M. W. Burleson's Notice to the Industrial Insulations Division on Health Hazard Caution Labels (1970)

A one-page notice of July 1, 1970, from M. W. Burleson, general manager of Johns-Manville's Industrial Insulations Division, with two attached sheets. It orders caution warnings on "certain packages and products" sold by the division that contain asbestos fiber and free crystalline silica: new labels were to be fixed to unprinted cartons and bags "and in some instances to the product itself where health hazards may exist," and existing printed warnings were to be revised. The attachments list the products by plant (Billerica, Waukegan, Manville and Long Beach) and show the two labels, L-4955 and L-4956.

What it shows

The labels say the product contains asbestos fiber (L-4956 adds free crystalline silica), tell the user to "avoid breathing the dust," warn that breathing it "in excessive quantities over long periods of time may be harmful," and call for respirators approved by the U.S. Bureau of Mines if proper dust control cannot be provided. They do not name asbestosis or cancer. The products listed include Marinite, 85% Magnesia and Superex pipe insulation, Min-K, Thermobestos, asbestos papers and millboard. The notice says the wording had division, Environmental Control, Industrial Relations and Legal Department approval; its drafting is traced in C. L. Sheckler's December 1969 memo on wording the labels.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

M.W. Burleson's Notice to the Industrial Insulations Division of 7/1/70 instructs caution warnings be applied to "certain" packages and products containing asbestos fiber and free crystalline silica. The caution warning currently printed on cartons and bags are to be revised. "New caution labels are to be affixed to unprinted cartons and bags and in some instances to the product itself. . . ." On 7/1/70, minor modifications in wording of labels. New J-M caution labels L-4955 and L-4956 are to be applied to certain products and packages that are sold by Industrial Insulation Division.