Source: USA Swimming COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Swimming today announced the release of its first-ever Safe Sport Handbook which is designed to help USA Swimming members implement safe sport practices at the local level. The Safe Sport Handbook includes detailed information on USA Swimming policies, guidelines, best practices, strategies and tools. It will be an invaluable tool for all USA Swimming members and clubs and will be available online. The handbook will also be mailed to each of USA Swimming's 2,790 member clubs. "Over the past two year, we've been committed to growing awareness around the issue of safe sport," said Susan Woessner, USA Swimming's Director of Safe Sport. "The addition of the USA Swimming Safe Sport Handbook is just another way for us to reach all of our members and clubs and help them implement safe sport programming at the local level." The handbook is a product of the USA Swimming Safe Sport Committee, an 11-member volunteer body charged with review of athlete protection policies, guidelines, educational programs, reporting and adjudication procedures. The handbook debuted at the recent USA Swimming Safe Sport Leadership Conference. The three-day conference, held at the end of January, brought together more than 165 attendees to discuss abuse prevention in sports, including representatives from 35 Local Swim Committees around the U.S., 20 National Governing Bodies, the United States Olympic Committee and other youth serving organizations. USA Swimming is committed to fostering a fun, healthy and safe sport environment for all its members. The USA Swimming Safe Sport Program raises awareness about misconduct in sport, promotes open dialogue, and provides training and resources. For more information about the program, visit www.usaswimming.org/protect. About USA SwimmingAs the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org. February 8, 2013
Source: Green Seal Washington, DC - January 24, 2013 - Green Sealâ„¢, the nation's oldest non-profit environmental certification organization, announces the publication of GS-51, a new standard designed specifically to address the life cycle impacts of laundry care products for institutional and industrial settings. Traditional laundry products are significant contributors to water pollution, and both manufacturers and users risk exposure to harmful chemicals through inhalation and skin contact when using many of these products. In addition to minimizing or eliminating the use of many hazardous ingredients often found in these products, GS-51 provides an important benchmark in terms of product concentration. The standard establishes minimum requirements for concentrated (2X) and ultra-concentrated (4X) detergents and fabric softeners. "Research has shown that the environmental impact of these products can be reduced by concentrating the product, thereby minimizing its volume," says Dr. Arthur Weissman, President and CEO of Green Seal. "Concentrated products use less packaging material and contain less water, meaning fewer pallets to transport, fewer trucks on the road, and less storage space needed. These improvements represent a smaller carbon footprint as well." The new Green Seal standard also focuses on product performance. A framework for performance testing was developed for the standard in cooperation with the laundry care industry. Certified products must demonstrate that they perform as well as leading laundry care products. About 80 percent of the environmental impact of these products occurs during usage, so the standard requires that labels recommend using the proper amount, washing at the lowest possible temperature, and washing a full load. GS-51 covers more than 20 categories of products for conventional laundry and dry cleaning, including detergents, prewash products, and spot removers; additives such as alkali boosters; and fabric care products such as anti-static treatment, starches, and fabric softeners. Green Seal offers this new standard to manufacturers as a way to recognize leaders in the industry, and to give purchasers a way to identify safer, more environmentally preferable institutional laundry products. More information about GS-51, including certification tools, application information, and the standard, can be downloaded for free at www.GreenSeal.org. About Green Seal The original "Green Seal of Approval" was founded in 1989 to help safeguard the health of people and the planet. As an independent, science-based standards developer and certification body, Green Seal identifies products and services that are environmentally responsible, and provides public education for creating a more sustainable world. Call (202) 872-6400 for more information, or visit www.GreenSeal.org for links to all Green Seal standards and certified products and services. January 29, 2013
