From Health Canada:

The aerosol container’s liner can corrode over time, posing a risk of the can rupturing and expelling its contents.

In the United States, Redken has received 41 reports of cans rupturing. However, no injuries have been reported.

Neither L’Oréal Canada Inc.nor Health Canada has received any reports of incidents or injuries to Canadians related to the use of these spray mousse cans.

Click the link for more information on sizes and UPCs of the recalled products.

From Health Canada:

This recall was not initiated through the Health Canada’s auditing process, but was done at the company’s request to notify the public about the deficiencies associated with the hazard labelling requirements of the recalled product via the Health Canada Recall Site.

The product lacks the hazard symbol (skull and crossbones) and appropriate size of the DANGER signal word up to 1.8 mm in height. This lack of labelling information could to lead to serious risks.

Click the link for more information on sizes and UPCs of the recalled products.

If you have any doubts about the compliancy of your chemical products, please do not hesitate to contact us.

From pubs.acs.org: The Environmental Protection Agency is looking at regulation of diisocyantes due to concerns about health effects.

Diisocyantes, which are ingredients in polyurethane plastics, face Environmental Protection Agency regulation due to concerns about health effects, the agency announced on April 13.

The main focus of EPA’s efforts is do-it-yourself consumer products such as spray foam insulation, concrete sealers, adhesives, and floor finishes. These polyurethane products may contain uncured diisocyanates, according to the agency. This contrasts with cured products, such as polyurethane foam in mattresses, which are not of concern, EPA says.

Diisocyantes can cause breathing and skin problems, the agency says. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration limits exposure to diisocyanates in the workplace. These chemicals are the leading cause of work-related asthma.

Consumer exposure to the substances, however, is unregulated.

The agency is taking a two-fold approach to diisocyanates. One is totarget toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and related compounds. The otheraims at methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and similar chemicals: MDI monomers and related isomers and polymers; and MDI dimers, trimers, and polymers.

EPA intends to issue a rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act to require companies to notify the agency before using uncured TDI and related polyisocyanates in consumer goods. The agency says it will also consider working with industry on a voluntary phase-out of these uses of TDI. If it can’t strike a deal with the private sector, EPA says it will consider regulation to require makers of TDI and related chemicals to monitor exposure to the compound in consumer goods.

The agency plans to ask manufacturers of both TDI and MID to report any allegations of significant adverse effects from exposure to these chemicals. The agency will also require these companies to submit any unpublished health and safety data they have on these compounds.

Also, EPA will consider regulations to require makers of these compounds to conduct exposure monitoring studies for commercial products with uncured TDI and MDI. The agency said it may regulate commercial uses of products in locations where the general public might be exposed to TDI and MDI. Plus, EPA will consider regulating consumer products containing uncured MDI.

We will keep you informed if any regulatory changes result due to this regulation.

From enewspf.com: Senator Lautenberg introduces a new bill to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–April 14 – Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) today introduced the Safe Chemicals Act – a bill to reform the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The Safe Chemicals Act will require safety testing of all industrial chemicals, and puts the burden on industry to prove that chemicals are safe in order to get on or stay on the market.

U.S. PIRG Public Health Advocate Liz Hitchcock had the following statement:

“Toxic pollution is more than what comes out of factory smokestacks. Pollution invades our homes and our bodies from the toys our kids play with, the carpets they learn to crawl on and the foods that they eat.

“Americans are living with the continued fallout of a toxics law that has allowed thousands of chemicals to get on the market without consideration of their effect on public health. We have far too much evidence linking serious health problems like learning disabilities, asthma, obesity, diabetes, reduced fertility, and some cancers with exposure to chemicals in our everyday lives.

“U.S. PIRG applauds Senator Lautenberg for championing a common sense law to protect public health that takes immediate action on the most dangerous chemicals, holds manufacturers responsible for ensuring the safety of their chemicals and products before they are on the market, and uses the best science to protect public health.

“Congress must put public health priorities ahead of the interests of the chemical lobby, and move forward on this important legislation.”

We will keep you informed if any regulatory changes result due to this legislation.

From foodproductiondaily.com: A host of industry bodies have voiced their fears that the European ban on bisphenol A in polycarbonate baby bottles could lead to wider prohibition on use of the substance in other forms of packaging.

Leading trade bodies for the metal packaging, food and plastics sectors have also censured the European Commission for its failure to follow the science-based advice of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – which as recently as September 2010 declared current levels of the chemical in food contact materials did not pose a health risk.

One group even suggested that refusal by the UK to implement ban would send a strong signal over the need to abide by science–based evidence.

The blunt views expressed by major industry players were published just weeks before a full ban on using BPA in infant bottles across the European Union comes into force. Another major theme of the responses centred on fears that the decision would open the door for banning BPA in other forms of packaging.

