J. R. M. Hutcheson to N. W. Hendry on a Caution Label for Asbestos Fiber Bags (1968)

A one-page memo of May 3, 1968, from J. R. M. Hutcheson of Johns-Manville's Asbestos Fibre Division in Asbestos, Quebec, to N. W. Hendry, answering Hendry's note of April 29 about a caution label for bags of asbestos fiber. The plan had been for each company of the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association to approve the label's wording and then say whether it would use it. Hutcheson writes that whether or not the other companies agreed, J-M would label its bags, and that customers should be told "a possible hazard has been recognized and that we are taking the obvious action required under the circumstances."

What it shows

By the spring of 1968, J-M's fiber division was ready to put a caution notice on every bag of raw chrysotile it shipped from Quebec, even if its competitors in the Quebec Asbestos Mining Association did not. The same label would go on jute bags. Of the other companies, Hutcheson writes: "May be they will, may be they won't but we are." The wording had been worked out that March (see H. M. Jackson's approval of the proposed label). What happened to the plan once British importers objected is told in the correspondence of October 1968 to January 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 N. W. Hendry (A.F.D.) dated 5/3/68, J.R.M. Hutcheson (A.F.D.) discusses J-M's position on labeling its bags of asbestos fiber. Hutcheson recounts to Hendry that the original plan was for each company of QAMA to approve the specific wording of a caution label. Upon approval, the companies were then to say whether they would put the label on their bags.

Hutcheson tells Hendry that "[w]hether all or none of the other companies agree to put the approved label on the bag, J-M will do so." Hendry then tells Hutcheson that he believes that it is important that all of J-M's asbestos customers be advised in advance of this step, "otherwise they might have union problems."

Hendry and others go about drafting a letter indicating that beginning shortly, J-M will be labeling each bag of chrysotile asbestos fiber with a caution notice. The final draft letter is dated 10/1/68. On 2/27/69, K.V. Lindell (AFD) and R.E. Sampson (AFD), respectively, state that effective immediately, all shipments of asbestos fiber to the U.S. and Canada must carry a caution label.

Editor's note: J-M's description goes on to quote Hendry on telling customers in advance to avoid "union problems," and to describe an October 1, 1968 letter and a February 27, 1969 order on labeling. None of these is in this file, which holds only Hutcheson's one-page memo of May 3, 1968.

Related documents

• W. E. Hodgson to S. Lane and C. H. Jensen to E. C. Lindstrom on Leaving Caution Labels Off Shipments to Canada (1965)
• C. H. Jensen Wire to E. C. Lindstrom on Shipping Superex to Canada (1965)
• W. E. Hodgson to A. Pocius on Removing Caution Labels from Cartons for Canada (1965)
• H. M. Jackson to K. V. Lindell Approving the Proposed Caution Label for Asbestos Fiber (1968)