Protect the health and safety of our residents by banning certain flame retardants

Brothers and Sisters,

The health and safety of our members, as well as that of the general public, is the number one priority of Insulators Local 6. To this extent, Business Manager Jeff Saliba penned an op-ed on the dangers of certain flame retardants that was recently published by the New England Real Estate Journal.

“For our communities, the top priorities must be to protect the health and safety of our residents and its first responders by banning certain flame retardants whose defects and toxic chemicals have raised serious questions about their safety.

Producers tout these toxic flame retardants as a cost effective alternative for developers to expensive and time-consuming construction for structures like mid-rise hotels. But its pervasive use in buildings across the state is alarming professional insulation technicians and firefighters alike.

Certain flame retardants are sometimes used as a fire resistant coating on ductwork.

Used as a spray insulation on ductwork, certain flame retardant chemicals can be highly dangerous if a fire activates the sprinkler system, because sprinklers can wash the insulation off the ducts. Without the insulation, there’s less protection from the fire. Marketed as mitigating the spread of fire, these products may be capable of doing the opposite.”

Please take a moment to read this op-ed and know that Local 6 will continue to lead the way in the fight to improve worker safety.

In solidarity,

Jeffrey Saliba
Business Manager/Financial Secretary