The 2 Federal Agencies

1) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created as part of the US Department Of Labor to regulate (control) and enforce safety and health standards to protect employees in the workplace.

The OSHA Standards addresses issues relating to handling, mixing, storing and disposing of products (the general safety in the workplace) and your right to know about any potentially hazardous ingredients contained in the products and how to avoid these hazard.

OSHA makes sure to meet these standards by requiring that chemical manufacturers and importers assess and communicate the potential hazards associated with their products through a Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

2) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)

EPA registers all types of disinfectants sold and used in the United States.

Before manufacturers can sell a product for disinfecting surfaces, tools, implements, or equipment, they must obtain an EPA registration number (indicated on a product label by "EPA Reg. No." near the manufacturer's name) that certifies that the disinfectant. When used correctly, will be effective against the pathogens listed on the label.

For example: Clipper disinfectants must be approved by the EPA for use with clippers in specific environments (such as a barbershop) or the manufacturer would be breaking federal law by marketing them as clipper disinfectants to the barber market.

NOTES: Disinfectant are chemical products approved by the EPA designed to destroy most bacteria, excluding bacterial, spores, fungi, and viruses on surfaces.