Other Resources
Safer Cosmetics Resources
The last resolve in the HOD Chemical Policy statement is that the ANA will endorse and sign on to the “National Campaign for safe Cosmetics” and encourages CMAs to do the same in order to educate nurses and the public to take precautions when using cosmetics and personal care products. Find out more about this campaign and the hazardous chemicals that may be found in cosmetics at the sites below:
- The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: www.safecosmetics.org/about/
- “Skin Deep” An Environmental Working Group Report: www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/
- Cosmetics, What you need to know "A short article about 300,000,000 guinea pigs" www.marylandrn.org/documents/MN.%20Aug%2006%20Cosmetics%20article_final.doc
- The Environmental Working Group, Cosmetics and Personal Care Products page: www.ewg.org/issues/siteindex/issues.php?issueid=5005
- Federal Food and Drug Administration:
www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/fda101/sld001.html
www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html
Article: Minimizing Chemical Hazards in Healthcare www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/CleanDesign.htm?ID=5145
The Sustainable Hospitals web site has safer alternatives for some of the toxic chemicals used in hospitals www.sustainablehospitals.org/cgi-bin/DB_Index.cgi?px=W
Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) resources www.h2e-online.org/
- H2E Products & Services Directory, A searchable directory promoting the greening of the health care sector. www.h2e-online.org/directory/search.cfm#
- H2E’s Hazardous Materials Web page has info on many chemicals in the hospital, including sterilant, disinfectants and cleaners www.h2e-online.org/hazmat/hazardousmaterials.html
- H2E’s Green Cleaning Web page www.h2e-online.org/facilitiesandgrounds/greencleaning.html
Health Care Without Harm resources www.noharm.org/
- HCWH “Cleaning Chemical Use in Hospitals” fact sheet
www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=606&type=document - HCWH’s Pesticides, Fragrances and Cleaners page
www.noharm.org/us/pesticidesCleaners/issue - HCWH’s Chemical Policy page
www.noharm.org/us/chemicalpolicy/issue - HCWH’s 10 Reasons to Eliminate Glutaraldehyde fact sheet
www.noharm.org/library/docs/Going_Green_6-3_10_Reasons_to_Eliminate_Glutur.pdf - A newly released HCWH report, “Can Hospitals Cause Asthma?” reveals that substances commonly found in hospitals can trigger an asthma attack or cause the disease. To obtain a copy of the full report, go to HCWH web site: www.noharm.org/ or contact HCWH at 703-243-0056.
The executive summary is available at: www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=1405&type=document (pdf).
The press release is available at: www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&ID=1404 (pdf).
Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) resources www.osha.gov/
- “Best Practices for the Safe Use of Glutaraldehyde in Health Care”
www.osha.gov/Publications/glutaraldehyde.pdf - OSHA’s web page on Ethylene Oxide
www.osha.gov/SLTC/ethyleneoxide/ - Controlling Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs
www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_vi/otm_vi_2.html
Integrated Pest Management resources
- Beyond Pesticides is a nonprofit organization that provides the public with useful information on pesticides and pesticide alternatives www.beyondpesticides.org/index.html
- Beyond Pesticides’ page on IPM
www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pcos/IPM.HTM - Beyond Pesticides has a list of “Least Toxic Control of Pests in the Home and Garden” for many pests
www.beyondpesticides.org/alternatives/factsheets/index.htm
The Environmental Protection Agency resources(EPA) www.epa.gov/
- EPA’s Pesticide page
www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/types.htm - EPA’s page on IPM in schools
www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm/ - EPA Office of Pesticide Programs
www.epa.gov/pesticides - EPA’s Fact Sheet; “Replacing Ethylene Oxide and Glutaraldehyde”
www.ciwmb.ca.gov/wpie/Healthcare/EPAEtOGlut.pdf
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) resources www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html
- NIOSH’s Special Occupational Hazard Review with Control Recommendations, Use of Ethylene Oxide as a Sterilant in Medical Facilities
www.cdc.gov/niosh/77-200.html - NIOSH Alert, Preventing Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-165/ - Control Technology for Ethylene Oxide Sterilization in Hospitals
www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/89-120-a.pdf - NIOSH Glutaraldehyde: Occupational Hazards in Hospitals
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/glutaraldehyde/
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has fact sheets on many chemical hazards www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts137.html
Disinfection Best Management Practice (Minnesota Technical Assistance Program) www.mntap.umn.edu/HEALTH/73-DisinfectionBMP.htm
Resources for up-dated, broad-based Chemical Policies/Initiatives
- The Precautionary Principle, a principle to prevent harm to the environment and to human health, is called the or the "precautionary principle". The Precautionary Principle is the foundation to safer chemicals policies. www.nursingworld.org/coeh/precautionary.pdf
- REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of CHemicals) – A 2003 European Commission proposal for a new European Union (EU) regulatory system for chemicals. REACH places responsibility for the safety of chemicals on manufacturers and seeks to produce the information on chemicals that has been lacking. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach/reach_intro.htm
- The Louisville Charter - A six-point plan developed in May 2004 in Louisville, KY by groups and individuals whose common goal is to work together on chemical policies and campaigns that will protect children, workers, communities and the environment from exposures to harmful chemicals. This will be done while fostering a healthy economy that thrives on the innovation of safe products, green chemistry and clean production. The Louisville Charter is guiding the direction of government policy reform, corporate operations, and market demand. www.louisvillecharter.org/home.shtml
- Proposition 65 - A 1986 California statute intended to protect CA citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals. The statute states that “no person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving a clear and reasonable warning…” www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/p65faq.html