Risk management organisation

The SubChem project aimed to improve comprehension of innovation processes in chemicals risk assessment and from these deductions to develop recommendations for action. The recommendations are not solely related to substance and technical iimovations and their framework conditions, but also encompass organisational and institutional itmovations within the scope of extended risk management. From experience gathered in the course of the SubChem project, the most important recommendations for the various actors in the innovation system can be grouped according to their distinctive roles. 

Innovation types can be differentiated as to whether the successful new innovation is of a technical or organisational nature or signifies a change of system. Direction of Innovation. Within the context of SubChem the question is also relevant as to whether the innovation (hazardous substance substitution, hazardous substance prevention, exposure prevention) has really reduced the risks entailed by the hazardous substance or has possibly only caused those risks to shift. With regard to the practicability of risk management, the question can also be raised as to whether a specific organisational and/or institutional innovation creates increased (also practicable) personal lesponsibihty of the commercial enterprises or whether and to what extent it is linked to a greater need for state control. 

OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Environment Directorate, 13-Dec-2004, ENV/JM/MONO(2004)28/PART1, Series on Risk Management No 17, "Workshop on experiences and perspectives of service-oriented strategies in the chemicals industry and related areas", Vienna, Austria, 13-14 November 2003, Part I Summary and conclusions... 

Westrum, R. (1988). Organisational and inter-organisational thought. World Bank Workshop on Safety Control and Risk Management. Washington D.C., October,... 

Interviews were the primary method for data collection. In the four subject Member States, key regulatory officials and stakeholder organisation representatives were asked questions on national chemical risk management and their views of EU regulation1. When analysing national policy and practice, interview data needed to be supplemented and validated by incorporating literature references relating to (Section 2.3.3) ... 

Country-specific and overlapping recommendations are summarised in Table 4.6, organised according to preventive and protective measures. A framework for risk management under REACH must consider these existing strengths and weaknesses of chemical management at national and EU levels. 

The findings from the PhD hold important implications for EU regulators and stakeholder organisations. In terms of evaluating their roles and responsibilities in risk management, four major questions have emerged ... 

Should a regulator or stakeholder organisation raise public concerns over a potential chemical risk if it cannot provide a potential risk management solution ... 

Finally, should a regulator or stakeholder organisation raise public concerns over a potential chemical risk if it cannot provide a potential risk management solution This third question raises moral issues that were outside the scope of the research. However, the research has provided a number of examples when regulators or stakeholders may have acted irresponsibly. It is hoped that by highlighting such instances the research will contribute to a wider debate on chemical risk management. 

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