Cabinets 101: Product Safety

By Roger Hirschman, Owner

Your expectations are: when you purchase a product it will be manufactured to pass the health and safety standards set for that type of product. If anywhere along the manufacturing process someone breaches this trust, people can get hurt.

You, the consumer, are the end of the line.

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Recently, CBS on its 60 Minutes show did an expose on overseas factories using formaldehyde in wood products (in this case flooring), in quantities that far exceeds US safety standards. These US standards are called CARB 2 Compliant. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen.

And now we have this scandal about wood flooring, and it should come as no surprise!

So why would anyone purposely buy and install cabinets where the risks and the consequences could be so dire?

Money has to be the answer. Why do foreign cabinets cost less money? They are not built better, do not have better finishes, and do not offer more door styles. Part but not all of the answer is labor costs. The rest of the answer has to be that they are willing to risk your health to save money and increase their profit.

Even governments can get confused in the mix of money vs. safety. After Katrina, FEMA purchased trailers from a foreign company. FEMA was blamed for exposing thousands of people to toxic chemicals in these mobile homes.

And here is another consideration. Most American cabinet manufacturers belong to the KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association). They practice Environmental Stewardship. They have an ongoing commitment to environmental practices and sustainability.