Chemical Management

Presented by Saima Nasreen MPhil Student Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi

Chemical Management

It means to reduce the chemical use, waste risks and cost through transformation of supply chain by redefining the way chemicals are used and sold. Yet today, many manufacturers still look to Chemical Management as a means to manage fluid costs, not realizing that the cost of the fluid itself is less important than the choice of fluid and how it is managed and maintained on a daily basis.

Why Chemical Management?

A chemical may be regarded as a toxic or hazardous substance if it has significant environmental or human health effects.
Certain chemicals are regulated when they exhibit particular characteristics. Responsible chemical management can reduce or eliminate the risks involved with using chemicals and ensure cost savings, increased worker safety and decreased environmental liability.

Integrated Approach to Chemical Management

Integrated and coordinated approach to chemicals management can be achieved through the development of a national programme for the sound management of chemicals and chemical waste.

Such a programme can facilitate, Interministerial coordination, access to and exchange of information, stakeholder participation, coordinated priority setting, and integration of chemicals management activities into National development planning processes.

Agencies Working For Chemical Management

Protection of employees from workplace injury and illness. EPA Protection of people, animals and the environment from chemical injury. DOT Safety of shipments during transportation: road, rail, air, sea or pipeline.
OSHA

Laws of Environmental Protection

Clean Air Act Clean Water Act Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (Hazardous Waste) Toxic Substances Control Act Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act

Problems to Implement Chemical Management

Lack of regulatory programs to address chemical lifecycle risks Lack of integrated and comprehensive approach to chemicals management Lack of information on existing chemicals Concern about chemicals in products Slow risk assessment process, burden on government Increasing public concerns about types of chemicals (persistent and bioaccumulative and endocrine disruptors) and impacts on health and ecosystems (marine) Continued use of dangerous chemicals Policy failures and lack of public confidence Market pressures for safer chemicals

Control Strategies for Chemical Management

Control Strategies at Source Level Chemical Substitution Product Reformulation Process Modification Equipment Change Operational Change Fugitive fission Control Control Strategies at Waste Exchange Level Recycling Volume Reduction

International Conferences held related to Chemical Management

UN Backs Initiative to Turn Trash into Cash in Asian Pacific cities (February 2010). UNECE Convention on Long-range Tran -boundary Air Pollution adds seven Pops (8 January 2010). Stockholm Convention announces Climate and Pops study (March 2010). Basel Convention releases guidelines on managing Mercury waste. Mercury Programme convenes Inception workshop on artisanal and small scale Gold Mining project (19-21 January 2010)

SAICM

Adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) on 6 February 2006 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals. SAICM was developed by a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral Preparatory Committee and supports the achievement of the goal agreed at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development of ensuring that, by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Progress in the implementation of SAICM was reviewed at the second session of the ICCM held from 11 to 15 May 2009.

Hurdles in the implementation of Chemical Management Cost Risk based

Effective Chemical Management

Have high attitude (commitment) Reduce the hazards Employee Training Emergency Management Incident Investigations Protect yourself Ongoing process (once is not enough) Proper and Safe Chemical Management Safety is everyones responsibility

Recommendations

It may be suggested that the chemical management cell may be established in the ministry of environment where the basic data for the production/import, storage, distribution, transportation of chemicals is maintained so that the ministry is able to coordinate the management of chemicals, its impact on the environment. First priority is to reduce the amount of waste generated. Many industrial processes that use solvents are equipped for solvent recycle for reasons of both economics and pollution control. In some instances potentially hazardous catalysts, can be replaced by catalysts that are non hazardous or that can be recycled rather than discarded. States have their own environmental protection programs in addition to the federal programs. Environmental programs set attainment levels and demand that industry meet the goals.