National Academy of Sciences agrees with EPA that formaldehyde causes cancer

For years, the chemical industry has been winning a political battle to keep formaldehyde from being declared a known carcinogen. The industry’s chief lobby group, the American Chemistry Council, has persuaded members of Congress that the findings of both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services were wrong and should be reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences. In 2011, the academy did indeed criticize the EPA’s report on formaldehyde for being unclear. The chemical industry then used that critique to delay dozens of other ongoing evaluations of potentially toxic chemicals. But on Friday, the academy issued a second report, which found in effect that government scientists were right all along when they concluded that formaldehyde can cause three rare forms of cancer. “We are perplexed as to why today’s report differs so greatly from the 2011” report, Cal Dooley, president and chief executive officer of the American Chemistry Council, said in a statement titled “The Safety of Formaldehyde is Well-Studied and Supported by Robust Science.” Part of the disparity is that in the 2011 report, Congress asked the academy only to critique the EPA’s draft assessment rather than evaluate the dangers of formaldehyde itself. The panel concluded that the EPA’s report was too long, repetitive and lacked explanation. But after reviewing the scientific evidence itself, the academy concluded on...

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National Toxicology Program deems formaldehyde carcinogenic

Today's post by Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E reporter is shared from eenews.net The National Toxicology Program (NTP) declared today that formaldehyde -- a common ingredient in home building products -- causes cancer in humans. NTP, which is administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), listed formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen" in the 12th edition of its "Report on Carcinogens." Formaldehyde had been listed in previous editions as "reasonably anticipated" to cause cancer. The classification is sure to add to the current debate surrounding formaldehyde and whether it should be more tightly regulated. U.S. EPA has released a draft assessment on the substance that labeled it carcinogenic -- a step toward tougher formaldehyde standards. Aspects of that report, however, were criticized by a National Academy of Sciences review, and industry has launched a significant lobbying effort against new formaldehyde regulations (Greenwire, April 8). The NTP and NAS reports both agreed with EPA that formaldehyde exposure can lead to cancers of the nose, nasal cavity and upper throat. The NTP report breaks with the NAS review, however, in saying that there is sufficient evidence that formaldehyde exposure causes myeloid leukemia. NTP acknowledged that there appear to be questions surrounding how formaldehyde affects human cells to produce myeloid leukemia, which was a major reason NAS disagreed with EPA's assessment. However, NTP said there are...

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Trade Association Labels Formaldehyde Unsafe & Advocates Removal from Hair Straightening Products

After a long period of deliberation the mostly unregulated cosmetic industry's own trade association, through its reviewing agency, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (CIR) has declared formaldehyde and methylene glycol unsafe and requested its removal from hair straightening products. US government regulators have labeled the substance as carcinogenic and warned both users and workers of the hazards.

"In concept, therefore, limits on the concentration of formaldehyde/methylene glycol in hair smoothing products, control of the amount of product applied, use of temperature lower than 450 o F, and approaches to mandate adequate ventilation, are among the steps that could be taken to ensure that these products could be used safely in the future. However, in the present practices of use and concentration (on the order of 10% formaldehyde/methylene glycol, heating to 450 o F, inconsistent ventilation, resulting in many reports of adverse effects), hair smoothing products containing formaldehyde and methylene glycol are unsafe."

The CIR continues to advocate that formaldehyde and methylene glycol are safe for use in other products.

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Toxic Flight Attendant Uniforms Result in a $1.1 Million Verdict

Wearing an employer-designated work uniform shouldn’t result in severe and debilitating occupational exposures. Unfortunately, some American Airlines flight attendants suffered injuries from wearing the flight uniforms prescribed by their employer. The lawsuit that they filed lawsuit resulted in a $1.1 Million award.

Formaldehyde Is A Cancer Causing Agent Reports US Government

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that eight substances have been added to its Report on Carcinogens, a science-based document that identifies chemicals and biological agents that may put people at increased risk for cancer. Formaldehyde has been reportedly used in hair straightening products causing potential danger to hair salon workers and users of the products.

