Shop Towel News

• State of Health? Or Paranoia?

  January 15, 2013 | Men's Health

  "Lead is what we call 'stunningly toxic'," says Caroline Cox, research director for the Center for environmental Health in Oakland, California. "It doesn't go away. Lead is forever."

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• Hazardous Chemicals Being Released By Connecticut Laundry

  November 20, 2012 | FOX CT News

  Hazardous chemicals are being released into the air by industrial laundry company G&K Services. See the Full Story>

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• When Washing Rags Creates Toxic Emissions

  November 26, 2012 | NPR "Here and Now"

  Environmental regulators in Connecticut found emissions from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) so bad at one laundry, they stopped the facility from cleaning them. Listen to the 8 minute interview.

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• EPA Investigating Toxic Laundry Emissions

  November 19, 2012 | Hartford Courant

  Laundering shop and print towels, which are cloths used to wipe oil, solvent and
  other chemicals off machinery, can fuel the release of VOCs above federal
  limits.

  "Based on EPA documents, this appears to be an issue that has been missed for
  a long time," said Steven Rapp, chief of the Air Technical Unit, EPA Region 1.
  "It's a complete sleeper."

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• Preventing The TOXIC Hand-Off

  September 1, 2005 | Occupational Hazards

  Unseen or unknown dermal exposures pose exposure risks to workers.

  Read what a former NIOSH industrial hygienist shares.

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• Industrial Wipes Hang in the Balance

  October 8, 2012 | Nonwovens Industry

  As manufacturers continue to wait for a ruling from the EPA, nonwoven wipes continue to compete.

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• Navy Cited Over Toxic Chemical Exposure

  September 7, 2012 | UT San Diego News and AP

  The Navy has been cited for safety violations that exposed up to 350 employees at
  an aircraft hangar in Coronado (California) to the toxic chemicals lead, cadmium and beryllium, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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• Clean Shop Towels May Be Hazardous to Automotive Workers

  July 12, 2011 | Broadcast Segment on KSEE News 24 News at 11, Fresno, CA

  Puertas Automotive Services in Fresno receives a bag of freshly washed red towels, every week. At the same time, about 50 rags are sent back to a commercial washing facility. But a new study suggests washed towels that return to automotive shops are not exactly "clean."

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• New Study Raises Concerns Over Safety Of Laundered Shop Towels

  July 20, 2011 | Press Release by INDA

  A recently released report analyzing the potential risks for workers using laundered shop towels finds that the situation is just as potentially hazardous - and in many cases potentially more hazardous - than when a similar study was completed nearly a decade ago

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• Towels May Expose Workers to Heavy Metals

  July 19, 2011 | Article by United Press International (UPI)

  A U.S. study found elevated levels of heavy metals in laundered towels used in industrial settings, an environmental and risk science consulting firm says.

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• Study Shows Toxin Exposure Possible In Cleaned Towels

  July 13, 2011 | News Release by Automotive Service Association (ASA)

  In a report released by Kimberly-Clark, information was revealed regarding the use of towels and the exposure to chemicals in automotive repair shops

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• Elevated Metal Levels in Shop Towels May Put Workers at Risk

  July 12, 2011 | Article by Laura Walter, EHS Today

  A new study suggests that shop towels may contain damaging levels of heavy metals- even after laundering.

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• Facts about the 2011 Gradient Study on “Potential Exposure to Metals in Laundered Shop Towels”

  August 23, 2012 | KCP Response to TRSA Article Read More
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