Document 6eB8mZ9eKE1wwgwLLB5D6nE9

FILE NAME Packings and Gaskets PAG DATE 1976-1977 DOC PAG021 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Letters : duly 3, 1976 Grvsp Pablic Relatiens Adriser Terser @ Kewall 24. 77/79 Beustais 8t. Manchester M2 ThA Lagiand ; Reference: Zine Africas Asbestes . Sear WLitrid: . The Fintd Sealing Association {5 coasideriag a weve te bas the effort ase ef BAA withia our etish Fiexitailic iateadtse actively support this etish Te aid us in taris ^' would have axy {afernstion reproduced AA not task would be made available or reproduced to not Aise, ur oe . me ne tote at o~ tay suggestions om cw FUTTT GAT STEA T CL aeL sNTIDE E. Pen 6. Varrea:ed President . Tos Copy Infos MAB DSD RSY 29th September 1977 British Gas Corporation Arising from the meeting with representatives of the above on 22nd September 1977 I promised to comment on the decision of British Gas to include CAF among containing materials which must ; be replaced by alternatives by 1978 . I see no reason whatever to abandon the use of CAF on the grounds of it being a risk to health The material is flexible not friable . 1.e. it cannot be broken like many other asbestos sheet materials thereby releasing airborne fibres The asbestos in CAF always white never blue is so well bonded in the rubber matrix that there is no release of dust in normal handling and the sheate are so thin that there is little or no release of fibre during cutting or punching The only situations where minimal measurable amounts of airborne fibro punching automatic have been recorded have involved speed of gaskets or washers from the sheet When the Asbestos Regulations 1969 were being drafted consideration was giveant one stage to the inclusion of a list of containing products which might be exempted from the provisions of the Regulations on the grounds that they presented no health hazard in handling and use Because of the obvious difficulty in deciding where to draw the line the idea was dropped but a list was in fact drawn up by the Factory Inspectorate and CAF was at the top of this list By agreement between the Health & Safety Executive the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection and the Asbestos Industry a voluntary labelling scheme was introduced in October 1976. Under this schere all products containing asbestos which could foreseeably constitute a health hazard in handling and use wowhuich ld carry a health warning label to this CAF is one of the few products products carrlay bel it has been agreed not need Holmes os