I AN CZ oT ir re i niu Safe Handling Of Preserved Wood (NAPSA)—Every year, Americans buy some $7 billion worth of wood that’s preserved with chromated copper arsenate, or CCA, to prevent rot, termites and decay. Most of that wood goes into projects such as decks, docks, fences, gazebos and landscaping, and many of those structures are built by do-it-yourselfers. Working in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the preserved wood industry hopes to keep the public informed about safe-handling procedures for CCA-treated wood. At the core of the industry’s voluntary program are five messages: * Caution: Arsenic is in the pesticide applied to this wood * Never burn treated wood * Wear a dust mask and goggles when cutting or sanding wood * Wear gloves when working with wood * Ask for the safe handling information sheet or call 800-282-0600 or online at www.ccasafetyinfo.com. “By calling the toll-free number, 800-282-0600, people working with the wood can hear the full EPA-approved Consumer Safety Information Sheet (CSIS) in English or Spanish, or they can have it faxed to them,” explained Scott Ramminger, president of the American Wood Preservers Institute (AWPI). “Similarly, the Web site, www.ccasafetyinfo.com, offers the full CSIS in English nv trash trash eters collection. ca A new end tag found on most pressure-treated lumber features important safety messages. and Spanish.” Both thetoll-free number and the Website also provide contact information for the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network, where members of the public can report any problems. The end tags on individual pieces of lumber 5/4” and larger include an EPA-approved condensed version of the CSIS. “People can get the safety messages from the signs and stickers in stores, from the tags on the lumber, from the 800 number, and from the Web site,” Rammingersaid. “It’s important to remember that someone building a deck or another structure typically buys hundreds of pieces of lumber and will have hundreds of opportunities to read the safe-handling messages.” More information about preserved wood can be found at AWPI’s Website, www.preservedwood.com.