“Any prohibition, however focussed, will likely lead to an escalation of action into other packaging areas, such as epoxy-based coatings for metal packaging,” observed the MPMA.

The BPF said it was concerned the regulation would “give rise to the risk of unjustified wider prohibitions on the use of BPA in other applications”. Plastics Europe made the same point, warning the impact could be far reaching.

“The effects of such wider prohibitions are difficult to determine but a conservative estimate of potential losses for EU materials producers would be hundreds of millions of Euros,” said the trade group.

In November 2010, the EC told FoodProductionDaily.com there were currently no plans to extend the ban on BPA in food packaging.

We will keep you informed if any further regulatory changes result from this ban.

From prweb.com: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration moves to enact the globally harmonized system (GHS) for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced that by August of this year, companies in the US must begin to adopt the globally harmonized system (GHS) for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals.This means that virtually every product label, material safety data sheet (soon to be called “safety data sheet”), and written hazard communication plan must be revised to meet the new standard. Worker training must be updated so that workers can recognize and understand the symbols and pictograms on the new labels as well as the new hazard statements and precautions on MSDSs.

Click on the link above for more information.

From pr-usa.net: OSHA issues a hazard about potential formaldehyde exposure when using hair smoothing products.

Federal OSHA yesterday released a hazard alert to hair salon owners and workers nationwide about potential formaldehyde exposure when using hair smoothing products. OSHA regulates formaldehyde as a cancer causing substance, and formaldehyde is listed as a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer (Prop 65 List). Formaldehyde also irritates the skin, eyes, throat and respiratory system, and can cause asthma and skin and respiratory sensitization.

This hazard alert was the result of investigative work done by Cal/OSHA, Oregon OSHA, and federal OSHA into hair-styling products, some of which are labeled as formaldehyde- free. Some of these products are imported from Brazil and distributed in the U.S. by companies including GIB LLC, which does business under the name “Brazilian Blowout.” Cal/OSHA is also cooperating with other state agencies to ensure that consumers and the public are protected from these health hazards.

Cal/OSHA’s testing of Brazilian Blowout’s Acai Professional Smoothing and Brazilian Blowout Professional Solutions found that formaldehyde is present in these products, and testing performed by federal OSHA found that use of these products caused workers to be overexposed to formaldehyde in the air they were breathing.

Federal OSHA has issued a hazard alert to hair salon owners and workers about potential formaldehyde exposures from working with some hair smoothing and straightening products.  If salon owners in California continue to use a hair product containing formaldehyde, they are required to follow Cal/OSHA’s formaldehyde standard, which includes periodic monitoring of exposure, implementation of a respiratory protection program and employee training.

We will keep you informed if any regulatory changes result due to this alert.

From Health Canada:

On April 12, 2011, Health Canada issues a recall involving Fibre Cement Panels and Finishing Products sold under the brand name Finex.

Health Canada’s auditing process has revealed that the recalled Finex Cleaner is corrosive and the recalled Finex Clear Sealer is flammable. Neither product currently meets the warning labelling requirements for consumer chemical products under Canadian law.

Click the link for more information on sizes and UPCs of the recalled products.

If you have any doubts about the compliancy of your chemical products, please do not hesitate to contact us. More information about our label review services can be found here:

• Canadian Consumer Label Review
• Canadian Industrial Label Review
• Canadian Cosmetic Product Label Review

We can be contacted at:
Nexreg Toll Free: 1-866-361-3032
E-mail:info@nexreg.com

From Health Canada

On April 8, 2011, Health Canada issued a recall involving select Finish Line and White Lightning aerosol bike lubricants and degreasers:

• Finish Line Dry Teflon Lube (Teflon Plus)
• Finish Line 1-Step
• Finish Line Speed Degreaser
• Finish Line Citrus Degreaser
• Finish Line Multi Degreaser (ecotech-2)
• White Lightning Clean Streak

Health Canada’s auditing process has revealed that the recalled products do not meet flame projection requirements under Canadian law. The affected products were sold from September 2009 to February 2011. Consumers should stop using the affected products and return them to the place of purchase for a free replacement aerosol nozzle.

Click the link for more information on sizes and UPCs of the recalled products.

From EWG

US Congress, at the request of industry, has managed to delay efforts by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to classify formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen.

On April 8, 2011, the National Academies of Science’s National Research Council (NRC) completed its independent review of EPA’s draft assessment and confirmed formaldehyde as a known cause of cancer of the nose, nasal cavity and throat. However, a final assessment by EPA will likely see further delay as the NRC concluded it “needs substantial revisions”.

Formaldehyde is used in a vast array of industrial and consumer products, and there is widespread agreement that consumer exposures must be reduced to protect health.

Click on the link for more information.