NewslineVolume V, Issue 14 - July 2, 2004The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
CRI Members, The date of the CRI Annual Meeting has been changed from November 11, 2004, to December 1, 2004. The Annual Meeting, held at the NorthWest Georgia Trade and Convention Center in Dalton, Georgia, will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude around 1 p.m. following lunch. Please mark this new date on your calendar. The date was changed to avoid any conflict with industry folks attending the USBGC Greenbuild International Conference in Portland, Oregon, November 10-12. Contact Sally Fortenberry at 706.428.2108. In This Issue: CDC Rates Carpet High in Health-Care Recommendations In a publication entitled Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in
Health-Care Facilities, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services compile recommendations
for the prevention and control of infectious diseases that are associated with
health-care environments. Aside from maintenance recommendations for carpet,
the publication points out carpet's long history of use in both public and patient-care
areas of health-care facilities, and lists carpet's advantages including noise-limiting
characteristics, its "humanizing'' effect is good and slip/fall safety.
The guidelines do not restrict the use of carpet in areas housing immunocompromised
patients. View full text of the CDC's "Guideline for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities, 2003" Offensive Sharper Image Ad No Longer Airing Sharper Image is no longer running an advertisement for its Ionic Breeze Quadra
Silent Air Purifier which implied that carpet continuously emits dangerous chemicals
and that the product's electrostatic collection system removes these harmful
chemicals from the air. CRI contacted the Office of the President of the Sharper
Image and engaged the company's General Counsel in discussions about the merits
of the advertisement and to express our concerns about its continued use. CRI
made it clear to Sharper Image that the information in the advertisement was
misleading and that the inaccuracies related to carpet were unacceptable. CRI
has continued to monitor the airing of the advertisement since then. The offending
advertisement was last aired on March 14, 2004 and has since been replaced with
a modified version that does not implicate carpet. CRI Meets with Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC)Following news articles earlier this spring in the Boston Globe regarding the
BPHC's use of HUD grant money to remove carpet from low income housing, Jenn
Mendez recently traveled to Boston to meet with the Commission. She learned
that the article was not entirely factual. The BPHC used grant money to work
with low income families to modify conditions contributing to asthma. They remediated
these conditions in 250 homes at two levels. At the lower cost level, residents
were given vacuum cleaners, cleaning supplies, and educational information on
their proper use. At a higher cost level, in addition to the supplies and educational
information shared at the lower level, in more extreme cases (pest infestation
and extreme cases of mold) carpet was removed, repairs were made to control
leaks, etc., and kitchens were properly ventilated. In some cases the carpet
was replaced with new carpet and in other cases with a hard surface floor. The
BPHC has agreed to share the results of their findings in working with these
two groups with CRI. CRI plans to continue to work with the BPHC as they undertake
additional projects. CRI to be Featured on Discovery Channel, CNN in SeptemberA piece that was filmed in Dalton, featuring CRI President Werner Braun, along
with former EPA Director of Indoor Air Quality Dr. Michael Berry, and former
University of Wisconsin professor and allergy specialist Dr. John Ouellette,
is scheduled to appear on CNN and the Discovery Health Channel beginning in
September. The show, entitled "HealthWatch," will have 10 regional
airings on CNN beginning on September 1 and running through September 30. It
will air on the Discovery Health Channel on Saturday, September 25, at 7 p.m.
ET. The show focuses on health issues and is co-sponsored by the New England
Journal of Medicine. CRI's segment discusses carpet as a healthy contributor
to indoor air quality. Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Course Approved for Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) ProgramOn June 11, 2004, the CEU course Sustainability - Our Biggest Challenge of
the New Millennium, authored by Bob Peoples, Executive Director of CARE, was
approved by the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC). This course
carries 0.1 CEU credits. Green Label Plus Introduced at NeoCon World's Trade Fair
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