Health issues national standards

Contrary to the organizations mentioned so far, the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention (PIC) was conceived by the health authorities of 10 member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1970. The main goals of this legal treaty were to harmonize GMP requirements across the member countries and to recognize GMP inspections mutually. The PIC issued Basic Standards for GMP for Pharmaceutical Products in 1973. It was partly based on the WHO standard, partly on national guidelines. In its 1989 revision some basic requirements regarding validation (including definitions of validation and qualification) were spelled out. 

Analyses are performed in accordance with standardized methods issued under the responsibility of a Technical Committee within the Health Ministry. Usually such measurements rely on a comparison of the measured quantity in the unknown sample with the same quantity in a standard , i.e. an RM, according to a specific measurement equation [6], after calibrating the instrument. Calibration of a photometric system for clinical analyses usually means the set of operations that establish, under specific conditions, the relationship, within a specified range, between values indicated by the instrument and the corresponding values assigned to the RMs at the stated uncertainty. Calibration of the photometer itself implies the calibration of wavelength and absorbance scale by means of proper wavelength and absorbance RMs [5], traceable to national standards. A calibration of the instrument is still needed in concentration units to check the indicated provided value. The measurement result is then verified by application of that method of measurement to a certified reference material (CRM). Both the comparator - a photometric device with narrow or wide bandwidth, and the RMs should thus be validated. 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is charged with developing toxic substance handling criteria, researching safety and health issues, recommending new safety, and health standards. 

Most villages, cities, and counties have safety and health laws of some kind. Frequently, local governments adopt national standards or portions of them as part of local ordinances. Typical laws and codes at the local level also address safety and health issues. They include zoning codes, building codes, fire codes, plumbing and sewer codes, and traffic codes. Major cities commonly have unique regulations and codes. 

On July 25, 2005, the American National Standards Institute approved the Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Standard, designated as ANSUAIHA Z10-2005. Thus, for the first time in the United States, a national consensus standard was issued for safety and health management systems applicable to organizations of all sizes and types. 

In particular, the recently issued American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) Standard, ANSI ZIO-2005, provides a new national benchmark for what constitutes an effective OHSMS and is the work product of a broad cross-section of stakeholders. 

What causes the most confusion concerning the recognition of a near miss incident are definitions that describe an incident as some event that may or may not have caused injury. That could be anything. The American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI), Standard ANSI/AIHA ZIO-2005, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, is one of the many definitions that cause this confusion and applying its definition of a near miss will confuse the issue more. The institute defines a near miss as an incident ... 

Founded in 1944, the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) develops standards, conducts product testing, and provides certification services in areas related to public health and safety. Technical resources include the operation of physical and performance testing facilities and analytical chemistry and microbiology laboratories. NSF International operates as a not-for-profit nongovernmental organization. NSF develops national standards, provides learning opportunities, and provides third-party conformity assessment services. The foundation known and recognized for its scientific and technical expertise continues to focus on a variety of pertinent issues related to health and environmental sciences. 

Cosmetics are not subject to registration or notification, there are pre-shipment testing procedures in force, based on mandatory SASO standards applied equally to both imported and domestically produced products. These encompass the protection of health, safety, national security, public morals, the environment and prevention of deceptive practices. For imported cosmetics, procedures to ensure conformity to the appUcable Saudi standards are enforced by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which implements the International Conformity Certification Program (ICCP) as a combined conformity assessment, inspection and certification scheme, on the basis of which goods are allowed entry into the KSA. Compliance with the relevant Saudi standards, or approved equivalent international alternatives, leads to the issue of a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) prior to shipment by Country Offices or Regional Licensing Centres. The ICCP apphes to all consumer products exported to the KSA (KSA, 2004). Samples may be selected for minimum verification tests as a part of annual routine inspections. Periodic pre-shipment inspection will be performed. 

Use of an accepted safety management system can provide the structure for an overall assessment. As example, the American Nationals Standards Institute s ZlO-2012, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, a voluntary standard states The organization shall establish a process to set documented objectives, quantified where practicable, based on issues that offer the greatest opportunity for Occupational Health and Safety Management System improvement and risk reduction. ... 

Regulatory and advisory bodies publish methods for ambient air analysis sueh as those issued by the British Standards Institute and the US Environment Proteetion Ageney (Tables 10.24 and 10.25, respeetively). Methods for assessment of workplace air are published by the Health and Safety Exeeutive. Some of these are generie methods (Table 10.26) whilst others are eompound speeifie (Table 10.27). Examples of other offieial methods for monitoring workplaee air quality are those published by the British Standards Institute (Table 10.28), and the US National Institute of Oeeupational Safety and Health (Table 10.29). Table 10.30 provides additional guidanee on analytieal teehniques for a seleetion of substanees. 

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