Opinion ID: 548350
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Co-Worker Testimony Regarding Product Identification

Text: 43
44 Frank K. Elliott, Jr., a mechanic, testified in his deposition that pneumatic brakes with asbestos-containing linings were used on truck-tire building machines during the period from 1946 to 1976. Brake housings were impressed with the word Bendix. Bendix shipping slips accompanied replacement assemblies. Overhead cranes in two departments used Bendix brakes. Elliott performed brake repairs on bias machines in Plaintiff Moyer's presence at least 25 times between 1975 and 1980 but Elliott was unable to identify the manufacturer of the brake linings. Elliott made one repair of a Bendix brake in the presence of Plaintiff Yourkavitch. 45 Edward J. Brunke, a maintenance foreman, testified that Bendix brakes were used on electric motors on the calendars from 1957 to 1959. 46 Frank K. Leininger, Jr., a mechanic, testified that Bendix brake linings were used on Spadone cutters from 1967 to 1980 and that the brake linings contained asbestos. 47 Paul A. Guthrie, a mechanic, testified that the name Bendix was impressed on the brake housing of forklift trucks. 48 Allied's response to the evidence presented--Firestone's records reveal no purchases from Bendix or its successor, Allied-Signal. Even if there were a small number of Bendix brake linings used at Firestone, records showed that substantially all of the brake linings used in the plant were manufactured by Raybestos-Manhattan. This was uncontroverted. Allied contended that the testimony offered failed to connect Bendix products to any of the eight plaintiffs with the exception of one instance in which a new Bendix brake was installed in Mr. Moyer's presence. Allied argues that the testimony did not show that a Bendix brake had been removed from the machine under repair. Allied also stated that Bendix on the brake housings did not establish that Bendix had been the manufacturer of the brake linings. 49
50 John Helmbold, a pipe coverer, testified that from 1964 to 1980 he was regularly assigned to the tire building. He testified that he had used Eagle-Picher 66 asbestos cement to insulate pipes in the curing areas, the cafeteria, and on piping leading to the plastic calendar. Helmbold was unable to pinpoint exactly when he used the Eagle-Picher cement in the curing area, how much he used, or who was present when he used it. He testified that no one was present on other occasions when he used the cement. He used other manufacturers' cements more often than he used the Eagle-Picher product. 51 Sterling Haydt testified that he had seen Eagle-Picher cement in the plant between 1960 and 1980. He never used it himself and did not identify any of the plaintiffs as having used the cement or as having been present during its use. 52 Ralph Minotto, a pipefitter, recalled that One-Cote Cement, an Eagle-Picher product, was used to finish joints in the late 1960's. Mr. Minotto did not testify that he used the cement and did not connect the product's use with any of the plaintiffs. 53 Anthony Panfile, another pipefitter, testified that Hylo pipe covering, another Eagle-Picher product, was used between 1947 and 1960. Mr. Panfile could not recall where this covering had been used and none of his testimony connected this product with the plaintiffs. 54 Nicholas S. Saccomanno, the plants' sole pipe coverer in 1963 and 1964, was permanently assigned to the chemical plant in 1964. He assisted in the tire building approximately six times a year for six years. Saccomanno stated in his deposition that Eagle-Picher 66 cement and other cements were in the tire and chemical plants from 1966 through 1970. Saccomanno testified to the specific use of Eagle-Picher cement only on the fittings to tire curing stands in the pot heater basement over 3 to 4 months in the 1963-1964 period. 55 Eagle-Picher's Response--The product identification testimony established no more than the mere presence of unquantifiable amounts of Eagle-Picher products. The testimony did not show where any Eagle-Picher product was installed in relation to any plaintiff, how often Eagle-Picher products were used in relation to the numerous other thermal insulation products used at Firestone, whether the products contained asbestos, when any Eagle-Picher thermal insulation products may have been damaged, repaired or removed, or whether any plaintiff was exposed to any dust from these products over a significant period of time. 56
