M. W. Burleson to A. Pocius on Warning Labels for Marinite (1969)

A one-page memo of February 18, 1969, from M. W. Burleson at J-M's division headquarters to A. Pocius, headed "Marinite, Environmental Health." "It is my understanding that we do not place any warning labels on Marinite, which contains a rather high percentage of asbestos fiber," Burleson writes, and asks Pocius to look into it, "as well as any other product we are manufacturing that could present a hazard to people." He wanted to know by March 15 "what you have done to completely correct the situation." Copies went to R. W. Dobson and D. B. Wingerter at Manville and J. F. Mell at Billerica.

What it shows

Marinite, J-M's asbestos fireproofing board, had been the subject of caution label proposals for more than a decade (memos on a caution label for Marinite, 1958; Coggins to North on a small label, 1968). Here a division manager asks for the gap to be closed. Two days later Dobson, one of those copied, recommended taking "no action at this time" because J-M had no stated labeling policy for its sheet products (Dobson to Weber, February 1969). A label for Marinite was still being worked out at the end of the year (Standel to Wingerter, December 1969).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

In a memorandum to A. Pocius on 2/18/69, M.W. Burleson discusses his understanding that warning labels are not placed on Marinite. Burleson requests Pocius " . . . to look into this, as well as any other product we are manufacturing that could present a hazard to people."

Related documents

• Johns-Manville Memos on a Caution Label for Marinite (1958)
• Johns-Manville Correspondence on Describing Marinite to the American Medical Association (1948)
• P. F. Coggins to R. H. North on a Small Caution Label for Marine Marinite (1968)