Where do our priorities lie?

The New York Times recently reported on ‘the uphill

battle to better regulate formaldehyde’ in the context

of excessive use of formaldehyde in the furniture and

flooring industry. The US Environmental Protection

Agency began its investigations in response to the

burning eyes, throats and respiratory problems suffered

by recipients of emergency accommodation after

Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, 10 years later, vested

interests and concerns about over-regulation and

increased costs are likely to water down the proposals

to such an extent that the final regulations may end up

meaningless.

Of course the unpleasant effects of formaldehyde-

saturated wood products on consumers are bad

enough, but one can’t help but wonder what on earth

the factories must be like for this much formaldehyde

to be still present in the finished products. Any

embalmer would probably be horrified at what goes on

in some of these firms, especially those manufacturers

located in developing economies using child labour.

One has to ask: Is a low price really that important?

But one also has to ask: Is formaldehyde really that

important either? Those in the funeral industry are, of

course, completely used to formaldehyde being part of

business life and treat it with considerable caution,

using protective gear, extractions systems and so on. In

the majority of cases, embalming can be achieved using

alternative, safer products. Practitioners are able to

choose the best method for the situation at hand, for

the needs of the family and for the skills and equipment

they have, but at least they are making an informed

choice.

It is concerning that factory workers and consumers are

given fewer choices and so little information – after all,

their health really IS important.

Read the NYT article in full here

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