Document QXQv9KgLwg2R65N5Qd18N4YJv
FILE NAME: Asbestos in Hair Dryers (HD)
DATE: 1979 Apr 6 DOC#: HD042
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter to CPSC from General Electric with Response to Order of March 29, 1979 with Sales Data
NERAL E LE C T R IC COM PANY . . . . . . . . . . 7285 BOSTON AVENUE ` B R ID G EP O R T. C O N N E C T IC U T 06B02. Phona (203) 334-7.012 I
April 6, 1979
HOUSEWARES AND AUDIO BUSINESS DIVISION
Honorable Sayde E. Dunn Secretary
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1111 Eighteenth Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20217
Dear Ms. Dunn:
The following response is submitted in reply to your order of March 29, 1979:
1. Q. 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 portable hand-held electric hair dryers (dryers).
A. The name and address of our business is as follows:
Housewares and Audio Business Division
General Electric Company
1285 Boston Avenue
`
Bridgeport, Connecticut 05602
The Housewares and Audio Business Division imports (purchases) and
manufactures hand-held electric hair dryers.
"
2. (a) Q. Are asbestos materials now being used in dryers your firm is manufacturing, importing or labeling?
(a) A. Asbestos materials are not being used in the hand-held electric
'
hair dryers now being imported (purchased), private labeled or
manufactured - some units which have been manufactured are enroute
to the U.S.
.
(b) Q. Are these asbestos materials in the nozzle lining, wire insulation,
motor insulation or other location where asbestos is exposed to
. the dryer's airstream?
:
. .
(b) A. Not applicable.
3. (a) Q. Have asbestos materials been used in dryers your firm has manufactured, imported, or labeled within the last ten years?
(a) A. Asbestos materials have been used in hand-held hair dryers imported (purchased) and manufactured during the last ten years.
EXHIBIT J AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EM PLOYER
GEGIE 00015
Page Two
Honorable Sayde E. Dunn Secretary Consumer Product Safety Commission
3- (b) Q-- Are these asbestos materials in the no2zle lining, wire insulation,
motor insulation, or other location where asbestos is exposed to *
' the dryer's airstream?
.
(b) 4. Q.
(a)
A. The asbestos, material was used where it was exposed to the airstream.
To questions 2(b) and/or 3(b), please provide the following information, in the order listed, for each identifiable group of dryers.
Q- Identification information (e.g. brand name, style, model number
and/or production date code number).
.
_ _
(b) Q. Specific dates during which your firm manufactured, imported and/or
labeled the dryers and the approximate number of dryers manufactured, imported and/or labeled during each date or time period.
(c) Q. Specific description of where the asbestos materials are located '
in the dryers (e.g. nozzle lining, wire insulation or motor
insulation).
(tf) Q. If you are the importer or private labeler, the name and address of the manufacturer.
A. (a), (b), (c), (d)
See Attachment "A". The model numbers shown in Attachment "A"
were previously, voluntarily submitted by General Electric Company
at a meeting on April 5, 1979, held by the Consumer Product.,*
Safety Comnission staff.to which General Electric Company was
invited and attended.
.
5- (a) Q. Have asbestos materials been used in dryers your firm manufactured,
imported or labeled more than ten years ago?
. .
(a) A. Asbestos materials have not been used in hand-held hair dryers
imported (purchased), private labeled and manufactured more than
ten years ago. Although not requested by this-Special Order, we
are voluntarily submitting Attachment "B" covering non hand-held
hair dryers manufactured by General Electric Company using asbestos
materials.
.
6. (a) Q. Has your firm or anyone on its behalf conducted any tests of
your dryers to determine whether respirable asbestos in your dryers is emitted into the airstream, or any other tests related to the use of asbestos in dryers?
(a) A. Tests have been conducted on hand-held hair dryers by the Company.
GEGIE 00016
'Page Three
'
Honorable Sayde E.- Dunn Secretary
Consumer Product Safety Commission
6. (b) Q.' Do you know of any other tests or studies regarding the use of asbestos in hair dryers?
(b) A. We are aware of other tests regarding the use of asbestos. Some examples of such tests are the Kearney Report, Underwriters
Laboratories, Inc. Reports, and Technical Assessment of Safety for Hair Dryers/stylers Report, Mo. NBSIR 76-1112.
(c) Q. 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.
(c)
7. q.
A.` The writer can be contacted regarding these tests.
Please provide the name, title, address, and telephone number of the. person filing the response to this Order.
A. The writer has been delegated as the representative of the Chief
Executive Office and authorized to make claims of confidentiality
on behalf of the Company.
.
With regard to information shown in Attachment "A" in response to question 4(b) and Attachment "B" of this letter, we claim exemption from disclosure for
statements and references under the Freedom of Information Act, 5USC552(b) arid 18U5C1905 or regulations issued thereunder. This information is confi
dential, commercial information that would cause substantial financial harm ' if released to our competitors. It has never been released in any manner to person who was not an employee or in a confidential relationship with'*' the Company and is not commonly known within the industry nor is it readily ascertainable by outside persons with a minimum of time and effort.
