M4.5 Think About It

Chemical Policy Reform & Implementation of Fragrance Free Policy

MPH 632 L-1 Environmental Health

Allyssa Montemayor

Theresa Sulit

Nicholas Vesom

University of San Francisco

Chemical Policy Reform & the Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals

The Louisville Charter for Safer Chemicals is an extension of the outdated Federal Chemical Policy Reform of the 1970s. The 6 principles of the Louisville Charter include:

Require Safer Substitutes and Solutions

• Eliminate the use and emissions of hazardous chemicals by altering production processes

• Substitute safer chemicals, redesigning products and systems and rewarding innovation and re-examining product function

• Incentivize public and private sectors to to invest in research and develop safer sustainable chemicals, products, materials and processes

• Obligate producers and manufacturers to report chemical compositions of products

Phase Out Persistent, Bioaccumulative, or Highly Toxic Chemicals

• Phase out chemicals that are slow to degrade, high burden in our bodies or living organisms, or are highly hazardous to humans or the environment
• Practice responsibility by ensuring that chemicals eliminated in the United States are not exported to other countries

Give the Public and Workers the Full Right-to-Know and Participate

• Involve public and workers in decisions on chemicals
• Enforce obligated disclosure of chemicals and materials, list quantities of chemicals produced, used, released, and exported, and provide public/worker access to chemical hazard, use and exposure information

Act on Early Warnings

• Prevent harm from new or existing chemicals when credible evidence of harm exists

Require Comprehensive Safety Data for All Chemicals

• For a chemical to remain on or be placed on the market manufacturers must provide publicly available safety information about that chemical
• The information must be sufficient to permit a reasonable evaluation of the safety of the chemical for human health and the environment, including hazard, use and exposure information - this is the principle of “No Data, No Market.”

Take Immediate Action to Protect Communities and Workers

• When communities and workers are exposed to levels of hazardous chemicals, immediate action is necessary to eliminate these exposures
• Implement environmental justice

    Just like the “2020 national healthy goals,” dates must be set for implementing and re-evaluating these reforms. Governments and corporations impact the progress of healthier economies and societies by implementing the Louisville Charter and committing to practicing innovations for safer chemicals and processes. We must make a major reform of our nation’s chemicals policy.

Implementation of Fragrance-Free Policy

1. Identify the Need for a Policy. The need for this policy is identified below:

    Introduction:   

Fragrances that are in employees’ personal care products should not be allowed in the hospital, school, and/or other institutional setting.

• How do we define fragrance-free and what does that entail for policy implementation?
• Fragrance-free should be defined as an odorless or near odorless product that does not use any form of odor-masking chemicals
• By using this definition, employees can clearly distinguish what constitutes as being fragrance free by policy

Adverse Health Effects:

• If employees were to be exposed to fragrances, we should list the health effects it could have on not just the fellow employees, but also themselves.
• Health Effects:
• Headaches
• Allergies
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Respiratory depression
• Loss of concentration

    Examples of Fragrant Personal Products:

• By identifying a list of products that could have scent(s), employees would be able to evaluate their personal products and make alternative choices to products that would benefit their work environment
• Types of Personal Products:
• Cologne/Perfume
• Deodorants
• Body lotions or creams
• Hand lotions or creams
• Cosemetics
• Aftershave
• Candles
• Hair care products (i.e. hair spray, hair wax, or pomade)
• Shampoos or conditioners
• Body Soap

Body Burden:

• Refers to the total accumulation of toxins in the body. This can include lead, mercury, fragrances, pesticides, etc.

How would this policy eliminate/decrease our body burdens and exposures?

    Benefits

• It is important to emphasize that the benefit of this policy is to create an environment that is healthier, quality driven, and free of the adverse health effects that fragrances have on fellow employees

    Presentation

• With the aforementioned points in mind, presenting the material in a clear and simplified format, likely in the form of a one-page flyer or video, will get the message across effectively
• Keep in mind that it is important to not offend the audience by exemplifying offenders or otherwise, but rather a message to unify the workplace to make it healthier for everyone.

    Evaluation

• After presenting the information and implementing the policy, it is best to ask questions to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy and have Likert scale to evaluate the effectiveness on different levels.
• Example Questions
• “After the implementation of the policy, do you feel that the quality of your workplace has improved?”
• “Has this policy impacted your personal care product routine?”
• “Do you have any suggestions to improve this policy?
• “How beneficial is it to use fragrance-free products in the school or work setting?

References

http://smartpolicyreform.org/the-charter/the-louisville-charter

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/scent_free.html