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Let the school cleaners beware Manufacturers take advantage of New York 's 'green-cleaning' law
Jan. 19, 2006 NYSUT's Wendy Hord looks for bio-based products in a rolling cart full of cleaning products. The "Mr. Yuck" face, a symbol of caution on cleaning products, takes on new meaning as vendors sell diluted petrochemical products to schools in an attempt to take advantage of or skirt criteria for New York 's new "green-cleaning" law. "Vendors are preying on schools," said Wendy Hord, health and safety specialist for New York State United Teachers. The safety data sheets for the "new" products being offered by some distributors show the safety of the chemical cleaning products after they have been mixed with water. However, when they are brought into the schools where they are stored, the products are in concentrated form — which is toxic and hazardous. "Hundreds of millions of dollars are riding on these cleaning contracts," Hord said. "We're the first state to require this, and this has big implications nationwide." The measure, which takes effect in September, is the first state initiative requiring the use of environmentally sensitive cleaning products in schools. Because a list of accepted products has not yet been approved by the state's Office of General Services, Hord said, most manufacturers are simply selling the same petrochemical products in diluted form to schools seeking to adhere to the new law. Many are self-identifying their products as "green" to meet the state law. However, when the products arrive at the school, they are in full concentrated form — which means the fire department still needs to be notified, they would fall under hazardous waste regulations, and "custodians are subject to potential harm from exposure and splashes," Hord said. "Parents and members should get involved in the district's choice," said Augie Autieri, a physical education teacher and head of the health and safety committee for the Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers in Westchester County . A lot of these products are corrosive and, if splashed, can damage the eyes. Some are highly flammable. Breathing the fumes Local union health and safety committees need to be vigilant. "I try to know more about the products than the salesman does," Autieri said. "You need to do a thorough investigation of the products before you buy. I want to know what you're cleaning with because I'm breathing it." Autieri's school has been using all-natural cleaning products for about five years. "I haven't had any complaints for the last two to three years about 'this building is making me sick' or 'I'm getting headaches,'" he said. Fewer students are having allergic reactions as well. "We're not cosmetically cleaning — we're sanitizing," he said. There's a difference between sanitizing and disinfecting. "Disinfectants are overused in schools," explained Hord, noting the link between diseases and chemical exposure. "You don't need a sterile environment for a school. You need a clean environment. Schools are not hospitals." Hord noted that some teachers have sent home letters asking parents to have kids bring in a box of disinfectant wipes to clean off their desks every day. "Wipes are asthma and allergy triggers for sensitive students and staff," she said. "They contain bleach and other chemicals, which are absorbed through the skin. Vapors are also inhaled." Areas that receive daily cleaning and the most contact — such as classrooms — should be cleaned with a bio-based rather than a petrochemical-based cleaner, she said. Floor cleaners, which often must be petro-based to be effective, should be used only when school is not in session and with proper ventilation, Hord said. "Children are disproportionately exposed and affected," said Kathleen Donahue, NYSUT vice president. "We have to do something to protect children." School facilities directors are faced with a dizzying array of products. Grassroots Environmental, a not-for-profit environmental health organization in Port Washington, Long Island , is working with manufacturers of bio-based products to put together a list of recommended uses for all-purpose cleaners (windows, desktops, cafeteria tables, carpet upkeep) to be available on www.grassrootsinfo.org under the category of child-safe schools. As more products become available, the organization wants to categorize cleaners in the other two cleaning categories: sanitizers and disinfectants; and floor strippers. Children are especially vulnerable, as are pregnant women who work in schools, said Patti Wood, executive director of Grassroots Environmental. Existing standards for so-called "green" products, she said, do not even address children — they are based on 150-pound males. — Liza Frenette |
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