The industrial chemical formaldehyde and a botanical known as aristolochic acids are listed as known human carcinogens. Six other substances — captafol, cobalt-tungsten carbide (in powder or hard metal form), certain inhalable glass wool fibers, o-nitrotoluene, riddelliine, and styrene — are added as substances that are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. With these additions, the 12th Report on Carcinogens now includes 240 listings. It is available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/roc12.

"Reducing exposure to cancer-causing agents is something we all want, and the Report on Carcinogens provides important information on substances that pose a cancer risk," said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of both the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP). "The NTP is pleased to be able to compile this report."

John Bucher, Ph.D., associate director of the NTP added, "This report underscores the critical connection between our nation's health and what's in our environment."

The Report on Carcinogens is a congressionally mandated document that is prepared for the HHS Secretary by the NTP. The report identifies agents, substances, mixtures, or exposures in two categories: known to be a human carcinogen and reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. A listing in the Report on Carcinogens does not by itself mean that a substance will cause cancer. Many factors, including the amount and duration of exposure, and an individual's susceptibility to a substance, affect whether a person will develop cancer.

Once a substance is nominated by the public or private sector and selected for consideration, it undergoes an extensive evaluation with numerous opportunities for scientific and public input. There were at least six opportunities for public input on each substance. The NTP used established criteria to evaluate the scientific evidence on each candidate substance under review. The NTP drew upon the scientific expertise of several federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"The strength of this report lies in the rigorous scientific review process," said Ruth Lunn, Dr.P.H., director of the NTP Office of the Report on Carcinogens. "We could not have completed this report without the significant input we received from the public, industry, academia, and other government agencies."

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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National Academies fully supports Report on Carcinogens assessment - formaldehyde still causes cancer, despite industry arguments otherwise

The National Academies of Science (NAS) issued its assessment of the cancer risks from formaldehyde, a common and highly toxic chemical found in our furniture, home building materials, and clothing. The National Academies conducted a thorough and rigorous scientific review, and concluded that it posed a threat to humans for three types of cancer: nasopharyngeal cancer; sinonasal cancer; and myeloid leukemia. And, in 2009 the World Health Organization also confirmed the science that formaldehyde causes cancer in people. What makes this NAS review novel is not the cancer findings, because those had already been identified by various international and national government scientific assessments. No, this review was politically motivated, the result of a campaign by the chemical industry and its allies in Congress to protect formaldehyde and styrene, another common chemical linked to cancer. Part of that effort has been a vicious attack on government scientific assessments, to distort and discredit any evidence linking toxic chemicals to diseases, disabilities, or death. In a “kill the messenger” campaign, the Report on Carcinogens – the prestigious biennial government report that alerts the public to chemicals that may cause cancer in people – was compelled to undergo review by the National Academies after it listed formaldehyde and styrene as “known” and “reasonably anticipated” to cause cancer, respectively. This NAS formaldehyde...

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Brazilian Blowout Abandons Suits Against Oregon OSHA for Formaldehyde Findings

A company that makes a hair straightening product, Brazilian Blowout, has dropped a lawsuit that it had filed against Oregon OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) challeging the agency's findings that the product contained formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

OSHA had tested 105 samples of the air product from 54 hair salons and reported significant formaldehyde findings. The lawsuit, filed by the company, alleged that the testing was incorrect.

The report had concluded, "Oregon OSHA and CROET have concluded that there are meaningful risks to salon workers  when they are confronted with these hair smoothing products. Effective control of those risks depends upon accurate information regarding the potential hazards and the control measures  available, which in turn begins with an accurate understanding of the ingredients and the potential harm they may cause."

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Nail Salon Workers at Risk for Occupational Exposures

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Nail salon workers are at risk for exposures to hazardous chemicals at work reports a recently published study. The report in the American Journal of Public Health concludes that workers at nail salons may be at higher risk of exposure to chemical toxins that may be harmful to their health. 

Researchers set out to measure personal and area concentrations of solvents among Vietnamese women working in various California nail salons through a community-based participatory research study. Researchers collected data from 80 Vietnamese female nail salon workers from 20 different nail salons. They measured work-shift concentrations of toluene, ethyl acetate and isopropyl acetate and found that measured levels of these solvents were higher than recommended guidelines to prevent frequently reported health symptoms frequently reported. One-third of workers reported that they experienced certain health symptoms such as irritations, headaches, nausea and breathing problems after entering the workforce. Irritations of the nose, throat, lungs, skin and eyes were the most common symptoms, reported by 26.5 percent of workers. 

