NewsRelease 6-13-07, Mattress Employees Sick

20 Simmons Employees Sick, July 1 requires prescription for a clean bed, 3 TV news stories, States ban FRC used in mattresses

As of July 1 All mattresses, including crib, must now withstand a two-foot wide blowtorch open flame test for 70 seconds. This requires acutely toxic and cancer causing chemicals to be used in the surface of new mattresses.

The most widely used chemicals to fireproof mattresses include: Boric Acid (Roach Killer), Antimony (Arsenic), Decabromodiphenyl Oxide (DBDPO, Fiberglass, Silicon, Ammonium Polyphosphate, Melamine, and Formaldehyde. Even what they call inherently fire resistant fibers have Antimony or Formaldehyde blended into the fiber itself.

Many people have already reported getting sick from sleeping on new flameproof mattresses. We have previously received two other complaints from mattress manufacturer employees that the fire proofing materials are making them sick, plus we received this email on 6/10/07:

"I work at a Simmons mattress factory. The employees here are having difficulty's health wise. Mostly respiratory. About 20 people called OSHA and complained which only angered our CEO and upper management. They held a meeting a few days ago saying "A handful of people are having problems" which they continued to repeat through out the meeting. Well 20 people may be a handful if we are talking about a huge population of people but only about 90 people work in our plant per shift and only a handful (about 20) people handle the FR material. Anyways they told us "If anyone complains about any reaction to the FR material they will be required to use the extra safety equipment ( Air tight goggles, respirators, full body smocks etc.) for the eternity of their employment". They also told us there is no roach killer or any dangerous chemicals in this material. After the meeting a man approached one speaker and asked if they would tell him what is in the stuff, since they never said what was actually in it, only what is not in it. They just gave him a list of lengthy undefined chemicals. She also said that only Sealy and Serta include the Boric Acid in their mattress and Simmons has discontinued it's use."
Any single one of the eight toxic chemicals used to flame proof mattresses could cause respiratory problems.

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) proved these chemicals leach to the surface of mattresses, and proved we will absorb Antimony, Boric Acid, and DBDPO from flameproof mattresses every night for entire lives. But says the amount of poisons they predict we will absorb is safe. Many MD's disagree and say unsafe. Two states also disagree.
Maine and Washington recently banned one of the above chemicals used in mattresses, DBDPO (Deca), because many scientific organizations have found even very low amounts are harmful to humans. California, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and New York are currently working on bans.

We have made toxic mistakes in the past. We have repeatedly banned flame retardant chemicals including PCB, Tris, Asbestos, PBDE, and now DBDPO (Deca), after we find human harm. Now government is literally in our beds requiring we sleep in and absorb toxic chemicals to protect us from a one in 1.111 million mattress fire risk.

See Video of 3 new TV news stories from Louisville, Kentucky on 6/12/07, Indianapolis IN 6/13/07, and Boise ID 6/7/07 at: http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/news6.htm

See the facts first hand in government documents at: http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/CPSC_Risk_Assessment_Highlights_w-notes_v2.pdfYou may find the tone of the CPSC responses to the independent reviewer and public comments interesting. You might also find some good quotes.

And a quote from a newspaper article:

“But Dr. Doris J. Rapp, a certified environmental medical specialist and pediatric allergist in Scottsdale, Ariz., sides with Strobel.”
'The fire retardants are very bad,' she said, adding that boric acid is highly poisonous. 'They tell you if you're going to use it around your house for cockroaches, to be careful to wear gloves and mask and keep your pets away from it.'
'I hardly think that that is something that should be put in the top of mattresses that children and adults bounce up and down on.'"

No Labeling Requirements for the fire-proofing chemicals in mattresses. You will never know what you are sleeping in and absorbing every night. Manufacturers are free to use any chemicals they choose, and almost all deny using chemicals. We have even seen the major brand who admitted using Boric Acid and other toxic chemicals to the Washington Post, later deny it to customers who got sick.

As you will see in the government documents the CPSC studied only 3 of the 8 fireproofing chemicals used in mattresses, and excluded children under five. Plus they did not study small particle release and inhalation risks from fiberglass or silicon (silica glass) systems. Silicon is known to cause silicosis and lung cancer.

