Document gDN8j14D0ve5myMvOO77R2Oja

! JUN i 0 130? U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CERTIFIED WO. P 814-967-320 RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED June 7, 1988 Occupational Safety and Health Administration Dallas Area Office - Central Place 1425 West Pioneer Drive, Suite 230 Irving, Texas 75061-7181 Metro: 251-1786 Reply to the Attention of: 72159460 Mr. T. H. Hethery, Pres. Texas Eastman Company Box 7444 Longview, TX 75607 Dear Mr. Hethery: On 5/17/88, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) received a notice of (safety and/or health) hazards at your worksite. The specific nature of the alleeed hazards is as follows: 1. 29 CFR 1910.1001: In operations employees are, and have been in the past, exposed to asbestos fibers in pipe insulation works without being fully protected from such exposures. We have not determined whether the hazards, as alleged, exist at your workplace; and we do not intend to conduct an inspection at this time. However, since allegations of violations have been made, you are requested to investigate the alleged conditions and make any necessary corrections or modifications. Please advise me in writing by July 7, 1988 your in vestigation. Please provide any supporting documentation of your findings, including any applicable measurements or monitoring results, and photographs which you believe would be helpful, as well as a description of any corrective action you have taken or are in the process of taking, including photographs of the corrected condition. The complainant involved has been advised of this preliminary response to the complaint of hazards and has been furnished a copy of thi^ letter. Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 provides that "No person shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against any employee because such employee has filed any complaint ... or because of the exercise by such employee on behalf of himself or others of any right afforded by this Act." This letter is not a citation or a notification of proposed penalty which, according to the OSH Act, may be issued only after an inspection or in vestigation of the workplace. If we do not receive a response from you within 30 calendar days or less indicating that approDriate action has been taken or that no hazard exists and why. an inspection may be conducted. Please note, however, that 0SHA selects for inspection a random sample of cases where we have received letters in which empiovers have indicated satisfactory corrective action. This oolicv has been established to ensure that employers have actually taken the action asserted in their letters. IS Finally, any action taken by you in this matter will not automatically remove your workplace from the possibility of an unannounced inspection by duly authorized representatives of OSHA in accordance with routine schedul ing procedures currently in effect. In addition to its function of inspecting workplaces, the OSHA Area Office has been expanded to become a full service resource center, offering a wide range of safety and health related services in response to the needs of the working public, both employers and employees. These services include train ing and education, consultation, voluntary compliance programs and assis tance in correcting hazards. Your State offers OSHA consultation services, without charge, to assist you in resolving any occupational safety or health issue which you may face. To request the services, call or write your State consultation project at the following address: Division of Occupational Safety Texas Department of Health 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756 512) 458-7287 You are requested to post a copy of this letter and your response to it where it will be readily accessible for review by all of your employees. If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact the Area Office at the address in the letterhead. Your personal support and inter est in the safety and health of your employees is appreciated. Respectfully, J. T. KNORPP Area Director Dallas Area Office 19