Document 6B49mx3KY59qwxO9djX4NVeJE

FILE NAME: Asten Hill (AH) DATE: 1978 Oct 6 DOC#: AH049 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memo _______ INTEROFFICE CORRESPONDENCE________ ___ ASTEN. HILL CO. ASTEN-HILL LTD. ASCOE FELTS, IN C WISCONSIN WIRES, INC FROM: TO: Devon - L. A, Krupnick Salem - J. P. Nicholaou'/ Walterboro - W. Turner October 6, 1978 ASBESTOS MATTERS Attached hereto you will find a summary memo of October 4 and a proposed letter for distribution to employees in furtherance of that memo. We would like to know your thoughts with regard to the letter and anything else in this area before distribution is made to employees. This way we can have your input and make any changes that you would like, and then the same letter would be released to all employees. We look forward to hearing from you. LAK:nr Attach. 2A.ST1108623 MEMORANDUM October 4, 1978 ASBESTOS MATTERS The following is a summary of the discussion on asbestosrelated problems which took place during the manufacturing group meeting in Devon on October 3, 1978. There has been a great deal of publicity lately concerning as bestos. While most of this has been directed toward areas where asbestos dust has been in great concentration, such as with ship yard workers and those .involved directly in the manufacturing of asbestos products from raw asbestos materials, there has been a spill-over effect into our business since currently we are using asbestos-containing yarns for the manufacture of some dryer felts. In the light of this circumstance, it is deemed appropriate that we prepare guidelines to the divisions setting forth our general position and more specifically providing gen eral information to employees by way of an employee handbook and announcement currently for distribution to the employees of wheyre we stand on asbestos matters. It was considered important that we provide initially and con tinue to provide to employees a clear understanding of our in volvement with asbestos and our intent to decrease our consump tion even further and that we comply with OSHA and good industrial hygienic practices. It is important that all statements to em ployees be cleared through Devon in this regard before delivery to any employee group or posting of notices, etc. It was generally reviewed with all of the manufacturing personnel present that our asbestos dust counts prepared through our Work men's Compensation carrier, Allstate, are in compliance with the present OSHA' standards and accordingly less than 2 particles per cc. The dust counts are provided through an agency indepen dent of Allstate, and we will continue this program. Mike Derer will see that the dust counts are provided for Devon. It was recognized that because of the increased publicity given to asbestos that all of our locations using asbestos-containing materials can expect greater harassment from OSHA and state OSHA agencies. It is recognized that we have a great deal of asbestoscontaining products in inventory, and therefore it would be pru dent for us, while moving on to other products in our product line of dryer felts and fabrics, to systematically reduce our inventory by having the customers take their ordered felts from inventory; and accordingly it may take a number of years before we are completely out of the asbestos products-business. In the meantime we will continue, as part of the manufacturing and R&D efforts, to have alternatives available to our customers. Additionally, substantial price increases will be made in asbestoscontaining felts over the near term so that alternatives become economically attractive to purchasing agents and papermakers. 2AST1108624 Asbestos Matters 2 October 4, 1978 We discussed continued full membership in the Asbestos Infor mation Association with Bill Clark as our representative, and the consensus was that we would continue this since support of this organization is important to the development of defenses in this area, while we still recognize that being a member of the association carries with it a certain degree of notariety, but we cannot turn our backs on this problem anyway. The manufacturing group will consider bringing in an industrial hygienist as a consultant to review asbestos dust counts and potentially cotton dust counts (if that should develop into a problem) on a corporate-wide basis so that we can be sure that everything possible is being done in this area. At this time we continue to abide by the law in this area, and we will continue that way in the future. The marketing group will consider a change in our invoicing techniques for dryer felts containing asbestos so that there will be some mention on the invoice of asbestos, and suggestipns will be submitted on this point. ? L A K :n r 2AST1108625