R. W. Dobson to C. P. Weber on Health Hazard Labels for Marinite and Other Sheet Products (1969)

A one-page confidential memo of February 20, 1969, from R. W. Dobson at J-M's division headquarters in Manville, New Jersey, to C. P. Weber in New York, headed "Health Hazard Warning, Marinite Products." Dobson had been trying to get "a formal statement of J-M policy with respect to health hazard labelling of J-M's sheet products" and appended E. M. Fenner's confidential letter of February 17 on the subject. "In view of the fact that there is no expressed policy with regards to Marinite, Flexboard, Flat Transite, Chemstone and Colorlith," he wrote, "I suggest that we take no action at this time on labelling of sheet products."

What it shows

Dobson's memo came two days after division manager M. W. Burleson, copying Dobson, had asked for the lack of warning labels on Marinite to be corrected (Burleson to Pocius, February 1969). The absence of a company policy became the reason not to label asbestos sheet products, including Transite flat sheet. Fenner's letter, mentioned as an attachment, is not in the file; Fenner later drew up guidelines on which products should carry labels (Fenner to Wingerter, August 1969).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

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

A confidential letter from R.W. Dobson to C.P. Weber on 2/20/69 discusses J-M's policy of labeling sheet products including Marinite, Flexboard, Flat Transite, Chemstone and Colorlith. "In view of the fact that there is no expresses policy . . . I suggest we take no action at this time on labeling of sheet products."

Related documents

• M. W. Burleson to A. Pocius on Warning Labels for Marinite (1969)
• Johns-Manville Memos on a Caution Label for Marinite (1958)
• P. F. Coggins to R. H. North on a Small Caution Label for Marine Marinite (1968)
• Johns-Manville Correspondence on Describing Marinite to the American Medical Association (1948)