CFMEU calls for crackdown on dangerous formaldehyde imports

20 April 2016 08:10

The call comes after revelations that Northern Territory Intervention staff had been exposed to dangerously high levels of the chemical through converted containers that had been used to house them.


The CFMEU said that the materials used in the Northern Territory Intervention housing could be found in millions of Australian household kitchens and contained formaldehydes levels four times the Australian standard.


CFMEU National Health and Safety spokesperson, Martin Kingham said that an immediate crackdown on the dangerous product import was need to protect the health of all Australians.


"The Rudd Government should move quickly to crackdown on these dangerous formaldehyde products and stop their use in Australian household cupboards and fittings," Mr Kingham said.


"These products are used more widely than in the Northern Territory Intervention and can be found in thousands of new kitchens across the country, exposing thousands of Australians and their families,""All foreign imports should measure up to Australian standards to ensure the health and safety of all Australians are not jeopardised."