Opinion ID: 658123
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Miscellaneous Chemicals

Text: 32 1. Askerel--transformer oil (contains PCB)--PCB is a carcinogen. Handling and disposal of the electrical equipment and Askerel is strictly regulated by EPA and the State of Maryland. 33 2. Asbestos--airborne fibers are considered a carcinogen. Demolition procedures and disposal are strictly regulated by OSHA and the State of Maryland. 34 3. Chromates--a corrosion inhibitor in the water systems. The hexavalent chromium must be chemically changed to the trivalent form and precipitated out of solution before disposal. Skin and eye irritants. 35 4. Acetone--highly volatile, extremely flammable between concentrations of 2.6% and 2.8% in air. Avoid breathing concentrated fumes (OSHA permissible exposure level is 1000 ppm in air). Use spark resistant tools. 36 5. Dope--contains 70-80% acetone. Use precautions suitable for acetone. 37 6. Methylene Chloride--Vapor may cause headaches, nausea, dizziness and eye irritation. Animals exposed to high concentrations experienced changes in liver tissue. OSHA exposure limits 500 ppm. Ventilation should be employed to maintain acceptable exposure limits. 38 7. Triacetate Dope--CTA (Cellulose Triacetate) melts at about 570? F and will burn if exposed to flame. The combustion products may include carbon monoxide, acetic acid and other toxic gases. Contains Methylene Chloride. 39 This warning does not purport to be an exhaustive listing of the risks that may be encountered in a large salvage operation of this type. It excludes hundreds of possible risks from those that would be obvious to anyone, such as falling in a hole or being injured by a piece of scrap metal left lying around, which, even though obvious to the layman, would be especially so to an experienced salvor. Certainly burning a surface painted with a substance that has the distinctive red-orange color of red lead in a poorly ventilated area without wearing any type of respirator is an open and obvious hazard apparent to a salvor. Celanese also took steps to see that precautions would be taken by Trans America's employees by providing in the contract that Trans America's removal of the Equipment must be carried out in a careful and workmanlike manner. 40 As discussed above, one of the factors to be considered in evaluating a sophisticated user defense is the burden that would be imposed on a supplier by requiring that he directly warn all users. This product, the contents of an entire factory, obviously does not lend itself to the typical warning label. As to the feasibility of warnings when the product is a bulk item, the Maryland Court of Appeals had this to say: 41 The sophisticated user defense is not exclusively available to bulk suppliers of products. Clearly, however, the manner in which the product is supplied to an intermediary is an important factor to consider when determining whether the defendant reasonably relied on the intermediary to warn ultimate users of the product. For instance, when a supplier ships silica sand to a factory in railroad car quantities, it has been held reasonable for the supplier to rely on the knowledgeable management of the factory to disseminate warnings to workers because the supplier had little practical opportunity to warn. Goodbar. On the other hand, if the factory purchased the sand in fifty pound bags that were personally handled by the workers, the balance of factors may favor requiring the supplier to place a warning on the bags. 42 Eagle-Picher, 604 A.2d at 464 (citations omitted). It simply would not have been at all feasible for Celanese to place a warning label on each and every piece of equipment to warn of the possible dangers that may arise in trying to salvage that equipment. To require that Celanese warn Trans America employees of a danger that would exist only if the salvage operation were performed in a specific way and without the use of specific safety equipment, in this case with cutting torches on a particular part of a particular type of machine without the use of a respirator or adequate ventilation, would be to require Celanese to become an expert in the salvage business. Not only that, the removal of the equipment was not under the control of Celanese. We are of opinion that, under the circumstance of this case, such a requirement would far exceed the duty to do what is reasonable. 43 Based on all of the foregoing, we are of opinion that Celanese established the sophisticated user defense as a matter of law.