Palliser acts on lead
By Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, April 20, 2008
High Point — Does lead content in leather and other furniture materials pose a health risk?
The industry has begun exploring the issue and experts don't yet have an answer, but Palliser isn't waiting for a final verdict. At the High Point Market, the Canadian manufacturer launched a campaign for the safety of its leather upholstery products, offering retailers hangtags proclaiming the goods are lead-free.
The hangtags also acknowledge that the company is in compliance with fire resistance regulations.
Prompted by the widespread recall last summer of metal toys due to unsafe levels of lead, Palliser began investigating the lead content in its metal, leather and leather substitute products.
Lead, used in finishing in the form of lead-based pigments, can stabilize formulas, reduce drying time and aid as a color brightening agent.
"Palliser has tested all of its products including wood, metal, leather and leather substitutes and confirmed that the product is safe and not hazardous," said President Art DeFehr. "Palliser is committed to shipping only product which fully complies with the health and safety standards for materials and construction as determined by the appropriate regulatory authorities."
Retailers at market welcomed the wake-up call, DeFehr said.
"Retailers don't want to get caught by surprise," he said. "The store owners expressed appreciation that we had raised and clarified the issue. They recognize that if it is a real possibility, it should be dealt with. They allowed that they will do their own homework to get in front of the issue."
DeFehr said retailers told him they have asked their suppliers to sign forms saying they follow regulations and environmental codes. But the retailers admit they aren't sure what those rules are.
"People are trying to cover themselves. They know how damaging (the product safety issue) has been to other industries. Pretending it doesn't exist doesn't help," he said.
Meanwhile, the American Home Furnishings Alliance said the University of Cincinnati Leather Research Lab is testing metal, leather and leather substitutes to determine if there are any lead issues that need to be resolved.
"The AHFA is not aware of any lead issues in terms of violations of standards," said Andy Counts, CEO of the Alliance. The AHFA Joint Industry Standards and Guidelines Committee is scheduled to discuss the issue of lead in leather when it meets May 13-14.
DeFehr said Palliser is working with its suppliers to ensure adherence to what the company anticipates will be more stringent requirements, especially relating to lead.
"The industry does not want to talk about these issues because they may have to spend money to do testing," he said. As for Palliser, he said, "We are not taking the cheap way out. We are promoting safety and taking credit for it."
On the FR issue, last year's furniture store fire in Charleston, S.C., that killed several firefighters spurred Palliser to state its compliance with the industry's voluntary UFAC standards as well as California standards on FR its products.
DeFehr said the company is concerned not only about the consumer, but about the impact of its purchases and actions on the environment and on the communities and workers involved in production. Palliser selects responsible suppliers that control pollution in their tanneries and that respect labor laws and other regulations, he said.
Palliser asks its suppliers to sign a contract that commits them to meeting required safety standards, and to meeting the environmental, labor and human rights requirements of their countries.
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Palliser promotes lead-free leather
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