Stakeholders tests

Industry stakeholders—including some physicians and researchers—and others with conflicts of interest have slowed both the research and the recognition of MCS. Human nature is on their side, because the reality of MCS can be difficult to accept even when you live with it. Most people trust that products on the market have been tested for human safety. Before the onset of MCS the thought never occurs to you that the ordinary products in your home or workplace could be affecting your health. Even after the connection is made we sometimes still deny the reality of those more sensitive than ourselves, until we reach that level. Don Paladin, one of the... 

The short-term actions include (1) establishment of a priority list of substances for further evaluation of their role in endocrine disruption monitoring levels of suspect chemicals in food and the environment (2) identification of vulnerable groups of people (such as children) who need to be given special consideration (3) establishment of an international network to enable information exchange and coordination of research and testing and (4) communication with the public and continuing consultation with stakeholders. 

The links to be established with all stakeholders should be clearly specified to enable the laboratory to function efficiently and meet the needs of its customers (the society through legislation and individuals). The laboratory is supplied with products (reagents, equipment, reference materials), receives services (accreditation, certification, provision of interlaboratory comparison schemes) and cooperates with other laboratories (cooperation in testing, provision of calibration services). 

The basic question of whether accreditation or certification is appropriate arises when a laboratory is trying to meet the needs of the customers for testing and/or calibration services. Experience shows that the real nature and objectives of ISO 9001 are not always clearly imderstood by the stakeholders. The situation may be different in each case, depending on the customer. 

Engage stakeholders early on to test the initial improvement hypotheses, and then continuously to ensure timely feed-back and buy-in for the proposed changes... 

Extrapolation methods were tested against critical scientific opinion with several relevant data sets for key model substances and mixtures to stimulate critical assessment of the extrapolation procedures at a stakeholder workshop held in Florida. The stakeholder workshop was held with participation from 31 experts in risk assessment from the United States, Europe, and other countries. Participants were selected from academia, government regulatory bodies, industry, risk managers, and decision makers, and had diverse backgrounds (e.g., ecotoxicologists, ecologists, environmental... 

Increased attention is being given by industry, government, and consumers to the behavior of plastic foams in fire. Small-scale laboratory tests are not predictive of other fire situations [105]. All plastic foams are combustible, some more readily than others. Small quantities of certain additives [106,107] markedly improve the behavior of the foam in the presence of small fire sources. This, too, has been an area of increased attention by the same stakeholders. The effort is focused on improving the efficacy of the fire retardant additives. All plastic foams should be used properly, following the manufacturers recommendations and governmental regulations. 

Compendial approaches are developed to protect the public and guide pharmaceutical manufacturers, prescribers, and dispensers. It is in the best interest of all stakeholders that quality pharmaceuticals be available for immediate patient use. In fact, it is imperative at all stages of drug distribution that the quality be maintained, both from the perspective of patient safety and from the standpoint of customer satisfaction and product liability. For these reasons, pharmacopeial standards throughout the world articulate accepted testing protocols and minimum quality standards to ensure that manufacturers have the tools they need to guarantee the quality of the available drug supply. 

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