A. Mayer-Pareyn to R. B. Von Wald and J. A. Brown on the Health and Safety History of J-M do Brazil (1980)

A 16-page privileged memo of February 4, 1980, from A. Mayer-Pareyn, a J-M senior attorney, to R. B. Von Wald, assistant general counsel, and J. A. Brown, associate general counsel, written "in preparation for potential litigation or legislative hearings." It traces J-M's takeover of Magnebras S.A., later J-M do Brazil, and the health program at its Guarulhos plant, which made Thermobestos insulation. In the fall of 1970 the plant was "a very dirty operation with no dust collection system"; respirators were offered but were not of an approved type and were not required; a dust collector installed in 1976 was not in service; and after a January 1977 visit H. B. Moreno, J-M's senior vice president for international operations, wrote that "we have gone backwards in environmental practices."

What it shows

The memo says the plant's health program, "although actively started in 1974, did not become effective until 1977," and that as of August 15, 1977, the plant still had no proper equipment to monitor dust. From 1977 workers were told of the hazards and that they would be fired for not wearing respirators. W. B. Reitze, J-M's safety director, reported "severe problems" at customers' plants such as Asberit's (Reitze's 1977 trip report), and because customers showed little concern and respirators were hard to enforce on outside jobs, conditions in J-M's contract insulation unit "let a great deal to be desired." In October 1979 J-M decided to replace Thermobestos in Brazil with an asbestos-free product (see also the 1975 memos on Thermo-12).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

Memorandum to R.B. Von Wald and J.A. Brown from A. Mayer-Pareyn, 2/4/80 re Brazil Health, Safety and Environment History. This document describes the research and summary of the history of J-M Thermobestos operation in Brazil and its health program in preparation for potential litigation or legislative hearings. On page 5 under the heading "II. History of the Health and Safety Program at J-M Do Brazil", the author states: "According to the statements of those involved, in the fall of 1970, the plant was a very dirty operation with no dust collection system."

Mayer-Pareyn further states that "from an engineering standpoint, it must be assumed that some type of dust collection system, however primitive, had to have been installed when production of Thermobestos started. In addition, respirators were made available to workers but they were not of a type approved by the health authorities and the program was not made mandatory." On page 8, Mayer-Pareyn states that "H.B. Moreno, commenting on the January, 1977 trip to Brazil, stated:

"(5) Although over earlier visits, the plant operation was somewhat disappointing. If anything, we have gone backwards in environmental practices. The dust collection system is in place but not connected. Some workers in key places, such as bagging cement, were not wearing respirators. Warning signs and zones are no longer indicated for hearing protection, as required, near the hot end of the P.T. unit.

(6) We were encouraged to observe insulation workers at the Rio shipyards wearing respirators when applying material in confined spaces. However, this is not the general practice on insulation jobs."

On page 11, the author states that W.B. Reitze pointed out, that severe problems remained with Asberit's and other customers plants as well as with the working conditions to which the contract units workers were subjected. Reitze wrote a letter to Mr. Cattaneo, the president of Asberit S.A., on 5/5/77, using very strong language to impress upon the company the danger of asbestos use and the need for setting up work practices protecting the workers and volunteering J-M help. At the bottom of page 11, Mayer-Pareyn states that. " As of August 15, 1977, the plant was not equipped with proper apparatus to monitor dust levels."

Editor's note: J-M's description quotes Moreno as writing "Although over earlier visits." The memo reads "Although improved over earlier visits."