Safe Alternatives Awareness Training

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Safe Alternatives Awareness Training

• Union TUR Capacity Building Initiative

Toxic Use Reduction Institute Grant
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Toxics Use Reduction Act

• Mass Law passed in 1989 requires certain
  facilities to prepare a plan that could reduce
  the use of the most toxic chemicals and their by
  products
• Its time to Expand TURA for worker health
• Toxic Ignorance Creates Risk Health, Toxic Tort,
  Reputation etc.

4 have some
96 of chemicals have little or no toxicity test
data !
data source EPA / HPV
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TURI Safe Alternatives Studywww.turi.org

• First Step for safer alternatives approach
  study 5 toxic chemicals
• Input from Stake Holders
• scientists, public health, environmental groups,
  business and labor

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Back Ground

• MassCOSH Outreach Project
• Surveyed unions on awareness of the 5 chemicals
  and safer alternatives.
• 20 unions responded
• Lacked information, full range of chemicals
• Not familiar ,TUR and TURI
• Majority interested in information about safe
  alternatives for these and others
• Most workers have little input decisions about
  substitutions
• Many representatives are never asked about
  specific chemicals they use

safe alternatives
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5 Primary Toxics

• Perchloroethylene (PCE)
• Formaldehyde
• di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
• Lead
• Hexavalent chromium

safe alternatives
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5 Primary Toxics
Perchloroethylene PERC Dry Cleaning Automotive aerosols (brake, engine and tire cleaners Vapor degreasing
Formaldehyde Hardwood plywood and structural use building panels Sanitary storage in barbering and cosmetology Preserved educational specimens for dissection
di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP Medical devices for neonatal care sheet tubing applications Resilient flooring Wall covering
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5 Primary Toxics
Perchloroethylene PERC Alternatives Wet cleaning Liquid CO2 Water Based cleaning
Formaldehyde Alternatives Wood ply-wood panels Plastic-wood composite UV sterilization chamber
di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP Alternatives Natural linoleum, Cork, Polyolefin, Silicone
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5 Primary Toxics
Lead Heat stabilizers for PVC wire and coatings Weighting wheel weights Weighting fishing sinkers Ammunition for shooting ranges
Hexavalent Chromium Decorative chrome electroplating Hard chrome electroplating Passivation of zinc plated parts and zinc galvanized steel
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5 Primary Toxics
Lead Alternatives Zinc, Copper, Iron, Steel
Hexavalent Chromium Alternatives Zinc, galvanized steel, Passivation, Trivalent chromium plating, Heat Treatment and Plasma Nitriding
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Action Steps for Safer Alternatives

• Take this presentation to your local
• Put articles in your newsletters/ websites
• Work with you to take action steps with safer
  alternatives to chemicals
• Avoid the Consequences by
• educating the Work Force

Breaking the Chain A Safer Environment
Body Burden
safe alternatives
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Safer Alternatives Tool Box

• Identify common concerns about hazards (surveys,
  review chemical inventory, use your Right-to-Know
  and request the MSDs -Material Safety Data
  Sheets).
• Organize a union-only health and safety
  committee. Contact MassCOSH for health and safety
  support in non-union workplaces.
• Negotiate contract language for hazard awareness
  and annual training declaration agreements on
  using safer alternatives for identified hazards,
  trigger clauses to negotiate union involvement in
  decisions about technology or work processes
  changes before they occur.
• Collaborate with MassCOSH to seek funding for
  joint projects on health, safety and toxics use
  reduction (see MassCOSH Campaign Toolbox on our
  webpage)
• Build community alliances to create good
  neighbor agreements about toxics.
• Communicate with your members for their right to
  know about safer alternatives and join with labor
  and environmental allies for legislative action.

Many of the strategies labor currently has
available to them, can be used to promote safer
alternatives to toxics
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Resources

• Websites
• www.turi.org
• www.mass.gov/envir/ota
• www.sustainableproduction.org
• Case studies
• Technical reports
• Fact sheets
• Data (www.turadata.turi.org)