NSF 61,
NSF 372 and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
Effective January 4, 2014, the U.S. Safe Drinking Water act mandated that
all materials intended to contact water intended for human consumption could
contain a surface weighted average of not more than 0.25 percent. This law
mirrored those of several states which were passed in the previous decade.
It is the intent of St. Paul Foundry to be in strict compliance with the
SDWA.
If you have products that are in contact with potable water
contact us. We will help you specify suitable lead free materials.
Child Product Safety Improvement Act
The
U.S. Child Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 created requirements
limiting the total lead content in children's products. With a few
exceptions, all children's products manufactured after August 14, 2011 must
not contain more than 100 parts per million (ppm) of total lead content in
parts that are accessible to children.
This law has had impacts on
many casting manufacturers including makers of die cast toys, playground
equipment, and many others. It is important to note that the substrate metal
may not be coated with paint, epoxy or other materials to isolate metal that
contains lead above the 100 ppm standard. The metal must conform even if
coated. All components subject to CPSIA must be independently evaluated by
an accredited laboratory.
St. Paul Foundry supplies certified
compliant materials to manufacturers that are subject to the Act. Our
sophistication in making highly certified military and aircraft components
gives us the equipment and know how to assure our customers of materials
well below the 100 ppm standard.
The OSHA/NIOSH Lead Standard
Effective July 1997, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
significantly lowered the permissible airborne and blood thresholds for lead. In
anticipation of this event, St. Paul Brass and Aluminum Foundry initiated a research
program in partnership with our customers to evaluate acceptable substitutes for lead
containing alloys. Although there are many new alloys containing certain 'exotic' alloying
elements, we have found that the same results can be achieved using less expensive alloys.
St. Paul Foundry will no longer offer quotations on alloys containing high lead. We are pleased to offer substitutes for any high lead
brasses that your request for quote may specify.