Massachusetts Bans Dangerous Floor-Finishing Product

July 9, 2010

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has signed into law a bill that bans a floor finishing product which has been linked to home fires across Massachusetts.

The bill Patrick signed Tuesday prohibits the commercial use and sale of lacquer sealer, a highly flammable product used to finish floors.

Lacquer sealer is believed to have caused a 2004 fire in Somerville that killed two Vietnamese floor sanders and two of their co-workers. A fire soon after in Hull that killed a floor refinisher was also blamed on lacquer sealer.

Following these accidents, a Floor Finishing Safety Task Force found that lacquer sealer is dangerous and unnecessary.

The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health says the law will help save lives.