Governments and Organizations Recognizing Chemical Sensitivity
American Lung Association
American Medical Association
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals (1994)
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/hpguide.html#faq1
"The current consensus is that in cases of claimed or suspected MCS, complaints should not be dismissed as psychogenic, and a thorough workup is essential. Primary care givers should determine that the individual does not have an underlying physiological problem and should consider the value of consultation with allergists and other specialists." (page 20)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
MCS Disorder and Environmental Illness as Handicaps (1992)
http://fairhousing.com/include/media/pdf/mcsd.pdf
"The General Counsel has accepted the attached memorandums the Department's position on the issue of when Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder (MCS) and Environmental Illness (EI) are "handicaps" within the meaning of subsection 802 (h) of the Fair Housing Act (the "Act"), 42 U.S. C. 3602(h), and the Department's implementing regulation, 24 C.F.R. 100.201 (1991). In sum, MCS and EI can be associated with physical impairments which substantially impair one or more of a person's major life activities. Thus, individuals disabled by MCS and EI can be handicapped within the meaning of the Act. However, while MCS or EI can be handicaps under the Act, ordinary allergies generally would not be."
U.S. Department of Education
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Policy and Resources (2001)
http://www.naturalworldhealing.com/mcs-usgovt-policy.htm
"MCS Is Now Recognized as a Disability. Both the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have recognized MCS as a disabling condition. People with MCS have won several Workers Compensation cases. A recent human rights lawsuit in Pennsylvania established the right of an affected person to safe living space in subsidized housing. Both the Maryland State Legislature and New Jersey State Department of Health have commissioned studies of MCS. The NJ study provides an excellent overview of medical and legal issues related to MCS."
Social Security
DI 24515.064 Evaluation Of Specific Issues — Environmental Illness (1996)
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0424515064!opendocument
"In claims alleging disability due to environmental illness, it is often difficult to identify abnormal signs and laboratory findings which can be associated with the alleged symptoms. Therefore, in evaluating claims based on environmental illness, all of the claimant's symptoms, signs, and laboratory findings must be considered to determine if there is a medically determinable impairment and the impact of any impairment on the claimant's ability to work. This evaluation should be made on an individual case-by-case basis to determine if the impairment prevents substantial gainful activity."
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
Indoor Environmental Quality Policy
http://www.thecanaryreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/CDC-2009-Indoor-Environmental-Quality.-internal-policy542.pdf
"Fragrance is not appropriate for a professional work environment, and the use of some products with fragrance may be detrimental to the health of workers with chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, and chronic headaches/migraines." (page 9)
The German Institute of Medicine
MCS, CFS, FMS: coding according to ICD-10-GM (2008)
http://mcs-america.org/GermanInstituteofMedicineRecognitionofMCS.pdf
MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) is classified under:
T78.4 ... Allergy, not otherwise specified;
Chapter 19 (injuries, poisoning and certain other consequences of toxic causes),
Section T66-T78 (Other and unspecified effects of external causes)
Japanese Ministry of Health
ICD10 codes: T65.9 poisoning and other unspecified substances, toxic substances, unspecified
http://www.dis.h.u-tokyo.ac.jp/scripts/search/ICD10_searchw.asp?searchstring=T65.9
MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) is classified under:
T659 … Toxic effect of unspecified substance
T659 QV58... chemical sensitivity
American Medical Association
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals (1994)
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/hpguide.html#faq1
"The current consensus is that in cases of claimed or suspected MCS, complaints should not be dismissed as psychogenic, and a thorough workup is essential. Primary care givers should determine that the individual does not have an underlying physiological problem and should consider the value of consultation with allergists and other specialists." (page 20)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
MCS Disorder and Environmental Illness as Handicaps (1992)
http://fairhousing.com/include/media/pdf/mcsd.pdf
"The General Counsel has accepted the attached memorandums the Department's position on the issue of when Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder (MCS) and Environmental Illness (EI) are "handicaps" within the meaning of subsection 802 (h) of the Fair Housing Act (the "Act"), 42 U.S. C. 3602(h), and the Department's implementing regulation, 24 C.F.R. 100.201 (1991). In sum, MCS and EI can be associated with physical impairments which substantially impair one or more of a person's major life activities. Thus, individuals disabled by MCS and EI can be handicapped within the meaning of the Act. However, while MCS or EI can be handicaps under the Act, ordinary allergies generally would not be."
U.S. Department of Education
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Policy and Resources (2001)
http://www.naturalworldhealing.com/mcs-usgovt-policy.htm
"MCS Is Now Recognized as a Disability. Both the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have recognized MCS as a disabling condition. People with MCS have won several Workers Compensation cases. A recent human rights lawsuit in Pennsylvania established the right of an affected person to safe living space in subsidized housing. Both the Maryland State Legislature and New Jersey State Department of Health have commissioned studies of MCS. The NJ study provides an excellent overview of medical and legal issues related to MCS."
Social Security
DI 24515.064 Evaluation Of Specific Issues — Environmental Illness (1996)
https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0424515064!opendocument
"In claims alleging disability due to environmental illness, it is often difficult to identify abnormal signs and laboratory findings which can be associated with the alleged symptoms. Therefore, in evaluating claims based on environmental illness, all of the claimant's symptoms, signs, and laboratory findings must be considered to determine if there is a medically determinable impairment and the impact of any impairment on the claimant's ability to work. This evaluation should be made on an individual case-by-case basis to determine if the impairment prevents substantial gainful activity."
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
Indoor Environmental Quality Policy
http://www.thecanaryreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/CDC-2009-Indoor-Environmental-Quality.-internal-policy542.pdf
"Fragrance is not appropriate for a professional work environment, and the use of some products with fragrance may be detrimental to the health of workers with chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, and chronic headaches/migraines." (page 9)
The German Institute of Medicine
MCS, CFS, FMS: coding according to ICD-10-GM (2008)
http://mcs-america.org/GermanInstituteofMedicineRecognitionofMCS.pdf
MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) is classified under:
T78.4 ... Allergy, not otherwise specified;
Chapter 19 (injuries, poisoning and certain other consequences of toxic causes),
Section T66-T78 (Other and unspecified effects of external causes)
Japanese Ministry of Health
ICD10 codes: T65.9 poisoning and other unspecified substances, toxic substances, unspecified
http://www.dis.h.u-tokyo.ac.jp/scripts/search/ICD10_searchw.asp?searchstring=T65.9
MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) is classified under:
T659 … Toxic effect of unspecified substance
T659 QV58... chemical sensitivity
Government of South Australia
Disability Access Checklist Guide for Government Owned & Leased Premises (2006)
http://www.sacfs.asn.au/download/SA%20Gov%20Access%20Assement%20%20guide%20version%20SBF%20final%20DTEI%202007_30_11.pdf
Disability Access Checklist Guide for Government Owned & Leased Premises (2006)
http://www.sacfs.asn.au/download/SA%20Gov%20Access%20Assement%20%20guide%20version%20SBF%20final%20DTEI%202007_30_11.pdf
