Risk management environment

Proceedings of the OECD Workshop on Non-Regulatory Initiatives for Chemical Risk Management, Environment, Health and Safety Publications, Series on Risk Management, OECD Publications, Paris, France, 1997, No.7. 

OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2002) Guidance Document on Risk Communication for Chemicals Risk Management, Environment Directorate Joint Meeting of the Chemicals Committee and the Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology, ENV/JM/MONO (2002)18,25-Jul-2002. 

Article 3(37) of REACH defines exposure scenarios as the set of conditions, including operational conditions and risk management measures, that describe how the substance is manufactured or used during its life-cycle and how the manufacturer or importer controls, or recommends downstream users to control, exposures of humans and the environment [...] . 

WISE (2008b) Water notes on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. Water Note 3 - Groundwater at risk managing the water under us. http //ec.europa.eu/environment/ water/water-framework/pdf/water note3 groundwateratrisk.pdf... 

The link between the ecological/ecotoxicological risk assessment and the risk management frameworks is demonstrated. The ecological risk assessment consists of seven interactive elements (Fig. 17). The quantitative and descriptive science used to conduct ERA (Table 5) does not answer, in a direct way, the question of what should be done to manage the risk. Science determines adversity, but the public determines acceptability (Fig. 18). But acceptable risk is a highly subjective and relative term. It is time and space-specific and depends upon definitions of quality of life and robustness of the environment. 

Does the EPA Risk Management Program (RMP) regulation provide sufficient coverage to protect the public and the environment from the hazards of reactive chemicals If not, what should be added or changed ... 

In making risk management decisions it is important to take into account nontechnical factors in addition to scientific and economic information. Recent crises in the food industry have indicated that consumers perceptions about risks are driven by factors that would not be considered in conventional risk assessments. Research has shown that factors such as whether sub-groups (particularly children) might be affected, whether the hazard is familiar, if there are effects on the environment or if risks and benefits are equitably shared can determine consumers reactions to an issue. 

Lazarus, N.R. (1996). Population heterogeneity and its impact on the risk management of food safety. Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol., 2, 89-91. 

Companies will be required to provide information on the identity and properties of a compound (including physical, chemical, toxicological, and ecotoxicological properties), the intended uses, the estimated human and environmental exposure, risks for humans and the environment, and proposals for risk management measures. Information requirements will depend largely on production volumes, but might be adjusted based on the intrinsic properties and conditions of use of individual substances. 

Substitution, rather than risk management is therefore essential. Chemicals identified as of very high concern, e.g. carcinogens, reproductive toxins, those that persist and bioaccumulate in the environment and affect the hormone system, should be targeted for substitution based on their intrinsic hazards. 

Risk management—The systematic application of management policies, procedures, and practices to the tasks of analyzing, assessing, and controlling risk in order to protect employees, the general public, and the environment as well as company assets while avoiding business interruptions. 

Since traditionally pharmaceuticals have not been considered as environmental contaminants, the study of their presence in the environment is in some ways a new area of research which has taken off recently. Nonetheless, so far, there is little knowledge on their occurrence, fate and environmental assessment, an essential tool for the implementation of minimizing measures and risk management. Potential risks associated with releases of pharmaceuticals into the environment have become an increasingly important issue for pharmaceutical industry and environmental regulators [7, 11]. 

Risk management combines the risk assessment with economic, political, public opinion, and other considerations to determine a course of action. These judgments seldom satisfy everyone. The principles of toxicology form the foundation for the risk assessment and ultimately for the risk management decisions. Individual and community involvement in the decision-making process is a critical part of developing sound policies to minimize risks to people and the environment. 

Risk assessment is quantitative and differs from risk management, which involves weighing options to reduce the risk. The risk assessment process begins with identifying the potential hazards and their occurrence in a specihc environment (i.e., exposure assessment), their toxicity (i.e., dose-response), and a characterization of the risk (NRC, 1994). Risk assessment determines the probability of realizing harm as a result of exposure to a given hazard. 

All available and relevant information on substances on their own, in preparations and in articles should be collected to assist in identifying hazardous properties, and recommendations about risk management measures should systematically be conveyed through supply chains, as reasonably necessary, to prevent adverse effects on human health and the environment. In addition, communication of technical advice to support risk management should be encouraged in the supply chain, where appropriate."... 

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... 

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