Fortunately, Doctors, including Chiropractors, can prescribe toxin-free mattresses and avoid the regulation. The prescription will also save people the sales tax, make the purchase tax deductible, and they can use their health savings account.

More TV and newspaper stories are in progress. We hope you will also do a story. Please call Mark Strobel at 800-457-6442

More Details:
Many MD’s say Unsafe: “Many people do not tolerate treated mattresses. And how many are intolerant who don't know why they can't sleep or feel bad?” Lawrence A. Plumlee, MD.

“I am absolutely opposed.” Allan D. Lieberman, MD.

“The world has gone completely crazy.” Doris Rapp, MD.

“The least we can ask for is a safe bedroom.” Elizabeth Vaughan, MD.

“This is ethically unacceptable.” Jesus R. Marante, MD.

“I have yet to find a single scientific study that supports the use of these chemicals in mattresses, and labels them as ‘safe.’ It is another example of ignorance beyond reason and one begins to questions the true motivation of the individuals pushing for a national law to include these chemical in all mattresses. Maybe one should start to ask who would financially benefit from such a law to get the true motivation?” Dr. Margo Mayer-Proschel, University of Rochester Medical School. (Dr. Mayer-Proschel has published 18 scientific studies in neurotoxicology.)

Four of these doctors are leaders in their field of environmental medicine, and Dr. Plumlee has testified before congress on chemical injury. These doctors see first hand the pain, suffering, and agonizing slow death of people poisoned by the chemicals in our modern environment.

There are already 6,463 US cases of Boric Acid poisoning each year. The National Safety Council says 17,550 Americans die each year from “Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances." This exceeds deaths in car accidents.Boric Acid, also known as the best Roach Killer, is a known reproductive and developmental toxin, a known respiratory irritant, "Demonstrated injury to the gonads and to the developing fetus. high prenatal mortality," "Neonatal children are unusually susceptible." One human exposure study showed reduced sperm counts and reduced sexual activity in humans. "Prolonged absorption causes weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, convulsions and anemia. Liver and particularly the kidneys may be susceptible." Fatal human single dose reported at: 2g Child, 5g Adult. "Depending on the amount of exposure could result in the development of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, rash, headache, fall in body temperature, low blood pressure, renal injury, cyanosis, coma, and death."

Antimony is 250 times more Poisonous than Boric Acid: Quote from College Chemistry Textbook: “Antimony resembles Arsenic very closely; the difference in its behavior being almost entirely accounted for by the fact that antimony is slightly more metallic.” This helps explain why it is so poisonous. Quotes from ATSDR a division of the CDC on Antimony: “An increase in the number of spontaneous abortions, disturbances in menstruation, failure to conceive, May cause heart to beat irregularly or stop. … Chronic Exposure: Prolonged or repeated exposure may damage the liver and the heart muscle." “In long-term studies, animals that breathed very low levels of antimony had eye irritation, hair loss, lung damage, and heart problems. Problems with fertility were also noted.” "Two studies reported lung tumors in rats exposed to relatively low levels of antimony trioxide." "Antimony tends to accumulate in the liver and gastrointestinal tract.” “Death was observed in rabbits following a single [dermal] application of Antimony.” “Two out of four rabbits died after 6-8 topical applications of antimony trioxide paste. The antimony trioxide was combined with a mixture formulated to resemble acidic sweat.” Antimony seems to absorb readily through our skin and the CPSC assumptions could be very wrong. The CDC cannot determine a safe level of Antimony exposure because: “At the lowest exposure levels tested, the adversity of the effects was considered to be serious.” On cancer risks of Antimony the CPSC admits: “The cancer effects are cumulative. Every exposure contributes to the overall lifetime risk of developing cancer.”

