Tag Archives: VOCs

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel Spas And Restaurants Must Review And Improve Air Quality And Purification Systems To Limit “Volatile Organic Compound” (VOC) Health Risks To Guests And Employees

Spas and Salons across the Country have demonstrated increasing evidence of illnesses affecting employees, customers, and even children due to the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOC”) emitted by a variety of hair, nail and other personal grooming treatments, in many instances with little or no air purification whatsoever provided.

Restaurants generally prove vulnerable to poor indoor air quality, particularly with respect to the use of cleaning solvents in the dining room and bar areas, as well as the possibility for odors, mold and mildew that can plague food preparation areas.

In the personal grooming arena, Spas and Salons across the Country have demonstrated increasing evidence of illnesses affecting employees, customers, and even children due to the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOC”) emitted by a variety of hair, nail and other personal grooming treatments, in many instances with little or no air purification whatsoever provided.

“There are serious ramifications building across the Country due to the lack of education on how damaging these contaminants are to the long term health of the people that are breathing them on a regular basis,” said Jack Lennon, President of UV Flu Technologies. “We are contacted on a weekly basis by parents, as well as workers and customers, who have experienced symptoms of illness themselves, or whose children have experienced negative effects while certain treatments were underway with no air purification in evidence, or with non-functioning air purifiers being used.”

“A particularly troubling aspect is that many of these individuals breathing these VOC’s are at young ages critical to the development of their heart and lungs,” continues Mr. Lennon, “Some of these popular hair treatments have been shown recently to contain up to 20% formaldehyde, while acetone and benzene are being used for nails. These contaminants are known carcinogens, and salons who are not addressing the concerns of their employees and customers are not only facing a loss of business, but the risk of litigation, as well as potential legislation.”

For more:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uv-flu-technologies-identifies-new-prospects-for-uv-400-air-purifier-with-rising-health-concerns-within-hospitality-market-segments-2010-11-16?reflink=MW_news_stmp

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