What IS SCENT or FRAGRANCE FREE?

Just a note, readers.  If you are so determined that the people such as myself, are whining, lying or just trying to get attention, perhaps you would like to get sprayed in the face with Lysol.  Only THEN will you understand the EXTREME DISTRESS of those of us who SUFFER with this affliction EVERY DAY!  The ONLY WAY that you are going to believe is the day YOU start to get a headache, or your eyes start to sting, or perhaps you will end up in the hospital with COLITIS, CANCER or THYROID disease.  Perhaps you would like to spend JUST A DAY living with your lungs BURNING and your breaths shallow because it HURTS.  Chemical Sensitivity symptoms are a persons body laying out the warning signs.  Little did I know before I contracted MCS what was in store as I got older and my limits started to overflow. 

 

God Help any person who can't see this ever growing problem and who can't change their HABITS for their own end HEALTH and the health of everyone they come close to.

WebMD offers:

Fragrance Allergies: A Sensory Assault

The use of fragrance in products is on the rise -- and so is the number of people affected by them. WebMD offers ways to protect yourself if you're sensitive to scents.

"Being forced to breathe in others' fragrance choices is a lot like being forced to breathe in secondhand smoke," Dalton tells WebMD. "It's a loss of control over your personal environment, and for some it can have serious personal health consequences."

 

This is a quote from the website for the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.  The complete article can be found at: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/scent_free.html

What is meant by scent-free?

When we talk about scents, we usually mean the smells or odours from cosmetics (perfume, make-up, shampoo, deodorant, etc.) or from other products such as air fresheners, cleaners, etc.
Unfortunately, there is no exact definition for scent-free, fragrance-free or unscented. Products labelled as unscented may actually contain ingredients that are used to mask or hide the smell of other ingredients. However, certain product composition statements are required, including:

Odour or fragrance
If a product formulation has been amended to add or change a fragrance, terms such as "fresh scent," "floral scent" or "lemon scent" that describe the resulting odour may be added by notification. The terms "fragrance-free" or "unscented" may be added by notification if the product is odourless or nearly odourless, and contains no odour-masking ingredients such as a perfume. The term "de-scented" may be added if the product contains an odour-masking ingredient.

(Source: Regulatory Directive DIR2013-02, Notification/Non-notification. Health Canada)While it is important to be aware of the lack of consistency when these terms are used by various manufacturers, the terms can still be a rough guideline when choosing products.
Are there laws in Canada that cover environmental sensitivities?
Yes. Accommodation is required under the federal and provincial human rights Acts.  Please contact your local human rights commission for more information.
Employers should be aware that there are differences between individuals, and build these concepts into their workplace standards or policies as proactively as possible.

I stumbled upon this ASK A MANAGER website in my search for information on FRAGRANCE FREE workplace policy. A mother asking the question for her working daughter who suffers from MIGRAINE HEADACHES at her workplace.
http://www.askamanager.org/2012/11/can-my-office-ban-fragrances-in-the-workplace.html

and I quote from the website;

"That said, there’s wide variation in whether or not an employer will be open to trying a fragrance-free policy … to say nothing of the variation in how coworkers will respond to it. Some people think fragrance-sensitive people are overreacting and they should just deal with it (regardless of what the medical literature says). Some people take great offense to being told what personal products they can and can’t use. Others, of course, are more sympathetic … but your daughter should be prepared for a potential range of reactions."

THE COWORKERS reaction was the reason I had to leave my job several years ago... AND the specific reason why I can NO LONGER WORK!!