The collection is arranged alphabetically by corporate name. Parts of this collection were originally arranged numerically: for convenience these numbers are listed in the container list.
The Division of Occupational Health of the State Board of Health was responsible for conducting industrial plant investigations to determine the amount of exposure of employees to toxic materials. When harmful exposures were found recommendations were made to plant management for control or elimination of potential health hazards. Hazardous working conditions were reported to the Industrial Commission.
The series documents the activities of Division of Occupational Health field engineers and its toxicology laboratory. A significant amount of the documentation consists of technical notes and drawings by engineers and inspectors and their subsequent reports. Correspondence files are mainly between division administrators and the Industrial Commission and concerned employees and employers.
The series is probably most valuable when particular types of industry are studied together, for example, the granite industry. There is extensive documentation on historically important Wisconsin industries, including dairying, foundaries and heavy machinery, and paper manufacturing.
In 1968 the functional responsibility of the Division was transferred to the Bureau of Environmental Health of new Department of Health and Social Services.
