Publications
Publications
- April 8, 2025
- Harvard Business Review Digital Articles
Creating Workplaces Free of Forever Chemicals
By: Joseph G. Allen, Heather A. Henrikson and Michael W. Toffel
Abstract
Forever chemicals are toxic and widely used in buildings and yet they remain on the rise globally with little regulation to control them. In the United States, for example, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations currently cover only forever chemicals in water—and only six of the more than 10,000. But organizations have a responsibility and role to play in eliminating them from workplaces in the same way they might have asbestos in years past. At Harvard University and several corporations, leaders are following a simple, two-part playbook: Demand transparency from suppliers and avoid entire classes of chemicals.
Keywords
Occupational Health; Safety Regulations; Regulation; Working Conditions; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Safety; Health
Citation
Allen, Joseph G., Heather A. Henrikson, and Michael W. Toffel. "Creating Workplaces Free of Forever Chemicals." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (April 8, 2025).