57 Pipefitter Anthony Panfile testified that between 1948 and sometime in the 1960's, he used Crane gaskets and packing on high pressure all-temperature steamlines, vessels, pumps and valves on a plant-wide basis. Fibers would come off a lot of the gaskets when scratched off the flanges. Panfile knew that Plaintiff Beidler repacked valves with Crane packing. 58 Edward J. Brunke, a maintenance foreman at the tire plant, recalled seeing Crane asbestos packing and gaskets from 1957 to 1959 and 1961 to 1964. Pipefitter Harry L. Morgan identified John Crane gaskets and packing, particularly sheet packing, as having been used in the curing area in 1964. Plaintiff Beidler was present. These products were also used in the curing and building areas in 1969 and 1970 and again in the middle 1970's and were used in performing central maintenance in the late 1970's. The sheet packing was used with Plaintiff Beidler in 1969. 59 Pipefitter Carl Janiszewski testified that he had used John Crane spool form graphite impregnated asbestos packing from 1969 to 1980 on a variety of pumps and valves in the tire and chemical plants. A box of John Crane packing indicated that it contained asbestos. He was unable to connect John Crane packing to any of the plaintiffs. 60 Frank Fomado, a maintenance supervisor, testified that John Crane asbestos sheet packing was used to make gaskets in the chemical plant and that he had seen Plaintiff Beidler working with gaskets at that location. 61 John Crane, Inc.'s Response 6 --In addressing the testimony of the product identification witnesses, John Crane, Inc. notes that it is the corporate successor to Crane Packing Company and John Crane-Houdaille, Inc. These companies did sell some packing and gasket materials containing encapsulated asbestos which did not emit respirable fibers. John Crane, Inc. further notes that its products never contained only the identifying word Crane as Crane was the name of a competing corporation which also sold gaskets and packing materials containing asbestos. 62 No plaintiff, other than Beidler, offered evidence relating to exposure to gaskets or packing or mentioned observing dust or airborne debris emanating from gasket or packing products. The purchasing agent for the Firestone plant testified that Firestone purchased no asbestos-containing materials manufactured by the Crane Packing Co. (the name of John Crane, Inc.'s corporate predecessor during the time of Firestone's Pottstown operations). Gasket materials were purchased from several other companies. 63 The testimony of Mr. Janiszewski and Mr. Morgan with regard to John Crane packing did not establish that asbestos-containing packings resulted in emission of airborne dust or debris. Morgan did not know whether the packings which he used contained asbestos. Witnesses Panfile, Brunke and Formado testified to seeing Crane gaskets. Panfile and Brunke did not know whether these Crane materials contained asbestos and Formado conceded that he had been aware that Crane and John Crane, Inc. were separate manufacturers of packings and could not say whose products he had seen at Firestone. Furthermore, none of the plaintiffs involved in John Crane Inc.'s summary judgment motion worked in the chemical plant where Formado had seen Crane products. 64 No product identification witness placed any of the plaintiffs, other than Beidler, in the vicinity of the gaskets. 65
66 H. M. Royal, a distributor for Vermont Talc, showed sales of talc to Firestone between 1963 and 1980. 67 The plaintiffs' expert mineralogist, Arthur Rohl, supplied a report and affidavit that Vermont Talc's talc product contained 0.2 to 0.5 per cent asbestiform minerals, which would have become airborne and respirable when the talc was used. 68 Ralph Minotto, Frank Elliott and William Pfingsten testified to the extensive use of talc and soapstone in the tube mill rooms. 7 69 Vermont Talc's Response--Duncan Ogden, Vermont Talc's expert witness, testified that in 1972 Vermont Talc instituted a program to test for the presence of asbestos in its talc products. From 1972 forward, no asbestos was found. Geologic deposits mined prior to 1972 were identical to those mined after 1972 and were, therefore, presumed not to contain asbestos. 70 Vermont Talc draws a distinction between talc and soapstone, stating that they are, in reality, different products. Plaintiffs Reimert, Yourkavitch, Sgro, Stopfel and Davis testified regarding exposure to soapstone rather than talc. Plaintiff Moyer claimed exposure to talc or soapstone and Plaintiff Beidler claimed exposure to both. Plaintiff Klein did not allege exposure to either product. No plaintiff was able to identify Vermont Talc products. 71