Inside the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Industry
CPSC Commissioner Speaks to PFA
Important Dates and Action Items
- August 26 – Call for Papers – Deadline for PFA Fall Technical Conference
- November 2-3 - PFA Fall Business Meeting & Technical Conf. - Phoenix, AZ
"Upholstery flammability has been a focus of the CPSC for many years,” said Robert Adler, Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) speaking at the spring meeting of the PFA where he was well received. Adler, who spoke with a likeable, informal style, had clearly researched the flexible polyurethane foam industry and was appreciative of a number of the issues and challenges that members of the FPF industry face. He acknowledged that upholstery flammability was one of the topics he encountered during his first stint at CPSC in the 1980’s and, again, with his return 25 years later. The topic still commands the organization’s attention. Adler noted that CPSC does the best it can with a relatively small staff – only 500, compared to EPA and FDA which have 17,000 and 13,000 employees respectively. Adler said that keeping up with new findings, research and regulations about chemicals can feel like playing “Whack-a-Mole,” and that as soon as concerns about one product surface, substitutes are found, and then concerns about the substitutes may arise. He stressed CPSC’s continuing commitment to facts saying that, “it’s all got to start with data.” Adler said that “California is the tail that wags the national dog.” He commended the industry for its CertiPUR-US program which he said is critical. In explaining the creation of CPSC’s new saferproducts.gov program, a comprehensive database of information on consumer products that includes recall notices, injury reports and consumer-submitted reports of harm, Adler said the program offers manufacturers the ability to comment. According to Adler, 60 to 70 percent of CPSC recalls involve products for children. He describes children as “involuntary risk-takers.” He noted that this group also includes senior citizens and he made a plea for future efforts to focus on these segments of the consumer population. Adler concluded his remarks by saying, “Ultimately, we are all consumers."
"Weighing Cancer Risks, From Cellphones to Coffee,” is a refreshing article published last month by the Associated Press news service that provides a welcome antidote to the typical, often sensationalistic media coverage about chemicals and health concerns. As the article reports: “Despite all the recent news about possible cancer risks from cellphones, coffee, styrene, and formaldehyde in building materials, most of us probably face little if any danger from these things with ordinary use, health experts say. Inactivity and obesity may pose a greater cancer risk than chemicals for some people.” The article includes a quote from Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s deputy chief medical officer who acknowledges that “we are being bombarded” with messages about the dangers of common things in our lives, yet most exposures “are not at a level that are going to cause cancer.” Read full article.
PFA Position Statement on Article about FR Research and Concerns about Baby Products
PFA released a position statement in response to an article about FRs, cancer and baby products based on research conducted by Dr. Heather Stapleton, an assistant professor of environmental chemistry at Duke University, among others. Originally published in Environmental Science and Technology, the research was summarized by Andrew Martin in the New York Times in May and his article received widespread pickup by other media outlets. According to the article, the research claimed that the chemical flame retardant chlorinated tris, removed from children’s pajamas more than 30 years ago, was found in one third of the 101 baby products tested, which included changing pads, portable mattresses, baby carriers, rocking chairs, nursing pillows, car seats and highchairs. Polyurethane foam was specifically mentioned in the article. In order to address the negative publicity emerging on this issue, PFA developed a position statement to clarify that flame retardants are not added to all flexible polyurethane products – and that FRs are added at the request of customers who specify FRs to meet state and federal flammability requirements. Read position statement.
Much of the misinformation about FPF is intentionally distributed by the manufacturers and retailers of competitive products who may profit from changes in consumer perception based on this misinformation. Here’s PFA’s policy on addressing false claims about flexible polyurethane foam by competitors: First, a notification letter from the office of Jim McIntyre, PFA legal counsel, acknowledging the problem. Second, a stronger letter. Finally, a cease and desist letter advising that PFA will pursue legal remedies if the problem is not rectified. Recent success: Our letter to a company that issued a PR Newswire story with erroneous information about foam resulted in immediate attention and an offer to discuss corrections. PFA is constantly monitoring for offending information, but members are encouraged to help in this pursuit.
