May 2025 Newsletter - Knapp and Air Logic

Andrea O'Dell
4 days ago
2 min read

Happy 80/50 Anniversary - Countdown is on to our company in house celebration!

What is a Compliance and why should I care?

Boring!! Unless you have small children or elderly family members, care about your health, or you care about Earth’s sustainability! Additionally, our customers rely on us to provide transparent and honest information that is both legally and ethically sound. Let’s do a quick dive together:

Here is a quick & easy version!

RoHS - (Restriction of Hazardous Substances - "Row-Hass or Ross") This restricts the use of hazardous materials in electrical and electronic products. *Example: Our cell phones would fall under RoHS regulation
REACH – (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) Helps to protect our health and environment by assessing and managing risks associated with chemicals providing transparency, safety, and trust.
California Prop 65 – regulates labeling of items that expose you to chemicals that cause cancer. *mandatory in California*
PFAS - (forever chemicals) These substances degrade extremely slowly or not at all - they can be found in drinking water and even in our blood.

PFAS: "Forever Chemicals"

PFAS – Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Class of synthetic chemicals with shared characteristics). 1st PFAS known as Teflon created back in the 1930’s. Teflon was:

Non-Stick
Heat-resistant
Chemically inert – doesn’t react with most other chemicals
Low friction
Water-repellent
Durable

Used in cookware, bearings, gaskets, seals, catheters, grafts, wiring, coating, stain repellents, weather-resistant paints, and hair products. There are now over 12,000 known PFAS. Just an FYI: Teflon itself is safe for cooking!

If Teflon is safe for cooking -what is the big deal?

Okay, let me break it down…

When a Teflon pan is left on the burner and overheats (500°F+), it releases fumes that can pose serious health risks, potentially causing illness. Understanding the impact of PFAS on your health is crucial. It can affect your immune system, increase risks for cancer, and disrupt hormone levels.

The significance of PFAS regulation cannot be overstated. It not only informs us about the products containing it but also provides a beacon of hope. It's a process that promises a safer future.

Report it
Restrict it – don’t allow any more production
Remove it - this requires a significant amount of filtration effort

Why isn't Andrea talking about continuous improvement (CI)? Here at KAL, we really care about keeping our customers and operations safe! I’ve been busy working on our compliance program and making sure all our products are reviewed properly. I’ll be back to our CI projects soon—can’t wait to share more with you!

Coming soon:

1st: