Document 8VoYgK81eYBOGbarx2DyrK6wB

y NORTON k NORTON COMPANY SAFETY PRODUCTS DIVISION 3000 PLAINFIELD PIKE. CRANSTON Rt 02930 PHONE (400 943-4400 TELEX937583 May 5, 1982 RECEIVED Dr. Burford W. Culpepper E. I. DuPont de Nemours ERD N-11400 Wilmington, DE 19898 Dear Dr. Culpepper: At the request of Mr. John Gillespie, I am sending you this letter and the attached documents in order to reiterate the position Norton Company has taken regarding the use of non-powered air-purifying respirators in asbestos-containing atmospheres. No nnn-nnpsred air-purifying respirator totally eliminates asbestos fibers, or any other hazardous materials, from the breathing zone. Negative-pressure respirators provide varying levels of protection to the wearer depending on their design criteria; i.e., a quarter-mask dust/mist respirator provides less protection than does a self-contained breathing apparatus. V The Norton 7170 respirator is approved under TC-21C-170A for use in asbestoscontaining atmospheres. However, the filter media used in this or similar dust/mist respirators does not provide the same degree of efficiency of parti cle removal as does a high-efficiency filter designed for such use in accordance with 30CFR 11.140-11. In addition, none of the NIOSH/MSHA approved respirators manufactured in the industry today for asbestos use were approved by NIOSH with the idea in mind of protecting against mesothelioma or any other types of carcinoma associated with respirable asbestos fibers. In fact, these respirators were approved with the <nt-pnt- nf protecting wearers from the possibility of con tracting a non-malignant lung disease called asbestosis. -- *' It is Norton Company's policy to recommend to our customers the best respiratory protection available based on the current knowledge level of industrial disease prevention and state-of-the-art respirator technology. The use of high-efficiency filters on an elastomeric facepiece, such as the Norton 7580, represents the best non-powered air-purifying negative-pressure respirator available from any manufacturer for protection from asbestos fibers. If you have any further questions regarding the position Norton Company has taken regarding the use of non-powered air-purifying respirators in asbestos-containing atmospheres, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely yours kmg WOHurd (jel: (215)-688-4646} RHitchcock fhomas B; Pickle Product Manager DU 038564 o CO u -vl N) -vl O