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petition submitted to the Department of Transportation (DOT) in 2006 by the National Association of State Fire Marshalls (NASFM) requested that FPF be classified as a hazardous material for purposes of transportation in commerce. In announcing the decision to deny the petition, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration reported that it received 30 comments on the petition and “all but the comment from NASFM expressed opposing positions.” In denying the petition, DOT affirmed the position that polyurethane foam does not meet the definition of a hazardous solid. FPF is not a chemical substance and is not subject to hazard definitions as may be applied to chemicals.
According to a recent survey of PFA membership, more than 80% of those surveyed gave high marks for PFA’s strong leadership. The most valuable benefits of membership cited were the PFA website, PFA’s Spring and Fall meetings, the association’s advocacy efforts including legislative and regulatory programs, PFA FastRead newsletter providing important industry updates and the library of InTouch Bulletins. Every response was carefully reviewed and many of the comments and suggestions offered in the survey’s open-ended questions are being utilized to make the PFA better than ever. Thank you to all those who took the time to respond.
Any granulated residue in the plant – even though it isn’t combustible dust – can be confusing to U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors. Consider removing references to combustible dust on product information sheets and let plant supervisors know that good housekeeping is an important practice.
An alliance between the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), which includes the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association was recently announced. According to the joint news release issued July 7, the virtual alliance will focus on four key areas: pellet containment, advocacy, energy recovery and initiatives aimed at getting key stakeholders to look more favorably on plastics. Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for ACC explained that the alliance will help the three organizations provide a more consistent advocacy message. Read full release.
The 2011 inductees into the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame were Bob Bush, Sr., and E. Rhodes Carpenter. Both men, inducted posthumously, were pioneers in the foam industry. Bob Bush, Sr. was a founding father of the PFA. He played a pivotal role in the development of FPF use in the upholstered furniture industry during his 50-year career at Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company. E. Rhodes Carpenter was founder of the Carpenter Company, one of the world’s leading producers of comfort cushioning products. Read more. More information about the Hall of Fame, bios of past inductees and an online nomination form for 2012 is available at the PFA website.
August 26 is the deadline for submitting requests for technical presentations (30-minute length) for the PFA Technical Program in Phoenix, Ariz. November 3. Technical papers summarizing recent research and product developments related to the processing of flexible polyurethane foam, innovations in formulation, and foam production technology will be welcomed. PFA also encourages papers on product sustainability and environmental issues that may affect flexible polyurethane foam production or specification. Papers must have a non-sales focus and specifically address topics related to slabstock or molded flexible polyurethane foam production in North America. A short summary (abstract) of the intended content must be submitted with your request to make a presentation. Please send your request with abstract to Bob Luedeka rluedeka@pfa.
Here is a top line recap of the Europur 2011 General Assembly held in June (a full report will be sent to PFA members): Futurist Raymond Hammond, author of The World in 2030, provided a look toward principal market drivers in the next two decades, including an increasing need for clean water, purification technologies and filtration. Europur Secretary General, Axel Kamprath, reported that REACH regulation now provides direction for the preparation of FPF product information sheets. According to REACH authority, polyurethane foam is classified as an “article”; specifically, an industrial polymer, and as such, polyurethane foams are not considered to be hazardous products, nor as preparations for dangerous substances. Kamprath also reported that furniture flammability is being discussed at political levels and pro and con sides are supported by opposing lobbying efforts. There is a notable lack of statistics to support either side’s point of view. Work to develop an “Oeko-Tex Standard 100 approved” version of CertiPUR continues. A few obstacles remain to complete arrangements including the harmonization of test methods and registration/renewal procedures. The Italian federation within Europur reported success with a 3-year retail support campaign to increase market share for foam core mattresses. The German federation of foam manufacturing members of Europur reported on research activity focused on mattress odors, concluding that odor is difficult to objectively measure, a number of components and factors other than foam can contribute to odor, and there is no evidence of hazard or risk related to unpleasant odors. Europur president, Ward Dupont, reported that within the original 17 EU countries, FPF production has slowed, while several of the newer EU member countries, report that FPF production is improving. As a whole, FPF production in the EU is expected to be fairly flat during 2011 with minor growth in the automotive end-market sector. Representing PFA, Luedeka reported on US FPF industry issues and emphasized that care should be taken before making comments in public forums that might be taken out of context or misconstrued. It is important to reinforce FPF end-use benefits whenever possible.
