Transcript Healthy Building Maintenance (Powerpoint)

Healthy Building
Maintenance
Americans With Disabilities Act
requires employers to accommodate
the needs of individuals with
disabilities, including Asthma and MCS
disorders, if they are otherwise capable
and the accommodation does not cause
undue hardship.
University of Georgia Study
In a random sampling of 1582 individuals:
• 12.6 % reported chemical hypersensitivity.
• 1.8% Reported loss of employment.
The study conflicts with the Chemical Manufacturers
Association contention that MCS is psychogenic.
Published Sept 2003 Environmental Medicine
University of Georgia Study
Exposure triggers reported:
•Scented products and perfumes
•Cleaning Products
•Pesticides
•Tobacco Smoke
81.2%
88.4%
81.2%
82.6%
Published Sept 2003 Environmental Medicine
CDC Report
Centers for Disease Control in
Atlanta study finds pesticides
and disinfectants in urine and
blood samples of average
Americans.
www.cdc.gov/nceh/report
Mount Sinai School
of Medicine
Study finds disinfectants,
general purpose cleaners,
carpet cleaners, floor cleaners
and rug shampoo ingredients
in blood and urine samples of
volunteers.
HTTP:WWW.EWG.ORG/REPORTS/BODYBURDEN/
Healthy Building
Maintenance can be
clearly defined.
Cleaning products can
pose a health risk not only
to cleaning staff but also to
building occupants.
Cleaning staff are twice
as likely to acquire
work related Asthma.
Employers and building
managers need to protect and
consider the needs of
individuals with sensitivities now accepted as being at least
15% of the population.
CRITERIA FOR PRODUCT SELECTION
• No persistent, toxic or bioaccumulative chemicals
• No carcinogens, mutagens or teratogens
• No ozone depleting chemicals
• Low VOC’s
• No hazardous waste characteristics
• No combination cleaner / disinfectants
www.wa.gov/ecology/pubs/wac173303.pdf
The Janitorial Products P2
Project (JP4) is producing
a series of fact sheets on
environmental, health, and
safety issues.
The fact sheets are meant
for individual janitorial
workers, supervisors, and
EH&S staff.
Fact sheets include,
Toilet cleaning, Hard
Floor Care, Carpet Care,
Restroom Cleaning,
Disinfectants and more.
Health Care Without Harm
Hospitals and other health care
facilities use a surprising number of
highly toxic chemicals.
Use safer cleaning products and less
toxic disinfecting methods.
Establish “fragrance-free” policies.
Asthma
Adults and children with
Asthma react to air pollution
below what the EPA
considers acceptable limits.
Asthma
In the US alone, asthma accounts for:
5000 deaths per year
2,000,000 emergency hospital visits
500,000 hospitalizations
Where Can Building Owners Turn For
Guidance Today to Accommodate
Chemical Hypersensitivity?
Material Safety Data Sheets:
•Not required to list added scents or perfumes.
•Not required to list Volatile Organic Compounds
or concentration contained in cleaning product.
•Not required and do not list all ingredients.
Where Can Building Owners Turn For
Guidance Today to Accommodate
Chemical Hypersensitivity?
Green Certified Cleaning Products:
Certifying organizations are dedicated and well intentioned, but
they normally do not take into consideration the requirements of
chemically hypersensitive. Green Certifications include:
Environmental Choice, Green Seal.
• Most standards allow perfumes and added scents.
• Most standards allow Volatile Organic Compound
concentrations harmful to individuals with sensitivities.
• Standards allow the use of ingredients known to contaminate
the indoor environment.
Standard
Comparison
ECP – 33
Green Seal GS-37
PRC - 097
PHOSPHATES
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
EDTA
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
NTA
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
PHENOL
ETHOXYLATES
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
ORGANIC SOLVENT
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
BUTYLS
Allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
ALCOHOL
ETHOXYLATES
(SYNERGISITIC
EFFECTS)
Allowed
Allowed
Not allowed
VOC LIMITS
1% after dilution
10% before dilution
0.05% before dilution
ETHYLENE OXIDE
OK
OK
Not allowed
CARCINOGENS
Not allowed
Not allowed
Not allowed
AEROBIC BIO
Yes
Yes
Yes
ANEROBIC BIO
No
No
No
ORAL TOXICITY
> 2000 mg / kg
>2000 mg / kg
> 5000mg / kg
ADDITIONAL
CERTIFICATIONS
Not required
Not required
Required
Where Can Building Owners Turn For
Guidance Today to Accommodate
Chemical Hypersensitivity?
PRC097(CCD1461)Cleaning Product with Low Potential
for Environmental Illness and Endocrine Disruption:
The only Environmentally Certified Standard in North America
That addresses the needs of individuals with Chemical Sensitivities.
“This category applies to cleaners designed to perform on a variety
of hard surfaces,for household,institutional and/or recreational
purposes,that are specifically manufactured to minimize the
exposure to chemicals and allergens harmful to environmental
illness sufferers and reduce the potential release of endocrinedisruptors into the environment.”
ECOgent General Purpose Cleaner is also Envirodesic
Certified for maximum indoor air quality and for use by
environmentally hypersensitive individuals. Additional
certifications and validations from Green Seal,
Professional Testing Laboratory, Surface Solution
Laboratory and others.
“An easy, effective and dramatic improvement can be
made in the indoor air quality of any building, literally
overnight, simply by changing to a safe, non-volatile
cleaning agent. ECOgent General Purpose Cleaner is
certified by Envirodesic because it is the obvious first
step in any building indoor air quality program.”
Bruce M. Small, P.Eng., Director
Envirodesic Certification Program
No added scents or perfumes which eliminate
common complaints from cleaning product odors.
Our cleaning product does not contribute to the
contamination of indoor air quality.
Less than 0.05 % Volatile Organic Compounds
before dilution.
Patented all natural cleaner widely accepted over
synthetic chemicals.
• Exceeds all North American requirements
for municipal sanitary sewer use.
• Useful if your facility requires
P2 Pollution Planning
• Thorough biodegradation under both aerobic
and anaerobic conditions by whole formulation
testing.
Healthy Building Cleaning means that daily
building maintenance and carpet cleaning
meet the needs of chemically hypersensitive
individuals. Complete disclosure of all
ingredients contained in ECOgent
available for all building occupants.
Saves Time, Reduces Supply Cost
and Reduces Liability.
It only makes sense to accommodate the
needs of individuals with chemical
hypersensitivity in all daily cleaning
operations.