Document XR80pkMxEEy0V03XVrjBdJQXy

Kentucky.gov: - Waterproofing Safety M A.36 - 3 7 o z p-1 Page l of 1 Commonwealth ^ News Center Health and Family Services Cabinet DPH Urges Public to Be Careful With Waterproofing Products Press Release Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 Contact Information: Beth Crace,(502) 564-6786 Cold w eather can cause typical outdoor activities to be moved indoors. Kids pass new basketballs around the living room and fishermen sharpen hooks, lubricate reels and m aybe even try a few casts in the hallway. But som e outdoor activities should never be brought inside, such as spraying waterproofing products. Poison con trol centers in Kentucky and at least four other states have received 149 reports o f people who b ecam e ill after using spray-on waterproofing products. Sym ptom s included coughs, shortness of breath and chest pains. Som e of these consumers were hospitalized for treatment. "It's im portant to use precaution when using these spray-on products," said William D. Hacker, M .D ., com m issioner o f the Departm ent for Public Health. "When used improperly, certain products pose a serious health threat. We strongly advise consumers to only use w aterproofing sp ray outdoors and to follow ail safety guidelines recom m ended for the product." Com plaints were m ostly associated with products sold under the "Bootmate" brand and distributed by the M anakey G rou p LLC, according to the Louisville Poison Control Center. Although m ost o f the exposures occurred when the products w ere used indoors, in som e cases, consum ers developed sym ptom s when the product was used outdoors and transported indoors on boots, shoes or clothing. Th e Kentucky D epartm ent for Public Health and the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center recom m end people read labels on containers and alw ays follow instructions carefully. Sprayon waterproofing should only be applied outdoors, and treated products should be left outside until all fu m es have dissipated. This could take up to 24 hours. T h e Kentucky Regional Poison Control C en ter Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To contact the hotline, call (502) 589-8222 in Metro Louisville, or (800) 222-1222 from outside the Louisville area. The Departm ent for Public Health's consum er product safety staff can be reached at (502) 564-4856. Last Updated 1/31/2006 Copyright 2006 Commonwealth of Kentucky All rights reserved. http://www.kentucky.gov/Newsroom/chfs/Spray+safety.htm 4/11/2006