Hazardous materials safety design reviews

Review of design and construction plans, drawings, and specifications for life safety systems, fire protection systems, access, water supplies, processes, and hazardous materials and other fire and life safety issues... 

The methods used to avoid bringing hazards and risks into the workplace will be broadly discussed here, with the hope that safety professionals can adopt from the materials presented to their advantage. To assist in applying the ZIO design review provisions, this chapter includes ... 

The cornerstone of a sound program for prudent laboratory practices is a process designed to comprehensively review the operations and potential hazards associated with each experiment over its life cycle. This review should take place before any work is conducted. The diverse nature of research and development activities makes it advisable to have such a process in place as part of the scientific method of experimentation. In laboratories where this preliminary survey is routinely practiced, it has proved to be useful in both the maintenance of safe laboratory operations and the minimization of chemical exposure and waste generation. Because of the diversity of types of researchers and laboratory work, such processes— both formal and informal—can help individuals associated with new, modified, or unfamiliar experiments or procedures to plan and work safely, responsibly, and productively. By first evaluating the work area, materials, equipment, and procedures in depth, hidden hazards may be identified and addressed. The pre-experiment review process can also help to ensure that every experiment and laboratory operation complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and other policies. Moreover, by addressing all relevant health, safety, and environmental issues when an experiment is first conceived, further research, scale-up, or development based on it can be made safer and more effective. 

The selected review team is entrusted to analyze a wide range of production process plants and associated safety. The team is given basic information regarding the process and operation of the plant to be studied. The basic information includes information on hazards scenario (including information on materials and equipment), process technological details, operation procedures, design data for equipment instrumentation and control, incident experience, and previous hazard reviews (as applicable). 

Remarkable ecotoxic effects caused by the biodegradation of polymers have rarely appeared in all reviewed papers and reports. Fortunately, a generally very small hazard potential could be assumed. An extensive investigation, applied before the market introduction of a newly designed or composed material, may act as a safety net to avoid unwanted negative effects on ecosystems. The additional cost of such analysis is very low compared with the value of environmental damage unexpected metabolites may cause and compared with the probable loss of confidence of the material users and waste treatment plant operators. 

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