'
Very truly yours,
..rQ.' .y i // '//'-'fyC -"'--
Robert W. Mazzacane, Manager Product Safety and Standards Housewares Engineering Department
Telephone - (203) 382-3556
RWM/ls att.
STATE OF CONNECTICUT COUNTY OF FAIRFIELD
Bridgeport
April 7, 1979
Personally appeared, ROBERT W. MAZZACANE, signer and sealer of the foregoing
instrument and affirmed and declared that the statements contained herein are
true to the best of his information and belief.
7?. n /
Notary Public
-
GEGIE 00017
HAMO HELO HAIR DRYERS
fypa
.
V o Pistol
Vo Pistol
Vo Pistol
Vo Pistol
Vo Pistol
Vo Pistol
Vo Pistol
Vo Pistol
ower Brush
ityllng Dryer
ityllog Dryer
ityllng Comb
Styling Comb
Mama
..
Super Turbo '
Power turbo
Super Pro
Power Pro
Pro Dryer
Pistol Dryer
Super Pro
Power Pro' Power Brush
Styling Dryer
Styl1ng Dryer
Hist Styling Comb
StylIng Comb
Model No.
Mfg. . Code.
PRO-11/5f16-005 ` 7
PRO-10/5115-013 7
PRO-6/5112-005 3.7
PR0-5/5110-013 3.7
PR0-A/5I09-00I 3
PRO-3/5107`011 3
PR0-2/5108-005
PR0-I/5I05"0I3
P8-1/5113-005
SD-V510I-013
SO-1/2
STC-2
'
STC-1/1A
3.5.6 3.5,6 ' 3
2 2 A . A
Usage Code 1 1 1 1 .1 1 1 . i 1 2 2 1 l
mu'
TOTAL
Year of Sal* to Company cus ton s - a)
'.....
-- m o m ) w i 19/3 h h 1975 1 9/Q \ y u
7 8
139. }06
176 . 573 581
100
155 133
87
57
29
18A 113
237 199 ' 61 92
250 62
36
1B0 109
65
311 2A1
12
35
5?
38
328 167 -il
-- . ' --- --
67A
197
A96 SA9 h i
917 1160
1 3 /3 99 126
2A9 IS1!
11
-- 639
177 571 1379
Ski
87
88
297
137 At5 AIO
5&i 126
52h
X
5675
(a-UnIt Sale In OOO's
A claim of confidentiality on portions of this
material has btan filed In the Utter dated April 8, 1979
from R. W. Hauaeane to Hi' Sayda Ounn.
HAHUFACRIRIHG CODE
(1) GE, Bridgeport, CT,
(2) Yamada, Japan
(3) Slmatelex, Hong Kong
(A). Izuml, Japan
(5) Tescom, Japan
(6)
. Koyama, Japan
(71 GE, Singapore
USAGE CODE
(,l! Nozzle Llnlng/Heat Shield U). Heater Support Yarn
O ATTACHMENT A
NON HAND HELD HAI ft OftYEftS
Type
Name
Salon Dryer
Portable Profass tonal
Salon Dryer Portable Pro* fesslonal-
Salon Dryer Salon Style Speed Dryer .
Salon Oryer Salon Style
Salon Dryer Salon Style
Salon Dryer Salon Dryer
Salon Style Salon Style
Salon Oryer Salon Style Hist
Salon Dryer
Super-Speed Salon Style M U t
Salon Dryer Salon Style Hist Bonnet Dryer Portable.Bonnet
TOTAL
Model No,
UH-20
Hfg. Osage Code Code
1 3
HD-55
'1
3
H0-30/UH3I .
I 3
110-56
l 3
HD-S4
1 3
HD-52
1
3
HD-51
1 3
HD-63/63SS
1 ft
HO-63SS/5063-OQ8 1 ft
HD--S3 H0-20
1 ft,3 T 3
1966 1 9 t r T 5 S T T s r
35
133 82 2ft 49 3! 21 62 137 97 1ft6
.
--
63 65
JL 12ft 1
86 251 448 462
(Unit Sales In OOO's. -
'
A claim of confidential!ty on this
materiel has been filed In the letter dated
April 6, 1379 from R. W. Mazzacane to Ms.
Sayde Dunn.
MANUFACTURING CODE
Cl) GE,-Bridgeport, CT
.Year of Sale to Company Customers a) .
I M P 1971 1321 im i m 1975 1976 - w r m
29 20 13
9
2
: "1979
Total 108
.61 93
5 . ft
163
5
5 11 12
2
1
36
ft 29 27 1.3 15
fiB
18
1
234
7
6
155
86 - 71 105 90 67 52
ft
917
60 fti ft ft ft
103
n 16 & 13. 17
75
48 36
,83 68 --
--
--------
ail 1 S 229 19ft 106 JL 21 17
212
' ILL
2544
USAGE CODE
(3) Heat Shield (Flberglass/asbstos sheet)
(A) Pad
1
ATTACHMENT B