Information sources professional organizations

Assessment Phase The assessment phase aims to collect data needed to identify and analyze pollution-prevention opportunities. Assessment of the facility s waste-reduction needs includes the examination of hazardous waste streams, process operations, and the identification of techniques that often promise the reduction of waste generation. Information is often derived from obsei vations made during a facihty walk-through, interviews with employees (e.g., operators, line workers), and review of site or regulatory records. One professional organization suggests the following information sources be reviewed, as available (Ref. 7) ... 

The Internet, for many professionals, has become a favorite, convenient source for free information. The Internet is a vehicle to access a diverse array of information sources, including federal and state government documents and regulations, statements, opinions and guidelines from associations and organizations, and pharmaceutical industry documents. While the Internet is indeed powerful, it is a retrieval mechanism and the WWW site itself is the resource to be considered for relevance to the current search. The convenience of WWW resources can be quickly overshadowed by the time invested in the search and following linkages. 

Sources of information Possible sources of scientific information include advocacy groups, the media, universities or other research organizations, government agencies, contract research, NGOs, and scientific publications. In the case of POPs decisionmakers have gotten scientific advice from international conferences the internet, and scientific journals. There are also professional organizations such as Stockholm Convention Implementation Office of SEPA (CIO). 

Valuable assistance in finding information can be obtained by consulting information intermediaries with subject expertise who can identify and access information resources unknown or unavailable locally. These individuals may be in local information centers or may be brokers who specialize in individual information services or creation of compilations of data for a fee. An example of this type of service is the Comprehensive Health and Environmental Monographs (CHEMS) division of Health and Environment International. This service creates detailed reports on the health and environmental effects of a chemical. Professional organizations, database producers, and government agencies can also be sources of experts as well as providers of direct information. An example of the former type of service is UNEP-Infoterra, an international referral and research organization of the... 

Eor larger stack panels, one might investigate the emerging standards being developed in the Flat Panel Display industry. Professional organizations in the flat panel industry such as SPIE (http //www.spie.org/) and SID (http //www.sid.org/) are good sources of information. 

Safety and loss prevention professionals can often acquire services and information from various professional organizations as well as trade groups, civic organizations, and even individual consultants. Safety and loss prevention professionals should look beyond the normal and traditional sources for acquisition of information and services in areas that are infrequently utilized. This is especially important with new or innovative ideas that the safety and loss prevention professional may wish to explore or test. Additionally, through the exploration process itself, the safety and loss prevention professional may find additional sources as a result of the initial contact with these trade groups or other sources. 

Standards and recommended practices covering different aspects of corrosion have been developed by a number of professional organizations as ASTM, NACE International, ISO and many national bodies. Useful information on the corrosion resistance of materials for a given application can often be obtained from suppliers and from the scientific and technical literature. A number of tables and databases published in the open htcrature [1- 4] present the intrinsic corrosion resistance of materials in different environments. We must keep in mind, however, that such data are not sufficient, because they do not include electrochemical interactions that can lead to localized corrosion or effects due to stress or wear. Engineers confronted with materials selection therefore need to have a basic understanding of corrosion mechanisms. Experience gained with similar equipment or installations is also a useful source of information to avoid corrosion problems. As a last resort, one may turn to laboratory testing. 

Ballast, D. K. 1998. The Encyclopedia of Association and Information Sources for Architects, Designers, and Engineers. Annonk, NY Sharpe Professional. In addition to listings of professional associations and organizations, this source includes information about journals, online databases, CD-ROMs, and federal government publications in the fields of architecture, design, and engineering. 

Today, Web sites are an essential source of information from government agencies, professional organizations, and commercial suppliers. Statistics, standards, patents, and other information that nsed to be difficnlt to identify and locate is now often just a few clicks away. Many journals are available in electronic editions, and the TRIS database (now TRID) is accessed online. Print resonrces remain important, however. As with any engineering discipline, handbooks, manuals, and textbooks are still critical information sources. 

The fourth and final section, Information Sources and Training in Safety , covers access to health and safety information through the use of both conventional and computer-based data retrieval systems and approaches to safety training by professional organizations. 

The Internet is an invaluable source of information. Web sites include consultants, manufacturers, connactors, professional organizations, professional bulletin boards, newsgroups, and more. On the local level, you can talk with suppliers and distributors. Code officials are often helpful in resolving questions about an installation. My experiences have shown that code officers are very receptive to legitimate questions about the code. In many cases, local designers and contractors will share information with other professionals. 

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