HP LaserJet Printers - Printer Emissions Backgrounder

Additional safety margin under real-life conditions
Users of HP laser printing systems can rely on tested toner, low release of material
emissions and minimum particle emissions. Thus, there are no indications for health risks
when HP laser printing systems are operated as intended. Furthermore, a variety of
scientific results shows that an additional margin of safety can be assumed under real-life
conditions in office rooms and work spaces.
Experts attest to safety of HP laser printing systems
HP constantly welcomes dialogue with health and safety competent bodies. In Germany,
for instance, HP closely cooperates with the UBA
(12)
, responsible German Professional
Associations and experts for environmental hygiene to ensure user safety of HP LaserJet
and HP Color LaserJet printing systems.
Independent experts and institutions attest to the safety of properly operated devices: a
study on emissions at workplaces with printers and copiers in the offices of the Federal
Bureau for Social Affairs, Family and Health in Thuringia demonstrated that laser printers
do not figure as significant sources of dust emissions and therefore no health risk is to be
expected.
(15)
The Professional Associations as well as independent scientific institutions of
the Professional Association for the Administrative Sector, which regularly check
emissions from office devices, either did not find any indications for an increased health
risk due to laser printer emissions or toner dust.
(16, 17)
In addition, experts from Germany’s Federal Government state that, considering real-life
conditions, there are no indications for special health risks in the non-occupational
sector.
(11)
In preliminary reports, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
summarizes results of a study on laser printer safety and states that both clinical
examinations as well as real-room measurements do not indicate special health problems
due to toner emissions.
(18, 19)
More information about HP’s commitment to environmental sustainability is available at
www.hp.com/environment.
(1)
US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs-TWA), 29 CFR
1910.1000 Z-1 and Z-2, 2007.
(2)
European Commission, Indicative and Binding Occupational Exposure Limit Values (IOELV/BOELV),
2003.
(3)
The revised German Ordinance of Hazardous Substances (GefStoffV) – in effect as of 1 January 2005 –
defines the workplace limits (AGW) as standardized air limit values, which replace the previous MAK and
TRK values (German maximum workplace concentration/technical guide concentration). The AGW is the
limit for the time-weighted average concentration of a substance in the air of a workplace in relation to a
given reference period. It specifies at which substance concentration acute or chronic negative health effects
are usually not to be expected.
(4)
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), California, Chronic Reference Exposure
Levels (CREL), February 2005.
(5)
US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Reference Concentration (RfC), 2005.
(6)
World Health Organization (WHO), Air Quality Guidelines for Europe, 2nd edition, 2000.
(7)
Richtwerte fuer die Innenraumluft (Guide values for indoor air), Innenraumlufthygiene-Kommission (Indoor
Air Hygiene Commission), Umweltbundesamt (German Environmental Federal Agency), 2005.
(8)
The GREENGUARD guide values for emissions from office equipment are stated according to the
GREENGUARD program, revised in August 2004, in spring 2005 or in January 2007 and in effect at the