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COf.TISD.TIAL i Divieion Headquarter! June 15, 1955 Harinite Duet Attach*d It a letter by V* B. Padhm In which ha it calling to our attention, t situation in vhieh JWi may 1a th* future haw* *om* roepomibility* Z vsula appreciate your review of this and give the benefit of yf>r thlAlcU* in regard to th* eenpany liability. It hae been euggeeted by Hr. flavin that poeelbly a etat*merit could be mad* in our literature calling attention to the potential hatard in confined quarter* attach. ee: . D. flavin V. B, Bataan - Kaahua . file . H Saton CONFIDENTIAL July 1, 1058 T. B. Baton Mar in its Dust X bars dlieuiaed jour nsaorandun of Juno 18, 10SB with Bugh Jackson. V, B. Badhas Is to bs oosaended for his dis covery of tho situation existing st tbs Nevpert Nsvs Shipbuilding Yard, X think this is s natter that aaj result ia extensive 1***1 liahilltj la the future un less it Is properly handled. The important feature is that the suployte ho Is us Inf a saw on Sarinite should knov vhat the precautions are that rmst b t*. ?laei&f a state- sent in the litsrature does carry to the apioyta the infornatiou he should have. It is sugtested that a label be placed on the back of the sheets of Harlnits. Dugh Jackson and X sill be glad to give you the eopy required for these labels. Ve have had the sans ax- par lance in caution labeling on Cellte products. X aa sending'copies of this litter to Hugh Jackson and A1 Scheldt of the Insurance Department sinee this is a natter which will increase our prealuas on produet liability insurance if any lav suits are brought against us for failure to warn of tbs potsatial hazard. Herhart Horton Ball cc I. D. Flavin V, B. Fsdbaa, Nashua B. M. Jackson A. M. Bchaidt V July 9* 1958 V. P. 3. Breese Caution Label Karinite Following 1$ the wording of the proposed eaution label for Karinite iheeta which we discussed yesterday* Caution Karinite is composed of asbestos fibre and calcium silicate. Inhalation of duet produced in saving, drilling or trimming this board may be harmful. Avoid breathing this dust. Dust tfiould be kept at a stfe minimum by proper controls. If fils is impossible, respirator* approved by the U. S. Bureau of Mines are recommended* In my opinion, the use of this label thould be given very careful consideration/ If v apply it to one of our products such as Karinite, 2 believe that ve would have to apply it on several other products such as Transits, nexboard and certain pipe covering materials* I believe that such a sieve should be a policy decision made by our Senior Officers* , Kenneth V. Smith, H.D. I 4 D.L. Hinraon c^ry L'iviv.on lleadqu arter* July ?9, 1958 The Bitter of ft caution libel on Mirinite hi been discussed with Dr. Smith ind Mr. Bill. Our discussion covered ill board products, not Just Marinite. As Mr* Ball indicated in his letter of July 1, 1958 to T.H. Baton, the important thing for us to do is provide the employee who is sawing or undine Mirinite - or any board product for that natter - with suitable intoraation ao that proper precautions can be taken. How do we disseminate this information? A label eould be used. However, because sheets are sosetiaca faced with other naterials after they leave our plant the label would be covered and not seen by the person doing the fabricating* Where sheets are not faced or painted, aany labels would have to be used on both faces to sake certain that all persons who cut, sanded and drilled the pieces were suitably warned. . We have many competitors in the board products field. A caution label on our products - and nofi* on tneira would Bake our selling efforts most difficult. Until the entire industry takes such action, iwe should consider other means of communicating with the users of our 'materials. Mr. Ball's letter of July 1 slso indicates that placing a statement, in literature does not carry to the employee the information he should have. On most sales promotion pieces and brochures this would be the case. 2n the case of board products, we have a different type of lit erature - namely, an instruction book covering euttine, drilling and machining Transite and Bbony products. The purpose or this instruction book is to reach the shop foreman and the Ban doing the actual work to instruct then on the proper sethod of handling our aaterials. This has been in use for several years. Zt is now being revised to include data on all our other board products. The old instructions carried this note on dry cutting > "in dry cutting there Bust be available the proper equipment to remove dust'.' J * I Wlir-n the instruction book is reissued* this statement will be expanded to eovei all our board products and will read as follows: "During cutting, machining, drilling, and sanding operations adequate precautions must be taken to eliminate air contamination by dust resulting from these operations," In my opinion, the action we have already taken is the most direct means available to warn the person handling our material of the potential danger which he may face if he continues to work in a very dusty atmosphere end breathes the dust, 1 believe that since our division has already taken some cognizance of this danger through the publication of an instruction of the need to remove dust plus the fact that we are enlarging on this statement in our new literature, represents all of the action which we need to take *t this tine, X recommend that Building Products Division be advised oi the steps which we have already taken. Since we have taken what X think to besuitable steps on the matter of cautioning the users of eur mat* erial about dust, 1 don't believe that any proposal needs to be submitted to the Senior Officers. The only other division involved is Building Products nd once they know of our problem they can take similar iten if they feel ix is necessary. ) cc : J.B. Jobe file w.C. Hoffer i oa  w* \ 04 ~J K.O tiS rtjitijk.COPY LCGS copy D.L. tiinmon uivi..on tleadquarte rs July ?9, 1958 The sitter of i caution label on Harinite has been discussed with Dr. Snith and Mr. Bill. Our discussion covered all board products, not just Mirinite. Ms Mr. Bill indicsted in his letter of July 1, 1958 to T.H. Eaton, the important thing for us to do is provide the employee who is sawing or sanding Mirinite - or any board product for that Bitter * with suitable indorsation so that proper precautions can be taken. How do we disseainate this information? A label could be used. However, because sheets are tonetime*- faced with other naterisls after they leave our plant the label would be covered and not aeen by the person doing the fabricating. Where sheets arc not faced or painted, any labels would have to be used on both faces to sake certain that all persona who cut, sanded and drilled the pieces were suitably warned. . We hive many eeRpetitcrs in the board products field. A caution label on our products - and non* on theirs would make our selling effort* nost difficult. Until the entire Industry takes such setion, vwe should consider other neans of communicating with the users of our materials. Mr. Ball's letter of July 1 also indicates that placing a statement, in literature does not carry to the employee the information he should have. On most sales promotion pieces and brochures this would be the case. In the case of board produets, we have a different type of lit erature - namely, an instruction book covering cutting, drilling and saehining Tranaite and Ebony products. The purpose of this instruction book ia to reach the shop fotenan and the Ban doing the actual work to instruct then on the proper method of handling our Baterials. This has been in use for several years. 2t is now being revised to include data on all our other board products. The old instructions carried this note on dry cutting - "In dry cutting there Bust be available the proper equipment to remove duet?