Document zdjOVENJK32QjL6RRQkz5e4x6

FILE NAME: Hopeman Brothers (HB) DATE: 1958 DOC#: HB029 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Memos RE Marinite Label CONFIDENTIAL i. D ivision Headquarters June 18, 1958 harinite Dust Attached is a letter by V. B. Padham in which he is calling to our attention, a situation in which J~M may in the future have some responsibility, 1 would approdate your review of this letter and give me the benefit of your thinking in regard to the company liability. It has been suggested by Mr, Flavin that possibly a statement could be made in our literature calling attention to the potential hazard in confined quarters. attach. cc: E. D. Flavin V, B. Parham - Nashua file T, H, Eaton CRMC-RUCK-016196 cxmintm&h J n i y 1, X95S T. H* Satom M a r iliait B u s t I h a w diserasEed yorar momcraadnsa o i <Hiko 13 p 185 -fit,to Ssffe Jackoka. V. . Padh&m te to fe@ caaaadwi fo r hi diaco v sr? o f th e s i t u a t i o n sta tin g a t th e Isiypcsrt. Haws S h ip b u ild in g Yard. X th in k t h i s i s & a a tt r th a t may r e s u l t l a steM iv l e g a l l i a b i l i t y la th e ftrtwr " leas It is properly handled. The Important feature is that the employee who la aa&ng a saw <m H&riait shomlti kac& at tho precautions are that mast to tats. Placing a statemeat la th 1iterator dm net carry to th employe the Information to stotmld have. It la suggested that a label to placed on the back of tfe sfeeote of Mariait Hugh Jackson and I will to glad to give yem fth copy reqaired for the label. W toss,to toad th aaiao * perlone la cantion Mtollag on Cellt products. I am send!#: pi t this letter to JSisgh Jacteon and AX Schmidt f th lasnranc Department since ttols is a matter which will laseras cot preatarns on product liability iBsmrBJse if any I m malt &r brcaght a g a in s t ma fo r f& llttro t o warn o f th p o t e n t ia l h&sard. Herbert Norton Ball cc D, Flavin ", B. Padham, Eashim r. M. tockacra a . M. Schmidt CRMC CONFIDENTIAL Herbert Horton Hall Division Headquarters July 7, 1958 Harinite Dust 1 appreciate your appraisal of the situation in connection with our Company's exposure when Marinite sheets are cut on the job, resulting in a considerable amount of dust. In order that we may give further consideration to the proper labeling of all Marinite products, I would appreciate it if you would give me the copy required for these labels. Mr Jackson is on vacation and I would like to get this under way before his return. cc E. D. Flavin J. B, Jobe V, B. Padhara - Nashua H. M. Jackson A. M. Schmidt file T. H. Eaton C R M C - R U C K -016198 W. P. S. Hreese Caution Label Marinlte Following is the wording of the proposed caution label for Marini to sheets which we discussed yesterday. Caution Marinito is composed of asbestos fibre and calcium silicate. Inhalation of dugt produced in sawing drilling or trimming this board may be harmful. Avoid breathing this dust. Dust should be kept at a safe minimum by proper controls. Tf tnia is impossible, respirators approved by the U. S. bureau of Mines are recommended. In my opinion, the use of this label should be given very careful consideration. If we apply it to one of our products 3uch as Marinite, I believe that we would have to apply it on several other products such as Transite, Flexboard and certain pipe covering materials. I believe that such a move should be a policy decision made by our Senior Officers. copy HivS W on He?.quarters July ?9, 158 D,L. Hinmon MARINITE DUST Tiie m a t t e r of a c a u t i o n " l a b e l on M a r i n i t e has b e e n d i s c u s s e d w i t h D'. S m i t h and Mr. Bali. O u r d i s c u s s i o n c o v e r e d all b o a r d products,, nut just Marinite,. At-, Mr. Ball i n d i c a t e d in h i s l e t t e r of J u l y 1, 1 9 5 8 to T.H. Baton, - the important thing for u s to do is p r o v i d e the e m p l o y e e w h o is sewing or sanding Marinite - or any board product for that matter w th suitable infor m a t i o n so that proper precautions can be taken. I w 4vt H iw d o we d i s s e m i n a t e t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n ? A label c o u l d b e used. If >wever, b e c a u s e s h e e t s are s o m e t i m e s f a c e d w i t h o t h e r m a t e r i a l s a ter they leave our plant the label would be covered and not seen b ' the person doing the fabricating. Where sheets are not faced o painted, many labels would have to be used on b oth faces to make c >rtain that all persons who cut, sanded and drilled the pieces were suitably warned. We have many competitors in the board products field. A caution libel on our products - and none on theirs would make our selling e !forts most difficult. Until the entire industry takes such action, wi s h o u l d c o n s i d e r o t h e r m e a n s of c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h the u s e r s of our m iterials. M :. B a l l ' s l e t t e r of J u l y 1 a l so i n d i c a t e s that p l a c i n g a s t a t e m e n t ii literature does not carry to the employee the information he should iave. O n most sales p r o m o t i o n p i e c e s and b r o c h u r e s this w o u l d be the cise. In the case of b o a r d products, we have a d ifferent type of lit e-ature - namely, an i n s t r u c t i o n b ook covering cutting, drilling and ai ichining T r a n s i t e and E b o n y p r o d u c t s . T h e p u r p o s e of this i n s t r u c t i o n t >ok is to r e a c h the s h o p f o r e m a n and the m a n d o i n g t he actual w o r k _ t) i n s t r u c t t h e m o n the p r o p e r m e t h o d of h a n d l i n g o u r m a t e r i a l s . This his b een in u s e for s e v e r a l years. It is n o w being r e v i s e d to include dita on all our other board products. The old instructions carried tiis note on dry cutting - "In dry cutting there must be available the IH prop e r e q u i p m e n t to r e m o v e disstV ft CRMC-RUCK-016200 copy 2~ ! W h e n th.e i n s t r u c t i o n hook is reissued? this s t a t e m e n t w ? 11 he expanded to cover all our board products and will read as follows: "During cutting, machining, drilling, and sanding operations a d e q u a t e p r e c a u t i o n s m u s t b e t a k e n to e l i m i n a t e air c o n t a m i n a t i o n by dust r e s u i t i n g f ro m the so o p e tniio n e:." In my opinion, the action we have already taken is the most direct means availab e to warn the person potential danger which he may face very dusty atmosphere and breathes hand!.ing our m a t e r i a l of the it h o c o n t i n u e s to w o r k in a the dust. X believe that since our division has already taken some cognizance of this danger through the p u b l i c a t i o n oi an i n s t r u c t i o n of the n e e d to remove dust plus the fact that we arc enlarging on this statement in our n e w l i t e r a t u r e , r e p r e s e n t s all of the a c t i o n w h i c h we n e e d to take at this time. I reconu. end that B u i l d i n g P r o d u c t s D i v i s i o n be a d v i s e d of the steps which we have already taken. Since we have taken what I think to be suitable steps o n the m a t t e r of c a u t i o n i n g the u s e r s of our m a t erial about dust, I don't believe that any proposal needs to be submitted to the Senior Officers. The only other division involved is Building P r o ducts and once they k n o w of our p r o b l e m they can fake similar s t e p s if they feel it is n e c e s s a r y . cc: J .B. J o b e file vi.G. Hoi'ter . On ft j jd,< o & A* // j v !/ ^ *7~ A 0 m k>, v It $ I* :;- M i:-' k II? Sf:: * 3 V'