Document 65ONOz5JXXNnx9KymJYoEpoM4

FILE NAME: Asbestos in Hair Dryers (HD) DATE: 1979 July 12 DOC#: HD026 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Special Order for Submission of Information, Electric Hair Dryers with Cover Letter & CPSC Bulletin C' ALSO: Dynex international Ltd., 25 W. 43rd St , New York, N Y.1036 Wahl Clippe Corporation, 2902 N. Loou St , Sterling,*il Andis Clipp : Companyr-~'1718 Layard Ave., Racine, WI Rolf Brauchli, Inc//^#^X 8044 Londale Ave., Skokie, IL 60076 U S. CONSUMER PRODUCT S A F E T Y COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D C 20207 July 12, 1979 Roffler Industries 400 Chess Street Corapolis, PA 15108 Gentlemen: Enclosed is a Special Order requiring your company to respond to certain questions. The Commission is seeking this information in _ connection with its investigation of potential health hazards associated with hair dryers which contain asbestos. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined that it is in the public interest to disclose to the public information regarding whether electric hair dryers contain asbestos. To this end, the Com mission publishes a bulletin identifying the names, addresses and telephone numbers of manufacturers and private labelers of hand held hair dryers, indicating which dryers contain and do not contain asbestos and describing each firm's policy with regard to those dryers. This information is made available to the public as it is received from manufacturers and private labelers. In addition, the Commission responds to consumer inquiries by providing the information in the bulletin. The enclosed bulletin summarizes the information which the Com mission may release during the course of its continuing investigation. Specific data regarding model numbers and your firm's policy will be based on the information that you provide to the Commission. Page 2 In accordance with section 6(b)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, 15 U.S.C. 2055(b)(1), the Commission has determined that it is in the interest of the public health and safety to reduce the 30 day period of notice and opportunity for comment provided to manufacturers and private labelers whose identities may be readily ascertainable from information disseminated by the Commission. Therefore, the Commission requests that you submit any comments regarding the disclosure of this information at the time you provide your responses to the enclosed Special Order. Please note that your response should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207, in five copies. If you have any questions, please direct them to Catherine C. Cook, Director, Product Defect Correction Division, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207, telephone: 301/492- 6608. ' Sincerely, Sadye E. Dunn Secretary Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC BULLETIN The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is conducting an investigation to identify those electric hair dryers that contain asbestos materials and to determine any hazard associated with those products. This is a partial list of (i) dryers that are believed to contain asbestos and (ii) dryers that are believed not to contain asbestos. Where possible, the Commission is indicating the current policies of manufacturers and retailers regarding their products. As the Commission obtains additional in formation identifying other hair dryers both with and without asbestos, it will continue to notify the public. The inclusion of a hair dryer model on this list does not represent a determination by the Commission of whether the model presents a health hazard. In the exercise of its statutory duty to inform consumers, the Commission is noti fying the public of which models are believed to contain asbestos. In that way, consumers will be assisted in making decisions, as to their own actions, while further testing is proceeding to determine the nature of any attendant hazard that may be present. The Commission also notes that the information on this list was supplied by the manufacturers and private labelers of the dryers and has not been independently verified by the Commission or its staff. U S. CONSUMER PRODUCT S A F E T Y COMMISSION WASHINGTON. D C 20207 July 12, 1979 Roffler Industries 400 Chess Street Coraopolis, PA 15108 SPECIAL ORDER FOR SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION ELECTRIC HAIR DRYERS The Consumer Product Safety Commission staff is inves tigating the possible hazards of electric hair dryers that contain asbestos that can be emitted tnrough the air flow of the dryers. This inquiry includes, but is not limited to tr.e following kinds of hair dryers: 1. Eonnet-t.ype hair dryers (also known as "hatbox" or "vanity-type" dryers), 2. ''n v o v tq \ Salon-type hair dryers (also known as hood-type 3* nand held hair dryers (also known as "blow dryers" rr "drying guns"). * tree standing nozzle-type blow dryers. To assist this investigation, the Commission issues this Special Order to obtain information quickly from manu facturers, importers and private labelers of electric hair dryers including, but not limited to those listed above, to identify dryers that may be exposing consumers to risk of injury from asbestos that can be emitted through the air flow of the dryers. This Order is issued under sections 5 and 27(b)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, 15 U.S.C. 2054, 2076(b)(1). , . YOU ARE HEREBY ORDERED TO ANSWER, under oath, the following questions. Your response must be submitted in five copies at the Commission's Office of the Secretary, Third Floor, 1111 18th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20207 on or before July 31, 1979. 