Many people have already reported getting sick from fireproof mattresses: "I watch the effects of this to our workforce daily. I work at Simmons Mattress in Janesville WI. We are concerned that the chemicals are harmful. All we hear is FR is government mandated. What is wrong with our government?" (I can privately give you her name and phone)

I am currently suffering severe allergic reactions to my new Sealy mattress. The store, Slumberland and its rep deny any problems from the Boric acid. … Thank you for your work. Ann Natale, BS, 1690 Rowntree Lane, Rockford IL 61107,

I work at Simmons Mattresses. Please DO NOT ENDORSE THE FR BEDS! … I work at Simmons and am currently making FR beds. Since this new line has come out I have been having coughing fits. I am convinced this new FR fiber we are using is the cause. Beloit WI 53551

"The new Serta I bought at Costco this spring is giving me huge headaches and joint pain. I went back to a 8 yr old bed and immediately felt better." Phil Fleming, Seattle WA 98166

"Bought a chemical treated mattress, broke out in a rash/itchy skin, have sore throat and increased frequency of my migraines and sinus problems." Kirsten Surratt, Peoria IL 61615,
"I have had a new mattress for 20 days and have been sick since it arrived. Manufacturer and dealer will not admit that the mattress is causing my symptoms and will not refund my money - nearly $1500." Marjorie Trudel, Fitchburg MA 01420

"I have my life back now but how many other people will suffer from this unnecessary exposure to added chemicals. …. I feel sorry for the infants who are placed on these infected mattresses." Sandra Dorsey, Fallbrook, CA 92028

Close, chronic, lifetime full-body and breathing exposure to these poisons in mattresses is especially risky.

Before assuming our government used due diligence to prove it safe to sleep in fireproofing chemicals, please, please, look at the facts in a few highlighted pages of government documents on our websites, or I will send them to you. You will see, the CPSC admits it is NOT proven safe to sleep in these chemicals, and they excluded children under age five from their analysis by assuming all these children will sleep on vinyl sheets due to bedwetting problems, and that this will protect them from the toxic chemicals in their mattresses. European scientists proved Antimony leaches through vinyl on crib mattresses, and linked it to SIDS.

The only analysis justifying the regulation is a short CPSC internal review designed to reach a preexisting conclusion that has many errors and omissions. It failed independent review as the reviewer complained their assumptions of safe levels of toxin absorption do not agree with other agencies, and that they changed the rules of National Academes of Sciences “child sucking test” and then did not even apply it to one- year-old children whom the test was designed to protect. Our calculations show mattresses would clearly fail this test. Of several omissions, they did not test for Formaldehyde release or absorption from a popular system. Formaldehyde is already known to cause up to 69,300 cancer cases.

From flame-proof mattresses the CPSC predicts we will absorb every night, .081 mg Boric Acid (Roach Killer), .073 mg DBDPO (Deca), and .802 mg Antimony (an ancient poison used since Egyptian times, and a heavy metal almost identical to Arsenic). Even this amount of Antimony is 27 times more than the EPA says is safe (.03 mg).

Even Crib Mattresses often contain .5 pounds of these poisons, and a queen size, 1.5 pounds. To make their predictions, the CPSC assumed, without data, we would absorb only 1/10,000’s, 1/1,000’s, 2/1,000’s respectively of the above chemicals that have leached to the surface and contact our bodies. If we make more reasonable absorption assumptions of only 2% it proves Boric Acid and DBDPO toxic by twice the safe level, and Antimony toxic by 280 times. We know we absorb medicines through our skin from small patches. We may absorb much more poison than they predict, and there is also a cancer risk.

The CPSC hopes to save up to 270 from fire after all existing mattresses are replaced. Many say the risk of 300 Million Americans sleeping in poison outweighs the benefit. These numbers put your individual mattress fire risk at one in 1.111 Million.

According to USA Today, Though the USA has the worlds toughest flame retardancy standards, 3000 people die in fires each year. The chemical manufacturers association says up to 960 are saved by the 1.2 Billion pounds of flame retardant chemicals we already use annually. We doubt this one regulation will save a third more. But any amount of lives saved is a wonderful thing. However if we accidentally kill or harm more than we save it becomes clearly wrong. Putting 300 million people at any level of risk becomes a big risk.

Many mattress manufacturers and retailers privately believe it is unsafe, but can't speak up for fear it will hurt their business. A TV reporter who is currently doing a story told me they wanted to interview a local mattress retailer to tell the safe side of the story. I suggested my friend who owns 20 mattress stores in their market. When the reporter called he declined the interview even though the publicity would help his business. He told me, "I am too honest, I don't lie well, I agree with you, this regulation is bullshit." He said he would quietly offer toxin-free prescription beds in his stores to customers concerned about the chemicals, and added he definitely wanted a toxin-free prescription crib mattress for his new grandchild due soon.
Of people informed of this chemical use, 91% say they would prefer a toxin free mattress.

