toxin (toxic to the fetus), the company first uses engineering and administrative procedures to eliminate the risk of exposere or to reduce it to an