“Our findings underscored the need for more attention to preventive public health strategies for his workforce. Recommendations to promote worker health and safety include policy changes to update occupational exposure limits that take into account various chronic health conditions, better regulatory oversight of chemicals in cosmetic products, and more research focused on the health of understudied and vulnerable worker populations,” said the study’s authors.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and several other lobbying groups are supporting the passage of The Safe Cosmetics Act. The pending legislation calls full labeling of salon and cosmetic products and a phase out of those hazardous products that contain products that cause cancer or birth defects. It would allow the US Food and Drug Administration regulatory powers over the manufacture of cosmetics. The proposed legislation would require all ingredients to be listed on the product labels.

Concern has not only been expressed recently by nail salon workers, but various government agencies have issued health alerts concerning the presence of formaldehyde in hair straightening products. The State of New York was the latest to issue a health warning for those who use or are exposed to hair straightening products. 

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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Straightening Out What is Formaldehyde

The fragrance and cosmetic industry seems to be having a difficult time in straightening out its own product line after being the direct and indirect target of claims from injured workers and consumers. National Public Radio [NPR] reports today that the attempt to remove formaldehyde, a know carcinogen, has been met with new and potentially toxic results.

The Hollywood rage, that is frizz-free hair, has created concern in Washington and in courtrooms as to the toxicity of the beauty products being sold and utilized. A scientist, Sharon Neufeldt, has raised concern the the new products being market maybe no better than the allegedly toxic old products.

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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered from occupational exposures. Please contact our office if you require assistance in filing a claim.

ALS Linked to Formaldehyde Exposure

At a recent meeting of the American Academy of Neurology a report was presented demonstrating a 34% higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease as a result of exposure to formaldehyde.

“Although this finding could well be a chance observation, it merits further investigation, particularly because people with longer exposure to formaldehyde had a greater risk of developing ALS than those with shorter exposures,” said study author Marc Weisskopf, PhD, of Harvard University in Boston. “People who reported 10 or more years of exposure were almost four times as likely to develop ALS as those with no exposure.”

Formaldehyde is used in particle board and other wood products, permanent press fabrics, glues, and other household products, such as cosmetics and shampoo. It is also used as a preservative in medical laboratories and mortuaries, and as an industrial disinfectant.

Employee Sues Co-Worker Following Perfume Assault

An employee in Ohio who was denied a claim for workers' compensation benefits, has filed a lawsuit against her co-workers against her co-employees. With the workers' compensation claim have been rejected, the workers' compensation law would not act as a bar to such an action under the Exclusivity Doctrine.

In NJ an employee was permitted to bring a claim for workers compensation benefits. The NJ court reasoned in its opinion that the accident occurred in the course of her employment and arose out of her employment. The exposure at work was deemed a "neutral risk," one that was out of the control of the employee.

The fragrance and cosmetic industry is now the target of potential regulation as the State of Colorado is considering legislation to ban cosmetics that contain cancer producing substances. The cosmetic and fragrance industry is largely self-regulated.

Recently the California Attorney General filed a  lawsuit against the manufacturers of a cosmetic product that contained formaldehyde, a hazardous substance. The complaint alleges that the cosmetic company engaged in deceptive identification, advertising and promotional practices.

"Recent testing by the Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology and Oregon OSHA found between 6.3 and 11.8 percent formaldehyde in the solution. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, a monitoring agency for cosmetic safety, states that formaldehyde is only safe at a level of less than 0.2 percent." Health Canada is warning Canadians that Brazilian Blowout Solution manufactured by Brazilian Blowout of California has been found to contain unacceptable levels of formaldehyde.

The Ohio employee, who is bringing the action against her co-workers, was hospitalized because of the exposure at work and now is forced to use an inhaler to relieve her respiratory symptoms.

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OSHA settles with Nebraska-based ConAgra Foods to protect workers from anhydrous ammonia

ConAgra Foods, Inc. dba Lamb Weston, Inc. has signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to protect workers at five of its facilities from the release of anhydrous ammonia from refrigeration systems.

