California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, also known as Proposition 65 (Prop 65), requires the state to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. This list, which must be updated at least once a year, has grown to include over 900 chemicals since it was first published in 1987. Since Proposition 65 compliance is relevant to any company doing business in California, either directly or through other sales channels, WIKA is committed to complying with the new labeling requirements that went into effect on August 30, 2018.
California first passed the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, better known as Proposition 65 (Prop 65), in 1986 to address the state’s growing concerns about exposure to toxic chemicals. Proposition 65 compliance requires a business to notify Californians about the presence of certain chemicalsin the products they purchase, use in their home or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. By providing this information, Prop 65 enables state residents to make informed decisions about protecting themselves from exposure to these chemicals.
New Requirements for Proposition 65 Compliance
Under the original law, a manufacturer could simply print a generic label that warns users when a product contains a listed chemical. An amendment passed in 2016 states that companies must not only inform consumers of their risk of exposure, but also identify with a clear and reasonable warning that a specific chemical or chemicals are found in that product. That amendment went into effect on August 30, 2018.
Why are all products labeled, even for customers outside of California?
WIKA products are sold everywhere in the U.S. as well as internationally. Since it is impossible to determine which products are shipped or sold into California, WIKA decided to apply the warning to all affected products, regardless of where they are sold. You will find warnings applied to either the shipping box or the individual box, or to both. Warnings and links to Prop 65 are also posted through our website, www.wika.us,on the product level.
What does a Proposition 65 warning mean to the product?
The warning does not imply that our product will cause cancer, birth defect, or reproductive harm, nor is it violating any safety standards or regulations. This information is a public “Right to Know” that the product contains a chemical from that Prop 65 list, and that individuals may be exposed to the chemical.
Given the nature of equipment for measuring pressure, temperature, flow, level, and force, the risk of exposure to Prop 65 chemicals from WIKA products is extremely low. Some gauges and transmitters contain brass, a copper–zinc alloy that commonly contains a small percentage of lead to improve machinability. Many of the devices WIKA manufactures come in a stainless steel version, and this alloy often incorporates nickel and chromium for rust and corrosion resistance.
WIKA USA is committed to Proposition 65 compliance and has started to include the required warning labels on product packaging for affected instruments. WIKA is also committed to helping customers better understand the amended law and informing their own clients and partners of the most recent labeling requirements.
The state of California has a comprehensive websitededicated to Prop 65 warnings. For questions about WIKA products and Proposition 65 compliance, contact our specialists.
