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What connects a bowler hat
with shrink wrap?

Before milliners discovered they could use mercury to stiffen wool in the 19th century, hats were a bit on the floppy side. A fur cap worn at a rakish angle. A cloth cap pulled down low.

But while everyone loved the stylish and shapely new offerings mercury made possible – especially the bowlers which became part of the uniform for a City gent – the poor hatters weren’t so thrilled.

The first case of mad hatter disease (or erethism) was recorded in 1829 in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1860 a report by the US medical doctor J Addison Freeman documented the severe neurological and physical symptoms caused by exposure to mercury, including tremors, irritability, shyness, memory loss, and even hallucinations.

No wonder the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carrol’s famous masterpiece Alice in Wonderland said he’d “believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

  • Parallels abound

    Today, the parallels between mercury and chemicals known as PFAS are starting to become all too apparent.

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 15,000 synthetic chemicals that have been widely used since the 1940s. They crop up in various industrial and everyday consumer products including shrink wrap, frying pans, hiking gear or even makeup due to their useful properties, such as being resistant to water, oil and heat.

    PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they break down very slowly. They persist in the environment and can accumulate in the human body over time.

  • Unlike milliners of old, consumers today are more aware of the health implications and are demanding action. Businesses spanning multiple sectors now face the likelihood of heightened regulatory scrutiny, an increase in potential litigation, and reputational harm.

    Repairing the damage

    As boardrooms face the reality of forever chemicals in our everyday, insurance can step up and help shoulder the risk.

    By taking proactive measures and staying vigilant about environmental threats, businesses can weather the storm, now that’s something worth tipping your hat to.

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