A new “Indoor Environmental Quality Policy” has been issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reportedly seeking to “protect and maintain safe indoor environmental quality … for all CDC employees at all CDC work areas [owned, rented and leased] including animal facilities.”
The move comes as the fragrance industry faces ongoing negative press via NGOs.
The CDC guidelines call for the use of fragrance-free cleaning products and soaps and announce that “scented or fragranced products are prohibited at all times in all interior space owned, rented or leased by CDC.” This list of non-permissible products includes: incense, candles or reed diffusers; fragrance-emitting devices of any kind; wall-mounted devices that operate automatically or by pushing a button to dispense deodorizers or disinfectants; potpourri; plug-in or spray air fresheners; urinal or toilet blocks; and other fragranced deodorizer/re-odorizer products.
In addition, personal care products such as fine fragrance and scented skin and hair products are not to be applied at or near CDC facilities. In fact, the CDC “encourages employees to be as fragrance-free as possible when they arrive in the workplace,” including the use of scented detergents and fabric softeners for clothes worn to the workplace. The announcement concludes that “fragrance is not appropriate for a professional work environment, and the use of some products with fragrance may be detrimental to the health of workers with chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, and chronic headaches/migraines.”
Full text of policy located via.