1. State the name of your firm and the address of your principal place of business. Specify whether you are a manufacturer, importer and/or private labeler of the electric hair dryers described above. 2. (a) Are asbestos materials now being used in dryers your firm is manufacturing, importing or labeling? (b) the air flow? Is the asbestos located where it is exposed to 3. (a) Have asbestos materials been used in dryers your firm has manufactured, imported or labeled within the last ten years? (b) Is the asbestos located where it is exposed to the air flow? A. If you answered yes to question 2(b) and/or question 3(b), please provide the following information, in the order listed, for each identifiable group of dryers. To facilitate review of the information, please provide this information in charts or by other means that will relate each item of information to a particular identifiable group of dryers. (a) Give identification information (e.g., brand name, style, model number and/or production date code number) and state whether the dryer is hand held, portable, free standing, etc. (b) Specify dates during which your firm manu factured, imported and/or labeled the dryers and the approximate number of dryers manufactured, imported and/or labeled during each date or time period. (c) Describe where the asbestos materials are located in the dryers (e.g., nozzle lining, hood lining, air passageway lining, wire insulation or motor insulation). (d) If you are the importer or private labeler, state the name and address of the manufacturer. (e) If you are the manufacturer (or have access to this information) please explain what kind of asbestos material was used (type, grade, or other description), indicate the name and address of the distributor and/or manufacturer of the material if known, and give the reasons for the use of the asbestos material. -3- (f) Describe the usual promotion, marketing and use patterns of your dryers. 5. (a) Were asbestos materials used in dryers your firm manufactured, imported or labeled more than ten years ago? (b) If you answered yes, please state whether the asbestos is located where it is exposed to the air flow. 6. (a)(i) Has your firm or anyone on its behalf con ducted any tests of your dryers to determine .whether your dryers emit respirable asbestos fibers into the air flow, or any other tests related to the use of asbestos in dryers? (ii) If you answered yes, provide a description of such tests, and an explanation of where and how the reports may be obtained. (b) (i) Do you know of any other tests or studies regarding the use of asbestos in hair dryers? (ii) If you answered yes, please provide a description of such tests, and an explanation of where and how the reports may be obtained. (c) Please provide the name, address and telephone number of a person in your firm with whom the Commission staff could discuss these tests or testing of asbestos in hair dryers in general. 7 . Please provide the name, title, address, and telephone number of the person filing the response to this Order. -4 - INSTRUCTIONS The Commission believes that the Order is sufficiently limited that extensions of time will not be needed. However requests for extensions of time related to specific portions of this Order must be received by Catherine C. Cook, Director of the Commission's Product Defect Correction Division, by July 23, 1979. Requests may be made by telephone 301/4926608 or in writing to Catherine C. Cook,-Director, Product Defect Correction Division, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207. In addition, any questions regarding this Order should be addressed to her. The response to this Order must be signed, under oath, by the chief executive officer of the firm or the delegate of the chief executive officer. If you have previously supplied the Commission with information which is requested here, you need not resubmit that information, but you must state that the information was provided previously and identify the prior submission. If you believe any information submitted in response to this Order: (a) constitutes a trade secret or confidential commercial or financial information under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) of the Freedom of Information Act; (b) is exempt from disclosure under section 6(a)(2) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, 15 U.S.C. 2055(a)(2), or 18 U.S.C. 1905j you must clearly -5- and precisely indicate on the submission each item you believe may be withheld from the public. You must state the grounds you rely upon for claiming confidentiality of each item. In evaluating claims of confidentiality the Commission will follow its regulations under the Freedom of Information Act (16 CFR 1015, copy of relevant portions is attached). Failure to respond to this Special Order, or furnishing false or misleading information, may subject you to civil or criminal penalties under sections 20 and .21 of the CPSA (15 U.S.C. 2069 and 2070), or to criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. 1001. FOR THE COMMISSION S A ] JJUIMiM Secretary Consumer Product Safety Commission -6 -