News January 2009 - Europe prepares to ban Methylene Chloride.
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There are currently three drivers for change regarding paint remover and other chemical products. These are
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Safety Regulations, including risk assessments for employees (in storage, in transport and in use), and others, e.g. members of the public who may be present, tenants of a council house, etc. |
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Environmental Regulations. |
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Technical, performance requirements. |
Action Products Ltd Safer*r* Paint & Varnish Remover not only addresses all these concerns but it also works and brings significant and measurable benefits on all three counts, helping to meet current and future regulatory requirements. Action Products are Safer*-to-use and do not damage the environment whilst maintaining performance.
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Safety Regulations
Article 6 of Council Directive 98/24/EC on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work states;
“employers are required by preference to avoid the use of a hazardous chemical agent by replacing it with a chemical agent or process which, under its condition of use, is not hazardous or less hazardous to workers’ safety and health, and only to apply protection and prevention measures where such substitution is not possible.”
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See Official Journal L131, 5.5 1998 p.11. |
Environmental Regulations
Some of you will know that it has always been the formulating policy of Action Products Ltd to use non-toxic, non-corrosive, biodegradable ingredients. This policy lead to the strap line of “Designed to be kind” and more recently, it means that every single ingredient in Action Products’ formulations falls into the approved, green category as described in the European Commission Handbook SEC (2004) 1050. This is valuable information regarding work for councils and other public bodies. The fact that all the ingredients (and hence the products) are non-toxic and non-corrosive will have a significant and helpful impact on the risk assessments.
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Furthermore, the fact that all the ingredients are approved as part of the EC Green Procurement Programme will assist in meeting sustainability targets (see below).
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Technical, performance requirements
In Action Products Safer* Paint & Varnish Remover (Patented EU and US), toxic solvents have been replaced with safer* surfactants, all biodegradable to the latest EU standards. This creates a different kind of product, which soaks into the material to be removed, making it soft and squashy and easy to scrape away. It never needs to be left overnight. All treated residues will be fully water washable, removing the need for either white spirit or methylated spirits.
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Action Products Safer* Paint & Varnish Remover is technically a better product than the old fashioned Methylene Chloride ones, because it can remove acrylic primer and modern, water based paints and varnishes as well as old fashioned gloss paints and spirit based varnishes.
Guidance for Responsible Public Procurement of Cleaning Products
In 2004 the European Commission published “Handbook SEC(2004) 1050” to give guidance to the Public Sector on procuring “green” products and services. This forms one part of the Commission’s “Green Public Procurement” (GPP) initiative.
In this handbook, chemical ingredients are categorized using a traffic light system, in which:
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Green
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No issue for procurement
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Can be used
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Amber
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Guidance highlighted in amber
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Don’t use if possible
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Red
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Guidance highlighted in red
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Do not use
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Action Products ingredients fall wholly into the approved, green category.
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For the full handbook please see:
http://www.eauc.org.uk/file_uploads/bacs_pptf_1_2.pdf
More information on sustainability issues see:
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/sustainable/
Forthcoming Regulations
There are health and Safer*ty and environmental reasons to be concerned about Methylene Chloride. The EC Environment Committee has proposed new legislation that will ban DIY consumers from using Methylene Chloride based paint removers and will ban professional use except for those countries that choose to allow training followed by licensed use including approved personal protective equipment (PPE). This legislation will be called Dangerous substances and preparations: restrictions on the marketing and use of dichloromethane (amend. Directive 76/769/EEC) Ref COD/2008/0033.
Here is the link for the document being voted upon.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2009-0017+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN#BKMD-16
Here is the web link reporting the details of the vote. Choose Strasbourg, Wednesday 14th January 2009, roll call votes. Page 8 names the 674 MEPs who voted in favour(+), page 9 names the 17 MEPs who voted against(-) and page 9 lists the 8 MEPs who abstained (0).
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/plenary/pv.do?language=EN
Action Products Safer* Paint & Varnish Remover and all other materials do not contain Methylene Chloride and will be unaffected by the new regulations!
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For more information contact:
Action Products Ltd
270 North Rd, Yate
South Gloucestershire BS37 7LQ UK
T. 01454-228702
F. 01454-228703
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Ithiel Mogridge, formulator of Action Products materials, won the award “British Female Inventor of the Year”, for the Safer* Paint & Varnish Remover.
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e-mail:
Info@action-products.co.uk
www.action-products.co.uk
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Dear Customers,
The word Safe has been changed to Safer*.
All products are SAFER* than products based on highly flammable methylal or toxic methanol.
This change is to comply with European Advertising regulation requirements.
Our products remain the same fast acting, non-toxic, low odour products which have been enjoyed by our customers since 1998.
Thank you for your continued custom and support.
Best wishes,
Action Products Ltd.
Aug. 2012
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