FSorb: Delivering California Health and Safety Standards to Builders Everywhere
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
In buildings across North America, regardless of the location on the map, our panels help create calmer, more peaceful indoor spaces – spaces that entice visitors to stay longer.
That said, we do have geography in mind when we make our sound panels. To be installed in the state of California, for example, products like sound panels must follow some of the strictest health and environmental regulations in the world.
We deliver FSorb panels to job sites throughout North America, including California, so our products follow, and often exceed, California’s safety guidelines.
You don’t have to take our word for it. We have the certifications to prove it.
FSorb and California Proposition 65
California’s Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, prohibits chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects, or other serious health conditions. The chemicals on this list change from year to year as scientists learn about more dangerous chemicals.
FSorb panels contain no chemicals listed under Prop 65.
We pass the Prop 65 test not because we mask or reduce the presence of chemicals in our sound panels. We meet this safety requirement because we never use dangerous chemicals to begin with. FSorb panels use reclaimed plastic that melts at high temperatures, meaning it releases no volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, into room air.
Our panels shape sound inside medical clinics, schools, fitness centers, and offices where people spend a lot of time. It’s essential, regardless of the state, that these environments remain as healthy as possible. Making sound panels that pass Prop 65 rules helps keep the air cleaner in all markets.
Living Building Challenge Red List Free
The advocacy group Living Future’s Living Building Challenge (LBC) goes beyond California Prop 65 by maintaining a more extensive “Red List” of chemicals and materials that harm people’s health. Products that are Red List Free show the manufacturer’s commitment to environmental health and safety.
FSorb panels are LBC Red List Free.
We achieve this distinction through our manufacturing process. Instead of relying on adhesives to bind our panels together, we use heat to bond our panels. Eliminating chemical-based glues eliminates the source of many of the VOCs that traditional sound panels emit.
We also need no surface coating, which is another common source of VOCs for ordinary sound panels.
FSorb has No Ozone-Depleting Chemicals or Hazardous Air Pollutants
California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) identifies Toxic Air Contaminants (TACs) and regulates hazardous air pollutants that can harm the environment in general, not just the air inside a building.
FSorb panels do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals and are not classified as hazardous air pollutants. This means the products we deliver do not harm Earth’s ozone layer.
It also means FSorb is free of regulated hazardous air pollutants that harm the environment for everyone.
UL Certification Shows Real World Compliance
Along with State of California regulations, FSorb also complies with third-party regulations from organizations like Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
FSorb panels are UL Certified as VOC Free. Earning UL compliance means our product has been tested in controlled environmental chambers and meets strict emission limits. UL testing also shows how FSorb panels perform as time passes – not just when they’re brand new.
This certification also means FSorb panels can help builders achieve LEED credits or other green building certifications.
UL GREENGUARD Gold Certification
FSorb panels are also certified to UL GREENGUARD Gold standards for low chemical emissions.
GREENGUARD Gold is a widely recognized benchmark for indoor air quality. This program ensures building products are suitable in sensitive environments, such as:
Schools
Healthcare facilities
Childcare centers
Residential spaces
This “Gold” level represents an even more rigorous threshold than standard GREENGUARD certification. It is designed to protect vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly.
FSorb is Safe During Installation: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200
So far we’ve covered safety for indoor health and the environment in general. Safety for the people who install FSorb panels matters, too. The federal Occupational Health and Safety Association, better known as OSHA, classifies building materials based on the hazards they can create for workers.
FSorb panels are classified as non-hazardous under this regulation.
This means installers and contractors won’t be exposed to materials that require unusual handling precautions beyond typical safety practices. Installers won’t need to read hazardous materials labels or undergo special training to stay safe.
On job sites, that translates to:
Simpler installations
Faster installations
Safer working conditions
This isn’t surprising to anyone who knows our story. FSorb’s founder, Doug Bixel, was a builder before starting FSorb in 2009. One of Doug’s goals with FSorb was to create a panel that worked seamlessly on building sites.
FSorb Creates No Extraordinary Environmental Effects
What happens to building materials when something unexpected, like a fire or a flood, damages a building? Often, building materials that boast safety certifications can still become dangerous when immersed in water or exposed to extraordinary heat.
Under these conditions, FSorb panels are not expected to create environmental hazards beyond those associated with typical construction materials such as drywall and shingles.
This remains true years after our panels are uninstalled. When they’re no longer needed, FSorb panels can be recycled alongside water bottles.
California Safety. It’s a Byproduct of the FSorb Process
Some building products have to chase California’s strict safety rules. This means they spend years changing their manufacturing methods and materials. Then, these types of materials can fall out of compliance as regulations change. When that happens, it’s back to the drawing board to get the product back into compliance.
FSorb is different. Environmental and health safety is a byproduct of our manufacturing process, not something we add later. Our process harnesses the power of simplicity. Rather than binding together a variety of materials, FSorb is made of one material: recycled content polyester, which is shaped and formed with heat.
This means we don’t use fiberglass fillers, plywood internal structures, or adhesives to hold an external shell in place. None of these materials are needed when panels consist of the same material throughout.
Other byproducts of our simple process include durability, ease of installation, ease of cleaning, and uncommon flexibility. For example, FSorb panels can be cut, combined, clustered, attached to a wall, suspended from a ceiling, or even installed outdoors.
We Deliver California Safety Across the Continent
While we follow California health and safety standards, we design and stock FSorb panels in our Woodinville, WA, factory. Then we ship our standard products to distribution centers throughout North America, making them more accessible to builders from coast to coast, including in Mexico and Canada.
To learn how FSorb can improve your building project or your existing building, call our Washington facility or reach out to the distribution center closest to you.
At FSorb, we are motivated by improving human health and do so by creating eco-friendly acoustic products. Our mission is to help designers build beautiful spaces that reduce excess ambient noise while calming the human nervous system. With over 25 years in the acoustic business we stand behind FSorb as a durable, environmentally friendly, and low-cost product. If you want an acoustic solution that is safe to human health at an affordable price, then we are your resource.
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