Naval Ship Engineering Center to Ingalls Shipbuilding on Shipyard Asbestos Hazards, with Ingalls' Reply (1969)

A two-page letter of April 30, 1969, from the Philadelphia Division of the Navy's Naval Ship Engineering Center, signed by J. W. Murdock, to Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation in Pascagoula, Mississippi, asking about its practices "in Combating the Hazards Attending the Use of Insulating Materials." It said "The serious hazards of asbestos have recently received widespread publicity" and that "Although the Naval Shipyards have for many years been aware of the hazards associated with asbestos and have observed certain precautionary measures, it is evident that more stringent measures must be taken to insure personnel safety." The Navy asked six questions, among them the incidence of respiratory problems among insulation workers. The bundle also holds Ingalls' answer: a September 12, 1969, memo from G. M. Bryan, manager of safety, a ten-page table of the asbestos materials used in the yard, and an October 1, 1969, reply to the Navy signed by M. A. Weeks.

What it shows

The Navy said the greatest hazard came from pipe insulation, lagging and boiler insulation "especially during rip-out," and that its findings would be used for a directive to "eliminate the use of materials and practices which are potentially hazardous to the health of insulation workers." Ingalls reported that its compensation carrier's hygienist found dust exposure "favorable in all but two locations," that its medical department had "no known treatment or payment of cases diagnosed as those caused by asbestos dust," and that "Few, if any, written instructions" existed for insulation workers. Its table lists Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, Pittsburgh Corning and other products, with no alternative material shown for most of them and several entries reading "No precautions" or "No Safety Precautions." Ingalls' recommendations, including wet methods, respirators and non-asbestos substitutes, were offered as "based upon the theory of asbestos dust as a harmful product."

In Johns-Manville's index

Johns-Manville's legal department indexed the Motley 1,000 in 1984. Its index describes this document as follows:

J.W. Murdock (Officer in Charge, Naval Ship Engineering Center, Philadelphia Division, Department of the Navy) memo to Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation, 4/30/69. Murdock requests information concerning Ingalls' shipyard practices in combatting the hazards attending the use of asbestos-containing insulating materials. Murdock indicates that this information is needed for a survey the Navy is conducting of Naval and private shipyards. Murdock states that the serious hazards of asbestos have recently received wide-spread publicity and have generated a high level of interest regarding its use by the U.S. Navy as an insulating material. "Although the Naval shipyards have for many years been aware of the hazards associated with asbestos and have observed certain precautionary measures, it is evident that more stringent measures must be taken to insure personal safety." Murdock states that in order to minimize the hazards associated with the use of asbestos and therefore reduce the possibility of injury to personnel, a comprehensive study has been initiated by the Navy to determine the uses of asbestos, alternatives available, rationale for selection of material, safety precautions observed, and relative costs of materials and installation. Murdock lists specific questions to be answered relating to these subjects and requests that the answers be returned by 6/1/69. Murdock includes a question about the incidence of respiratory problems encountered by personnel engaged in the fabrication, installation and ripout of insulating materials.

About this copy

This is document 881 of the Motley 1,000, from the set the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust's records facility certified as true copies, pages CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004670 to CRMC-Motley1000-Subj-004683.