STATEMENT ON THE USE OF SCENTED PRODUCTS
Dalhousie University and the organizations which represent students, faculty and other employees support the efforts of the Dalhousie University Environmental Health and Safety Committee to create a scent-free University. In consideration of the difficulties that exposure to these products cause sensitive individuals, the University encourages faculty, staff, students and visitors to avoid the use of scented personal care products.
Towards A Scent Reduced University Environment
A discussion paper
Dalhousie University
Environmental Health and Safety Committee
BACKGROUND:
The Dalhousie Environmental Health and Safety Committee recognizes the need to maintain an indoor environment that supports the University community at work, study and at play. Along with other members of the University, we have watched with distress, the experience of staff of some neighbouring institutions, particularly health agencies. And we are aware of the growing concern among members of the University regarding environmental sensitivities. The Committee feels that the University needs to take steps now to protect sensitive members of the University and possibly to prevent others from becoming sensitive.
Although many social and organizational factors influence people working or studying in our buildings, it is the physical, and particularly the chemical factors that many see as having a particularly negative effect on health.
Clear differences in toxicity exist between chemicals. It is also clear that under some conditions, any chemical can harm individual people. Both the literature and the experts agree that there is a good deal of uncertainty about the intensity or pattern of exposure necessary to produce this harm. It seems that health problems that result from poor indoor air quality are often triggered by exposures that most people would have considered harmless only a few years ago.
Faced with this situation, the Environmental Health and Safety Committee considers that the only prudent course of action is to keep exposures to all chemicals at as low a level as practical.
Chemicals are a part of our world. It is clearly impractical to contemplate operating a modern university entirely without any chemical exposure. On the other hand, the Committee feels that we have come to accept, as inevitable, chemical exposures that we could actually avoid. The Committee has targeted some harmful chemical components of cleaning and personal care products that could be avoided. Avoiding these exposures will require efforts by both the University and individual staff, faculty and students.
In considering the kinds of chemicals to which we are exposed in Dalhousie buildings, the Committee has classified chemicals as follows:
· Chemicals introduced into Dalhousie buildings from outdoor sources such as second-hand smoke, engine exhausts, pollen and others.
· Chemicals released by building equipment and activities
: by furnishings and office equipment
: during research and teaching in Science, Medicine, Dentistry and Health Professions
: during food preparation
· Chemicals released by occupants including:
: scented personal care products including after-shave lotions, hair spray and deodorants.
: tobacco smoke
· Chemicals released by maintenance and custodial activities
STRATEGIES:
The strategies required to reduce exposure will undoubtedly differ from one class of chemicals to another. The Committee feels that reducing exposure to some of these classes would be relatively straight forward. What would be required is the cooperation of the members of the University and little or no expenditure. It is these exposures that the Committee regards as avoidable. In other cases, reducing exposure may be more difficult or more expensive. At least for the present, the Committee regards these exposures as unavoidable. The Committee proposes to focus initially on the avoidable exposures.
In fact, Dalhousie has already made a good start on controlling some avoidable exposures. In 1988, the University introduced a smoking policy that dramatically curtailed the exposure of members of the University to second-hand smoke. Experience since 1988 has confirmed that tobacco smoke represented an avoidable chemical exposure. Although there continues to be occasional complaints about individual breeches of the policy, compliance is remarkably good. This cooperative compliance has remained high even as we have gradually reduced the number of designated smoking areas.
Although we have quite successfully addressed the matter of exposure to tobacco smoke, exposure to perfumes has emerged as health problems for many. Exposure to perfumes can make those sensitive to these chemicals extremely unwell for example triggering asthmatic reactions and migraine headaches. Often the fragrances, even in personal care products, serve only cosmetic purposes. The Committee finds it hard to defend these exposures when they make others ill.
Several neighbouring institutions, particularly those whose business is health care, have already responded to those who are sensitive to perfumes with policies that curtail the use of scented products. Also so have some Dalhousie units. The Committee feels that there would be broad support for extending a similar program across Dalhousie. The Committee expects support not only from those who are sensitive but also from the majority who do not want to harm other members of the University. There will of course be a few people who will see this policy as an intrusion into their personal lives. But the Committee believes that the health of people should take precedence.
Using unscented custodial products is clearly a quality control issue that should be easily assessed by management in terms of availability, cost and effectiveness. Addressing the control of other classes of chemicals, some of which may also be harmful to sensitive individuals, needs on-going discussion and education within departments across the University.
The Committee recommends that the University promote a program that aims to provide an indoor environment that is as free and practical from perfumes and scents and to do so in all of its facilities.
The program would address both the University's use of cleaning materials and the use of personal care products by faculty, staff, students and the public users of our facilities. We believe that University community is truly supportive of the health of others. As a consequence, we think that persuasion, education and cooperation will bring about the needed changes in personal behaviour. In most cases, we expect such an approach will be much more successful than one based upon regulation and enforcement.
CONCLUSION:
The Committee asks for the support of Dalhousie faculty, staff and students in the development of a program that aims to keep exposures to chemicals in Dalhousie buildings as low as possible. With the support of the Dalhousie Community, the Environmental Health and Safety Committee proposes to launch a campaign to increase awareness of the scent problem and to encourage all members of the University to avoid the use of scented products. The Committee will also be working with Physical Plant and Planning to replace scented products with unscented alternatives where they are available. The Committee believes that leadership by Dalhousie University on this issue would be timely and would reflect positively on our public image in supporting efforts for health promotion.
SEPTEMBER 1995
Internet Scent Information Resources
Resources for the Chemically Injured - Product alternatives and other resources
Links and publications (including articles from Scientific American and Environmental Health Perspectives
"A Grass root effort to educate on the chemicals and the health effects of fragranced products"