Here are a few of our 800 public comments we received: "This is terrifying legislation. I can't imagine putting my child to sleep on poison every night!"; "This chemical soup is deadly."; "The toxic load on our bodies is high enough without purposefully increasing the load."; "When will this senseless over use of chemicals be stopped?"; "This is an incredibly irrational and dangerous concept."; "This is an outrage."; "Forced inclusion of these chemicals constitutes a human experiment without consent."

We hope you agree that Americans want to know about this chemical use and be given freedom of choice to be part of the control group, not the test group. We hope you will run a story. Please call me at 800-457-6442

Mark Strobel, President, Strobel Mfg. www.Strobel.com, www.PrescriptionBeds.com, Director, www.PeopleForCleanBeds.org, 3131 Industrial Pkwy, Jeffersonville IN 47130, email: Mark@Strobel.com, fax: 812-282-6528, phone: 812-280-6000





Additional Links:
Government Table of Chemicals really used to fireproof mattresses:http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/chemicals-in-beds.htm
See the facts first hand in government documents at: http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/CPSC_Risk_Assessment_Highlights_w-notes_v2.pdf
Children Vulnerablehttp://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/new_research_march_2005.htm
Doctor, Retailer, and Public Comments:http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/retailer-comments.htm
Boric Acid Health Risks:http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/boric_acid_risks.htm
Antimony Health Risks:http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/antimony-risks.htm
Pounds of Poison in Crib and Adult Mattresses:http://www.prescriptionbeds.com/Pounds%20Boric%20Acid.htm
Proponents Say and Rebuttals:http://www.prescriptionbeds.com/Proponents-Say.htm
Comments of people sick from fireproof mattresses:http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/People-Sick.htm
Strobel's history of fighting the regulation before it passed: The mattress industry accuses me of fighting the issue because I benefit by selling prescription beds. Before the regulation passed they said I opposed it because I did not want to spend the money to meet the regulation. I mistakenly thought I had a chance to stop the regulation and started offering prescription beds only after the regulation passed. If you read the fight history you may come to agree my intentions are sincere: http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/fight_history.htm After verifying the facts, two leading independent Chiropractic medical journals published published my articles. One journal's article is titled "EPA Proves Flameproof Mattresses Toxic," and the other journal's article is titled, "New federal standards, new health hazards -- How you can protect your patients." Please see these and more at www.PrescriptionBeds.com/news-articles.htm.
See the facts firsthand that prove my claims in a few highlighted pages of government documents: This collection includes selected highlighted pages from the CPSC risk assessment that prove the chemicals really used in mattresses, that we will absorb toxins, that they excluded children under age five, the problems and omissions in the report and how their conclusions are invalid from a report designed to reach a preexisting conclusion. (click on the "Bookmarks" tab at left for an index that jumps to pages)http://www.prescriptionbeds.com/Proof-pages-for-media.pdf
And a shorter printer friendly version that will print highlights and notes: You may find the tone of the CPSC responses to the independent reviewer and public comments interesting. You might also find some good quotes.http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/CPSC_Risk_Assessment_Highlights_w-notes_v2.pdf
See Video of 3 new TV news stories from Louisville, Kentucky on 6/12/07, Indianapolis IN 6/13/07, and Boise ID 6/7/07 at: http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/news6.htm

Mark Strobel, President, Strobel Mfg. www.Strobel.com, www.PrescriptionBeds.com, Director, www.PeopleForCleanBeds.org, 3131 Industrial Pkwy, Jeffersonville IN 47130, email: Mark@Strobel.com, fax: 812-282-6528, phone: 812-280-6000

If you are not the right person please forward this email to the people in your organization who might do a story.
Notice: The statements and questions contained in this notice are not intended to convey allegations regarding any particular company, person, or association. Readers should conduct their own investigation of a company or association or person to ascertain the particular policies, practices, and motivations of that entity. I have reported what I believe to be true and correct to the best of my knowledge and opinion at the time of its writing in a free speech effort to avert a public health disaster.

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