20/07/2009
The European Federation of Building and Wood Workers (EFBWW) and the European Furniture Manufacturers Federation on behalf of producers want the EU to legislate on formaldehyde, a chemical widely used in furniture manufacture.
In a Joint Declaration, the two organizations call for “legislation requiring that all materials used in furniture put on the market in the EU have the lowest possible emission level based on the best available technology”.
Both the union and the employers' organisation say that their first concern is the health and safety of their workers and their consumers.
The two organizations want formaldehyde put onto the new list of indicative occupational exposure limit values drawn up under the EU’s Chemical Agents Directive. Putting formaldehyde on the list would force EU Member States to bring in national exposure limits, which could still always be higher than the level set by EU law.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies formaldehyde as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Formaldehyde is used mainly in the production of resins that are used as adhesives and binders for wood products, paper pulp, paper, glasswool and rockwool. It is also used extensively in the production of plastics and coatings, textile finishing and the manufacture of industrial chemicals. It is used as a disinfectant and preservative in many applications.
France’s National Research and Safety Institute (INRS) estimates that over a million European workers are exposed to formaldehyde to some degree or other. Sources: EFBWW, INRS
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