California Senate Bill 147, which PFA supported – and would have mandated that the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation develop and adopt an alternative method of TB 117 compliance without use of FR additives was defeated. PFA adopted a supporting position based on foam manufacturers’ interest in having opportunities to investigate and possibly develop new, non-FR related technologies that could be used to improve small open flame performance of residential upholstered furniture for sale in California. The PFA position did not suggest that the use of FR additives be eliminated and is consistent with the organization’s long-standing position on small-open flame testing. Read the PFA statement
PFA is working with member companies and suppliers to study the effects of UV discoloration on the physical properties of foam which should provide information of value to a number of FPF end-use industries. A technical subcommittee will likely be formed to determine technical criteria for discoloration, the color scale to be used, etc. More to follow.
Show employees you care through education about fire safety. PFA provides a new easy-to-download fire safety pdf (with permission of the National Fire Protection Association) that you can easily print out and post on office bulletin boards, blast email or include with paychecks. The focus of this information is Fire Escape. Here’s an alarming statistic: Only 8% of Americans surveyed said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out! Having a fire escape plan can make a significant difference – and you can help share this important information. Additional materials can be found in the fire safety section of the PFA website. Fire prevention is a year-round effort, but the official Fire Prevention Week is October 5-11 and the theme is “Protect Your Family from Fire."
You’ve heard the expression “it takes a village,” but in this case, it may take our whole industry to help correct a widespread error. Here’s the problem: Currently, there are two CAS numbers (CAS RN) 9009-54-5 and 9010-69-9) erroneously cited for flexible polyurethane foam. Both are wrong, because CAS numbers are for chemical substances – and flexible polyurethane foam is not a chemical substance. These erroneous CAS numbers appear in countless websites, product information sheets and literature. PFA is actively working to gain the cooperation of several organizations in de-listing the CAS numbers cited for FPF, but if you come across FPF listed with a CAS number, please send the reference to Bob Luedeka at rluedeka@pfa.org so we can continue our efforts to fix the situation. Why is this important? Because there is no benefit to FPF being erroneously identified as a chemical. Similarly, because FPF is a manufactured article, not a chemical substance, MSDS sheets are not required. If you have been issuing MSDS sheets with shipments of foam articles, you may want to consider discontinuing that practice.
PFA continues to monitor legislative bills related to flammability in a number of states. Texas legislation HB 2682, introduced by a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Eddie Lucio, III, suggests a furniture flammability standard similar to California Technical Bulletin 117 be adopted. PFA sent an opposing statement to Lucio and other Texas legislators. Read PFA's letter. The bill in Texas only applies to upholstered furniture and would require all filling materials used in upholstered furniture to be burn resistant when exposed to open flame. The bill also requires labeling and makes non-compliance a Class 1 misdemeanor. No standard for testing is listed in Texas, though CA TB 117 is implied. The Texas legislature adjourned for the year without further action on HB 2682. Similar bills remain active in New York (A4654) and in New Jersey (A3881/S498).
In April, the Environmental Protection Agency released chemical action plans for TDI and MDI. Though the plans specifically indicate that “most polyurethane products, such as foam mattresses or bowling balls, are fully reacted or ‘cured,’ and are not of concern,” PFA realizes that communications surrounding this issue can easily be misinterpreted because it may be difficult to distinguish the difference between reacted and non-reacted, and cured and uncured products. EPA states that “it will continue to work with the polyurethanes industry” and others. PFA is preparing to submit comments and will advocate development of a thorough communications program to simply definitions and help non-technical entities understand that FPF products are not of concern.
AFPF Executive Director Doug Sullivan reports there are now 16 foam companies offering registered foams, with more than 50 different product families registered. An aggressive verification program is in place – and now includes the ability to verify product manufactured in China and other countries. There is also a proactive effort to ensure that the CertiPUR-US® mark is used correctly in end-user literature, advertising, websites, publicity and marketing materials. Foam producers, manufacturers and retailers are all required to sign the CertiPUR-US® Style and Branding Terms of Use Manual which outlines rules on use of the mark, including the requirement that promotional materials receive pre-approval from AFPF. A surge in orders for hangtags to display on products containing only CertiPUR-US® certified flexible polyurethane foam indicates increasing adoption of the program as a value-added marketing tool.