BSH takes very seriously its responsibility towards society and the environment, and behaves in accordance with the relevant legal, social and environmental framework conditions wherever it operates. Accordingly, BSH is committed to requiring its suppliers to maintain the highest fundamental labor and human rights standards as well. Requiring its suppliers to observe these environmental and social standards is not only a matter of corporate responsibility; it also serves to safeguard BSH’s global reputation. These principles are embedded in the “Code of Conduct for Suppliers of the BSH group,” which is based on the principles of the Code of Conduct of CECED as well as the UN Global Compact. The Code of Conduct also reflects BSH’s own “Business Conduct Guidelines,” which establishes fundamental principles of sustainability and apply to the entire company.

BSH operates not only in accordance with clear Codes of Conduct as well as Business Conduct Guidelines, which are mandatory worldwide, but also with directives to concentrate business with on the best suppliers who agree to and comply with our standards in the supply chain. BSH obligates its suppliers by contract to comply with our “Conditions of Purchase,” including the section entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility,” which states as follows:

The supplier undertakes to comply with the applicable laws of all relevant jurisdictions, not to tolerate any kind of corruption or bribery and to obey the fundamental rights of its employees and the prohibition of child labor. Furthermore, the supplier shall assume responsibility for its employee’ health and safety at work, care for fair wages and working hours, comply with the applicable environmental protection laws and use its best efforts to ask and encourage its suppliers to comply with these principals.

BSH also requires, through its Standard Supplier Agreement, that its vendors comply with the principals and requirements of the Code of Conduct for Suppliers of the BSH group, and reserves the right to request the supplier verify in writing its compliance, as well as reserving the right to verify through on-site audit of the suppliers’ premises. BSH also obligates its suppliers to impose the same principles and requirements on its own suppliers pursuant to its contracts.

Proposition 65 FAQ's

What is this warning?

You may have seen the following warnings associated with our products, as well as on other products purchased from other manufacturers:

State of California Proposition 65 warning.

WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

This warning is the result of a law passed in California in 1986, referred to as the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, or more generally referred to as "Proposition 65."

The warning does not mean that our products will necessarily cause cancer or reproductive harm. Moreover, a Proposition 65 warning does not mean a product is in violation of any product-safety standards or requirements. The government has described Proposition 65 as a ‘right to know’ law.

While we believe our products are not harmful when used as designed. We provide the warning as a result of this California law.

What is Proposition 65?

Proposition 65 is broad law that applies to any company operating in California, selling products in California, or manufacturing products that may be sold in or brought into California. It mandates that the State of California maintain and publish a list of chemicals that are known to cause cancer, birth defects and/or other reproductive harm. The list, which must be updated annually, includes a wide variety of chemicals that can be found in many everyday items, such as dyes, solvents, drugs, food-additives, by-products of certain processes, pesticides and tobacco products. The purpose of Proposition 65 is to ensure that people are informed about exposure to these chemicals.

Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide a warning before causing exposure to any of the 800-plus chemicals that the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) considers to be a carcinogen or reproductive toxicant. As noted above, many of the chemicals listed under Proposition 65 have been routinely used in everyday consumer items for years without documented harm.

A warning must be given if the listed chemical is merely present in a product unless a business demonstrates that the exposure exceeds a safe harbor level. With respect to carcinogens, the safe harbor level is defined as the “no significant risk level,” and calculated as the level that would not result in more than one excess case of cancer in 100,000 individuals exposed over a 70-year lifetime. In other words, if you are exposed to the chemical in question at this level every day for 70 years, theoretically, it will increase your chances of getting cancer by no more than 1 case in 100,000 individuals so exposed.

With respect to reproductive toxicants, the safe harbor level is defined as the “maximum allowable dose level,” calculated as the maximum level of exposure at which a chemical has “no observable reproductive effect,” multiplied by 1,000.

A Proposition 65 warning generally means one of two things: (1) the business has evaluated the exposure and has concluded that it exceeds the safe harbor level; or (2) the business has chosen to provide a warning based on the potential presence and exposure to a listed chemical without attempting to evaluate the actual exposure. BSH has chosen to provide a warning based on its knowledge about the presence of one or more listed chemicals without attempting to evaluate the level of exposure, as not all of the listed chemicals have established safe harbor levels or other exposure limits. With BSH's products, the exposure may be negligible or well within the safe harbor level range. However, out of an abundance of caution, BSH has elected to provide the Proposition 65 warnings.

Why does BSH include this warning?

The penalties for not complying with Proposition 65 are high. As a result of the potential penalties and because there is no penalty for providing an unnecessary warning, BSH, as well as many other manufacturers, have elected to provide the Proposition 65 notice out of an abundance of caution in order to avoid the potential for liability.

I purchased this product outside of California; why it is included?

Our products are sold nationwide. It would be extremely difficult and costly to determine which products will be ultimately sold or brought into California. Therefore, to ensure compliance with Proposition 65 requirements, we have decided to include these warnings on all of our products, regardless of origin.

For more information about Proposition 65 visit: