Prevention program

Health and Safety Code, Chap. 6.95, Art. 2, Hazardous Materials Management, State of California, Sacramento, Calif., 1986 Sect. 25531, RJsk Management and Prevention Program, 1987. 

Spill Prevention and Detection. It is far better to prevent a leak or a spik than to clean one. The fundamental rule of leak and spik prevention is to reduce the possibkity for contamination by directing resources as close to the source as possible (Fig. 11). In addition to increasing the effectiveness of a spik and leak prevention program, the costs are lower if the focus is placed on preventing the occurrence in the first place. Regulatory trend, however, is to requite methods that respond to leaks after they occur. In addition to being more costly, this type of requirement is often a disincentive to prevent the leaks in the first place, because of the additional cost. 

Formal pollution prevention programs (Pollution Prevention Act)... 

Multimedia Analysis In order to properly design and then implement a pohution prevention program, sources of all wastes must be fuhy understood and evaluated. A multimedia analysis involves a multifaceted approach. It must not only consider one waste stream but all potentially contaminant media (e.g., air, water, land). Past... 

Sources of Information The successful development and implementation of any pollution prevention program is not only dependent on a thorough understanding of the facility s operations but also reqmres an intimate knowledge of current opportunities and advances in the field. In fact, 32 percent of industry respondents to an EPA sui vey identified the lack of technical information as a major factor delaying or preventing the implementation of a waste-... 

One of the key elements of the assessment phase of a pollution prevention program involves mass balance equations. These calculations are often referred to as material balances the calculations are performed via the consei vation law for mass. The details of this ofien-used law are described below. 

By performing a material balance in conjunc tion with a pollution prevention assessment, the amount of waste generated becomes known. The success of the pollution prevention program can therefore be measured by using this information on baseline generation rates (i.e., that rate at which waste is generated without pollution prevention considerations). 

As discussed previously, industiy is beginning to realize that there are profound benefits associated with pollution prevention including cost effectiveness, reduced hability, enhanced public image, and regula-toiy compliance. Nevertheless, there are barriers or disincentives identifiea with pollution prevention. This section will briefly outline both barriers and incentives that may need to be confronted or considered during the evaluation of a pollution prevention program. 

Lack of infoimation. In some instances, the information needed to make a pollution-prevention decision may be confidential or is difficult to obtain. In addition, many decision makers are simply unaware of the potential opportunities available regarding information to aid in the implementation of a pollution-prevention program. 

Con.sumcrprcfcrcncc obstacles. Consumer preference strongly affects the manner in which a product is produced, packaged, and marketed. If the implementation of a pollution-prevention program results in the increase in the cost of a product or decreased convenience or availability, consumers might be reluctant to use it. 

Institutional hai iiers. In an organization without a strong infrastructure to support pollution-prevention plans, waste-reduction programs will be difficult to implement. Similarly, if there is no mechanism in place to hold individuals accountable for their actions, the successful implementation of a pollution-prevention program will be limited. 

Reduced wa.ste-treatment co.sts. As discussed in reason no. 5 of the dirty dozen, the increasing costs of traditional end-of-pipe waste-management practices are avoided or reduced through the implementation of pollution-prevention programs. 

ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH POLLUTION-PREVENTION PROGRAMS... 

The main problem with the traditional type of economic analysis is that it is difficult—nay, in some cases impossible—to quantify some of the not-so-obvious economic merits of a pollution-prevention program. Several considerations have just recently surfaced as factors that need to be taken into account in any meaningful economic analysis of a pollution-prevention effort. What follows is a summary listing of these considerations, most which have been detailed earher. 

Risk sensitivity results are also very useful in identifying key elements in your existing loss prevention program. For example, suppose your fire protection system was assumed to have a very low probability of failure because you test it weekly. Fire protection failures may not show up as an important contributor to your total risk (because failure is so unlikely), but your total risk estimate may be extremely sensitive to any change in the probability of fire protection failures. Flence you should not divert resources away from testing the fire protection system unless the alternate use of funds will decrease risk more than the reduced testing will increase risk. 

The U.S. government is promoting poUution prevention at feder2d facilities. Cooperating with the EPA are the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs. The U.S. Postal Service has also committed to an extensive pollution prevention program. 

The book Green Profits A Manager s Handbook for ISO 14001 and Pollution Prevention (N. P. Cheremisinoff and A. Bendavid-Val, Butterworth-Heinemann, Mass., 2001) provides a step-by-step approach to developing pollution prevention programs in an organization. In this section we summarize the basic approach for the reader, but refer you to the above publication for further details and examples. 

All pollution prevention programs start the same - with an audit. The objective of an audit is to gather information aimed at developing a baseline description of the operations. Once we understand how much the costs of compliance to air and other pollution media are, then we can apply engineering tools and management practices to reduce these costs. 

Feasibility Analysis Phase The point in a pollution prevention program at which waste reduction options are evaluated technically, economically and environmentally. The results are used to select options to be recommended for implementation. 

Pollution Prevention Champion one or more people designated to facilitate the pollution prevention program by resolving conflicts. 

The Rohm and Haas Major Accident Prevention Program (Ren-shaw, 1990 Berger and Lantzy, 1996 Hendershot, 1991a) is based on potential accident consequence analysis and uses checklists based on inherently safer design principles to identify ways to eliminate or reduce hazards. 

Renshaw, F. M. (1990). A Major Accident Prevention Program. Plant/Ofterations Progress 9, 3 (July), 194-97. 

Ensure that the contractor/subcontractor can implement a comprehensive health and safety program in compliance with applicable regulations, including accident prevention programs, medical surveillance, training, work practice controls, use of personal protective equipment, and so on. 

Is there a written heat stress prevention program as part of the SAHP or safety and health SOPs ... 

Prevention Program —Management System —Process Hazards Analysis —Process Safety Information —Standard Operating Procedures —Training... 

The focus of MANAGER is somewhat different, in that it was primarily developed to provide a numerical output for use in risk assessment. Nevertheless, the qualitative dimensions included in the audit trail will undoubtedly provide information which can be used as part of an error prevention program. 

The first step in minimizing accidents in a chemical phuit is to evaluate the facility for potential fires, explosions, and vulnerability to other liazards, particularly those of a chemical miture. This calls for a detailed study of plant site and layout, materials, processes, operations, equipment, and training, plus an effective loss prevention program. The technical nature of industry requires detailed data and a broad range of experience. Tliis complex task, today becoming the most important in plant design, is facilitated by the safety codes, standiu ds, and practice information available. The technical approach to evaluating die consequences of hazards is discussed later in tliis cliapter and in Part V (Chapters 20 and 21). 

The minimiziiig/prevendon of accidents in a chemical plant calls for a detailed study of plant site and layout, materials, processes, operations, equipment, and training, plus an effective loss prevention program. 

Substitution therapy with methadone or buprenorphine has been veiy successfiil in terms of harm reduction. Some opiate addicts might also benefit from naltrexone treatment. One idea is that patients should undergo rapid opiate detoxification with naltrexone under anaesthesia, which then allows fiuther naltrexone treatment to reduce the likelihood of relapse. However, the mode of action of rapid opiate detoxification is obscure. Moreover, it can be a dangerous procedure and some studies now indicate that this procedure can induce even more severe and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms as well as no improvement in relapse rates than a regular detoxification and psychosocial relapse prevention program. 

Hodgson TA, Meiners M (1979) Guidelines for Cost-of-Illness studies in the public health services. Task force on Cost-of-Illness studies, US Public Health Services, WA Holtgrave DR, Pinkerton SD (1997) Updates of Cost-of-lllness and quality of hfe estimates for use in economic evaluations of HIV prevention programs, J Acquit Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol 16 54-62... 

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