Special damage assessment

A diagnosis of possible damage should be made before beginning repairs with other construction measures [48,49]. There should be a checklist [48] of the important corrosion parameters and the types of corrosion effects to be expected. Of special importance are investigations of the quality of the concrete (strength, type of cement, water/cement ratio, cement content), the depth of carbonization, concentration profile of chloride ions, moisture distribution, and the situation regarding cracks and displacements. The extent of corrosion attack is determined visually. Later the likelihood of corrosion can be assessed using the above data. 

For most chemicals, inhalation is the main route of entry into the body. Penetration via damaged skin (e.g. cuts, abrasions) should, however, be avoided. Certain chemicals (e.g. phenol, aniline, certain pesticides) can penetrate intact skin and so become absorbed into the body. This may occur toough local contamination, e.g. from a liquid splash, or through exposure to high vapour concentrations. Special precautions to avoid skin contact are required with these chemicals and potential exposure via skin absorption has to be taken into account when assessing the adequacy of control measures. 

U.S. EPA may list a waste as hazardous for any and all of the above reasons. The majority of listed wastes fall into the toxic waste category. To decide if a waste should be a toxic listed waste, U.S. EPA first determines whether it typically contains harmful chemical constituents. An appendix to RCRA contains a list of chemical compounds or elements that scientific studies have shown to have toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic effects on humans or other life forms. If a waste contains chemical constituents found on the appendix list, U.S. EPA then evaluates 11 other factors to determine if the wastestream is likely to pose a threat in the absence of special restrictions on its handling. These additional considerations include a risk assessment and study of past cases of damage caused by the waste. 

Distribution, including accumulation of an absorbed substance, will be the same irrespective of the route of administration. However, distribution and accumulation at the site of apphcation (inhalation, oral, dermal) may depend on the route of administration. In such cases, local accumulation may occur and may be responsible for tissue damage. In these cases, systemic toxicokinetics of the substance may be of limited relevance for the risk assessment. It is generally not cmcial for risk assessment to determine the precise tissue distribution profile for a substance. In certain special cases, however, specific tissue distribution studies may assist or even be essential for the interpretation of available toxicological data. For example, it may be of interest to know whether the substance will cross the blood-brain barrier, the placenta barrier, or will accumulate in specific tissues. 

Trapping insects with pheromone-baited devices is now commonplace for many pest species. From a management viewpoint trap-captures can be very useful, simply by showing where populations exist and when they are active. More refined trapping systems may also be used to assess population densities and help predict where and when resource damage might occur. Special baits or traps may be necessary in the latter case, since the concern is with relative numbers caught and not just presence or absence of a species. 

An assessment of drop-impact damage risks can be made by direct observation, self-contained instruments (within packs), and special recording instruments to identify how simulated laboratory tests can ultimately be substituted for travel tests. Data loggers are now capable of recording temperatures, RH, impacts and vibrations. 

A finished product returned from the market (ie. which has left the control of the manufacturer), returned because of complaints, damage, age or other circumstances which may prejudice the quality of the goods should be considered for re-sale, re-labelling or bulking for repacking only after it has been critically assessed by Quality Assurance. The nature of the product, any special storage conditions it requires,... 

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