The Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) has unanimously passed a resolution supporting calls for regulating nanoparticles and recommending that workplaces use only nano-free sunscreens.
The AEU resolution recognised that nanoparticles in sunscreens represent a potential health risk to both teachers and students and are not effectively regulated. The union also voiced its support for the ACTU’s resolution on nanotechnology which calls for a mandatory register of nanomaterials, so that workers and the community are not unknowingly exposed to harm, along with safety testing and labelling.
The Friends of the Earth Nanotechnology Project firmly supports AEU Victoria’s resolution. We congratulate the AEU for taking a leading stance in protecting workers and community from the potential hazard of nanoparticles in sunscreen. We call on the government to recognise the concerns of workers, parents and the community and regulate nanoparticles in sunscreens.
