[sudo-discuss] Accessibility Liaison?

Tue Apr 21 17:50:32 PDT 2015

Keep in mind that I am no expert on this topic - merely interested enough
to spend some spare cycles googling the problem. Not volunteering to become
the accessibility liaison ;-)

Some more links from MCS America, an advocacy group for people with
multiple chemical sensitivity:
http://mcs-america.org/index_files/CleaningandLaundry.htm
http://mcs-america.org/index_files/BuildingMaterials.htm

Patrik

On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 5:34 PM, Patrik D'haeseleer <patrikd at gmail.com>
wrote:

> There are a few pages online that provide recommendations for building
> materials for people with multiple chemical sensitivities.
>
> *http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/helping-people-multiple-chemical-sensitivity
> <http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/helping-people-multiple-chemical-sensitivity>*
> Recommendations to architects and builders
>
> If you are tempted to take on a client with multiple chemical sensitivity,
> here are some guidelines:
>
>    - Don’t give health advice. Remember, you are not a doctor.
>    - Don’t make any health claims for a house you build.
>    - Don’t propose specific materials as “safe.” It’s better to say, “If
>    you or your doctor provides a list of the substances that need to be
>    avoided, I’ll do my best to comply with that list.”
>    - Manage expectations from the start. Make no promises related to your
>    client’s symptoms.
>    - Be sure to include a great deal of extra time in your construction
>    schedule for materials research and selection. A useful resource with
>    information on the ingredients found in building materials is the Pharos
>    database <http://www.pharosproject.net/> maintained by the Healthy
>    Building Network.
>
> What materials should be avoided?
>
> Since some people with multiple chemical sensitivity become ill when they
> smell shampoo, it’s basically impossible to come up with a list of “safe”
> building materials. That said, here are oft-repeated recommendations noted
> by other writers:
>
>    - Ceramic tile is better than carpet.
>    - Linoleum is better than sheet vinyl.
>    - Low-VOC paints are better than conventional paints.
>    - Solid-wood furniture or cabinets are better than furniture
>    containing particleboard or plywood.
>    - It’s best to omit wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.
>
>
> *http://www.nkba.org/Learn/Homeowners/Tips/Safety/DesigningAndBuildingWithChemicalSensitivity.aspx*
> <http://www.nkba.org/Learn/Homeowners/Tips/Safety/DesigningAndBuildingWithChemicalSensitivity.aspx>
>
> Common irritants include: cleaning agents (*bleach*, soaps and
> detergents), paints, and varnishes (including sealants, caulks and glues),
> as well as upholstery, carpet, furniture and cabinetry that have been
> treated or manufactured with common chemicals such as formaldehyde resins
> (a known carcinogen), pesticides and other toxic solvents.
>
>    - Natural hard surface flooring such as cork, linoleum, wood or tile
>    instead of carpeting, laminate or vinyl to minimize off-gassing and the
>    harboring of dust mites, mildew and/or bacteria.
>
>
>    - *Low/No VOC paints and finishes over their high VOC brethren – look
>    for third party certifications such as Green Seal (www.greenseal.org
>    <http://www.greenseal.org>) or Green Guard (www.greenguard.org
>    <http://www.greenguard.org>) for assurance of low VOC levels.*
>
>
>    - Vintage furniture has likely already off-gassed its toxic components
>    so consider buying used. If new furnishings is what you need, look for a
>    manufacturer’s membership in the Sustainable Furnishings Council (
>    www.sustainablefurnishings.org) which promotes the manufacturing of
>    sustainable, low toxicity products.
>
>
>    - Stock or semi-custom cabinetry that has earned the Environmental
>    Stewardship Program seal from the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association
>    (KCMA - www.greencabinetsource.org).
>
>
>    - Custom made cabinetry and furniture that uses only no added
>    formaldehyde plywood, particle board and/or medium density fiber board
>    (MDF) along with low VOC finishes and adhesives.
>
>
>    - Countertop materials that don’t contain high VOC glues, resins or
>    other toxic binding agents and can be maintained without the use of high
>    VOC sealants and cleaning agents.
>
>
>    - Untreated natural fibers such as wool, cotton, jute, etc. rather
>    than synthetic fiber materials for window coverings and furnishings.
>
>
>    - Materials that do not require toxic cleaning agents for routine
>    maintenance.
>
>
>    - Analyze and supplement, where necessary, the home’s ventilation
>    including upgrading kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, installing a filter
>    on a forced air furnace and/or installing a room air exchanger.
>
> Patrik
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 4:24 PM, Ryan <yandoryn at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Things that trigger chemical sensitivities and allergies are not
>> necessarily things that are "smelly."
>> In fact, they usually aren't.
>>
>> Good ventilation would be so awesome.
>>
>> Building materials is not short for dust. It's short for things you build
>> with, such as lumber, paint, so on and so forth. The way that these are
>> treated or produced or the materials themselves can be volatile, releasing
>> things into the air that cause health issues for people.
>> On Apr 21, 2015 4:18 PM, <hol at gaskill.com> wrote:
>>
>>>  4) set up/install fans/ventilation
>>>
>>> this is the number one thing we can do other than eliminating transient
>>> point sources
>>>
>>> On 2015-04-21 15:14, Robert Benson wrote:
>>>
>>>    are "building materials" short for construction dust? what are we
>>> even taking about here? the most olfactory offensive substances i've
>>> encountered we're compost methane - which has been fairly sever at times.
>>>
>>> things we could do:
>>> 1) clean bleach all trash/compost bins/buckets
>>> 2) sweep & mop all construction areas after work is done for the day.
>>> 3) cover all building materials with tarps/cloth
>>> 4) set up/install fans/ventilation
>>> 5) make sure fans are on prior to events
>>>
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