Kimberly-Clark Professional Offers Report On Health And Safety Issues For Workers
Roswell, GA - Something as common as a rental shop towel can raise a health and safety issue for workers, according to an independent study.
- The study results are summarized in a report from Kimberly-Clark Professional, which can be obtained by visiting www.wypall.com/whatsinyourshoptowel.
- The study revealed that "clean" shop towel samples tested contained elevated levels of toxic heavy metals. According to the study, rental shop towels can retain measurable levels of heavy metals – such as lead, cadmium and antimony – even after washing.
The study also found that it is possible for the metals to travel from rental shop towels to the hands of workers and, ultimately, the mouth. Using just 2.5 towels a day, workers may ingest unacceptable amounts of toxic heavy metals, according to the study, which was conducted by the Gradient Corporation. The amount of lead that someone might accidentally ingest from the shop towels may exceed California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) Proposition 65† limits (based on 2.5 towels per day)1.
- The full study can also be downloaded at www.inda.org/subscrip/inj03_4/p22-37-beyer.pdf.
- Shop towel users looking for a cleaner, safer alternative to laundered rental shop towels have an option with WYPALL* Wipers from Kimberly-Clark Professional. Fresh WYPALL* Wipers contain no toxic heavy metals, oils or greases. They are manufactured without chemical binders or other agents that could harm workers or work processes.
About Kimberly-Clark Professional
Kimberly-Clark Professional offers a range of well-known brands and product solutions for workplace settings, Do-It-Yourselfers (DIY) and away-from-home washrooms. Kimberly-Clark Professional workplace products include safety apparel, gloves and related accessories as well as task-engineered wipers for both "clean" and "industrial" manufacturing environments. DIY and professional contractor products include solutions for home improvement and automotive projects that make fixing up and cleaning up fast, easy and efficient. Known for innovative, quality solutions,
Kimberly-Clark Professional's pioneering products include Coreless Bath Tissue, JRT Bath Tissue, the Kimcare ALL-N-1 Skin Care System and Kimtech Wipers. Kimberly-Clark Professional well-known brands include Kleenex, Scott, Wypall, Kimtech, Kleenguard and Kimcare. Kimberly-Clark Professional, located in Roswell, Ga., is one of Kimberly-Clark Corporation's four business segments.
† California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) Proposition 65 limits are exposure limits based on potential health risks such as cancer or reproductive effects. If a chemical exposure exceeds the limit, manufacturers may be required to notify the public of this exceedance.
1 Data pulled from "Evaluation of Potential Exposure to Metals in Laundered Shop Towels," INJ, Winter, 2003
SOURCE: Kimberly-Clark