Zimek Responds to Product Safety Concerns

To Zimek Micro-Mist® customers:

The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) has issued a notice recommending that all its affiliates cease using the Zimek Technology at the behest of a local EPA Region 2 pesticide program branch manager. This is an unfortunate and uninformed decision which is the result of misinformation regarding Zimek's Micro-Mist® technology.

Many of you have contacted us with questions to better understand this matter, and there are several important points for you to know:

• Zimek has not been contacted by the EPA or been served any notification from them, and Zimek has not been contacted by the IAFF despite a four-year long relationship between the IAFF and Zimek. The EPA's actions stem from reports of undocumented health-related claims allegedly arising from a Zimek sanitizing and disinfectant dispersal system used by a local New Jersey ambulance service.
• EPA Region 2 issued an order directly to the local New Jersey ambulance service to stop using its Zimek system until further notice while the health-related claims are further investigated to determine if they are legitimate. The order did not affect any other Zimek user. The EPA has no jurisdiction over Zimek's equipment. The local EPA official overstepped the official order by allegedly telling the IAFF that the order applied to all Zimek equipment. It does not.
• The safety of our equipment is a top priority. Zimek takes very seriously the nature of these allegations. An OSHA recommended, and independent and professionally qualified industrial hygiene firm tested and retested the equipment in question and found no detectable health hazards.
• Despite the claimed seriousness of the alleged health effects, the insisted anonymity and lack of documentation by the one individual alleging those issues have inhibited Zimek's ability to investigate the allegations beyond the all-clear test of the equipment.
• Zimek's Technology uses an ultra low volume (ULV) automatic disinfectant and sanitizer microdroplet delivery process which reaches virtually every surface exposed to free airflow, thereby applying disinfectants or sanitizers to hard-to-reach areas that even the most dutiful cleaning and maintenance custodians can miss.
• Zimek's automatic disinfectant and sanitizer dispersion technology is virtually the only practical way to comply with EPA label directions which generally require applications of disinfectants and sanitizers to hard surfaces wet for 10 minutes. The failure to apply disinfectants and sanitizers for at least such exposure time periods would violate the label and expose the user to claims for negligence.
• Zimek's equipment is safe when used as directed and has been U/L approved by the Edison Testing Laboratories. It is safer to use than a Lysol disinfectant spray can (see "Frequently Asked Questions," referenced below). Zimek-approved EPA-registered disinfectants and sanitizers do not cause collateral damage to sensitive equipment or surfaces when applied as directed.
• The Zimek system contains several safety precautions to ensure proper use. The equipment cannot be turned on and used unless: (1) it is plugged in and turned on; (2) a passcode is entered into a graphic user interface control screen operated by a trained operator; and (3) the operator hits a button on the screen agreeing to follow all safety guidelines set forth in the Zimek operations manual before, during, and after the Zimek treatment.
• Zimek's Micro-Mist® Generator introduces a stream of air which is added to a mist of disinfectants and sanitizers generated by ultrasonic vibration. Unlike thermal foggers or hydrogen peroxide vapor treatments that have been approved for use to apply toxic and dangerous chemicals like concentrated hydrogen peroxide. Zimek's Micro-Mist® is not created through the use of a dangerous thermal reaction. In fact, Zimek's ultrasonic generated Micro-Mist® is created in a manner virtually identical to the mist created by ultrasonic humidifiers, like those sold by Vicks for use with its "vapo rub" products which are used on a daily basis in the homes of sick adults and children suffering flu-like symptoms throughout the United States.
• The Zimek-approved EPA registered disinfectants have very low acute toxicity. For a point of reference, bleach and hydrogen peroxide are "Class 1" disinfectants and are dangerous to handle, whereas the disinfectants that have been used in Zimek Systems are "Class 4" disinfectant - the lowest acute toxicity classification used by the EPA. One such product has the same active ingredients, at essentially the same concentration as a common over-the-counter throat spray. Again, for emphasis, a common over-the-counter throat spray. Is Zimek safe? When used as directed, absolutely!