The agreement protects workers at Idaho, Arkansas, Missouri and Ohio facilities of the Nebraska-

based company. It requires ConAgra to implement controls to reduce hazards associated with release of ammonia from low pressures receivers.

"This agreement ensures that ConAgra will protect workers from releases of ammonia by enclosing older LPRs that were not already enclosed, and by providing other controls such as normal and emergency ventilation to prevent exposure," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "OSHA's corporate-wide settlement agreements are highly effective tools for ensuring that companies take a systemic approach to addressing hazards that can injure or kill their workers."

OSHA's Process Safety Management standard requires employers to document that equipment that was designed to meet codes and standards no longer in general use is still safe to operate under OSHA standards. OSHA originally cited ConAgra for failing to determine whether these older LPRs were being operated safely.

Under the agreement, ConAgra will implement administrative and engineering controls at the covered LPRs to control hazards associated with the release of ammonia. This includes building enclosures around equipment that is not already enclosed. Each enclosure must include normal and emergency ventilation that meets specified requirements, automatic switches for both normal and emergency ventilation and ammonia detection alarms. Egress doors for the enclosures will be required to include panic hardware and to swing in the direction of egress.

The agreement is the result of an inspection conducted at the company's American Falls, Idaho, facility, initiated under OSHA's PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program, established to reduce or eliminate the workplace hazards associated with the catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemicals.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

Read more about "ammonium:

US NTSB Initiates Investigation of NJ Toxic Train Derailment

Dec 01, 2012

Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer-causing), including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. Secondhand smoke has .

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Workers' Compensation: Train Carrying Deadly PVC Crashes In NJ ...

Nov 30, 2012

Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer-causing), including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. Secondhand smoke has .

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Casino Employee in NJ Wins Cancer Suit for Second-Hand Smoke

Feb 20, 2008

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Formaldehyde Spill At Southern Ocean Medical Center; Three Treated For Inhalation

A formaldehyde spill at Southern Ocean Medical Center on Monday caused three hospital employees to be treated for inhalation of the known carcinogen. At 10:14 a.m., Stafford Township Police responded to a report of a hazardous material spill at SOCH on Route 72 in Stafford Township. Investigation revealed that a small quantity of formaldehyde was spilled in a utility closet located in the Labor and Delivery area of the hospital. The spill was contained to the utility closet and no evacuations were necessary, police said. No patients were injured in this incident but three hospital employees were treated for minor inhalation injuries and released, police said. Responding agencies included the Stafford Township and Barnegat Township Volunteer Fire Companies as well as Stafford Township EMS. The Berkeley Township Haz-Mat Unit responded and neutralized and contained the spill which is being cleaned up by a private contractor engaged by Southern Ocean Medical Center. Questions concerning this release may be directed to Capt. Thomas Dellane at 609-597-1189 ext. 8299.

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Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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Nail salon UV lamps: Are they safe?

Today's post was shared by FairWarning and comes from www.cbsnews.com

A typical salon manicure involves drying freshly painted nails under a lamp that emits ultraviolet-A (UV-A) rays -- a spectrum of light long linked to skin cancers. But a new study suggests that the average visit to a nail salon carries little carcinogenic potential. "Considering the low UV-A energy exposure in an average manicure visit, multiple visits would be required to reach the threshold for potential DNA damage" that might spur cancer, wrote a team reporting their findings April 30 in JAMA Dermatology. In the study, researchers led by Dr. Lyndsay Shipp of the department of dermatology at Georgia Regents University, in Augusta, say that prior studies into the use of UV-emitting nail polish drying lamps have not had sufficient rigor to come to any reliable conclusions. In their study, Shipp's team used high-tech meters to measure the UV-A light exposures upon hands held in various positions under 17 different types of drying lamps. The researchers conducted the study at 16 nail salons. First of all, they said, there were "notable differences" in the amount of UV-A light emitted by the various devices, and the amount of exposure to the hands also varied depending on the positioning of the device. Overall, a single nail polish drying session under one of the lamps would not expose a person to a potentially cancer-causing amount of UV-A light, Shipp's team said, and "even with numerous exposures, the risk for carcinogenesis remains small." Still,...

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Saturday Night Live interns settle NBCUniversal wage lawsuit

Today's post was shared by Steven Greenhouse and comes from news.yahoo.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of former interns at NBCUniversal, including on the late-night TV show "Saturday Night Live," have reached a $6.4 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit claiming they should have been paid for their work. The settlement resolves claims that NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp, violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws in New York, California and Connecticut by classifying the plaintiffs improperly as "non-employee interns," exempt from applicable wage and hour requirements. Court approval is required for the settlement, which was filed Wednesday night in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The average payout would be about $505, court papers show. "It was probably a good idea for NBCUniversal to settle," said Marcia McCormick, an employment law professor at Saint Louis University School of Law. "NBCUniversal ran the risk that its decision not to pay interns might be viewed by a court as willful, which could result in much higher damages." NBCUniversal denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. A spokeswoman, Lauren Skowronski, declined to comment. Justin Swartz, a partner at Outten & Golden representing the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The July 2013 lawsuit is one of dozens filed in the United States challenging private companies' longstanding practices of paying interns nothing, or less than minimum wage. Many were filed after U.S. District...

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California Settlement Protects Hair Salon Workers

A groundbreaking settlement between California’s Attorney General and manufacturers of Brazilian Blowout hair smoothing products that contain a cancer-causing chemical will help protect salon workers and consumers, according to the California Department of Public Health’s Occupational Health Branch.

The settlement with the manufacturer of Brazilian Blowout products requires the company to warn consumers and hair stylists that two of its hair smoothing products emit formaldehyde gas, which is known to cause cancer in humans. The company must also cease deceptive advertising; pay $600,000 in fees, penalties and costs; and report the presence of formaldehyde in its products to California Safe Cosmetics Program (CSCP) (http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cosmetics/Pages/default.aspx). The warning requirements are the maximum penalty that could be achieved under state law.

The January 2012 settlement stemmed from complaints from hair stylists and customers that the product was causing symptoms, including nose bleeds, burning eyes and throat, skin irritation, and asthma attacks.

See http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cosmetics/Documents/BrazilianBlowoutQA.pdf for more on Brazilian Blowout. Email OHW@cdph.ca.gov to subscribe to the monthly Occupational Health Watch e-newsletter.

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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injuries.

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Romney, Regulation & Risk of Cancer

Cancer causing substances in the workplace have created an epidemic of occupational illness claims in the United States in the last few decades. The Chemical Lobby, and those who advocate of their behalf for less regulation, including presidential candidate Mitt Romney are now advocating for less regulation and the elimination of the semi-annual publication The Report on Carcinogens.

"....Every free economy has regulation. At the same time regulation can become excessive, it can become out of date. And what's happened with some of the legislation that's been passed under President Obama's term is you've seen some of the regulation become excessive and it has hurt the economy." Mitt Romney, 1st Presidential Debate 2012

This challenge to a safer workplace is discussed in an Op-Ed article in the NY Times Today:

"The chemical industry is working frantically to suppress that scientific consensus — because it fears “public confusion.” Big Chem apparently worries that you might be confused if you learned that formaldehyde caused cancer of the nose and throat, and perhaps leukemia as well." Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times

Click here to read "The Cancer Lobby" (NY Times) 10/7/12

More Bout "Carcinogens"

IARC To Review Human Carcinogens-metals, arsenic, dusts & fibers

May 16, 2009

IARC To Review Human Carcinogens-metals, arsenic, dusts & fibers (asbestos). The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has met to reassessthe carcinogenicity of metals, arsenic, dusts, and fibres previously...

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Workers' Compensation: Cell Phones, Glioma and Cancer in the ...

Sep 12, 2012

Cell phones continue to have an increased use in the workplace and may join the ranks of other workplace carcinogens shortly. The World Health Organization has identified cell phones as a potential cause of glioma, a brain ...

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Workers' Compensation: Formaldehyde Is A Cancer Causing Agent ...

Jun 11, 2011

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Workers' Compensation: How To Determine If A Substance Causes ...

Sep 30, 2011

"The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) intends to review its approach to classifying carcinogens and establishing recommended exposure...

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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injuries.

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