Risk management institutions involved

To some extent, public institutions may be involved in hazard and risk assessments and decide on risk management, such as for (harmonised) classification and labelling of chemical substances, for authorisation of biocides and of plant protection products and for specific regulatory activities like bans or restrictions on the use of certain very hazardous chemicals. 

Risk assessment evaluates risk in terms of hazard and exposure, but reference to risk levels must account for different perceptions of risk as well as scientific uncertainties in risk assessment. In short, this research project considers the importance of social and institutional processes in influencing risk perceptions and risk acceptability. This book therefore takes a constrained relativist approach by incorporating risk perceptions in the research framework. An unconstrained relativist perspective would imply that no scientific study is reliable or robust. By contrast, a constrained relativist approach can provide a useful basis for examining the different social and cultural factors involved in regulatory risk management. 

For example, the federal institutions are involved during the development of risk reduction strategies (RRS). The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) may also be involved in chemical risk management processes. 

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (HSW Act), 1974, instituted a system of enforced self-regulation which placed primary responsibility for health and safety with industry. It charged companies with risk management responsibilities which ideally involved companies in developing risk management systems and rules to secure compliance and also entailed worker participation (Ch. 6). But, as Dawson et al. (1988 44) warn, the creation of health and safety structures and procedures within a company is an imperfect measure which does not in itself indicate an improvement in health and safety. Indeed their own case studies demonstrated that compliance with the formalities did not necessarily indicate a serious and established concern to improve standards of health and safety (1988 87). There is therefore a need to consider the impact of these structures in terms of the difference they make at an everyday level. As Stone (1975) comments, the key task is to make bureaucracies think like responsible individuals, so the systems and decision-making processes they institute are critical. 

Generally BR appeared to have complied with the risk management systems demanded by occupational health and safety legislation. It had instituted the structures, procedures, and policies expected in law. Moreover the systems they had in place had been particularly scrutinized following a number of high profile accidents, two of them involving railways, one involving BR. But at the time of... 

It is important for scientific institutions to be involved in regional planning, as well as in emergency plans, and thus ensure better disaster risk management. 

Clinical research designed to further identify both host- and device-associated risk factors and to assess the benefit of specific preventive measures is required. Unfortunately, funding and institutional support for research may receive a lower priority under managed care and capitation policies. There is a need for increased recognition of host-associated risk factors, necessitating involvement of primary care physicians, and for increased emphasis on pre-... 

Although decision-making concerning marketing and use restrictions aimed at consumer protection involves the Ministry for Consumer Protection (BMV), it does not have a major role. The chemical management activities of its supporting Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) have recently been transferred to the BAuA. 

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